The St John Archive preserves material (paper-based and digital records, and film and photographic material) dating from the 1830s onwards, which provides invaluable information on the structure, personnel and activities of the modern Order of St John and St John Ambulance. The Archive has been formed from a variety of different sources and coverage is therefore representative rather than comprehensive. Nevertheless, the holdings contain records relating to the development and dissemination of first aid practices; the growth of the ambulance movement and the hugely important work performed by the organisation during the Boer War, and the First and Second World Wars.
The Museum of the Order of St John has a wide range of items in its collections which date from 2000 BC to the present day, and we aim to describe these items in an accurate, inclusive, and respectful manner to preserve their integrity. Some items reflect the language and values of their period, and may contain offensive or discriminatory language, terminology, and images or illustrations that may be upsetting for other reasons. Where possible, we will indicate the existence of this material so that our users are informed.
Summary of Holdings
Currently, only limited parts of the St John Archive are catalogued including holdings relating to the First World War, Richard Temple, Winston Churchill, and Dr. Colin Dawson.
Our First World War holdings consist mainly of records relating to the St John Ambulance Brigade Hospital in Étaples; the work of the Joint War Committee; Voluntary Aid Detachments and Auxiliary Hospitals in England, Wales and Ireland. Please note that we do not hold any personnel records for First World War Voluntary Aid Detachment members, these are held in the archives of the British Red Cross Society and are searchable on the British Red Cross website.
The Richard Temple papers predominantly contains correspondence, minutes and reports in relation to his work with the Joint War Committee and the Indian Soldiers’ Fund during the First World War.
The Winston Churchill papers consist largely of correspondence and maps regarding the role of St John Ambulance Brigade at his funeral.
The Dr. Colin Dawson papers include documentation and correspondence relating to his roles with St John Ambulance in London and the South East (1960s-1990s), papers relating to the St John Historical Society (1980s-2010s), and local and regional newsletters (1970s to 1990s).
Archives Revealed
In 2023, the Archive was awarded a significant cataloguing grant from Archives Revealed, a funding partnership between The National Archives, Pilgrim Trust, and The Wolfson Foundation, which supports the cataloguing of significant collections representing the lives and perspectives of all people across the UK and making them publicly accessible for research and enjoyment.
The grant primarily funds a Project Cataloguer to join the Archive for 14 months from October 2023 to catalogue the early records of St John Ambulance from c.1870-1939. This project will transform public access to the early records of the international first aid charity, St John Ambulance which was founded in the 19th century as a response to healthcare challenges faced by communities in industrial Britain. Volunteers learnt first aid skills that they could apply at home, in the workplace, and in public spaces, decades before the founding of the National Health Service and the welfare state. The collection is relevant to communities across England, particularly in the heartlands of Victorian Britain where industries such as mining and manufacturing flourished and injuries at work were all too common.
The project will produce the first comprehensive catalogue of these records, which offer huge untapped research potential across the humanities and social sciences, linking to medical history, voluntarism, emergency and disaster planning, gender studies and global and colonial history. Keep an eye on the Museum’s blog, and across our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter platforms where we will share progress updates, behind the scenes content, and stories that come from this collection as the project unfolds.
The Museum will be running an inclusive and accessible programme of events throughout the duration of the project to share new discoveries and invite new perspectives – check out our What’s on page to see the upcoming events.
Enquiries about access
The Archive welcomes visitors for research appointments. Please be aware that due limited resources and space restrictions, we can only accommodate a small number of researchers at any one time. Additionally, as a result of confidentiality restrictions, we are unable to allow researchers to access personnel records or Order citations. although, we are happy to search these for you – please see our enquiries page for further details.
Research visits must be arranged in advance, with at least two weeks’ notice. Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. To request an appointment please contact the Museum by emailing museum@sja.org.uk.
