Anglican Churches in Westminster, Middlesex in 1890/1905

Most of the information on this page was provided by John Henley, who regularly answers questions on mailing lists about Middlesex parishes and churches.

Here is a list of all the Anglican churches of Westminster in 1890/1905, with the dates of the parish formation if known. Original registers if not still with church are mostly deposited in the City of Westminster Archives Centre in St.Anne Street, but some and BTs are in the London Metropolitan Archives. Westminster Abbey Registers and St. Margaret's are in Westminster Abbey's Muniment Room, but film of latter now in Westminster City Archives.

I've tried to comment about their IGI status, but if you go to FamilySearch and Browse > Browse Library Catalogue > Placename Search and select Westminster, Middlesex ] > Church Records and Church Records-Indexes, you will see a list of all the LDS film holdings. Batch numbers are on the archived version of this site http://nzsghamilton.co.nz/BNlondon1.htm and also IGI Batch Numbers, Middlesex and London, places A to M and
IGI Batch Numbers, Middlesex and London, places N to Z provided by Hugh Wallis. Some churches may appear on the British Vital Records Index (BVRI - an index on CDROM available for sale from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) rather than the IGI. If on the IGI or BVRI then the LDS has a film of the registers.[which may not be complete].

The link from each parent parish leads to a GENUKI page with an 1868 Gazetteer description of the area, and link to a modern map for that location. For old maps, on-line or printed, see street and map sites list

The City of Westminster, seat of national government since before the Conquest in 1066, has a chequered history of local government. Besides conventional ecclesiastical parishes which became convenient units of local administration (civil parishes and vestries), there were a number of liberties, peculiars and extra-parochial places. Also the boundary went to within a few hundred yards of the parish church of neighbouring Kensington. In 1890 Westminster became part of the new County of London, and in 1900 the parishes listed below became part of the the City Of Westminster ( a Metropolitan Borough). When London Boroughs were formed in 1964, Paddington and Marylebone were added to the City of Westminster.[see our separate lists for churches in these two - Marylebone and Paddington].

Parishes and churches

In this list the first church in each group is the parent parish. You will see that for the most part only these were in existence in 1812.

St.George's Hanover Square

St George Hanover Square was created in 1725 out of St.Martin-in-the-Fields. NOT in IGI, NO LDS film (except poss.printed transcripts of marriages) - Still open
Parish is no. 2 on outline map

Grosvenor Chapel, South Audley Street [1730] - Still open

St.George's Chapel, Albermarle Street. Proprietary Chapel [18??] Licensed for marriages 1899-1909.

Berkeley Chapel, John Street, Berkeley Square, Mayfair. Proprietary Chapel - became:
St.Mary, Bourdon Street. Chapel-of-Ease to St.Geo.Han.Sq.[1882] Closed 1939.

Christ Church, Down Street, Mayfair [1865]
Parish is no. 12 on outline map

Curzon Chapel, Curzon Street, Mayfair. Proprietary Chapel. Successor to the Mayfair Chapel, the marriage shop of the infamous Dr.Keith who defied church and state authority, with his asistants conducting 7.000+ marriages c.1730 until activities stopped by Hardwicke's Marriage Act of 1754. Oddly enough, the registers were well-kept and went to the parish church (St.George's Hanover Square), and the Bishop's Transcripts to the diocesan registry. Gone by 1894.

Eaton Chapel, Eaton Terrace. Proprietary Chapel. [1836?] closed 1901??

Hanover Church, Regent Street [1823] became district church, then replaced by:
St.Anselm, Davies Street, Berkeley Square. [Separate parish 1896] - closed 1938, Parish united to Han.Square and St.Mark, N.Audley Street. Now gone
Parish is no. 4 on outline map

St Barnabas, Church Street, Pimlico [1850] Separate parish - Still open
Parish is no. 33 on outline map

St John's Chapel, Pimlico Road. Chapel-of-Ease to above.

St Gabriel, Warwick Square, Pimlico [1852] - Still open
Parish is no. 34 on outline map

All Saints, Grosvenor Road, Pimlico. Chapel-of-Ease to previous (1863) Closed 1967. Now gone?

St George, Albemarle Street, Proprietary Chapel. [1740?] Registers survive 1888-1909.

St.John, Belgrave Square (also known as Belgrave Chapel, Halkin Street) [1812]. Proprietary Chapel. Designed by Sir Robert Smirke for Thomas Neill of Arlington House, Turnham Green. The licensing of this chapel was used as an example of the required legalities in The Ecclesiastical Legal Guide (1839). 

St.Mark, North Audley Street [1828]. Parish united to St.George Hanover Square 1968. Church closed c.1980. leased to Commonwealth Church 1995.
Parish is no. 3 on outline map

St.Saviour's (for Deaf and Dumb) Chapel, Oxford Street

St. Michael, Chester Square [1846] - Still open
Parish is no. 28 on outline map

St.Philip, Buckingham Palace Road [1888]. Separate parish 1890. Closed 19?? [war damage??] United with previous 1953.
Parish is no. 29 on outline map

St Paul, Wilton Place [Knightsbridge] [1843] - Still open
Parish is no. 22 on outline map

St.Mary, Graham Street [now Bourne Street] [1909] Still open

St.Peter, Eaton Square [1827] - Still open
Parish is no. 23 on outline map

St.John the Evangelist, Wilton Road Chapel-of-Ease to above [1874?] Closed 1942?

St.Peter, Buckingham Gate/Palace Street Chapel-of-Ease to above [1822?] closed 1921?

St.Saviour, St George's Square, Pimlico. [1864] still open.
Parish is no. 35 on outline map

Trinity Chapel, Conduit Street [1691]chapel of ease, closed 1875.

St.James, Piccadilly

St James Piccadilly is alternatively known as St.James Westminster. It was created from St Martin in the Fields in 1684. ON IGI - Still open
Parish is no. 13 on outline map

St. John the Baptist, Great Marlborough Street [1871] Separate parish 1886. Closed 1937 Par united with ??
Parish is no. 6 on outline map

St.Luke, Berwick Street [1839] Separate parish 1863. Closed 1935.
Parish is no. 7 on outline map

St. Peter, Great Windmill Street.[1861] Separate parish 1864. Closed 1953, parish united to St.Anne Soho.
Parish is no. 8 on outline map

St.Philip, Regent Street. [1861? or earlier] Chapel of Ease in St.James. Closed 1903??

St. Thomas, Regent Street [1854] Separate parish 1870. Also known as:
Archbishop Tenison Chapel, King Street.Closed 1954, now gone, parish united to St.Anne Soho
Parish is no. 5 on outline map

St. Margaret, Westminster

St Margaret Westminster , founded in the 12th Century, rebuilt or restored many times and location of many historic events, the parish church of the House of Commons. Still open
Parish is no. 26 on outline map

Royal Military Church, Wellington Barracks [Guards Chapel]. Marriages which took place in this Chapel appear in the registers of Christ Church Broadway (certainly for 1891-1910, probably for longer).

All Saints, Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge.[1849] Closed 1955. Parish united to Holy Trinity Prince Consort Road, below.
Parish is no. 1 on outline map

Christ Church, Broadway, Westminster[1843] - formerly the New Chapel[1631]chapel of ease to St Margaret's - bombed 1941 and later demolished. 1947 Parish united to St. Peter Eaton Sq.
Parish is no. 25 on outline map

St. Andrew, Ashley Place, [1856] separate parish 1876. Victoria Street.Westminster Closed 1946. Parish united to St. Peter, Eaton Square,1953. Demolished.
Parish is no. 24 on outline map

Holy Trinity, Knightsbridge chapel-of-ease from 1658 or earlier, separate parish from 1866 - re-built and became:
Holy Trinity, Prince Consort Road [1904] - Still open
Parish is no. 11 on outline map

St John the Evangelist, Westminster

St John the Evangelist (St John, Smith Square) was created in 1728 from St Margaret Westminster; Bombed 1941, Rebuilt as a concert hall. Parish united to St. Stephen, Rochester Row.
Parish is no. 32 on outline map

Holy Trinity, (Bessborough Gardens) Vauxhall Bridge Road Westminster [1852] Closed 1953. Par united with St. James the Less, Vauxhall Bridge Road.
Parish is no. 38 on outline map

St. James the Less, (Upper Garden Street later Thorndike Street) Vauxhall Bridge Road Westminster. [1862] - Still open
Parish is no. 36 on outline map

St. John the Evangelist, Causton Street [1958?] Closed 1974. Possibly built to replace St. John Smith Square??

St. Mary the Virgin, (Vincent Square) Tothill Fields Westminster [1837] Separate parish 1843.Closed 1923.This is referred to as Tothill Fields [St. John], in Jaunay.
Parish is no. 37 on outline map

St. Matthew, Great Peter Street Westminster [1851] - Still open
Parish is no. 31 on outline map

St Stephen Rochester Row Westminster [1850] - Still open
Parish is no. 30 on outline map

St. Saviour's, 419,Oxford Street, In existence 1899, not a separate parish. Chapel for the deaf and dumb. Moved to Old Oak Road, Acton 1930s.

St Anne Soho

St Anne Soho, or St. Anne, Westminster, was created in 1687 from St Martin in the Fields. ON IGI - Still open
Parish is no. 9 on outline map

St. Mary the Virgin , Crown Street/ Charing Cross Road [1851] separate parish 1854. Closed 1932 Jaunay confuses this with St. Mary Bourdon Street, (above)
Parish is no. 10 on outline map

St. Clement Danes

St Clement Danes has existed since the 10th Century; still open (RAF church) Parish united to St. Mary-le-Strand [below]
Parish is no. 21 on outline map

Clare Market Mission Chapel

St. Martin-in-the-Fields

St Martin in the Fields has been a parish since the 12th Century. ON IGI - Still open
Parish is no. 14 on outline map

St.John the Evangelist, Drury Lane (1855) Closed 1938. Parish united to Holy Trinity Kingsway.
Parish is no. 15 on outline map

St. Michael le Strand, Burleigh Street. (1833) separate Parish 1849. Closed 1905, sale financed St. Michael's, Sutton Court, Chiswick. Demol.1907. Strand Palace Hotel occupies site. Parish united to St. Paul Covent Garden.
Parish is no. 17 on outline map

St. Mary-le-Strand

St Mary le Strand existed in 1147 but was demolished in 1549 to make way for Somerset House. Services were in Savoy Chapel until the present church was built in 1714. Still open.
Parish is no. 18 and 20 on outline map (with the precinct of Savoy Chapel, no 19 on map, enclosed by it).

St. Paul, Covent Garden

St Paul Covent Garden designed by Inigo Jones was built 1633, and has been a parish since 1645, created from St Martin in the Fields. Still open ("the Actors' Church)
Parish is no. 16 on outline map

PECULIARS:

Westminster Abbey otherwise The Collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster [1065]
no. 27 on outline map

The Chapels Royal:

Chapel within St. James's Palace [1662] ;

Chapel Royal, Whitehall ;

Lutheran or German Chapel Royal, St. James's [1712], ;

The Chapel Royal, Savoy. Savoy Palace existed from the 13th Century, and had a chapel by the 14th century when it was destroyed. It was rebuilt in 1510, and changed or restored many times. Much of the site of Savoy Palace, the precinct of the Savoy, was cleared about 1820 to make way for Waterloo Bridge approaches.
no. 19 on outline map

INSTITUTIONS with Anglican chapels/chaplains:

St. George's, Hanover Square:

• a.. St.George's Workhouse [Wallace Yard, Buckingham Palace Road] Baptisms 1866-1892.
  b.. St.George's Hospital, Knightsbridge- moved to Tooting, building now Lanesborough Hotel
  c.. St.George's Union Workhouse, Fulham Road[in Chelsea Parish] Baptisms 1879-1900. Later St.Stephen's Hospital. Chelsea & Westminster Hospital now stands on site.
• St. George's Hospitals ; St. George's Infirmary [Fulham Road -Baptisms 1879-1900].

St. James's, Westminster:

• St. James's Workhouse, Poland Street.

St. Margaret & St. John, Westminster:

• H.M.Prison, Millbank ;
• Westminster Hospital ;
• Westminster Cemetery (part of Brompton Cemetery) [in Chelsea parish] ;
• Emmanuel Hospital, Buckingham Gate ;
• Chapel within the House of the Society of the Propagation of the Gospel ;
• Female Refuge, 14,Great College Street, Westminster. ;
• House of Correction, Westminster.
• St. Margaret Workhouse (in Marloes Rd, Kensington [1863-73 Baptisms survive]

St. Martin's in the Fields:

• Strand Union Workhouse [at Edmonton];
• Strand Union Schools at Edmonton ;
• Charing Cross Hospital ;
• King's College Hospital (was in St Clement Danes workhouse in Portugal Street from 1839, moved to Denmark Hill in 1913);
• St. John's Training Institution, Norfolk Street, Strand ;
• House of Charity [Soho Square]

Maps

On our page of Middlesex maps there is a section for maps recommended by John Henley for use with his lists of churches