Holles St John (1710-1738) as a child, 1712

Holles St. John

The little dimpled darling in this portrait is Holles St John, youngest son of Henry 1st Viscount St John and his second wife Angelica Pellisary.

Angelica had 12 children, but only four survived to adulthood, George (1693-1716); Henrietta (1699-1756); John (1702-49) and Holles (1710-38).

He was very emotionally attached to his sister and would appear to be the only member of her family who continued to see her following her expulsion by husband Robert Knight, Lord Luxborough.

Little is known about Holles excepting that he was an equerry to Queen Caroline, according to his memorial in Battersea church. He was also very fond of the theatre, although whether as an enthusiastic member of the audience or as an actor is unknown. He held shares in the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden when it opened in 1732.

His will was a relatively brief document leaving bequests of money to Sir Peter Soames Baronet and his sister Jane Soames. To his half brother Henry, Viscount Bolingbroke he left a diamond ring given to him by his father. And to his sister Henrietta, whom he made Executrix, he left a property in Peckham Rye, shares in the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, £50 with which to erect a monument to his memory and all that remained of his estate.

An obituary published in the Gentleman’s Magazine describes Holles as being ‘of a lively Genius and a sparkling wit,’ but not every publication was so complimentary. The author of Bolingbroke and His Times – The Sequel, published in 1901/2 calls him ‘fat, unwieldy, and, like them all, turbulent.’

Viscount Bolingbroke had little respect for his younger half-brother, writing in 1735, ‘Holies, I hear, is at Paris fencing, dancing, learning languages, and preparing to ride the great horse. If he rides at all, he must ride a great one, till elephants come into use’.

Holles died on October 6, 1738 aged 27. He was buried in the family vault at St. Mary’s, Battersea where Henrietta erected a monument to his memory, according to wishes expressed in his will.

About the Portrait

Medium - oil on canvas

Measurements - H 102.5 x W 82 cm

Transferred from the de Morgan Foundation, 2005