Photograph of presentation of 1624 Letters Patent in c 1984

The photograph records the presentation to Lydiard Park of Letters Patent creating Oliver Lord St.John of Bletsoe 1st Earl of Bolingbroke in 1624.

The James 1st charter certifies the granting of the earldom to Oliver on 28th December 1624 and was gifted to the Borough of Thamesdown (Swindon) by The Friends of Lydiard Tregoz in c1984. At the same time the Friends also presented the borough with an associated volume of pedigrees and genealogical information prepared by Sir Richard St. George to mark the creation of the earldom (The Grandison Book).

Left to Right:

Dr Arnold Taylor, President of The Friends of Lydiard Tregoz

Revd. Brian Carne, Friends founder & editor of the Reports

Cllr Arthur Miles, Mayor of Swindon

Mrs Miles, Mayoress

The St.Johns of Bletsoe in Bedfordshire were descended from the senior line of the St.John family and those in Wiltshire, the junior.