Thomas Docwra

[3] His ancestral home appears to have been Highdown House[4] (or possibly Old Hall, an inn in 1912[5]) in the parish of Pirton,[6] Hertfordshire, where survives a datestone (of uncertain provenance) set into a wall of the east gable of the north courtyard (stables) range displaying the Docwra arms, inscribed "Thomas Docwra, Miles, 1504", the date he built St John's Gate, Clerkenwell.

When Sir Lancelot Docwra arrived to repossess the property, Throckmorton had fortified the manor house and refused to allow the Order to enter.

He leased land at Hampton, Middlesex to Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York, where that prelate built Hampton Court which Henry VIII of England converted to a royal palace when Wolsey fell from favour.

Overall the Order had over 40 preceptories spread out from Cornwall to Northumberland, the majority of which retained their conventual status.

In 1512 he was expected to turn up with 300 men-at-arms and a 200-ton ship when that king had a military adventure to pursue in France.

His estate passed to his nephew, Thomas Docwra, who served as Sheriff of Hertfordshire.

Thomas Docwra, dressed as a soldier in full armour, with shield displaying the Cross of the Order of St John and mantle displaying the Cross of Malta , with naval scene behind, under a strapwork arch. Engraving by William Rogers , c. 1595/1602
Arms of Sir Thomas Docwra: Sable, a chevron engrailed argent between three plates each charged with a pale gules (Docwra) with augmentation On a chief gules a cross argent (a chief of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem)
St John's Gate, Clerkenwell , south side, a surviving remnant of Clerkenwell Priory , English headquarters of the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem . The arms of Sir Thomas Docwra are at far right, as a Victorian restoration , also repeated on the north side
1504 datestone of Thomas Docwra, with his arms and a chief of the Order of St John. Highdown House, Pirton, Hertfordshire. Of uncertain provenance