Westminster St Margaret and St John facts for kids

St Margaret and St John St Margaret (until 1727) Westminster District (1855–1887)
Geography
Status	District (1855–1887)
1881 area	815 acres (3.30 km2)
1901 area	766 acres (3.10 km2)
1921 area	767 acres (3.10 km2)
HQ	Town Hall, Caxton Street
History
Origin	Ancient parish
Created	10th century
Abolished	1922
Succeeded by	City of Westminster (parish)
Quick facts for kids Demography
1881 population - 1881 density	59,926 73.53/acre
1901 population - 1901 density	51,068 66.67/acre
1921 population - 1921 density	39,916 52.04/acre
Politics
Governance	St Margaret Vestry (16th century–1727) St Margaret and St John Vestry (1727–1855) Westminster District Board of Works (1855–1887) St Margaret and St John Combined Vestry (1887–1900)
Subdivisions
Type	Parishes (after 1727)
Units	St John St Margaret

St Margaret was like an old local area or district in London. It was part of the City and Liberty of Westminster and the county of Middlesex. This area covered the main part of what we now call Westminster. It included the famous Palace of Westminster (where Parliament meets!). But it didn't include Westminster Abbey itself.

In 1727, St Margaret's area was split into two parts: St Margaret's and St John's. This happened when the Church of St John the Evangelist was built in Smith Square. This new church was needed because more and more people were moving into the area. Even after the split, the two areas were still managed by one local group called a "vestry." This group was known as the vestry for St Margaret and St John.

Later, in 1855, this local government changed. The two areas then formed the Westminster District until 1887. In 1889, St Margaret and St John became part of the new County of London. The vestry was eventually replaced in 1900 by the Westminster City Council. However, St Margaret and St John still existed as a name until 1922.

How Westminster Was Governed

A map showing the different wards (local areas) of Westminster Metropolitan Borough in 1916.

St Margaret was a very old local area. It was managed by a group called a "vestry." This vestry was part of the City and Liberty of Westminster. Before 1542, St Margaret's area was even bigger. It included land between the church of St Clement Danes and the Palace of Westminster. This part later became part of the St Martin in the Fields area.

In the early 1700s, a special group was set up to build new churches. This group was called the "Commission for Building Fifty New Churches." They built the Church of St John the Evangelist, which was finished in 1728. To go along with this new church, a new local area called St John the Evangelist was created in 1727. It was split off from the St Margaret area.

Even though the area was split, St Margaret and St John continued to be managed by a single vestry. People often called them "Westminster St Margaret and St John."

Changes in Local Management

In 1855, the two areas became part of the Westminster District. This happened when they came under the care of the Metropolitan Board of Works. St Margaret chose 30 people to be on the district board. St John chose 27 people.

A law called the Metropolis Management Act 1855 said that any local area with more than 2,000 "ratepayers" (people who paid local taxes) had to be divided into smaller sections called "wards." So, both St Margaret and St John were split into three wards each. Each ward elected people to the vestry.

In 1887, the local authority changed its name to the St Margaret and St John Combined Vestry.

In 1889, these areas became part of the new County of London. The united areas tried to become a city borough in 1897, but they were not successful. In 1900, they became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster. St Margaret and St John officially stopped existing as a civil parish in 1922.

Public Libraries for Everyone

The local vestry of St Margaret was the first in London to use a new law called the Public Libraries Act 1855. This law allowed local areas to set up public libraries. In 1856, the vestry held a public meeting. Two-thirds of the people voted to have a library, which was enough to make it happen. They hired a librarian that same year.

The Westminster Public Library opened its doors on Great Smith Street in 1857. A year later, in 1858, another library was opened in Trevor Square, which is in Knightsbridge.

Where Was St Margaret and St John?

The main part of this old area was next to the River Thames on the east side. St Margaret's was to the north of St John's.

Interestingly, the St Margaret area also had a separate piece of land to its west. This detached part was about the same size as the main area. It was known as Kensington Gore. This included the northwest part of what we now call Knightsbridge and Kensington Palace.

In old times, there were a few special areas within St Margaret's that were not officially part of the parish:

• The area around Westminster Abbey was its own special place.
• Privy Gardens (recorded in 1831).
• The area around the Palaces of St James and Whitehall (recorded in 1841).
  • Whitehall (recorded in 1831).

Helping Those in Need

Westminster St Margaret and St John was a special area for managing "Poor Law" help. This was a system to help people who were struggling financially. It remained a single unit for this purpose.

Later, in 1870, it joined with St George Hanover Square to form the St George's Union. This was done to better manage help for the poor.

How the Population Changed

The number of people living in St Margaret and St John changed over time. This is typical for central London areas. The population grew until the 1800s. Then, as transport improved, people started moving to areas outside the city. The highest population was in 1871.

Images for kids

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  Seal of the united vestry in 1888