England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Westminster St Margaret

The Parish

The parish of St Margaret, Westminster is located in the far south of Middlesex forming part of the county's boundary with neighbouring Surrey, here formed by the River Thames as it passes through London. Westminster is the second city within the metropolis of London sitting roughly 2 miles southwest of the ancient City of London. One could write a book about Westminster but suffice it to say that this city is the home to Britain's monarchs and to its Parliament. The city of Westminster is divided into 8 historic parishes of which St Margaret is one of the more southern & third most populous. Westminster grew up around Royal residences, once a discrete settlement distanced from the hubbub of the City of London, it did not take long before the growing metropolis spread beyond the walls of the original city and today Westminster is indistinguishable from wider metropolitan London. The city is a major commercial centre and a truly international tourism draw with sights such as Buckingham Palace to draw in the crowds. St Margaret Westminster parish is centred upon Parliament Square wherein sits both the church and the Houses of Parliament with the iconic "Big Ben" standing guard. Westminster fronts the Thames with most of the city's drainage getting to the mighty river through sub-surface means. Westminster is sited at between sea level and 10 metres above the same being sat upon the Thames' flood plain. St Margaret's parish occupied the south of the city, only St John being further south. The tightly packed urban landscape would have covered only a token area of acres and yet would have held a population of close to 25,000 parishioners. In Domesday times Westminster has its own entry, a holding of the nascent Westminster Abbey and sufficiently large enough even then to be amongst the 20% most populous in the country; reflecting the still partially rural nature of the area in those times Westminster held 21 ploughs as well as meadows and, rather unbelievably today, even woodland with foraging pigs.

The Church

St Margaret's church sits within one of the most central situations of England, on the southern side of Parliament Square with the Houses of Parliament occupying the west. A church is first mentioned on this site as early as the first half of the 12th century, recorded under Abbot Herbert who was in situ from 1121 to 1136. Nothing of that church remains as it has been rebuilt at least twice since those early times. The second incarnation was built in the reign of King Edward I between 1277 and 1307 but again not trace remains. The detailed construction of today's church is well documented begun in 1482 and wholly in the Perpendicular style, the church is the only remaining pre-Reformation church remaining in the city of Westminster. The nave was first to be constructed in 1482 followed by its two aisles, the chancel in 1518 with the northwestern tower completing the build in 1523. Given its situation close to the Houses of Parliament it was adopted as the church for MPs and over the centuries has been much altered by funds granted by the neighbouring parliament. Work on the church has continued throughout the centuries and even today is often still ongoing. Given the church's urban situation and proximity to such a high security threatened institution as parliament this is not a church to visit using a vehicle for obvious reasons parking is simply not available. The urban setting, with close properties and restricted areas around the re are limited opportunities for the photographer but the best aspect is simply that from the north across Parliament Square gardens