ST. JOHN, Hon. George Richard (1761-1824).

Constituency	Dates
Cricklade	12 June 1782

Family and Education

b. 5 Mar. 1761, 1st surv. s. of Frederick, 2nd Visct. Bolingbroke, by Lady Diana Spencer, da. of Charles, 3rd Duke of Marlborough; nephew of Hon. Henry and Hon. John St. John. educ. Harrow c. 1774-6; Ch. Ch. Oxf. 1777. m. (1) 26 Feb. 1783, Charlotte (d. 11 Jan. 1803), da. of Rev. Thomas Collins of Winchester, his tutor, 2s. 1da.; (2) Isabella Charlotte Antoinette Sophia, Baroness Hompesch, s.p. suc. fa. as 3rd Visct. 5 May 1787.

biography text

St. John was one of three candidates nominated in May 1782 at a meeting of freeholders of the newly enlarged constituency of Cricklade. Robert Nicholas, one of the other candidates, wrote to Shelburne, 31 May 1782:1Lansdowne mss. ‘Mr. St. John’s interest is the most prevalent’; and St. John’s rivals withdrew.

St. John followed Fox: voted against Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, 18 Feb. 1783, and for the India bill, 27 Nov. 1783. In 1784 he was defeated at Wells. He was, according to the pamphlet Fox’s Martyrs, ‘not very remarkable for sage deliberations or for deep researches into the speculative points of politics’.

Soon after succeeding to the peerage he went to live abroad. He died at Pisa, 18 Dec. 1824.

Author

J.A.C.

Volume

Commons 1754-1790

Notes

1. Lansdowne mss.