Who we Are
History of the Order
The origins of the Order of St John can be traced to an 11th century hospital - the Hospital of St John in Jerusalem. In 1113 the people who administered this hospital were formed into a religious Order. Soon after, they took on military duties and became known as Knights Hospitallers.
That Order, which exists today, is now commonly called the Order of Malta. It recruited members and owned property throughout Western Europe. The first property in Scotland was established at Torphichen in West Lothian. Acquired during the reign of David I, King of Scots (1124 - 1153), it became, and remained until the 16th century, the Order's administrative centre in Scotland. it is the village of Torphichen, 20 miles west of Edinburgh, a mile off the A706.
Being Roman Catholic, the Order ceased to function in the British Isles at the time of the Reformation.
In the first half of the 19th century a group of people set out to revive the Order of Malta in the United Kingdom and ultimately formed themselves into a separate organisation which they called the Order of St John. In 1877 they founded the St John Ambulance Association, whose role was to provide training in first aid and similar activities.
Open April-Sept, Sats 1100-1700
Suns 1400-1700
Ten years later the St John Ambulance Brigade was created, as a uniformed body of trained volunteers to provide first aid cover for the public. In 1968 it was decided to merge the Ambulance Association and Brigade into "St John Ambulance", to allow closer co-ordination of the two roles of training and public duty.
In 1882, as a further means of providing to those in need and recognising its origins, the Order opened a hospital in Jerusalem. This was to care for eye disease, prevalent in the Middle East. At that time, Jerusalem was part of the Ottoman Turkish Empire.
In 1888, Queen Victoria made the Order a Royal Order of Chivalry with the monarch as its Sovereign Head. Since then the Grand Prior has always been a member of the Royal Family – currently, HRH Duke of Gloucester.
An individual’s commitment and contribution to the charity is acknowledged by titles conferred by Her Majesty the Queen. Beginning with Members, the hierarchy continues with Officers, Commanders, Knights and Dames to the highest grade, Bailiff and Dame Grand Cross.