A year later, he wrote his first work of fiction, which appeared in the Chamber's Journal, followed by further stories in Ainsworth Magazine and Bentley's Miscellany.
[1] In 1846, Percy St. John was appointed the Paris correspondent for the Glasgow newspaper the North British Daily Mail.
As correspondent to various newspapers, his miscellaneous contributions to the press were numerous; and he was also a frequent contributor of papers to Chambers's Journal and other magazines.
Amongst his pseudonyms were Captain Flack, Paul Periwinkle, Henry L. Boone, Warren St John, Harry Cavendish and J.T.
[3] Despite some successes, Percy St. John was often short of money, and he had to apply to the Royal Literary Fund for support, receiving grants in 1855 of £30, and in 1874 and 1879 of £60 each.
[3] In 1841, Percy St. John's married Mary Agar Hansard, but it was illegal, because she was his aunt, being his mother's sister.