Sir John Furley, CH. CB. KO. St.J. was the son of Robert Furley J.P. and Margaret Rutton Furley (nee Creery) of Ashford, Kent, England. In 1874 he married Maria Turner Baker who died on 11th February, 1940. They are both buried in the Wolvercote Cemetery, Oxford, UK.
Obituaries appeared in The British Medical Journal on 4.10.1919, The Red Cross Journal of October, 1919, and the St.Johns Ambulance newsletter of October, 1919.
A memorial service was held on 1st October, 1919 at St.Peter's Church, Cranley Gardens, Kensington. His burial service was conducted on 2nd October, 1919 at St.Margaret's Church, Oxford. He was laid to rest at the Wolvercote Cemetery (Section J1, Grave No 120) on 2nd October, 1919 with the flags of both British Red Cross and St.John Ambulance draped over his coffin. A memorial plaque was erected in the Grand Priory church, Clerkenwell on 4th June, 1920.
Extracts taken from obituaries and fact sheets about the life of Sir John Furley:
We regret to announce the death of Sir John Furley, C.H., C.B., one of the original organisers of the St.John Ambulance Association and founders of the British Red Cross Society who died at Oxford on September 26th, 1919. He was a British humanitarian who worked to improve medical care both in wartime and at home. He was known for his perseverance and ability to negotiate. He had a talent for finding a solution to a problem.
He was born in Ashford in 1836 and from an early age a military life had a very great fascination for him as he spent his holidays as a little boy, at the Cavalry Depot at Maidstone. He was educated at Harrow but owing to his delicate health, he was not strong enough to enter the army. Instead he travelled France and Germany for a year with a tutor and witnessed the start of which became the Crimean War. He was reading Law at the Temple when the Volunteer movement originated and he obtained a commission in a Kentish regiment. He joined the movement of the East Kent Rifle Volunteers, where he became a proficient rifleman. It was during the various rifle shooting competitions in England and Europe that he met influential people from various European Kingdoms whom he was able to draw on for favours later in times of war. With letters of introduction from these people he was able to hop from one side of the battle field to the other to attend to the wounded of both sides.
He worked for a short time in his father's law firm in Ashford but the work for which he would become known had its origin when war broke out between Prussia and Denmark when he proceeded to the scenes of hostilities as a private individual.
He was a supporter of the Red Cross movement from its foundation by Henri Dunant and the Committee of Five in Genera in 1864. In 1868 he attended a congress in Berlin for the newly formed movement and stated that although Great Britain had no such Society, he promised in the event of war, she would do so at once. On 4.8.1870 Furley was asked by this new British committee to go to Geneva to notify of the new formation. It was on that trip he saw for the first time, doctors and nurses being distinguished with their red cross armlets and the German Knights of St. John.
Two years later the Franco-German War broke out and with the help of Colonel Lloyd-Lindsay V.C., was mainly instrumental in the formation of the National Aid Society, the forerunner of the British Red Cross. He went to the seat of war as the First Commissioner carrying aid to the sick, the wounded and the destitute and distributing seed to the ruined French farmers.
Sir John's experiences during this war would fill volumes but included establishing headquarters at Versailles and being one of the few people who successfully got into Paris in disguise, during the siege to attend to the wounded. He succeeded in finding war correspondent, Edmund O'Donovan during the Carlist War in Spain. In the Russo-Turkish War he went as Special commissioner of the British Red Cross Society in Montenegro. In 1900 on the outbreak of the Boer War he was requested to design and command the "Princess Christian Hospital Train". He designed improved stretchers, litters and ambulance carriages including the Ashford Litter, and in 1914 in France, he superintended the improvisation of an ambulance train from French rolling stock. The ambulance vehicles were horse drawn and would get as close as they could to the front line to collect the wounded. He designed horse drawn ambulance carriages or wagons and a hamper. Keeping the horses in good condition was one of Furley's priorities and he tells many stories about how he managed to get behind enemy lines to check out the hospitals. The original 25 huts and nucleus of the great base hospital at Netley were designed under his personal supervision.
He became known as ‘the Father of the St.John Ambulance movement', which was founded in 1877. The British Red Cross as we know it today, was born in 1905.
In 1906 he was one of the British representatives at the Geneva convention and had been doing so in an official capacity for the past 40 years. He was three times Vice President and once Honorary Secretary.
He wrote several books including text books and First Aid Manuals for the St.John Ambulance Association, translated many publications and published them in English. Fortunately he was a very descriptive writer and as he got older, wrote several autobiographies which give us a wonderful glimpse into those early battlefields which had appalled Henry Dunant and himself.
Among his many marks of public recognition, medals and decorations from many countries, he received his Knighhood in 1899. He was given the C.B. in 1902 and in 1918 was gazetted a "Companion of Honour". He was a Knight of Justice and Honorary Bailiff of the Order of St.John of Jerusalem in England. His wife Maria Turner Furley nee Baker was a Lady of Justice of the Order of St.John and was awarded the South African war medal. Lady Furley was awarded the R.R.C. in May, 1902.
Sir John and Lady Maria did not have any children but his portrait hung over the mantle piece of his sister's descendants in New Zealand who later gave it to the British Red Cross where it hangs today in the foyer. His medals are in the museum of St.Johns Ambulance at St.John's Gate, London.
More information is available from the archives of several societies and from his own autobiographies.
Family history researchers: John Furley Drake, Australia; Louise Voullaire-Drake, New Zealand.
Obituaries appeared in The British Medical Journal on 4.10.1919, The Red Cross Journal of October, 1919, and the St.Johns Ambulance newsletter of October, 1919.
A memorial service was held on 1st October, 1919 at St.Peter's Church, Cranley Gardens, Kensington. His burial service was conducted on 2nd October, 1919 at St.Margaret's Church, Oxford. He was laid to rest at the Wolvercote Cemetery (Section J1, Grave No 120) on 2nd October, 1919 with the flags of both British Red Cross and St.John Ambulance draped over his coffin. A memorial plaque was erected in the Grand Priory church, Clerkenwell on 4th June, 1920.
Extracts taken from obituaries and fact sheets about the life of Sir John Furley:
We regret to announce the death of Sir John Furley, C.H., C.B., one of the original organisers of the St.John Ambulance Association and founders of the British Red Cross Society who died at Oxford on September 26th, 1919. He was a British humanitarian who worked to improve medical care both in wartime and at home. He was known for his perseverance and ability to negotiate. He had a talent for finding a solution to a problem.
He was born in Ashford in 1836 and from an early age a military life had a very great fascination for him as he spent his holidays as a little boy, at the Cavalry Depot at Maidstone. He was educated at Harrow but owing to his delicate health, he was not strong enough to enter the army. Instead he travelled France and Germany for a year with a tutor and witnessed the start of which became the Crimean War. He was reading Law at the Temple when the Volunteer movement originated and he obtained a commission in a Kentish regiment. He joined the movement of the East Kent Rifle Volunteers, where he became a proficient rifleman. It was during the various rifle shooting competitions in England and Europe that he met influential people from various European Kingdoms whom he was able to draw on for favours later in times of war. With letters of introduction from these people he was able to hop from one side of the battle field to the other to attend to the wounded of both sides.
He worked for a short time in his father's law firm in Ashford but the work for which he would become known had its origin when war broke out between Prussia and Denmark when he proceeded to the scenes of hostilities as a private individual.
He was a supporter of the Red Cross movement from its foundation by Henri Dunant and the Committee of Five in Genera in 1864. In 1868 he attended a congress in Berlin for the newly formed movement and stated that although Great Britain had no such Society, he promised in the event of war, she would do so at once. On 4.8.1870 Furley was asked by this new British committee to go to Geneva to notify of the new formation. It was on that trip he saw for the first time, doctors and nurses being distinguished with their red cross armlets and the German Knights of St. John.
Two years later the Franco-German War broke out and with the help of Colonel Lloyd-Lindsay V.C., was mainly instrumental in the formation of the National Aid Society, the forerunner of the British Red Cross. He went to the seat of war as the First Commissioner carrying aid to the sick, the wounded and the destitute and distributing seed to the ruined French farmers.
Sir John's experiences during this war would fill volumes but included establishing headquarters at Versailles and being one of the few people who successfully got into Paris in disguise, during the siege to attend to the wounded. He succeeded in finding war correspondent, Edmund O'Donovan during the Carlist War in Spain. In the Russo-Turkish War he went as Special commissioner of the British Red Cross Society in Montenegro. In 1900 on the outbreak of the Boer War he was requested to design and command the "Princess Christian Hospital Train". He designed improved stretchers, litters and ambulance carriages including the Ashford Litter, and in 1914 in France, he superintended the improvisation of an ambulance train from French rolling stock. The ambulance vehicles were horse drawn and would get as close as they could to the front line to collect the wounded. He designed horse drawn ambulance carriages or wagons and a hamper. Keeping the horses in good condition was one of Furley's priorities and he tells many stories about how he managed to get behind enemy lines to check out the hospitals. The original 25 huts and nucleus of the great base hospital at Netley were designed under his personal supervision.
He became known as ‘the Father of the St.John Ambulance movement', which was founded in 1877. The British Red Cross as we know it today, was born in 1905.
In 1906 he was one of the British representatives at the Geneva convention and had been doing so in an official capacity for the past 40 years. He was three times Vice President and once Honorary Secretary.
He wrote several books including text books and First Aid Manuals for the St.John Ambulance Association, translated many publications and published them in English. Fortunately he was a very descriptive writer and as he got older, wrote several autobiographies which give us a wonderful glimpse into those early battlefields which had appalled Henry Dunant and himself.
Among his many marks of public recognition, medals and decorations from many countries, he received his Knighhood in 1899. He was given the C.B. in 1902 and in 1918 was gazetted a "Companion of Honour". He was a Knight of Justice and Honorary Bailiff of the Order of St.John of Jerusalem in England. His wife Maria Turner Furley nee Baker was a Lady of Justice of the Order of St.John and was awarded the South African war medal. Lady Furley was awarded the R.R.C. in May, 1902.
Sir John and Lady Maria did not have any children but his portrait hung over the mantle piece of his sister's descendants in New Zealand who later gave it to the British Red Cross where it hangs today in the foyer. His medals are in the museum of St.Johns Ambulance at St.John's Gate, London.
More information is available from the archives of several societies and from his own autobiographies.
Family history researchers: John Furley Drake, Australia; Louise Voullaire-Drake, New Zealand.
Sir John Furley, CH. CB. KO. St.J. was the son of Robert Furley J.P. and Margaret Rutton Furley (nee Creery) of Ashford, Kent, England. In 1874 he married Maria Turner Baker who died on 11th February, 1940. They are both buried in the Wolvercote Cemetery, Oxford, UK.
Obituaries appeared in The British Medical Journal on 4.10.1919, The Red Cross Journal of October, 1919, and the St.Johns Ambulance newsletter of October, 1919.
A memorial service was held on 1st October, 1919 at St.Peter's Church, Cranley Gardens, Kensington. His burial service was conducted on 2nd October, 1919 at St.Margaret's Church, Oxford. He was laid to rest at the Wolvercote Cemetery (Section J1, Grave No 120) on 2nd October, 1919 with the flags of both British Red Cross and St.John Ambulance draped over his coffin. A memorial plaque was erected in the Grand Priory church, Clerkenwell on 4th June, 1920.
Extracts taken from obituaries and fact sheets about the life of Sir John Furley:
We regret to announce the death of Sir John Furley, C.H., C.B., one of the original organisers of the St.John Ambulance Association and founders of the British Red Cross Society who died at Oxford on September 26th, 1919. He was a British humanitarian who worked to improve medical care both in wartime and at home. He was known for his perseverance and ability to negotiate. He had a talent for finding a solution to a problem.
He was born in Ashford in 1836 and from an early age a military life had a very great fascination for him as he spent his holidays as a little boy, at the Cavalry Depot at Maidstone. He was educated at Harrow but owing to his delicate health, he was not strong enough to enter the army. Instead he travelled France and Germany for a year with a tutor and witnessed the start of which became the Crimean War. He was reading Law at the Temple when the Volunteer movement originated and he obtained a commission in a Kentish regiment. He joined the movement of the East Kent Rifle Volunteers, where he became a proficient rifleman. It was during the various rifle shooting competitions in England and Europe that he met influential people from various European Kingdoms whom he was able to draw on for favours later in times of war. With letters of introduction from these people he was able to hop from one side of the battle field to the other to attend to the wounded of both sides.
He worked for a short time in his father's law firm in Ashford but the work for which he would become known had its origin when war broke out between Prussia and Denmark when he proceeded to the scenes of hostilities as a private individual.
He was a supporter of the Red Cross movement from its foundation by Henri Dunant and the Committee of Five in Genera in 1864. In 1868 he attended a congress in Berlin for the newly formed movement and stated that although Great Britain had no such Society, he promised in the event of war, she would do so at once. On 4.8.1870 Furley was asked by this new British committee to go to Geneva to notify of the new formation. It was on that trip he saw for the first time, doctors and nurses being distinguished with their red cross armlets and the German Knights of St. John.
Two years later the Franco-German War broke out and with the help of Colonel Lloyd-Lindsay V.C., was mainly instrumental in the formation of the National Aid Society, the forerunner of the British Red Cross. He went to the seat of war as the First Commissioner carrying aid to the sick, the wounded and the destitute and distributing seed to the ruined French farmers.
Sir John's experiences during this war would fill volumes but included establishing headquarters at Versailles and being one of the few people who successfully got into Paris in disguise, during the siege to attend to the wounded. He succeeded in finding war correspondent, Edmund O'Donovan during the Carlist War in Spain. In the Russo-Turkish War he went as Special commissioner of the British Red Cross Society in Montenegro. In 1900 on the outbreak of the Boer War he was requested to design and command the "Princess Christian Hospital Train". He designed improved stretchers, litters and ambulance carriages including the Ashford Litter, and in 1914 in France, he superintended the improvisation of an ambulance train from French rolling stock. The ambulance vehicles were horse drawn and would get as close as they could to the front line to collect the wounded. He designed horse drawn ambulance carriages or wagons and a hamper. Keeping the horses in good condition was one of Furley's priorities and he tells many stories about how he managed to get behind enemy lines to check out the hospitals. The original 25 huts and nucleus of the great base hospital at Netley were designed under his personal supervision.
He became known as ‘the Father of the St.John Ambulance movement', which was founded in 1877. The British Red Cross as we know it today, was born in 1905.
In 1906 he was one of the British representatives at the Geneva convention and had been doing so in an official capacity for the past 40 years. He was three times Vice President and once Honorary Secretary.
He wrote several books including text books and First Aid Manuals for the St.John Ambulance Association, translated many publications and published them in English. Fortunately he was a very descriptive writer and as he got older, wrote several autobiographies which give us a wonderful glimpse into those early battlefields which had appalled Henry Dunant and himself.
Among his many marks of public recognition, medals and decorations from many countries, he received his Knighhood in 1899. He was given the C.B. in 1902 and in 1918 was gazetted a "Companion of Honour". He was a Knight of Justice and Honorary Bailiff of the Order of St.John of Jerusalem in England. His wife Maria Turner Furley nee Baker was a Lady of Justice of the Order of St.John and was awarded the South African war medal. Lady Furley was awarded the R.R.C. in May, 1902.
Sir John and Lady Maria did not have any children but his portrait hung over the mantle piece of his sister's descendants in New Zealand who later gave it to the British Red Cross where it hangs today in the foyer. His medals are in the museum of St.Johns Ambulance at St.John's Gate, London.
More information is available from the archives of several societies and from his own autobiographies.
Family history researchers: John Furley Drake, Australia; Louise Voullaire-Drake, New Zealand.
Obituaries appeared in The British Medical Journal on 4.10.1919, The Red Cross Journal of October, 1919, and the St.Johns Ambulance newsletter of October, 1919.
A memorial service was held on 1st October, 1919 at St.Peter's Church, Cranley Gardens, Kensington. His burial service was conducted on 2nd October, 1919 at St.Margaret's Church, Oxford. He was laid to rest at the Wolvercote Cemetery (Section J1, Grave No 120) on 2nd October, 1919 with the flags of both British Red Cross and St.John Ambulance draped over his coffin. A memorial plaque was erected in the Grand Priory church, Clerkenwell on 4th June, 1920.
Extracts taken from obituaries and fact sheets about the life of Sir John Furley:
We regret to announce the death of Sir John Furley, C.H., C.B., one of the original organisers of the St.John Ambulance Association and founders of the British Red Cross Society who died at Oxford on September 26th, 1919. He was a British humanitarian who worked to improve medical care both in wartime and at home. He was known for his perseverance and ability to negotiate. He had a talent for finding a solution to a problem.
He was born in Ashford in 1836 and from an early age a military life had a very great fascination for him as he spent his holidays as a little boy, at the Cavalry Depot at Maidstone. He was educated at Harrow but owing to his delicate health, he was not strong enough to enter the army. Instead he travelled France and Germany for a year with a tutor and witnessed the start of which became the Crimean War. He was reading Law at the Temple when the Volunteer movement originated and he obtained a commission in a Kentish regiment. He joined the movement of the East Kent Rifle Volunteers, where he became a proficient rifleman. It was during the various rifle shooting competitions in England and Europe that he met influential people from various European Kingdoms whom he was able to draw on for favours later in times of war. With letters of introduction from these people he was able to hop from one side of the battle field to the other to attend to the wounded of both sides.
He worked for a short time in his father's law firm in Ashford but the work for which he would become known had its origin when war broke out between Prussia and Denmark when he proceeded to the scenes of hostilities as a private individual.
He was a supporter of the Red Cross movement from its foundation by Henri Dunant and the Committee of Five in Genera in 1864. In 1868 he attended a congress in Berlin for the newly formed movement and stated that although Great Britain had no such Society, he promised in the event of war, she would do so at once. On 4.8.1870 Furley was asked by this new British committee to go to Geneva to notify of the new formation. It was on that trip he saw for the first time, doctors and nurses being distinguished with their red cross armlets and the German Knights of St. John.
Two years later the Franco-German War broke out and with the help of Colonel Lloyd-Lindsay V.C., was mainly instrumental in the formation of the National Aid Society, the forerunner of the British Red Cross. He went to the seat of war as the First Commissioner carrying aid to the sick, the wounded and the destitute and distributing seed to the ruined French farmers.
Sir John's experiences during this war would fill volumes but included establishing headquarters at Versailles and being one of the few people who successfully got into Paris in disguise, during the siege to attend to the wounded. He succeeded in finding war correspondent, Edmund O'Donovan during the Carlist War in Spain. In the Russo-Turkish War he went as Special commissioner of the British Red Cross Society in Montenegro. In 1900 on the outbreak of the Boer War he was requested to design and command the "Princess Christian Hospital Train". He designed improved stretchers, litters and ambulance carriages including the Ashford Litter, and in 1914 in France, he superintended the improvisation of an ambulance train from French rolling stock. The ambulance vehicles were horse drawn and would get as close as they could to the front line to collect the wounded. He designed horse drawn ambulance carriages or wagons and a hamper. Keeping the horses in good condition was one of Furley's priorities and he tells many stories about how he managed to get behind enemy lines to check out the hospitals. The original 25 huts and nucleus of the great base hospital at Netley were designed under his personal supervision.
He became known as ‘the Father of the St.John Ambulance movement', which was founded in 1877. The British Red Cross as we know it today, was born in 1905.
In 1906 he was one of the British representatives at the Geneva convention and had been doing so in an official capacity for the past 40 years. He was three times Vice President and once Honorary Secretary.
He wrote several books including text books and First Aid Manuals for the St.John Ambulance Association, translated many publications and published them in English. Fortunately he was a very descriptive writer and as he got older, wrote several autobiographies which give us a wonderful glimpse into those early battlefields which had appalled Henry Dunant and himself.
Among his many marks of public recognition, medals and decorations from many countries, he received his Knighhood in 1899. He was given the C.B. in 1902 and in 1918 was gazetted a "Companion of Honour". He was a Knight of Justice and Honorary Bailiff of the Order of St.John of Jerusalem in England. His wife Maria Turner Furley nee Baker was a Lady of Justice of the Order of St.John and was awarded the South African war medal. Lady Furley was awarded the R.R.C. in May, 1902.
Sir John and Lady Maria did not have any children but his portrait hung over the mantle piece of his sister's descendants in New Zealand who later gave it to the British Red Cross where it hangs today in the foyer. His medals are in the museum of St.Johns Ambulance at St.John's Gate, London.
More information is available from the archives of several societies and from his own autobiographies.
Family history researchers: John Furley Drake, Australia; Louise Voullaire-Drake, New Zealand.
Inscription
Top: John Furley CH. CB;
Middle: born March 19, 1836. Entered into rest September 27, 1919;
Bottom: "Thou gavest him a long life even forever and ever."
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