How Patronage Worked: Henry St John, Viscount Bolingbroke 1678-1752

 

The central paradox of collecting is that many and maybe most collectors damage the things they collect. This is obvious in the case of butterfly collectors who kill what they collect and then store the dead things carelessly. Stamp collectors peel stamps from envelopes, damaging them in the process and the worst autograph collectors cut out the signature from the letter and discard the unwanted content. I have written about this - see the References.

This letter was more than once in autograph collections and was not reduced – the full sheet has not been cropped – but an early collector probably before 1914 felt obliged to paste on a label at the same time mis-spelling Bolingbroke’s name. In 2004 it was sold as a single lot in an autograph sale and, along with a second item, realised £262 including premiums. But I found it remaindered a couple of decades later in an auction mixed lot.

The letter indicates an intention to secure a church living (rector or vicar) for someone who is now only a curate; it is undated but by reference to the careers of Thomas Coke and Bolingbroke, who used the name St John until made a Viscount, it is earlier than 1712 and probably later than 1700. The Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal passed thorugh several hands in this period and canot be definitely identified. from the scant information the letter provides. 

The unusual use of a first name (“Dear Tom”) reflects the intimacy of the two men: Thomas Coke was not only a fellow member of Parliament but a fellow rake; correspondence from St John to Coke includes a letter which offers to make a housemaid sexually available (see Reference).

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Transcription

Addressed: For Thos Coke Esqr   Thele [?]

No postal markings

Docketing note: Mr St Johns

Dear Tom

There is a living just fallen in my Ld Keeper’s gift which I would if possible beg for one who is now curate, you will oblige me extreamly if you will go early to morrow morning thither wth me or att any other time that may be convenient. It is of little value and att a distance so that I believe there will be no great difficulty in it, but however the sooner he is spoke to ye better. I am for ever yr. H St John

Tuesday evening

References

 Harry Dickinson, “Henry St. John: a Reappraisal of the Young Bolingbroke”, in Journal of British Studies 7(2), pages 33-55.

Trevor Pateman, “Paradoxes of Collecting” in Nabokov Online Journal, volume XIV, dated 2020 

Both Bolingbroke and Thomas Coke have detailed Wikipedia pages.