Henry St John
Henry St John was a Tory politician and member of Parliament in Great Britain.
Contents
History
St John entered Parliament as a Tory in 1701, representing the familial rotten borough of Wootton Bassett.
In 1704, he decided to tie his political fortunes to Harley and entered government. He also resigned in 1708 when Harley was dismissed by Anne.
Following the Sacheverell riots and amid mounting opposition to English involvement in the War of Spanish Succession, the Tories won a majority and took power. He and Harley immediately enacted a strategy to force a peace treaty. Churchill was relieved of his command, and English forces were directed to cease combat. St John ordered his replacement, James Butler the duke of Ormonde, to cease combat. Bilateral diplomacy with Louis XIV was opened.
Anne's strategy for pushing the Treaty of Utrecht through the Parliament was to raise Tories with peerages. As a part of this, St John was created as viscount Bolingbroke in 1712.
Harley's relationships with both the queen and St John became strained in 1714, leading to his dismissal from government. Anne died within days, leaving George I to inherit.
Legacy
With a new king, elections were held and the Tories lost power.
He quickly fled to France, anticipating that the new government intended to prosecute the former government.
In France, St John entered the Jacobite court of James Francis Edward Stuart. But between a failed rebellion, the death of Louis XIV, and being formally exiled and attainted by Parliament, he began a reconciliation with George I. He received a pardon in 1723 and returned, albeit into retirement.