| St Martin in the Fields | |
|---|---|
| Civil parish | |
 | |
| Area | |
| • 1881/1921 | 286 acres (1.16 km2) |
| Population | |
| • 1881 | 17,508 |
| • 1901 | 12,980 |
| • 1921 | 10,666 |
| History | |
| • Origin | Ancient parish |
| • Abolished | 1922 |
| • Succeeded by | City of Westminster (parish) |
| Status | Civil parish |
| Government | St Martin in the Fields Vestry |
| • HQ | Vestry Hall, St Martin's Place |
| Contained within | |
| • Poor Law Union | Strand (1868–1913) City of Westminster (1913–1922) |
| Today part of | City of Westminster |
St Martin in the Fields was acivil parish in the county ofMiddlesex, later part of the newCounty of London, England. It took its name from theChurch of St Martin-in-the-Fields and was within theLiberty of Westminster. Within its boundaries were the formerextra-parochial areas ofBuckingham Palace andSt James's Palace.[1]
St Martin in the Fields was an ancient parish. In 1542, it gained the "lands between the church ofSt Clement Danes and thePalace of Westminster" from the parish ofWestminster St Margaret.[2]
The parish originally included a number of areas that were carved out between 1645 and 1724 to create new parishes:[3]
| Year | Parish | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| 1645 | St Paul Covent Garden | Covent Garden |
| 1685 | Westminster St James | Piccadilly |
| 1687 | St Anne Soho | Soho |
| 1724 | St George Hanover Square | Belgravia, Mayfair, Pimlico |
In 1855, the parish vestry became a local authority within the area of responsibility of theMetropolitan Board of Works. Under theMetropolis Management Act 1855, any parish that exceeded 2,000ratepayers was to be divided into wards; as such, the incorporated vestry of St Martin in the Fields was divided into three wards (electingvestrymen): No. 1 (12), No. 2 (12) and No. 3 (12).[4][5] In 1896, as the population of the parish had increased, the incorporated vestry was re-divided into three new wards (electingvestrymen): Park (15), Long Acre (12) and Embankment (9).[6]
| St. Martin in the Fields (Poor Relief) Act 1770 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
.svg) | |
| Long title | An Act for building a Workhouse in the Parish of Saint Martin in the Fields, within the Liberty of Westminster, in the County of Middlesex. |
| Citation | 10 Geo. 3. c. 75 |
| Territorial extent | Great Britain |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 29 March 1770 |
| Commencement | 9 January 1770[a] |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | Workhouse (Westminster) Act 1772 |
| Repealed by | London Government (City of Westminster) Order in Council 1901 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Workhouse (Westminster) Act 1772 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act to amend an Act of the Tenth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, for building a Workhouse in the Parish of Saint Martin in the Fields, within the City of Westminster, in the County of Middlesex. |
| Citation | 12 Geo. 3. c. 34 |
| Territorial extent | Great Britain |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 21 May 1772 |
| Commencement | 21 January 1772[a] |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | St. Martin in the Fields (Poor Relief) Act 1770 |
| Repealed by | London Government (City of Westminster) Order in Council 1901 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
St Martin in the Fields had a parish workhouse since 1724 sited on an old burial ground between Hemmings Row, Dukes Court, St Martin's Place and Castle Street.51°30′33″N0°07′41″W / 51.50917°N 0.12806°W /51.50917; -0.12806 It was enlarged in 1772 under theSt. Martin in the Fields (Poor Relief) Act 1770 (10 Geo. 3. c. 75) and theWorkhouse (Westminster) Act 1772 (12 Geo. 3. c. 34). It was demolished in 1871, for an extension to the National Gallery.[7]
St Martin in the Fields was a single parish for the poor law, following thePoor Law Amendment Act 1834, until 1868, when it became part of the Strand Poor Law Union.
In 1889, the parish became part of the newCounty of London, and in 1900, it became part of theMetropolitan Borough of Westminster. The St Martin in the Fields Vestry was replaced by Westminster City Council, and the vestry hall becameWestminster City Hall. The civil parish was abolished in 1922.
History of the formation of theCity of Westminster | ||
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan boroughs |  | |
| District boards | ||
| Parishes | ||
| Liberties | ||
51°30′32″N0°07′37″W / 51.50889°N 0.12694°W /51.50889; -0.12694
