The Museum of the Order of St John

The unique and fascinating story of an ancient religious military Order, from its origins caring for sick pilgrims in eleventh century Jerusalem, through to its modern-day role with St John Ambulance, the international first aid charity.

What our visitors say

  • “When you feel the world is going mad, come here. You will see that for years and all over the world, some people care for others. Humanity is good. Thanks to all these people.”
  • "Lovely visit, my 5 year old son enjoyed the children's activity trail which we did together - very engaging, thank you!"
  • "Thank you to the kind man at reception who helped with Dad’s wheelchair! Great museum!"
  • "St John Ambulance saved my life on 1st March 2015 so I came here to learn more. Keep up the good work!"

News and events

Crypt Closure

Please note that due to essential maintenance work, tours will not be able to access the Crypt from 28th September to 25th October 2019. Thursday tours will also not take place during this time.

We sincerely apologise for any disappointment caused.

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Christmas Closure

Please note that our last day open before Christmas will be Saturday the 21st December, when we will open from 10am – 5pm, with tours at 11am and 2:30pm. We will then be closed until Monday 13th January when we will re-open with usual opening times.

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Tour cancellation

Please note that there will be no public guided tour on the afternoon of Friday 8th November because of a private event taking place.

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  • View of the interior of the Priory Church of the Order of St John The Priory Church of the Order of St John. Photography by Shaun Le Gassick
  • View of the interior of the Crypt of the Priory Church of the Order of St John The Crypt. Photography by Shaun Le Gassick
  • View of the Link Gallery of the Museum of the Order of St John The Link Gallery. © MOSJ
  • ALT= The Cloister Garden. © MOSJ
  • ALT= The Chapter Hall. © MOSJ

Blog

Photograph of an exhibition with several framed items on the wall
#RoyalConnections, Exhibition, History

Doing Your Duty: St John Ambulance at Royal Ceremonies and Celebrations

Posted 3 October 2019
Museum of the Order of St John Isobel MacAuslan, Museum Assistant

From weddings to funerals, coronations to jubilees, St John Ambulance has been on hand to assist at events relating to the British Monarchy for over 130 years. Public occasions encourage large crowds of people to gather to pay their respects and... Read more

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Black and white photograph of a procession. Some stretcher bearers are carrying a casualty in the street.
#RoyalConnections, Exhibition, History

Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee

Posted 3 October 2019
Museum of the Order of St John Isobel MacAuslan, Museum Assistant

The first Royal celebration that we have an extensive account of is Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee which was held on 22nd June 1897. The duty is given substantial coverage in the edition of First Aid published in July that year. First Aid... Read more

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LDOSJ1011 Watercolour depicting the North West corner of the antechamber of the Grandmaster's Palace, Valetta.
Art, History

Cataloguing the Museum’s Brocktorff collection

Posted 30 August 2019
Museum of the Order of St John

Julia Glen, volunteer museum cataloguing assistant, spent several months, between March 2019 and June 2019, working on a project to catalogue part of the Museum’s collection. Here she explains the work she did. The aim of my project was to sort... Read more

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Image of the crypt looking down the nave. Low arches can be seen leading towards an alter and a large window.
#RoyalConnections, History, Wednesday Talks

A Royal Visitor: Henry II Visits the Priory of the Order of St John

Posted 21 August 2019
Museum of the Order of St John Isobel MacAuslan, Museum Assistant

Although the Order of St John had existed in Jerusalem since the 1080s, they only began receiving land in England and Scotland in the 1130s and 1140s. The Priory here at Clerkenwell was first established in 1144 on land granted by Jordan de Bricet... Read more

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Girl reading a book in front of a wall covered in books
History

Behind the Scenes: Family History Research

Posted 14 August 2019
Museum of the Order of St John Rachel Job, Isobel MacAuslan and Jess Swift, Museum Assistants

The museum team regularly receive emails from people hoping to make an enquiry into an individual who had a connection to St John Ambulance and/or the Order of St John. Our three Museum Assistants, Jess, Rachel and Isobel, spend much of their time... Read more

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Sponsors

The Museum of the Order of St John would like to thank all those who have supported and continue to support its work. In particular, the Museum would like to thank the following for their generosity: