The St John Ambulance Association was set up in 1877 by the Order of St John to teach industrial workers first aid, so that they could provide on-the-spot treatment in emergencies.
The St John Ambulance Brigade was formed on 24 June 1887, as a voluntary organisation offering free medical care. Those instrumental in its creation include: John Furley, William Brasier, Sir Edmund Lechmere, Sir William MacCormac, Samuel Osborn, Edmund Owen. Queen Victoria's Jubilee saw the Brigade in action in public for the first time.
In 1974 (or 1968) these two organisations, The Brigade and the Association, merged to form St John Ambulance, a single organisation providing both training and first aid cover.
This information comes from Wikipedia, Wikipedia, First Aid Journal July 1934-June 1936.
