Sir Paulet St John Bt
Oil painting on canvas by an unknown artist, around 1750
Sir Paulet St John was the son of Ellis Mews who had assumed the name of St John when he married his cousin Frances the daughter of Oliver St John of Farley Chamberlayne. Paulet St John was High Sheriff in 1727-8 and was a government Whig Member of parliament for Winchester 1734-41 but went over to the opposition Whigs when he was again the MP for Winchester in 1751-4 and MP for Hampshire 1741-7. He also served as Mayor of Winchester 1771-1772. He was made Baronet St John of Farley in Hampshire in 1772.
Paulet St John had no close family links with the then well-known Paulets, although the implication of such a link does appear to be suggested in the name. The 1st Duke of Bolton (Charles Paulet) had acknowledged Paulet St John's grandfather (Oliver St John) as a kinsman but the connection was distant: William Paulet (son of Sir George Paulet of Crondall and nephew of William Paulet 1st Marquess) had a son William Paulet of Ewalden whose daughter Elizabeth Paulet married Oliver St John in 1602. Oliver became 1st Earl of Bolingbroke and one of his distant descendants was Oliver St John of Farley Chamberlayne.
