St James Piccadilly, Middlesex Genealogy

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St James Piccadilly, the parish of, is situated on the south side of Piccadilly, nearly opposite Sackville Street. It owes its origin to the increase of buildings in its neighborhood, and its parish is a cantlet from that of St Martin's in the Fields. Is was built from the designs of Sir Christopher Wren, in the reign of Charles the II, and was finished in 1683. This church may be justly considered in spite of its mean exterior, as one of the most perfect of its great architect's designs, whether it be considered for commodiousness, beauty, or ingenuity of construction. Sir Christopher himself considered it as one the best contrived of his parochial churches.... It was built at the joint expense of Henry Jermyn, afterwards Earl of St Albans, whose namae and titlae are used for two of the neioghboring streets, and of the principal inhabitants of this district. The church was made parochial by act of parliament of the 3d James II. The walls are of brick, aith rusticated quoins, facias, architraves and other dressings of Portland stone. The ceiling is arched and beautifully panelled, supported by Corinthian columns, which divide the interior intoa nace and two isles....

The interior is 84 feet long, 68 broad, and 40 high, and will contain two thousand persons.

This parish is rectorial in the county and archdeaconry of Middlesex...¹

[From: A Topographical Dictionary of London by James Elmes; published 1831]

Several additional divisional boundaries were drawn--all lying within the civil parish boundary of St James Piccadilly. St James had within each of these divisions, a district church, as follows:

St John the Baptist, Great Marlboro' Street - 1867

St Luke, Berwick Street - 1841

St Paul, Wilton Place, Westminster - 1843

St Peter, Great Windmill Street - 1861

St Peter, Palace St - 1822

St Peter’s Chapel, Palace St - 1890

St Thomas, Regent Street - 1869