Oliver St John, 1st Viscount Grandison

Sir Oliver St John, 1st Viscount Grandison (1559–1630) was an English soldier who became Lord Deputy of Ireland.

He was the second son of Nicholas St John (ca. 1526 – 8 November 1589) of Lydiard Park in Wiltshire and Purley Park in Berkshire, by his wife Elizabeth (bef. 1542 – 1587), daughter of Sir Richard Blount of Mapledurham House in Oxfordshire, and Elizabeth Lister. His mother was distantly related to Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy, and on his father's side he was descended through a female line from the Grandisons, and was related to the St Johns, Barons of Bletso. He seems to have grown up mostly at Purley, was educated at Oxford, matriculating from Trinity College on 20 December 1577, and graduating B.A. on 26 June 1578. In 1580 he was admitted a student of Lincoln's Inn. But about March 1584 he killed George Best in a duel, and was compelled to flee the country.

St John now sought his fortunes as a soldier abroad, and served in Flanders and in France. Before 1591 he had attained the rank of captain, and in the autumn of that year commanded Essex's horse at the siege of Rouen. In 1592 he returned to England, and was elected member for Cirencester in the parliament summoned to meet on 19 February 1593. In March he was placed on a commission for the relief of maimed soldiers and mariners, and made several speeches during the session; but parliament was dissolved in April, and soon afterwards Essex recommended St John to Robert Cecil as a cavalryman. He again sought service in the Netherlands, and was present at the battle of Nieuport on 2 July 1600.

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