| Viscountcy of Bolingbroke | |
| Creation date | 7 July 1712 |
|---|---|
| Created by | Queen Anne |
| Peerage | Peerage of Great Britain |
| First holder | Henry St John |
| Present holder | Henry FitzRoy St John , 8th Viscount |
| Heir presumptive | Hon. Oliver John Beauchamp St John |
| Remainder to | the 1st Viscount's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten, with remainder, failing his own male issue, to his father and the heirs male of his body. |
| Subsidiary titles | Viscount St John Baron St John of Lydiard Tregoze Baron St John of Battersea Baronet St John of Lydiard Tregoze |
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 of Battersea, in the County of Surrey, both also in the Peerage of Great Britain.
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 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 of Battersea, 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 2010[update] 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.
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.
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The heraldic blazon for the coat of arms of the viscountcy 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.
see above for further holders