Viscount Bolingbroke

Viscount Bolingbroke is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1712 for the Hon. Henry St John. He was made Baron St John, of Lydiard Tregoze in the County of Wilts, at the same time, also in the Peerage of Great Britain. Since 1751 the titles are merged with the titles of Viscount St John and Baron St John, in the County of Surrey, both also in the Peerage of Great Britain.

Henry St John,
1st Viscount Bolingbroke

John St John (died 1648) was the great-great-great-grandson of Oliver St John (died 1497) (whose elder brother Sir John St John (died c. 1488) was the ancestor of the Barons St John of Bletsoe and Earls of Bolingbroke), second son of Sir Oliver St John (died 1437), the first husband of Margaret Beauchamp, great-great-granddaughter of Roger de Beauchamp, 1st Baron Beauchamp of Bletshoe (died 1380). Margaret Beauchamp was maternal grandmother of Henry VII through her second marriage.

His uncle was Oliver St John, 1st Viscount Grandison (a title now held by the Earl of Jersey). On 22 May 1611 he was created a Baronet, of Lydiard Tregoze in the County of Wilts, in the Baronetage of England.^[1]

St John later represented Wiltshire in Parliament and was a strong supporter of King Charles I during the Civil War. His younger son, the third Baronet, represented both Wiltshire and Wootton Bassett in Parliament. His son, the fourth Baronet, also represented these constituencies in the House of Commons. In 1716 he was raised to the Peerage of Great Britain as Baron St John, in the County of Surrey, and Viscount St John, with remainder to his second and third sons, as his eldest son Henry St John had already been created Baron St John, of Lydiard Tregoze in the County of Wilts, and Viscount Bolingbroke in 1712 see below). Lord St John was succeeded according to the special remainder by his second son, the 2nd Viscount. He also represented Wootton Bassett in Parliament. In 1751 his son, the 3rd Viscount, succeeded his uncle as 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke and 2nd Baron St John according to a special remainder in the letters patent.

The titles have remained united ever since. His son, the 3rd and 4th Viscount, briefly represented Cricklade in Parliament. As of 2014 the titles are held by his great-great-great-great-grandson, the 8th Viscount Bolingbroke and 9th Viscount St John. He lives in New Zealand. As of 28 February 2014 the present Baronet has not successfully proven his succession and is therefore not on the Official Roll of the Baronetage, with the baronetcy considered dormant since 1974.^[2]

The titles Baron St John, of Lydiard Tregoze in the County of Wilts, and Viscount Bolingbroke were created in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1712 for the politician and orator the Hon. Henry St John, the eldest son of Henry St John, 1st Viscount St John. The peerages were created with remainder to his father and his male heirs. Lord Bolingbroke died childless and was succeeded according to the special remainder by his nephew, the second Viscount, who had already succeeded as third Viscount St John in 1749 (see above).

The titles are pronounced "bullingbrooke"" and "sinj'n" respectively.

The family seat was, until its sale, Lydiard House, near Lydiard Tregoze, Wiltshire

Coat of arms

The heraldic blazon for the armorials of the St John family is: Argent, on a chief gules two mullets or. This can be translated as: a white shield with a red rectangle at the top holding two golden stars.

St John Baronets, of Lydiard Tregoze (1611)

Armourial Bearings of the Viscounts Bolingbroke.

• Sir John St John, 1st Baronet (died 1648)
• Sir John St John, 2nd Baronet (c. 1637–1656)
• Sir Walter St John, 3rd Baronet (1622–1708)
• Sir Henry St John, 4th Baronet (1652–1742) (created Viscount St John in 1716)

Viscounts St John (1716)

• Henry St John, 1st Viscount St John (1652–1742)
• John St John, 2nd Viscount St John (c. 1695–1749)
• Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke, 3rd Viscount St John (died 1787)
• George Richard St John, 3rd Viscount Bolingbroke, 4th Viscount St John (1761–1824)
• Henry St John, 4th Viscount Bolingbroke, 5th Viscount St John (1786–1851)
• Henry St John, 5th Viscount Bolingbroke, 6th Viscount St John (1820–1899)
• Vernon Henry St John, 6th Viscount Bolingbroke, 7th Viscount St John (1896–1974)
• Kenneth Oliver Musgrave St John, 7th Viscount Bolingbroke, 8th Viscount St John (1927–2010)
• Henry FitzRoy St John, 8th Viscount Bolingbroke, 9th Viscount St John (1957–2011)
• Nicholas Alexander Mowbray St John, 9th Viscount Bolingbroke, 10th Viscount St John (born 1974)

The heir presumptive is the present holder's second cousin twice removed, Walter Warren St John (born 1921).^[3]
The heir presumptive's heir apparent is Henry William St John (born 1952).
Henry William St John's heir apparent is German Andres St John (born 1980).

Viscounts Bolingbroke (1712)

• Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (1678–1751)
• Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke, 3rd Viscount St John (died 1787)

see above for further succession

See also

• Baron St John (disambiguation)
• Earl of Bolingbroke
• Viscount Grandison
• Earl of Orkney

References

• Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Kenneth Oliver Musgrave St John, 7th Viscount Bolingbroke