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.

Contents

• Coat of arms
• St John Baronets of Lydiard Tregoze 1611
• Viscounts St John 1716
• Viscounts Bolingbroke 1712
• References

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.

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.

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