Far right: arms of Sir Thomas Docwra (1458? – 1527) (Sable, a chevron engrailed argent between three plates each charged with a pallet gules a chief of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem), who in 1504 built it as the south entrance to the inner precinct of Clerkenwell Priory, the priory of the Knights of Saint John (known as the Knights Hospitaller). He was second to last Grand Prior of the Order of St John (Knights Hospitaller) in England, before its dissolution by King Henry VIII (1509-1547). Centre, royal arms of Queen Victoria, flanked on both sides by the arms of two of her sons, each displaying a label of three points for difference, each with an augmentation of a chief of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (Gules, a cross or), as borne by senior officers or Grand Masters of the order. One is no doubt for Albert, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), a Knight of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem in England, created in 1888 Grand Prior of the Venerable Order of St. John, a British royal order of chivalry first constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria. Left, royal arms of an English king of the era Edward III to the Tudors, showing the arms of France modern. Probably intended for Henry VII, reigning in 1504. The arms as they appeared before the Victorian restoration were frequently illustrated in the Gentleman's magazine, which was published within the building, for example in the Oct.1788 edition, p.853 and in the Dec.1749 edition[1].

The south front originally carried an inscription commemorating Docwra's authorship, and was embellished with five carved shields; these were replaced during J. Oldrid Scott's restoration in 1896. On the north side are three shields, heavily restored, but the inscription 'ano dni 1504' which once ran beneath is no longer visible. (Source: 'St John's Gate and St John's Lane ', in Survey of London: Volume 46, South and East Clerkenwell, ed. Philip Temple (London, 2008), pp. 142-163. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol46/pp142-163)

Temple, Philip: "Scott's restoration drew some criticism at the time. A letter-writer to the Echo complained in May 1893 that the Gate was being 'tinkered and transformed' by 'vandals', and when finished would 'wear a Tower-bridgy … sort of look'. Baron Amherst of Hackney, a senior figure in the Order of St John, confided to a correspondent in September 1892 that he found Scott's work on the exterior of the south-east tower 'poor and meagre in design', going on to say that unless Scott was willing to 'express in his new work the entire feeling of the old I should feel justified in choosing another architect'. But in general the restoration was well received, and deemed a fitting memorial to the Duke of Clarence and Avondale (d. 1892), the late Sub-Prior of the Order, whose arms were included in a new set of shields and inscriptions on the south front. Along with the Royal arms and those of the Prince of Wales and Prior Docwra, these replaced the decayed original carvings". This was Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (1864-1892), the eldest child of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and grandson of Queen Victoria.