Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/St. John, Percy Bolingbroke
ST. JOHN, PERCY BOLINGBROKE (1821–1889), journalist, the eldest son of James Augustus St. John [q. v.], was born in Camden Town in 1821. He accompanied his father on some of his travels, particularly to Madrid, when the latter was searching for materials for his ‘Life of Sir Walter Raleigh,’ and he also travelled in America. He began to write tales when a lad, and translated about thirty of Gustave Aimard's Indian tales into English. His translations appeared between 1876 and 1879. In 1846 he edited the ‘Mirror of Literature,’ and in 1861 the ‘London Herald.’ As correspondent to various newspapers, his miscellaneous contributions to the press were numerous, but of no special note; and he was also a frequent contributor of papers to ‘Chambers's Journal’ and other magazines. He died in London on 15 March 1889.
St. John's original works were: 1. ‘Young Naturalist's Book of Birds,’ London, 1838. 2. ‘Trapper's Bride; and Indian Tales,’ London, 1845; several subsequent editions. 3. ‘Paul Peabody,’ London, 1853 (incomplete); another edit. London, 1865. 4. ‘Our Holiday: a Week in Paris,’ London, 1854. 5. ‘Lobster Salad’ (collaborated with Edward Copping), London, 1855. 6. ‘Quadroona, or the Slave Mother,’ London, 1861. 7. ‘The Red Queen,’ London, 1863. 8. ‘Snow Ship’ (adventures of Canadian emigrants), London, 1867; various editions subsequently. 9. ‘The Young Buccaneer,’ London, 1873. 10. ‘The North Pole’ (a narrative of Arctic explorations), London, 1875. 11. ‘Polar Crusoes,’ London, 1876. 12. ‘The Sailor Crusoe,’ London, 1876.
[Literary World, March 1889; Brit. Mus. Cat.]