THE VENERABLE ORDER OF ST JOHN
1815 - 1824: In France, the Bourbons are restored to power. The surviving French Knights form the French Commission to handle the affairs of the Order in France. But the Lieutenant of the Order is trying to get rid of the French Knights because of their involvement in the loss of Malta. And the Commission, in order to raise funds for Greek independence and the possible re-acquisition of Rhodes, begin accepting non-Catholics into the Order. So the French Commission is not officially recognised by the Sovereign Order and is dissolved in 1824.
1827: Ex-Chancellor of the French Commission, the “Marquis de Sainte-Croix Molay” (self-styled; real name unknown) persuades Donald Currie of Scotland to revive a Protestant English Langue (or Tongue) along the same lines as the Bailiwick of Brandenburg.
1831: Reverend Sir Robert Peat (a former chaplain to King George IV) is appointed Prior ad interim of the “Venerable Tongue of England”.
1834: Peat takes the oath de fideli administratione before the Lord Chief Justice to revive the 1557 Royal Letters Patent of Queen Mary I. These papers had restored the legitimacy of the Order in England and were never revoked by Queen Elizabeth I.
British knights demand, and fail to gain, recognition by the Lieutenant of SMOM. SMOM Knights John Watts, George Bowyer and Edmund Waterton try to establish a Catholic Grand Priory in England, with the Protestant branch seen as a dependency. Bowyer and Waterton ditch the Protestant organisation though and, in 1875, Bowyer founds and becomes President of the British Association of the Sovereign Military Order. There are now two separate organisations.
1871: Grand Prior of the Venerable 'Tongue', the 7th Duke of Manchester, institutes a new constitution as “The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem in England”. The Order begins to attract Royal attention.
1873: Ambulance services begin in pottery and mining districts.
1874: Secretary-General to the Order, Sir Edmund Lechmere, purchases the Priory Church and Gatehouse of Clerkenwell for St John.
Sir Edmund Lechmere; Sir John Furley; William, 7th Duke of Manchester
1876: The Princess of Wales becomes a Dame of Justice. Queen Victoria’s sons the Dukes of Connaught and Albany become Knights of Justice.
1877: The Order establishes Ambulance Associations to teach first aid and nursing in mining districts.
1881: The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) accepts Bailiff Grand Cross and membership to SMOM.
1882: The Duke of Connaught negotiates with the Sultan of Turkey to establish a hospice and ophthalmic dispensary in Jerusalem (now known as the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group).
Prince Albert, Duke of Connaught; Edward (later VII), Prince of Wales; Queen Victoria.
1885: St John Ambulance Association established in New Zealand, making it the sixth outside territory to do so.
1887: The Order establishes the Ambulance Brigade, training medics for ambulances and the military.
1888: On May 14th, Queen Victoria gives a Royal Charter to “The Grand Priory of the Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem in England”, making it an Order of the British Crown with the Prince of Wales as Grand Prior. A relationship with the Bailiwick of Brandenburg is established.
1899: The Order and the British Red Cross first co-ordinate medical activities in the Boer War.
The Brigade's first 'ambulance' - an Ashford Litter; a St John medical officer in the Boer War; the worldwide best-seller "First Aid To the Injured" (37th edition); a VAD nurse.
1901: “First Aid to the Injured” by Sir James Cantlie first published [see left, 37th edition].
1907: A Royal Charter empowers the Grand Prior to establish Priories throughout the British Empire.
1909: The Order and the Red Cross establish the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) organisation. This sends voluntary nurses to work in hospitals during the World Wars.
World War I: The Order and the Red Cross form the Joint War Committee to manage hospitals, ambulance vehicles, medical stores and care packages to POWs.
1922: St John Ambulance Brigade Cadet Divisions are formed.
1931: Grand Prior Award established by the GP, Duke of Connaught and approved by King George V.
World War II: The Order and the Red Cross form the Joint War Organisation to manage hospitals, ambulance vehicles, medical stores and care packages to POWs on a much larger scope.
1961: The Venerable Order enters into an Alliance of the Orders of St John of Jerusalem with the Johanniterorden (Bailiwick of Brandenburg) of Germany, the Johanniter Orde of the Netherlands, and the Johanniterorden i Sverige of Sweden. Today these Orders recognise the Roman Catholic Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) as the original Order, with themselves as the only legitimate Orders stemming from it.
1963: The Venerable Order signs a Corncordat and is finally recognised by SMOM as a worthy 'cousin' of their organisation.
1968: St John Ambulance Association and Brigade are merged into a single Foundation.
1974: After several renamings, a supplemental Royal Charter sets the Order as the “Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem”.
1987: Badger Setts for children aged 6-9 are established to celebrate the Brigade’s 100th anniversary.
1999: The Priory of England and the Islands is formed.
Today: The Order now operates in 43 countries, including non-Christian countries. Notable is the St John Association in Malaysia, a Muslim nation with over 60,000 members in the Order.
1815 - 1824: In France, the Bourbons are restored to power. The surviving French Knights form the French Commission to handle the affairs of the Order in France. But the Lieutenant of the Order is trying to get rid of the French Knights because of their involvement in the loss of Malta. And the Commission, in order to raise funds for Greek independence and the possible re-acquisition of Rhodes, begin accepting non-Catholics into the Order. So the French Commission is not officially recognised by the Sovereign Order and is dissolved in 1824.
1827: Ex-Chancellor of the French Commission, the “Marquis de Sainte-Croix Molay” (self-styled; real name unknown) persuades Donald Currie of Scotland to revive a Protestant English Langue (or Tongue) along the same lines as the Bailiwick of Brandenburg.
1831: Reverend Sir Robert Peat (a former chaplain to King George IV) is appointed Prior ad interim of the “Venerable Tongue of England”.
1834: Peat takes the oath de fideli administratione before the Lord Chief Justice to revive the 1557 Royal Letters Patent of Queen Mary I. These papers had restored the legitimacy of the Order in England and were never revoked by Queen Elizabeth I.
British knights demand, and fail to gain, recognition by the Lieutenant of SMOM. SMOM Knights John Watts, George Bowyer and Edmund Waterton try to establish a Catholic Grand Priory in England, with the Protestant branch seen as a dependency. Bowyer and Waterton ditch the Protestant organisation though and, in 1875, Bowyer founds and becomes President of the British Association of the Sovereign Military Order. There are now two separate organisations.
1871: Grand Prior of the Venerable 'Tongue', the 7th Duke of Manchester, institutes a new constitution as “The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem in England”. The Order begins to attract Royal attention.
1873: Ambulance services begin in pottery and mining districts.
1874: Secretary-General to the Order, Sir Edmund Lechmere, purchases the Priory Church and Gatehouse of Clerkenwell for St John.
Sir Edmund Lechmere; Sir John Furley; William, 7th Duke of Manchester
1876: The Princess of Wales becomes a Dame of Justice. Queen Victoria’s sons the Dukes of Connaught and Albany become Knights of Justice.
1877: The Order establishes Ambulance Associations to teach first aid and nursing in mining districts.
1881: The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) accepts Bailiff Grand Cross and membership to SMOM.
1882: The Duke of Connaught negotiates with the Sultan of Turkey to establish a hospice and ophthalmic dispensary in Jerusalem (now known as the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group).
Prince Albert, Duke of Connaught; Edward (later VII), Prince of Wales; Queen Victoria.
1885: St John Ambulance Association established in New Zealand, making it the sixth outside territory to do so.
1887: The Order establishes the Ambulance Brigade, training medics for ambulances and the military.
1888: On May 14th, Queen Victoria gives a Royal Charter to “The Grand Priory of the Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem in England”, making it an Order of the British Crown with the Prince of Wales as Grand Prior. A relationship with the Bailiwick of Brandenburg is established.
1899: The Order and the British Red Cross first co-ordinate medical activities in the Boer War.
The Brigade's first 'ambulance' - an Ashford Litter; a St John medical officer in the Boer War; the worldwide best-seller "First Aid To the Injured" (37th edition); a VAD nurse.
1901: “First Aid to the Injured” by Sir James Cantlie first published [see left, 37th edition].
1907: A Royal Charter empowers the Grand Prior to establish Priories throughout the British Empire.
1909: The Order and the Red Cross establish the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) organisation. This sends voluntary nurses to work in hospitals during the World Wars.
World War I: The Order and the Red Cross form the Joint War Committee to manage hospitals, ambulance vehicles, medical stores and care packages to POWs.
1922: St John Ambulance Brigade Cadet Divisions are formed.
1931: Grand Prior Award established by the GP, Duke of Connaught and approved by King George V.
World War II: The Order and the Red Cross form the Joint War Organisation to manage hospitals, ambulance vehicles, medical stores and care packages to POWs on a much larger scope.
1961: The Venerable Order enters into an Alliance of the Orders of St John of Jerusalem with the Johanniterorden (Bailiwick of Brandenburg) of Germany, the Johanniter Orde of the Netherlands, and the Johanniterorden i Sverige of Sweden. Today these Orders recognise the Roman Catholic Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) as the original Order, with themselves as the only legitimate Orders stemming from it.
1963: The Venerable Order signs a Corncordat and is finally recognised by SMOM as a worthy 'cousin' of their organisation.
1968: St John Ambulance Association and Brigade are merged into a single Foundation.
1974: After several renamings, a supplemental Royal Charter sets the Order as the “Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem”.
1987: Badger Setts for children aged 6-9 are established to celebrate the Brigade’s 100th anniversary.
1999: The Priory of England and the Islands is formed.
Today: The Order now operates in 43 countries, including non-Christian countries. Notable is the St John Association in Malaysia, a Muslim nation with over 60,000 members in the Order.