Henry St John, 1st Viscount St John

==Murder case==

==Murder case==

In November 1684 he was the principal figure in a singularly disgraceful brawl, which followed the acquittal of [[Edward Nosworthy]]. The trial's jury repaired to the Globe tavern in [[Fleet Street]] to celebrate. While there, an altercation broke out between St John and [[Francis Stonehouse]], the argument reportedly "a discourse about leaping horses" which terminated in the death of the jury foreman, [[Sir William Estcourt, 3rd Baronet|Sir William Estcourt]]. St. John and Edmund Webb, who had both run Estcourt through with their swords,[http://www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1660-1690/member/estcourt-sir-william-1654-1684]{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} History of Parliament article on Estcourt. were found guilty of murder, and condemned to death. St. John's mother obtained a pardon for him at the reported price of £16,000. St. John was expected to go abroad for some time, but publicly entered the next parliamentary election at Wootton Bassett a few weeks after the close of his case, and was duly elected to [[James II of Great Britain|James II]]’s first Parliament.[http://www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1660-1690/st-john-henry-1652-1742]{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} History of Parliament Online article on St John(Volume for 1660-1690).

In November 1684 he was the principal figure in a singularly disgraceful brawl, which followed the acquittal of [[Edward Nosworthy]]. The trial's jury repaired to the Globe tavern in [[Fleet Street]] to celebrate. While there, an altercation broke out between St John and [[Francis Stonehouse]], the argument reportedly "a discourse about leaping horses" which terminated in the death of the jury foreman, [[Sir William Estcourt, 3rd Baronet|Sir William Estcourt]]. St. John and Edmund Webb, who had both run Estcourt through with their swords,[http://www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1660-1690/member/estcourt-sir-william-1654-1684]{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} History of Parliament article on Estcourt. were found guilty of murder, and condemned to death. St. John's mother obtained a pardon for him at the reported price of £16,000. St. John was expected to go abroad for some time, but publicly entered the next parliamentary election at Wootton Bassett a few weeks after the close of his case, and was duly elected to [[James II of Great Britain|James II’s]] first Parliament.[http://www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1660-1690/st-john-henry-1652-1742]{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} History of Parliament Online article on St John(Volume for 1660-1690).

==Family, peerage and death==

==Family, peerage and death==

*1st, on 11 December 1673, Lady Mary Rich (died 30 September 1678), daughter and coheir of [[Robert Rich, 3rd Earl of Warwick]], by whom he had one son, [[Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke|Henry, later made Viscount Bolingbroke]] in 1712.

*1st, on 11 December 1673, Lady Mary Rich (died 30 September 1678), daughter and coheir of [[Robert Rich, 3rd Earl of Warwick]], by whom he had one son, [[Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke|Henry, later made Viscount Bolingbroke]] in 1712.

*2nd, on 1 January 1687, Angelica Magdalena (died 5 August 1736), daughter of Claude Pellissary, treasurer-general of the galleys to [[Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV]], and widow of Philip Wharton of Edlington, Yorkshire, by whom he had three sons (two of whom died in their father's lifetime) and one daughter, [[Henrietta Knight, Lady Luxborough]]. The surviving son was [[John St John, 2nd Viscount St John]], father of [[Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke|Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke, 3rd Viscount St John]].

*2nd, on 1 January 1687, Angelica Magdalena (died 5 August 1736), daughter of Claude Pellissary, treasurer-general of the galleys to [[Louis XIV]], and widow of Philip Wharton of Edlington, Yorkshire, by whom he had three sons (two of whom died in their father's lifetime) and one daughter, [[Henrietta Knight, Lady Luxborough]]. The surviving son was [[John St John, 2nd Viscount St John]], father of [[Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke|Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke, 3rd Viscount St John]].

St John succeeded his father as 4th Baronet on the latter's death in 1708, then on 2 July 1716 he was created a peer as '''1st Viscount St John''', elevating him to the House of Lords.

St John succeeded his father as 4th Baronet on the latter's death in 1708, then on 2 July 1716 he was created a peer as '''1st Viscount St John''', elevating him to the House of Lords.