ST. JOHN, William (c. 1689-1720)

William St John inherited both the barony and baronetcy on the death of his young nephew, Sir Paulet St Andrew St John, 8th Baron St John, in May 1714. Scion of an ancient family, through his father St John was related to the Tudors, while through his mother’s family he traced his line to a brother of King Stephen. St John’s branch of the family had been based at Woodford in Northamptonshire since the early seventeenth century, the manor house being assessed in 1662 at a comparatively modest 16 hearths (Bletsoe castle and Melchbourne were twice as large). Humphries, 13, 20. His inheritance of the barony was made possible by the successive deaths not only of his nephew but also of three older brothers, one of whom, Paulet St John, drowned with Sir Cloudesley Shovel^‡ when the Association was wrecked in 1707. Collins, Peerage (1812) vi. 748. Although he had been made the principal heir of Paulet St John), the 3rd (and last) earl of Bolingbroke, St John did not share his cousin’s political sympathies. His succession to the barony and estates in Bedfordshire served to reinforce the Tory interest in the county, which had hitherto been represented primarily by Charles Bruce, Baron Bruce (later 3rd earl of Ailesbury), who had succeeded Bolingbroke as recorder of Bedford in 1711. J. Godber, Hist. of Beds, p. 324.

St John was introduced into the House in the midst of the first session of the 1713 Parliament on 27 May 1714. A letter of 12 May stated that he had made his first appearance on that day, but this is presumably a mistake. Add. 72501, f. 122. At or shortly after his introduction, St John was estimated by Daniel Finch, 2nd earl of Nottingham, to be in favour of the schism bill. He continued to sit for a further 30 days (approximately 39 per cent of the whole session), and on 5 Aug, 1714 after the death of Queen Anne, he took his seat in the second session. Present for just five days of the brief 15 day session, he was then active in the elections for the new Parliament on behalf of the Tory candidates in Bedfordshire. HP Commons 1690-1715, ii. 8. Despite his efforts, both seats went to Whig challengers.

St John took his seat in the new Parliament on 17 Mar. 1715; his subsequent career will be examined in the next volume of this work. He died on 11 Oct. 1720 and was buried ten days later at Bletso, being succeeded by his next brother, Rowland St John^†, as 10th Baron St John. Beds. Par. Reg. ed. F.G. Emmison, A28.