Francis St John
Encyclopedia
Francis St John was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons
at various times between 1654 and 1698.
St John was the eldest son of Oliver St John
of Keysoe, Bedfordshire and Thorpe Hall Northamptonshire and his first wife Joanna Altham, daughter of Sir James Altham of Markshall, Latton, Essex. He was admitted at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
on 21 July 1648 and at Lincoln's Inn
on 14 November 1648.
In October 1654, St John was elected Member of Parliament
for Tewkesbury
in a by-election for the First Protectorate Parliament
, although apparently he never took his seat. He was called to the bar in 1656 and was elected MP for Peterborough
for the Second Protectorate Parliament
. He was commissioner for trade from 1656 to 1657, commissioner for charitable uses at Peterborough in 1656 and feoffee for town lands from 1656 to 1683. In 1657 he was commissioner for assessment for Northamptonshire and became J.P.
for Peterborough from 1657 to October 1660. In 1659 he was commissioner for militia for Essex. He was elected MP for Peterborough again in 1659 for the Third Protectorate Parliament
. In March 1660 he was commissioner for assessment for Northamptonshire in and was then elected MP for Peterborough in the Convention Parliament, but was there were serious irregularities with the poll and he was unseated in May 1660.
At the Restoration, St John's father was deprived of civic rights and fled abroad in 1662. St John was conservator for the Bedford level from 1666 to 1667, but took little part in politics until 1679. He was a historian and built up a library of history books at his home at Longthorpe. He was elected MP for Peterborough again in the two parliaments of 1679. He was commissioner for assessment for Northamptonshire from 1679 to 1680. He was re-elected MP for Peterborough in 1681 and in 1698. By 1701 he was JP for Northamptonshire and Peterborough.
St John died at the age of 60 and was buried in St John the Baptist, Peterborough.
St John married firstly Mary Wakering, daughter of Dionise Wakering of Wakering Hall, Essex and had a son. He married secondly by licence issued on 14 May 1674, Mary Forth, daughter of Dannet Forth, brewer of London and had three sons and a daughter.
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...
at various times between 1654 and 1698.
St John was the eldest son of Oliver St John
Oliver St John
Sir Oliver St John , was an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1653. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War.- Early life :...
of Keysoe, Bedfordshire and Thorpe Hall Northamptonshire and his first wife Joanna Altham, daughter of Sir James Altham of Markshall, Latton, Essex. He was admitted at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
on 21 July 1648 and at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
on 14 November 1648.
In October 1654, 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 Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Tewkesbury is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in a by-election for the First Protectorate Parliament
First Protectorate Parliament
The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the House....
, although apparently he never took his seat. He was called to the bar in 1656 and was elected MP for Peterborough
Peterborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Peterborough is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, formally styled The Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past...
for the Second Protectorate Parliament
Second Protectorate Parliament
The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons...
. He was commissioner for trade from 1656 to 1657, commissioner for charitable uses at Peterborough in 1656 and feoffee for town lands from 1656 to 1683. In 1657 he was commissioner for assessment for Northamptonshire and became J.P.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Peterborough from 1657 to October 1660. In 1659 he was commissioner for militia for Essex. He was elected MP for Peterborough again in 1659 for the Third Protectorate Parliament
Third Protectorate Parliament
The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons...
. In March 1660 he was commissioner for assessment for Northamptonshire in and was then elected MP for Peterborough in the Convention Parliament, but was there were serious irregularities with the poll and he was unseated in May 1660.
At the Restoration, St John's father was deprived of civic rights and fled abroad in 1662. St John was conservator for the Bedford level from 1666 to 1667, but took little part in politics until 1679. He was a historian and built up a library of history books at his home at Longthorpe. He was elected MP for Peterborough again in the two parliaments of 1679. He was commissioner for assessment for Northamptonshire from 1679 to 1680. He was re-elected MP for Peterborough in 1681 and in 1698. By 1701 he was JP for Northamptonshire and Peterborough.
St John died at the age of 60 and was buried in St John the Baptist, Peterborough.
St John married firstly Mary Wakering, daughter of Dionise Wakering of Wakering Hall, Essex and had a son. He married secondly by licence issued on 14 May 1674, Mary Forth, daughter of Dannet Forth, brewer of London and had three sons and a daughter.