Viscount Bolingbroke, in the County of Lincoln, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1712 for Henry St John, along with the subsidiary title of Baron St John of Lydiard Tregoze, in the County of Wiltshire. Since 1749 the titles are merged with the titles of Viscount St John, of Battersea in the County of Surrey, and Baron St John of Battersea, in the County of Surrey, both also in the Peerage of Great Britain.
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History
John St John (d. 1648) was the great-great-great-grandson of Oliver St John (d. 1497) (whose elder brother Sir John St John (d. c. 1488) was the ancestor of the Barons St John of Bletsoe and Earls of Bolingbroke), second son of Sir Oliver St John (d. 1437), the husband of Margaret, great-great-granddaughter of Roger de Beauchamp, 1st Baron Beauchamp of Bletshoe (d. 1380). 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 Wiltshire, in the Baronetage of England. 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 of Battersea, in the County of Surrey, and Viscount St John, of Battersea in the County of Surrey, 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 and Viscount Bolingbroke in 1712 (see below). Lord St John was succeeded according to the special remainder by his second son, the second Viscount. He also represented Wootton Bassett in Parliament. In 1751 his son, the third Viscount, succeeded his uncle as second Viscount Bolingbroke and second Baron St John of Lydiard Tregoze according to a special remainder in the letters patent. The titles have remained united ever since. His son, the fourth and third Viscount, briefly represented Cricklade in Parliament. As of 2006 the titles are held by his great-great-great-grandson, the eighth Viscount St John and seventh Viscount Bolingbroke. He lives in New Zealand. The titles of Baron St John of Lydiard Tregoze, in the County of Wiltshire and Viscount Bolingbroke, in the County of Lincoln, were created in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1712 for the politician and orator 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 holders of the Viscountcies of St John and Bolingbroke have been known simply by the more senior title of Viscount Bolingbroke. The titles are pronounced "sinjin" and "bullingbrooke".
St John Baronets, of Lydiard Tregoze (1611)
- John St John, 1st Baronet (d. 1648)
- John St John, 2nd Baronet (c. 1637–1656)
- Walter St John, 3rd Baronet (1622–1708)
- 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 (d. 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 (b. 1927)
The Heir Apparent is the present holder's son Hon. Henry FitzRoy St John (b. 18 May 1957)
Viscounts Bolingbroke (1712)
- Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (1678-1751)
- Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke, 3rd Viscount St John (d. 1787)
see above for further holders
See also
References
- Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page
