Westminster St James

Westminster St James

Area
  1881815 acres (3.30 km2)
  1901766 acres (3.10 km2)
  1921767 acres (3.10 km2)
Population
  188129,941
  190121,588
  192113,644
History
  OriginBailiwick of St James
  Created1685
  Abolished1900 (vestry)
1922 (civil parish)
  Succeeded byMetropolitan Borough of Westminster
StatusCivil parish
GovernmentSt James Vestry (1685–1900)
  HQVestry Hall, Piccadilly

Westminster St James (or St James Piccadilly) was a civil parish in the metropolitan area of London, England. The creation of the parish followed the building of the Church of St James, Piccadilly, in 1684. After several failed attempts, the parish was formed in 1685 from part of the ancient parish of St Martin in the Fields in the Liberty of Westminster and county of Middlesex. It included part of the West End of London, taking in sections of Soho, Mayfair and St James's. Civil parish administration was in the hands of a select vestry until the parish adopted the Vestries Act 1831. The vestry was reformed again in 1855 by the Metropolis Management Act. In 1889 the parish became part of the County of London and the vestry was abolished in 1900, replaced by Westminster City Council. The parish continued to have nominal existence until 1922.