In 1411, Henry V. resided in the priory for some time, according to the “Grey Friars Chronicle” of London, which records that “kynge was lyvinge at Sent Jones.” In 1485, Richard III. held a royal council in the great hail of the priory for the purpose of disavowing all intention of marrying his niece, Elizabeth of York, a rumour of which had become prevalent.
These later entries all shew that the grand-priory had been greatly restored since the calamity of 1381. It remained, however, for Sir Thomas Docwra to complete the work, and in addition, to erect the gate, now almost the only part of the structure remaining. Camden, speaking of the priory in Docwra’s time, says “that it resembled a palace and had in it a very faire church and a towre steeple raised to a great height with so fine workmanship that it was a singular beauty and ornament to the city.”
St. John’s Gate, above referred to, still remains a monument of the grandeur of the fraternity before their suppression by henry VIII. The following description of it is given by Pinks[1]:—“This building, the grand south gate of the priory of St. John of Jerusalem, was erected on the site of an older structure by Sir Thomas Docwra, who completed the splendid work in which he was engaged, viz., that of restoring the ruined priory, by the edification of St. John’s Gate in 1504. The characteristics of its architecture are those of the perpendicular style, which the obtusely-pointed windows, Tudor-arched doorways, embattled parapets, and the more minute details of rib, boss, and moulding serve strikingly to exemplify. The materials used in the construction of this beautiful edifice were brick and freestone. The south, or principal front of the gate, that facing towards the city, with its double projecting towers, when in its pristine state, before the furrows of time had been traced upon its surface, must have presented a very imposing aspect, especially as it was loftier than it now is, the accumulation of the soil around it having lessened the height of the building. The gate and its flanking towers are pierced by numerous windows, the principal one being a wide, obtusely-pointed arch,
- ↑ “History of Clerkenwell,” by Pinks. The author is indebted to the antiquarian researches of this writer for much of the matter he has quoted referring to the priory of Clerkenwell.
