The Order of St. John

A Brief History of the Order of St. John

The exact date when the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem first came into being is unknown although it was about 1080, when a hospice — was established in Jerusalem for Christian pilgrims by monks from a neighbouring Benedictine abbey. 

The hospice soon developed into a hospital and in 1113 the Pope confirmed its independence. Over the next forty years it developed into a religious order, with its brothers and sisters (commonly known as Hospitallers of St. John) providing care to the poor and sick of any faith. They also took on the additional role of defending all Christians and others within their care when they were threatened. 

The Order was driven from Jerusalem in 1187 and established its headquarters on the coast of Palestine, before moving to Cyprus and then on to Rhodes. In 1530 it moved to Malta, where it governed until it was expelled by Napoleon in 1798.

From the beginning the Order grew rapidly and was given land throughout Western Europe. Its estates were managed by small groups of brothers and sisters who lived in communities that provided resources to the headquarters of the Order. These communities were gradually gathered into provinces called Priories or Grand Priories. 

In Britain these estates were first administered from one of the communities (called a Commandery) at Clerkenwell, London from about 1140 and the original Priory Church was built at the same time. 

However, over time, the extensive amount of land the Order owned in Britain meant that it needed to be managed by several different Commanderies. In 1185 the Commandery at Clerkenwell became a Priory, and had responsibility for Commanderies that had been set up in Scotland and Wales as well as the ones in England. Ireland became a separate Priory. 

In 1540 the Order was suppressed by King Henry VIII, as part of the process known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It was restored and incorporated by Queen Mary I in 1557, but when Queen Elizabeth I again confiscated all its estates in 1559 she did so without annulling its incorporation. These acts by English Sovereigns did not directly affect the Order in Scotland, but the influence of the Reformation ended the Order’s activities there in about 1565 The Order in Britain then fell into abeyance. 

The religious Order of the Hospital of St. John, which is now formally known as The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, went through a time of disarray after it was expelled from Malta, but in the middle of the nineteenth century it was re-established, with headquarters in Rome. It is still often called “The Order of Malta” and its members are frequently referred to as “Knights of Malta”.

In the 1820s the Knights of Malta living in France offered knighthoods to specific people supporting the Order in Great Britain, irrespective of their Christian denomination. 
Their approach was not part of the official policy of the Order of Malta, but the English Knights devoted themselves to charitable activities, which were organised into what became known as Foundations. It was this British group, carrying out very substantial charitable activities, which Queen Victoria recognised and incorporated in 1888 and which became the modern Order of St. John.

There were originally three charitable Foundations of the modern Order.  One, which became The St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Foundation, was established in 1882.  The St. John Ambulance Association, which was concerned with training the public in first aid, was established in 1877. And, the third was The St. John Ambulance Brigade, which provided first aid care to the public. It had its origins in 1873, and became a Foundation in 1887. The St. John Ambulance Association and The St. John Ambulance Brigade were amalgamated in 1974 to form the present St. John Ambulance Foundation.

There was a major re-structuring of the Order’s constitution in 1999. This introduced a Grand Council, removed restrictions as to nationality and religious belief on full membership of the Order; and established a new Priory to carry on the activities of the Order in England and the Islands.

The Order has about 25,000 members worldwide and is supported by over 4,000 salaried employees as well as by about 250,000 regular volunteers and numerous other supporters. The Motto of the Order is "Pro Fide, Pro Utilitate Hominum", which means “For the Faith, In the Service of Humanity”.

The objectives of the Order include the following:

• To maintain and develop the St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem Foundation.
• To maintain and develop the St. John Ambulance Foundation.
• To provide reserves trained in First Aid and allied subjects ready to act in aid of the Armed Forces and Civil Defence Organizations.
• To award honours and other recognition for special services in the cause of humanity, especially personal bravery.

Learn about the Order of St. John in Canada »
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