Two+Founders

Who founded the Order of St John? There are two recognised founders for the Order of St John.

Brother (known as ‘Blessed’) Gérard was the leader of the hospice of St John in 1099. He has two histories: some scholars believe he was a former merchant from Amalfi, who remained the main benefactors of the hostel, while others believe he was born in Provence (south-eastern France) and became a soldier.

During the Siege of Jerusalem, Brother Gérard was spotted hurling down loaves of bread instead of rocks, apparently to let the crusaders know they had friends on the inside. When the crusaders burst in and massacred everybody within Jerusalem, the people of the hostel were spared. After being given generous amounts of money and land, Gérard set up an organisation outside of local church laws and dedicated to helping pilgrims to the Holy Land. He set up hostels from Europe to the Middle East and used portside properties as supply houses for his new organisation. In 1113 and again in 1120, Gérard’s efforts were rewarded with official recognition of his organisation as a Roman Catholic Order, answerable only to the Pope.

On Gérard’s death, Raymond du Puy took over and became the first Master of the Order. He was the son of the Governor of Acre and was a general in the crusading army. He developed the Order’s knights into a strong military force and set the Rules of the Order to maintain standards and discipline. He is credited with making the eight-pointed cross the official symbol of the Order and with establishing its first significant hospital in Jerusalem. He divided the Order into three classes: the clergy, the knights and the serving brothers & sisters of the hospital. As such, du Puy is commonly known as the ‘second founder’ of the Order.

//From 18th-century engravings: Blessed Gerard and Raymond Du Puy. More information is below://