St Andrew St John, 14th Baron St John of Bletso

Who was St Andrew St John, 14th Baron St John of Bletso?

St Andrew St John, 14th Baron St John of Bletso PC FRS was an English politician who sat in the British House of Commons from 1780 until 1806 when he inherited a peerage.

St John was born at Woodford, Northamptonshire, the son of John St John, 12th Baron St John of Bletso and his wife Susanna Louisa Simond, daughter of Peter Simond. He was educated by the Rev. John Skynner at Easton near Stamford. He was then admitted at Lincoln's Inn on 7 May 1773 and at St John's College, Cambridge in 1776. He was awarded MA in 1779 and was called to the bar on the 29th January 1782.

In 1780, St John was elected Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire. He was a personal friend of Charles James Fox, who supported him throughout his political career. He was Under Secretary of State for foreign affairs to Lord North for a short time in 1783 but otherwise was generally very active in opposition. In April 1784,he was unseated on petition in favour of Robert Henley-Ongley, Baron Ongley but reversed the situation when Ongley was unseated on his petition on 19 May 1785. In 1787, he was one of the managers of the Impeachment of Warren Hastings. He was Captain of the Bedford Volunteers in 1803.