Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on
Family and Education
b. c. 1598, 1st s. of Oliver St John of Keysoe and Sarah, da. of Edward Buckley DD of Odell, Beds.Al. Cant.; E. Foss, Judges of England (9 vols., 1848-64), vi. 475. educ. Queens’, Camb. Lent 1616; L. Inn, 22 Apr. 1619.Al. Cant.; L. Inn Admiss. i. 182. m. (1) 1629, Johanna, da. of Sir James Altham of Mark’s Hall, Latton, Essex, 2s. 2da.; (2) ?21 June 1638, Elizabeth, da. of Henry Cromwell of Upwood, 1s. 1da.; (3) 1 Oct. 1645, Elizabeth, da. of Daniel Oxenbridge MD of Daventry, Northants. wid. of Caleb Cockcroft of London, merchant, s.p.Foss, Judges of England, vi. 477-8, 489; HMC 7th Rep. 454; High Laver par. reg. (1638). d. 31 Jan. 1673.Ludlow, Mems. ii. 419.
Offices Held

Legal: called, L. Inn 22 June 1626; bencher, 29 Jan. 1641; treas. 26 Oct. 1641–26 Nov. 1646.LI Black Bks. ii. 263, 357, 359, 371. Sol.-gen. 29 Jan. 1641–22 Nov. 1648;Sainty, English Law Officers, 62. acting att.-gen. 28 May 1644–?Oct. 1648.Sainty, English Law Officers, 46. Sjt.-at-law, 24 Oct. 1648.Baker, Serjeants at Law, 188. L.c.j.c.p. 22 Nov. 1648-May 1660.Sainty, Judges, 49. Assize judge, var. circs. by Feb. 1654-July 1658.C181/6, pp. 7, 298.

Colonial: member, Providence Is. Co. 20 Nov. 1630.CSP Col. 1574–1660, p. 122.

Local: commr. gaol delivery, Havering-atte-Bower, Essex 1 June 1633 – aft.May 1635, 28 May 1655-aft. Feb. 1658;C181/4, f. 139v; C181/5, f. 2v; C181/6, pp. 104, 272. Norf. 3 July 1644-aft. Sept. 1645;C181/5, ff. 234v, 260v. Essex 4 July 1644-aft. June 1645;C181/5, ff. 238, 254. Kent, Surr. 4 July 1644;C181/5, ff. 236v, 239v. Newgate gaol 16 Nov. 1644 – aft.Nov. 1645, by Jan. 1654–3 July 1660;C181/5, ff. 244, 265; C181/6, pp. 1, 356. liberty of Peterborough 3 June 1654-aft. July 1659;C181/6, pp. 36, 368. Thetford 16 Nov. 1654;C181/6, p. 71. Ely 20 Mar. 1656-Aug. 1660;C181/6, pp. 150, 385. Surr. 21 Mar. 1659;C181/6, p. 349. sewers, Deeping and Gt. Level 1 June 1641 – aft.Jan. 1646, 12 June 1654-aft. July 1659;C181/5, ff. 196v, 269; C181/6, pp. 37, 380. Essex and Kent 14 Mar. 1642;C181/5, f. 227v. Mdx. 31 Jan. 1654;C181/6, p. 4. Lincs., Lincoln and Newark hundred 26 Apr. 1649–14 Aug. 1660;C181/6, pp. 37, 388; Lincs. RO, Spalding Sewers/449/8–11. Mdx. and Westminster 10 Jan. 1655–31 Aug. 1660;C181/6, pp. 67, 398. Kent 14 Apr. 1656;C181/6, p. 157. Kent and Surr. 14 Nov. 1657;C181/6, p. 263. Essex 28 June 1658;C181/6, p. 296. oyer and terminer, Mdx. 30 Nov. 1641 – aft.Jan. 1645, by Jan. 1654–5 July 1660;C181/5, ff. 213v, 246v; C181/6, pp. 3, 327. London 12 Jan. 1644 – aft.Nov. 1645, by Jan. 1654–3 July 1660;C181/5, ff. 230, 265; C181/6, pp. 1, 356. Norf. 3 July 1644-aft. Sept. 1645;C181/5, ff. 234, 260v. Kent, Surr. 4 July 1644;C181/5, ff. 236, 239. Essex 4 July 1644-aft. June 1645;C181/5, ff. 237v, 254. Lincs. 26 Apr. 1645;C181/5, f. 251v. all circs. by Feb. 1654-July 1660;C181/6, pp. 10, 378. liberty of Peterborough 4 June 1654-aft. July 1659;C181/6, pp. 36, 368. Thetford 21 Sept. 1654;C181/6, p. 66. St Albans 6 Oct. 1658;C181/6, p. 318. Surr. 21 Mar. 1659.C181/6, p. 348. J.p. var. cos. in England by Feb. 1650 – bef.Mar. 1660; Cambs., Ely, Mdx. by Feb. 1650-bef. Oct. 1660;C231/6, p. 202. Peterborough Aug. 1650–10 Oct. 1660;C231/6, p. 199; C181/6, pp. 36, 202. Suss. Feb. 1653-bef. Oct. 1660;C231/6, p. 244. Thetford 20 Nov. 1654;C181/6, p. 73. Haverfordwest 15 Mar. 1655-aft. July 1656;C181/6, pp. 96, 183. Oxf. 7 Aug. 1655;C181/6, pp. 126, 329. Wallingford 3 Mar. 1656-aft. Nov. 1658;C181/6, pp. 136, 156. Camb. 15 Sept. 1656;C181/6, p. 186. Beverley 16 Jan. 1657;C181/6, p. 195. Northants. 31 Jan. 1657.C181/6, p. 202. Commr. charitable uses, London Oct. 1655;Publick Intelligencer no. 7 (12–19 Nov. 1655), 97–8 (E.489.15). militia, Northants. 16 July 1659; Ely, Hunts. 26 July 1659, 12 Mar. 1660; assessment, Ely, Hunts., Mdx., Northants. 26 Jan. 1660.A. and O.

Central: member, recess cttee. 9 Sept. 1641;CJ ii. 288b. cttee. for plundered ministers, 31 Dec. 1642;CJ ii. 909a. cttee. for sequestrations, 27 Mar. 1643.CJ iii. 21b. Commr. conserving peace betw. England and Scotland, 20 May 1643, 7 July 1646, 28 Oct. 1647.LJ vi. 55b; LJ viii. 411a; ix. 500a. Member, Westminster Assembly, 12 June 1643; cttee. of safety, 24 Aug. 1643;CJ iii. 175a; LJ vi. 195a. council of war, 25 Aug. 1643;CJ iii. 218a. cttee. for compounding, 28 Sept. 1643,CJ iii. 258a; CCC 1. 8 Feb. 1647. Commr. of gt. seal, 10 Nov. 1643. Member, cttee. of both kingdoms, 16 Feb., 23 May 1644;A. and O. cttee. for the army, 31 Mar. 1645, 23 Sept. 1647; cttee. for Westminster Abbey and Coll. 18 Nov. 1645. Commr. abuses in heraldry, 19 Mar. 1646. Member, cttee. for foreign plantations, 21 Mar. 1646. Commr. exclusion from sacrament, 5 June 1646, 29 Aug. 1648. Member, cttee. for indemnity, 21 May 1647;A. and O. Derby House cttee. 15 Jan. 1648.CJ v. 416a; LJ ix. 662b. Commr. removing obstructions, sale of bishops’ lands, 21 Nov. 1648. Cllr. of state, 13 Feb. 1649, 13 Feb. 1650, 13 Feb. 1651,A. and O. 24 Nov. 1651, 24 Nov. 1652,CJ vii. 42a, 220a. 19 May 1659,A. and O. 31 Dec. 1659,CJ vii. 800b. 25 Feb. 1660.A. and O. Commr. to Scotland, 23 Oct. 1651;CJ vii. 30b. treasury, 2 Aug. 1654–?June 1659;Abbott, Writings and Speeches, iii. 393; CJ vii. 378a; CSP Dom. 1654, p. 284; 1658–9, p. 382. visitation Camb. Univ. 2 Sept. 1654.A. and O. Member, cttee. for trade, 12 July 1655;CSP Dom. 1655, p. 240. sub.-cttee. readmission of Jews, 15 Nov. 1655;CSP Dom. 1655–6, p. 23. cttee. relief of Piedmont Protestants, 4 Jan. 1656.CSP Dom. 1655–6, p. 100.

Diplomatic: amb. extraordinary, Utd. Provinces 14 Feb.-28 June 1651.Handlist of British Diplomatic Representatives, 1509–1688, ed. G.M. Bell (1990), 201.

: Beds. and Mdx., Lincoln’s Inn.
Likenesses

Likenesses: oil on canvas, P. Nason, 1651;NPG. oil on canvas, aft. P. Nason;Lydiard House, Swindon, Wilts. oil on canvas, aft. P. Nason.Moot Hall Museum, Elstow, Beds.

Volume
Commons 1640-1660
Web Title

ST JOHN, Oliver (c.1598-1673), of Keysoe, Beds. and Lincoln’s Inn, Mdx.

Will
attainted 1660.
Estates
stockholder, Bedford Level scheme, by 1638.Abbott, Writings and Speeches, i. 102. Office of l.c.j. considered a post of ‘vast profit’.The Mystery of the Good Old Cause (1660), 15-16 (E.1923.2). Purchased Longthorpe manor, Northants, 1653. Income, late 1650s, estimated as £20,000 p.a.CSP Ven. 1657-9, p. 180.
Oxford 1644
No
Addresses
Religion
Image