St Mary le Strand (parish) facts for kids

St Mary le Strand
Geography
Status	Civil parish
1881 area	15 acres (0.061 km2)
1901/1921 area	14 acres (0.057 km2)
History
Abolished	1922
Succeeded by	City of Westminster (parish)
Quick facts for kids Demography
1881 population	1,989
1901 population	494
1921 population	85

St Mary le Strand was a historic area in Middlesex, England. It was like a small local district. This area got its name from a church called St Mary and the Innocents.

Sadly, the original church was torn down in 1548. This happened when a large building called Somerset House was being built. The church wasn't rebuilt until 1723. For a long time, the St Mary le Strand area was unofficially joined with another area called the Precinct of the Savoy. People even called it "St Mary Savoy."

Later, in 1723, a new church was built. After this, St Mary le Strand became its own separate district again. In 1836, it joined the Strand Poor Law Union. Then, in 1855, it became part of the Strand District. By 1889, it was part of the County of London. From 1900, it was also part of the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster. Finally, in 1922, St Mary le Strand stopped being a separate civil parish.

The Story of St Mary le Strand

The first church of St Mary and the Innocents was taken down in 1548. This was to make way for Somerset House. Edward Seymour, who was a powerful duke, promised to build a new church. But he never did.

Because there was no church, the St Mary le Strand area wasn't counted separately from 1549 to 1723. People from the area first used the church of St Clement Danes. Then, from 1558, they used the Savoy Chapel. The area became unofficially joined with the Precinct of the Savoy. It was known as "St Mary Savoy." In 1606, "St Mary Savoy" started appearing in official records about births and deaths.

Attempts to Merge Parishes

In 1702, the Savoy Hospital closed down. The next year, a man named Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset, tried to officially combine the St Mary le Strand area with the Savoy area. He tried to do this through a law in parliament.

However, people living in St Mary le Strand did not want this to happen. They opposed the idea, and the plan failed. The people of St Mary le Strand had to give up their claim to the Savoy Chapel before they could use it again. From 1700 to 1727, official records still listed "St Mary Savoy in the Strand."

A New Church is Built

In 1723, a brand new church was finally built. It was called the New Church in the Strand. This church was built by a special group called the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches.

After the new church was built, things changed. From 1726, official records started listing St Mary le Strand separately again. The Precinct of the Savoy also appeared as its own area from 1728.

How the Area Was Governed

In 1836, St Mary le Strand joined the Strand Poor Law Union. This group helped people who were poor. The area elected three people to represent it in this union.

In 1855, St Mary le Strand became part of the Strand District. This meant it was looked after by the Metropolitan Board of Works. This board was in charge of big projects in London.

In 1889, St Mary le Strand became part of the County of London. This was a major change in how London was organized. Then, in 1900, it became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster. Finally, in 1922, St Mary le Strand was no longer a separate civil parish.

Where St Mary le Strand Was Located

The southern edge of St Mary le Strand was along the River Thames. The part of the area that was in the Liberty of Westminster was mostly north of a main road called the Strand. The part that was in the Liberty of the Savoy was mainly south of the Strand road.

How Many People Lived There

Here's how the population of St Mary le Strand changed over the years:

Images for kids

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  A map showing the civil parishes in Westminster in 1870.