St John - many of us have reason to be grateful for the medical assistance offered by the Order of St John. We recognise the symbol of the black Maltese Cross. This heritage sweeps us back through the centuries to an order of religious knights dedicated to the protection and medical aid of those on the pilgrimage route to Jerusalem. Founded in Jerusalem in the years following the First Crusade 1099, the Order was confirmed by papal charter in 1113. Forced from Jerusalem in 1187, the Order of St John moved its headquarters steadily westwards via Cyprus to Rhodes, and then to Malta in 1530. This series will trace the medieval and early modern history of the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, identify the contribution of knights in Britain in the 19th century, and acknowledge that the St John Ambulance Association was established in New Zealand following a public meeting in St Mary's Anglican Church, Merivale, Christchurch in April 1885, and today 'St John' is active in over 40 countries across the globe.
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