William St John Knight (abt. 1562 - bef. 1638)

Born about 1562 in Highlight, Glamorgan, Wales

Ancestors

Husband of Eleanor (St John) St. John — married 10 Feb 1612 in Battersea, Surrey, England

Descendants

Died before 15 Jan 1638 before about age 76 in London, England

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Biography

William was born about 1562 and died in 1638. He was the eldest son of Christopher St. John, Esq. of Highlight (1547-1616) and Elizabeth Bawdrip (Brodrick) of Odyn's Fee.

Knighted

William St. John, of Highlight, Glamorgan, Wales was knighted under Sir Arthur Chichester 21 Dec 1607 in Dublin, Ireland^[1] after his participation in the 9 Years War and in his service capturing fugitive pirates in and around Ireland.

Ship Captain

• In 1592, Witnessed: A cess (tax) agreement is presented by Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond, and signed by John Cantwell of Moycarky and many other relatives and neighbours including William St. John, James Butler, Thomas Purcell, and Pierce Butler.
• In 1608, Ireland “He (Chichester) has since kept him here, always forthcoming, expecting daily the departure of Sir William St. John with the Lion's Whelp, by whom he meant to send him”^[2] .
• Sir Arthur Chichester to the Privy Council – “… Has dismissed the troops which lately returned with Sir William St. John. Commends the bearer, Captain Bingley” -- Dublin, 28 Sep 1608^[3] .
• Aug 7, 1608. Wrote a letter to Earl of Nottingham while commanding the ship Advantage.
• July 3, 1609. Order by the Earl of Nottingham who sent by him to Salisbury with “a letter of commendations of the bearer, Sir William St. John, who has taken Harris, the pirate, on the Irish coast, and done good service off the West Islands of Scotland.”
• Feb 6, 1610. Charged with Piracy: John Hopkins, alderman of Bristol, wrote “to Lord Admiral Nottingham, that Sir William St. John has taken a fly boat of 100 tons.”
• 1611. Named in the Autobiography of Phineas Pett. (1570-1647), Shipbuilder and first Master of the Shipwrights' Company.
• Admiralty Court Sentences Sir William St. John and Sir Henry Mervyn for piracy.
• Named in Boatswains of Adventure and Garland with the following text: Sir Henry Mervyn is already come down and lieth on board the ship where he hath sent for some of Sir W[illiam]. St. John’s gentlemen, which are very many.
• 1614 Burgess of Portsmouth with Sir Thomas Button, knight
• Feb 10, 1622-3 The sugars he unchested into casks, whereof fifteen hogsheads were delivered to Sir William St. John, twenty sold at Plymouth, thirty-nine are yet aboard the ship
• March 5, 1622-3 the King’s directions that Sir H. Mervyn is come to Portsmouth, and lieth aboard the Guardland [Garland], and consulteth much with Sir. W[illiam]. St. John’s followers as pressed men to carry away the sugars which yet remain aboard the French ship, now the King’s.
• October 7, 1623 “Injurious delay in judgment of the Admiralty Court in the cases of Steuart’s ship at Portsmouth and the ship with the sugars taken by Sir W[illiam]. St. John.”

Under-sheriff of Glamorgan

In 1595, William St. John was under-sheriff of Glamorgan, Wales. ^[4]

Sheriff of Tipperary

• Thomas, Earl of Ormond. Warrant William [Sent John] of Skaddanston to be Sheriff. Oct. 1612^[5]
• William St. Johns bond as sheriff of Tipperary. Nov 1620^[6]

Jamestown Colony

• 1609, Signed the 2nd Charter of Virginia^[7] and subscribed £75 and then paid £50 during the second charter; “Of Heighley [Uchel-olau or Highlight], in the County of Glamorgan, Knight” ^[8]
• On his Majesties Council for Jamestown

African Colony

In 1618, he was the governor of the African Colony on the Gold Coast. He was a member of the Guinea & Binney company. He built the first gold mine in Africa. He was King James council for Jamestown when the 1st Africans were brought to the Jamestown Colony.

Properties

• St. Johnstown Castle, Fethard, Tipperary, Ireland - Queen's Patent in 1601; Date 4 Aug 1601, Fiant Letters Patent Number, 6564 (5255) pgs. 274-276, Description Wm. St. John, of St. Johnstown, gent.; provisions same as in patent 6466; Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) identifies William St. John, of St. Johnstown, Gent in 1601.
• Founder of Jamestown Colony, 1607 (signed the 2nd Charter of Virginia)
• Highlight, Glamorgan, Wales - inherited in 1616^[9].

Marriages

1. Margaret Bowdan (Button) or Bourdan, daughter of David Bowdan/Bordan of Bowdan/Bordan Grange
2. possibly _____ Maunsell as mother to son Mathew St. John based on Autosomal DNA matches to Bacon, Cooke, and Maunsell from direct descendants. Descendants also have matches to Butler and Purcell. Heading on M.S. 5.6 folio 496 for the St. Johns of Highlight is titled "St. John:Maunsells".
3. Eleanor de Port-St John

Children with Margaret

[not in a particular order]

1. [Christopher St. John] alleged son, bur. “Cristopher Sinson a man out of purpooole lane at the further end of Grays Inn late buried the 18th of [January 1616]” buried 18 Jan 1616, St. Andrew, Holborn, London, England.
2. John St. John
3. Elizabeth St. John, m. Phillip Purcell - Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) identifies Philip Purscell, of St. Johnstown; provisions same as in patent 6466.
4. Piers St. John, m. Margaret Carran - "Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) identifies Peirs fitz Wm. St. John, Margaret ny Carran his wife; provisions same as in patent 6497; Cal. P.R." p. 576. There is an Index of the will for Piers St. John of St. Johnstown, Tipperary, Ireland dated to 1670^[10].
5. Johanna St. John, m. Pierce Butler - "Pierce Butler, mar, to Johan, dau. of William St. John of St. Johnstown, Co. Tipp Esqr."
6. Margaret St. John, m. James Butler
7. Walter St. John
8. probably others

Children with _______, probably Maunsell

1. Mathew St. John

Children with Eleanor de Port-St. John

1. Howard St. John
2. Anne St. John
3. Eleanor St. John
4. William St. John
5. Barbara St. John
6. Lucy St. John

Sources

1. ↑ KNIGHTS made in Ireland since the King coming to the Crown. Anno 1602”. Former Reference: MS 619, p. 160 1618. These documents are held at Lambeth Palace Library - 6 Pages. Supplementary information: Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts preserved in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth, ed. J. S. Brewer & W. Bullen (6 vols., 1867-73), vol. V, document 206.
2. ↑ https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/ireland/1606-8/pp431-448
3. ↑ https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=SGhGAQAAMAAJ&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA43
4. ↑ Nicholas, Thomas. Annals and Antiquities of the Counties and County Families of Wales..., Vol. II (Longmans, Green, Reader, and Co., London, 1872) p. 599.
5. ↑ "Ormonde Family Papers" (PDF). National Library of Ireland. Retrieved 4 November 2014. https://www.nli.ie/sites/default/files/2022-12/a017_ormond.pdf
6. ↑ "Ormonde Family Papers" (PDF). National Library of Ireland. Retrieved 4 November 2014. https://www.nli.ie/sites/default/files/2022-12/a017_ormond.pdf
7. ↑ https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/first-charter-of-virginia-1606/
8. ↑ http://books.google.com/books?id=IVtKAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA955&lpg=PA955&dq=%22M.C.%22+for+the+Va.+Co.,+1612&source=bl&ots=BwGikYPM2d&sig=lyDhr-g32hddzJa72nSUJvPXlNk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=O4ATU7TQGcrkyAGm6YH4Cg&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22M.C.%22&f=false
9. ↑ Will of Christopher St. John, Esq. of Highlight (1547-1616)
10. ↑ Microfilm of Original Records at the National Archives; Dublin, Ireland; Ireland Indexes to Wills, Admin and Marriage License Bonds

• The St. John Genealogy Project and Ancestry DNA Database, Vice Admiral Sir William St. John, Knight.