Grand pair of carved wooden doors from the interior of a castle in Yorkshire, England. Circa 16th c. They are 8 ft tall and come with hinges and locking mechanism hardware. These are not only beautifully carved but show nice age with worm holes in the wood, some old repairs, and very old mortise and tenon peg construction. Some square head nails on older repairs. This pair has the carved insignia of the Order of St. John, a military order only for royalty and knights. This British order ceased in 1547 with Death of King Henry the VIIIth which puts these doors squarely in the 16th century. The Order of St. John settled in the British Isles in the 12th century and, except for a short period during the reign of Queen Mary, it ceased to exist under King Henry VIII.The Venerable Order developed after an unsuccessful attempt to restore the Order of St. John in the United Kingdom in 1830. It was only in 1870 that it was established as a humanitarian foundation. In 1888, the Order was recognized by Queen Victoria not as a State Order but as an Order of the Crown.It is very well known today for its ambulance services, active in many countries, for its ophthalmic hospital in Jerusalem and for its first-aid and nursing services. The Venerable Order has priories and associations in some 40 countries, mostly English-speaking.Among all the Orders of St. John, this is the only one that has no religious restrictions in its admission procedure.

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