St John in Clerkenwell
St John’s Gate was built in the first years of the 16th century by Thomas Docwra as part of St John’s Priory, the English headquarters of the Knights of St John, aka the Hospitallers. The Priory itself only survived a few more decades until it was supressed by Henry VIII, but the gate survives, although much amended by Victorian architects. While the small museum itself is a treasure trove of St John regalia, weaponry, paintings and so on, the trick is to turn up at 11:00 or 14:30 on Tuesdays, Fridays or Saturdays to take the guided tour which is also free (a voluntary donation is appreciated). This gives you wider access to the upstairs parts of St John’s Gate and also a tour of St John’s church up the road. Today, we were shown around by the excellent Andy Rashleigh, a London Blue Badge Guide.
Treat of the day for me was to sit in the Council Chamber. This room was for a time in the 18C the HQ of the Gentleman’s Magazine where Samuel Johnson was sat down and cajoled into knuckling down to meet his copy deadline. Earlier, William Hogarth’s father Richard ran a coffee house here where only Latin was allowed to be spoken. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t catch on and went bust along with Hogarth père who ended up in a debtor’s prison.
The highlight of the church nearby is the old crypt which has a rather macabre monument of William Weston, who was the last Prior before Henry VIII dissolved the Order in England.
I visited the museum of St John on March 3rd and wrote about it. The Gate is just down the road from us and now, having read your piece, I am grumbling at myself for not returning sooner to take the tour, something I intend to do. So, thanks for the reminder!
I have often peered between the bars of the Docwra gate at the church and would very much like to get in there. As you may know, there is a tiny remnant of its churchyard and burial ground behind it, accessible from St John Street. It is now a slightly dank public garden.
St John Street has a long history. It appears in Oliver Twist as “St John’s Road”. I thought this might have been a rare slip on the part of the author but, according to Edward Weller’s 1868 Map of London, it was then called, rather confusingly, “Saint John Street Road”. Following the name changes of London’s streets can become a fascinating, not to say obsessive, hobby!
I’m loving the monument to William Weston! (no surprises there then)
The tour sounds like an excellent idea.