Industrial revolution
As the number of factories grew, so did
concern at the dreadful injuries caused by
machinery, and at the lack of help available to
workers.
In the 19th century (around 400 years after
Henry VIII had ended the medieval Priory), there were moves
to revive the Order of St John in England. Approval for
this was not granted in the end as they had no Catholic
members.
Despite this a determined group set up the
British Order of St John to care for the sick in the Hospitaller
tradition. The suffering of workers was one of their main
concerns.
Britain was the
first country to become industrial and in the 19th
century there were many dangerous workplaces. Conditions and
machinery were hazardous and workers were exhausted by the long
hours. Accidents were frequent but workers rarely
saw a doctor in time. Death or disability from
untreated injuries was common.
Members of the British Order wanted to find a
way to help. They decided to train ordinary people in first
aid so accident victims could be treated quickly and on
the spot, and in 1877 they set up St John Ambulance to do this.
Classes were set up across the country,
particularly in workplaces and areas of heavy industry, but also in
villages, seaside towns and middle class suburbs.
In 1887 trained volunteers were organised into
a uniformed Brigade to provide a first aid and ambulance service at
public events. In many parts of Britain, St John was the first and
only provider of an ambulance service right up to
the middle of the 20th century, when the National
Health Service was founded. When there were far fewer doctors and
hospital beds than today, St John nurses looked after the sick and
injured in their own homes.