Beauchamp St John
Encyclopedia
Sir Beauchamp St John was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons
variously between 1621 and 1653. He supported the Parliamentary
side in the English Civil War
.
St John was a son of Oliver St John, 3rd Baron St John of Bletso
and his wife Dorothy Reid, daughter of Sir John Rede or Reid, of Odington, Gloucestershire
. He was knighted on 24 July 1619 at Bletsoe together with his brother Henry.
In 1621 St John was elected Member of Parliament
for Bedfordshire
. He was elected MP for Bedford
in 1626 and again in 1628. He sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. In 1625 he inherited through his wife the manor of Tilbrook
.
In April 1640, St John was elected MP for Bedford in the Short Parliament
. He was re-elected for Bedford for the Long Parliament
in November 1640, where he was active at least in 1643 and remained in support of the parliamentary cause.
St John married Rebecca Hawkins, daughter of William Hawkins of Tilbrook. He had a son who died young and a daughter. His elder brother Oliver
inherited the Barony
and became Earl of Bolingbroke. His brother Alexander
sat as MP for Bedford before him.
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
variously between 1621 and 1653. He supported the Parliamentary
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
side in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
St John was a son of Oliver St John, 3rd Baron St John of Bletso
Oliver St John, 3rd Baron St John of Bletso
Oliver St John, 3rd Baron St John of Bletso was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1588 until 1596 when he inherited the peerage as Baron St John of Bletso....
and his wife Dorothy Reid, daughter of Sir John Rede or Reid, of Odington, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. He was knighted on 24 July 1619 at Bletsoe together with his brother Henry.
In 1621 St John was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Bedfordshire was a United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency, which elected two Members of Parliament from 1295 until 1885, when it was divided into two constituencies under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.-History:...
. He was elected MP for Bedford
Bedford (UK Parliament constituency)
Bedford is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The seat was established in its current form in 1997, restoring a centuries old name. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election...
in 1626 and again in 1628. He sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. In 1625 he inherited through his wife the manor of Tilbrook
Tilbrook
Tilbrook – in Huntingdonshire , England – is a village near Covington west of Huntingdon.-External links:**...
.
In April 1640, St John was elected MP for Bedford in the Short Parliament
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
. He was re-elected for Bedford for the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
in November 1640, where he was active at least in 1643 and remained in support of the parliamentary cause.
St John married Rebecca Hawkins, daughter of William Hawkins of Tilbrook. He had a son who died young and a daughter. His elder brother Oliver
Oliver St John, 1st Earl of Bolingbroke
Oliver St John, 1st Earl of Bolingbroke , known from 1618 until 1624 as 4th Baron St John of Bletso, was an English nobleman and politician.-Life:...
inherited the Barony
Baron St John of Bletso
Baron St John of Bletso, in the County of Bedford, is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1582 for Oliver St John.For a period, the title Baron St John was subsumed within the title Earl of Bolingbroke which was granted to the fourth Baron. The Earldom died out with the third Earl,...
and became Earl of Bolingbroke. His brother Alexander
Alexander St John
Sir Alexander St John was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1621 and 1629.St John was a son of Oliver St John, 3rd Baron St John of Bletso and his wife Dorothy Reid, daughter of Sir John Rede or Reid, of Odington, Gloucestershire...
sat as MP for Bedford before him.