Knights Hospitallers

An order of knights that had their name from a hospital erected at Jerusalem for the use of pilgrims coming to the Holy Land', and dedicated to St. John Baptist. They were afterwards called "Knights, of St. John of Jerusalem," and their first business was to provide for and protect such pilgrims as came to that hospital. Afterwards, being driven out of the Holy Land, they settled at Rhodes, and then at Malta, and were then called "Knights of Malta." Many of them came to England in the year 1100, where, in process of time, they became of so much wealth and digrnity that their superior was the first lay baron, and had a seat among the lords in parliament.