North side of St John's Gate, Clerkenwell, London

Docwra Gate, Clerkenwell c1504

Next time you walk South through St John's Gate look up. You will see three shields. Each shield tells a story. 


The arms as shown on the gateway are replacements for the stone ones which were badly crumbling. There is a picture dating c.1890 which shows the third set of arms to be almost indistinguishable. In Thomas Cromwell's London he says "on the right-hand side the same, but with a cross moline as an impalement."

Docwra coat of arms

What you can no longer see now on the North side of St John's Gate is the engraving below the three shields which read "Anno Dni 1504"

This is now what we can see:
Left shield: Sir Thomas Docwra, Grand Prior 1501-1527
Middle shield: Order of St John (Military)
Right: Sir Lancelot Docwra (Dowcra/Green)

Sir Thomas Docwra

The Grand Prior held the place of premier baron of England and was close to both Kings Henry VII and VIII. He was often used by the latter as the King's Messenger and was one of the nobles who accompanied Henry to the meeting with the King of France, at the Field of the Cloth of Gold, in 1520.

His lasting monument - the massive stone gateway which is almost all that remains of the Priory of St John at Clerkenwell - rebuilt in 1504 by Thomas after its destruction by rioters, still stands in London.

Order of St John (Military)

The Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem (later known as the Knights of Malta) fought in the First Crusade against the Saracen. The Saracen used a novel and terrifying weapon consisting of glass containers full of a flammable mixture of naphtha. During a siege by the Crusaders, the Saracen would throw these onto the besiegers which would saturate them with this highly flammable liquid, at which time the Saracen would throw a torch into the midst of the Crusaders, setting them on fire. The Knights of St. John took it upon themselves to pull the Crusaders to safety, put out their flames and treat their injuries. Because of their selfless heroics, the Maltese cross has come to symbolize a willingness and commitment to brave danger in order to rescue others from a fiery death.

Sir Lancelot Docwra (Dowcra/Green)

Sir Lancelot was a "brother in arms" of Sir Thomas Docwra, the Lord Prior. "Sir Lancelot Docwra, near kinsman to Sir Thomas, and son of Robert Docwra, of Docwra-Hall in Cumberland. His arms are impaled with - Or, a cross flory sable - the coat armour of his mother, Jane, daughter of Sir John Lamplugh, of Lamplugh, in the same county; one "of a race" as Denton says, "of valourous gentlemen, successively for their worthiness knighted in the field, all or most part of them". The shield of the order also surmounts his shield."

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