Enquiry service
Please note the enquiry service will be closed between Monday 8th of December and Sunday 4th of January. If you send an enquiry within these dates, it will need to be resent from Monday 5th of January onwards to be processed.
Before you contact the Museum, you may want to explore our free online resources.
- Research Guides can be found on the Resources page and include the Family History Research Guide
- Online resources can be found on the Resources page
- Frequently asked questions (below)
- Collections Online and the Library Catalogue
As the Museum does not receive regular public funding, we charge a fee of £25 for each research enquiry we conduct on your behalf. This fee covers the cost of staff time and associated administration costs involved in undertaking the research. Please note that payment is not a guarantee that relevant information will be found. Museum staff dealing with your enquiry will arrange a mutually convenient time to take payment in person at the Museum reception or over the phone. This will be done after initial contact about the enquiry has been made and you confirm you wish to go ahead.
Should you wish to make an enquiry, please contact the Museum team at museum@sja.org.uk.
Research visits
If you would like to arrange a research visit to explore materials in person at the Museum, please contact the Museum team at museum@sja.org.uk. We can agree on a mutually agreeable time and date when resources and spaces are available. Museum staff will also advise on a suitable quantity of material for your visit if you wish to consult multiple items. There is no charge for in person visits.
Please note that due to confidentiality some materials are closed documents, and you would need to use the enquiry service for a precis of this information to be prepared for you.
FAQs
What is this medal, medallion, or insignia?
The Order of St John and St John Ambulance both have a history of awarding medals, insignia and medallions. Such awards recognise membership, service to the organisation and qualification standards, although detailed records of recipients are only kept for certain awards.
Please check the Medals Information Sheet and Collections Online which include examples of different medals, medallions and insignia, to help you identify your own and answer most queries.
Relevant research guides and information sheets are available to download.
If you would like more information on your St John medal, medallion, or insignia, please contact the Museum at museum@sja.org.uk with good quality images of the item.
Can you tell me about a family member’s time in St John Ambulance?
Before submitting a research enquiry, please read our Family History Research Guide.
Relevant research guides and information sheets are available to download.
The Archive at the Museum of the Order of St John holds significant, but not exhaustive, records relating to members of St John Ambulance and of the Order of St John. Due to the nature and content of these records, access is restricted, but Archive staff can undertake research of these records on your behalf.
If your search concerns membership of the St John Ambulance Association or Brigade (now known as St John Ambulance), please note that the Archive primarily holds local Brigade membership records for London and Kent. If other county and regional membership records are still in existence, they are likely be held locally, but please do get in touch and we will signpost you if we can.
If your search concerns membership of the Order of St John, this will be confirmed through the Order of St John Member Rolls, which list all Order members at regular points since the Most Venerable Order’s official foundation in 1888, and through Order citations.
For us to carry out an effective search, please provide as much information as possible on the member for whom you are searching, including their full name, birth and death dates, and the location(s) where they live and/or worked. Please note that Order citations remain confidential documents even after the individuals concerned have passed away; while we are unable to provide copies or direct transcripts, we can provide a summary of their citation.
Please note that the Archive is bound by the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), which prevent us from searching for and sharing information held on an individual if they are still living without their direct permission to do so in writing.
Can I donate an object to the Museum?
If you are considering offering an item to the Museum, please see the Donations page for further guidance.
Can I volunteer at the Museum?
Volunteers make a vital contribution to the work of the Museum. When new volunteering opportunities arise, they are advertised through the St John Ambulance Volunteering portal where you can explore vacancies and sign up for alerts. If you see a role advertised and would like to arrange an informal chat to find out more please email museum@sja.org.uk.