The Church of St Margaret, Westminster Abbey is in the grounds of

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

on Parliament Square, London, England. It is dedicated to Margaret of Antioch, and forms part of a single

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

with the

Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

and

History and description

The church was founded in the twelfth century by

Benedictine monks The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict ( la, Ordo Sancti Benedicti, abbreviated as OSB), are a Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), religious order of the Catholic Church following the Rule of Saint Benedic ...

, so that local people who lived in the area around the Abbey could worship separately at their own simpler parish church, and historically it was within the hundred of Ossulstone in the county of

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

. In 1914, in a preface to ''Memorials of St. Margaret's Church, Westminster'', a former Rector of St Margaret's,

Hensley Henson Herbert Hensley Henson (8 November 1863 – 27 September 1947) was an Anglican priest, bishop, scholar and controversialist. He was Bishop of Hereford from 1918 to 1920 and Bishop of Durham from 1920 to 1939. The son of a zealous member ...

, reported a mediaeval tradition that the church was as old as

, owing its origins to the same royal saint, and that "The two churches, conventual and parochial, have stood side by side for more than eight centuries – not, of course, the existing fabrics, but older churches of which the existing fabrics are successors on the same site." St Margaret's was rebuilt from 1486 to 1523, at the instigation of

King Henry VII Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufo ...

, and the new church, which largely still stands today, was consecrated on 9 April 1523. It has been called "the last church in London decorated in the Catholic tradition before the Reformation", and on each side of a large

rood A rood or rood cross, sometimes known as a triumphal cross, is a cross or crucifix, especially the large crucifix set above the entrance to the chancel of a medieval church. Alternatively, it is a large sculpture or painting of the crucifixion ...

there stood richly painted statues of St Mary and St John, while the building had several internal chapels. In the 1540s, the new church came near to demolition, when Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, planned to take it down to provide good-quality materials for

Somerset House Somerset House is a large Neoclassical complex situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The Georgian era quadrangle was built on the site of a Tudor palace ("O ...

, his own new palace in the Strand. He was only kept from carrying out his plan by the resistance of armed parishioners. In 1614, St Margaret's became the parish church of the

, when the

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...

s of the seventeenth century, unhappy with the highly liturgical Abbey, chose to hold their Parliamentary services in a church they found more suitable: a practice that has continued since that time. An additional detached burial ground was added in 1625 at what is now Christchurch Gardens. Between 1734 and 1738, the north-west tower was rebuilt to designs by John James; at the same time, the whole structure was encased in

Portland stone Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries are cut in beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building sto ...

. Both the eastern and the western porch were added later, with J. L. Pearson as architect. In 1878, the church's interior was greatly restored and altered to its current appearance by

Sir George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he started ...

, although many Tudor features were retained. In 1863, during preliminary explorations preparing for this restoration, Scott found several doors overlaid with what was believed to be human skin. After doctors had examined this skin, Victorian historians theorized that the skin might have been that of William the Sacrist, who organized a gang that, in 1303, robbed the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

of the equivalent of, in modern currency, $100 million (see

Richard of Pudlicott Richard of Pudlicott (died 1305), also known as Richard de Podelicote (or Pudlicote, or Dick Puddlecote), was an English wool merchant who, down on his luck, became an infamous burglar of King Edward I's Wardrobe treasury at Westminster Abbey in ...

). It was a complex scheme, involving several gang members disguised as monks planting bushes on the palace. After the stealthy burglary 6 months later, the loot was concealed in these bushes. The historians believed that William the Sacrist was flayed alive as punishment and his skin was used to make these royal doors, perhaps situated initially at nearby Westminster Palace. Subsequent study revealed the skins were bovine in origin, not human. By the 1970s, the number of people living nearby was in the hundreds. Ecclesiastical responsibility for the parish was reallocated to neighbouring parishes by the Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret Westminster Act 1972, and the church was brought under the authority of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey. An annual new year service for the

Coptic Orthodox Church The Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ϯⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ, translit=Ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos, lit=the Egyptian Orthodox Church; ar, الكنيسة القبطي� ...

in Britain takes place in the church in October, and in 2016 Bishop Angaelos gave the sermon. The Rector of St Margaret's is often a canon of Westminster Abbey.

Commemorative windows

St Margaret's, Westminster interior, 2016

Notable windows include the east window of 1509 of

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

, created to commemorate the betrothal of

Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until their annulment on 23 May 1533. She was previously ...

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

. This has had a chequered history. It was given by Henry VII to Waltham Abbey in Essex, and at the Dissolution of the Monasteries the last Abbot sent it to a private chapel at

New Hall, Essex 350px, Beaulieu Palace circa 1580 The Palace of Beaulieu ( ) is a former Royal Palace in Boreham, Essex, England, north-east of Chelmsford. The surviving part is a Grade I listed building. The property is currently occupied by New Hall School. ...

. That came into the possession of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, the father of

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key ...

, then Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex, next

George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, 28 August 1592 – 23 August 1628), was an English courtier, statesman, and patron of the arts. He was a favourite and possibly also a lover of King James I of England. Buckingham remained at the ...

, after him

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

, from whom it reverted to the second Duke of Buckingham, next General Monk, Duke of Albemarle, and after him John Olmius, then Mr Conyers of Copt Hall, Essex, whose son sold the window to the parish of St Margaret's in 1758, for four hundred guineas. The money came from a grant of £4,000 which parliament had made to the parish that year for the renovation of the church and the rebuilding of the chancel.H. B. Wheatley, Peter Cunningham, ''London Past and Present: Its History, Associations, and Traditions'', p. 467 Other windows commemorate

William Caxton William Caxton ( – ) was an English merchant, diplomat and writer. He is thought to be the first person to introduce a printing press into England, in 1476, and as a printer (publisher), printer to be the first English retailer of printed boo ...

, England's first printer, who was buried at the church in 1491,

Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellion ...

, executed in Old Palace Yard and then also buried in the church in 1618, the poet

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...

, a parishioner of the church, and

Admiral Robert Blake General at Sea Robert Blake (27 September 1598 – 17 August 1657) was an English naval officer who served as the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports from 1656 to 1657. Blake is recognised as the chief founder of England's naval supremacy, a d ...

Weddings

As well as marrying its own parishioners, the church has long been a popular venue for society weddings, as Members of Parliament, peers, and officers of the House of Lords and House of Commons can choose to be married in it. Notable weddings include: *5 July 1631: Edmund Waller and Anne Banks, who was an heiress and a ward of the Court of Aldermen, were married at the church in defiance of orders of the Court and the

Privy Council of England The Privy Council of England, also known as His (or Her) Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council (), was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England. Its members were often senior members of the House of Lords and the House of ...

. Waller had previously carried the bride off and been forced to return her. On a complaint being made to the

Star Chamber The Star Chamber (Latin: ''Camera stellata'') was an English court that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster, from the late to the mid-17th century (c. 1641), and was composed of Privy Counsellors and common-law judges, to supplement the judic ...

, Waller was pardoned by King

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

. * 13 May 1654: Lady Mary Springett (

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...

's mother-in-law) and

Isaac Pennington :''See Isaac Penington (disambiguation) for other people with a similar name.'' Sir Isaac Pennington (1745–1817) was an English physician, of whom there are two portraits in the National Portrait Gallery. Isaac Pennington was educated at Sed ...

* 1 December 1655:

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys (; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no mariti ...

and Elisabeth Marchant de St. Michel * 12 November 1656:

and Katherine Woodcock * 12 June 1895: William Hicks and Grace Lynn Joynson * 12 September 1908:

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

and

Clementine Hozier Clementine Ogilvy Spencer Churchill, Baroness Spencer-Churchill, (; 1 April 1885 – 12 December 1977) was the wife of Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and a life peer in her own right. While legally the daughter o ...

* 21 April 1920:

Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986) was a British Conservative statesman and politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Caricatured as "Supermac", he ...

, and Lady Dorothy Cavendish * 18 July 1922:

Lord Louis Mountbatten Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979) was a British naval officer, colonial administrator and close relative of the British royal family. Mountbatten, who was of Germa ...

, and

Edwina Ashley Edwina Cynthia Annette Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, (''née'' Ashley; 28 November 1901 – 21 February 1960), was an English heiress, socialite, relief worker and the last vicereine of India as the wife of (the then) Rear Admiral ...

* 8 October 1993: David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley, and the Hon. Serena Stanhope Other notable weddings include some of the

Bright Young People __NOTOC__ The Bright Young Things, or Bright Young People, was a nickname given by the tabloid press to a group of Bohemianism, Bohemian young Aristocracy (class), aristocrats and socialites in 1920s London. They threw flamboyant costume party, f ...

Baptisms

Charles Weston, 3rd Earl of Portland Charles Weston, 3rd Earl of Portland (19 May 1639 – 3 June 1665), was the only son and heir of the 2nd Earl of Portland and Lady Frances Stuart. The only son of Jerome Weston, 2nd Earl of Portland, Weston was christened at St Margaret's, Westm ...

, 19 May 1639 *

Barbara Villiers Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, Countess of Castlemaine (née Barbara Villiers, – 9 October 1709), was an English royal mistress of the Villiers family and perhaps the most notorious of the many mistresses of King Charles II of Eng ...

, only child of Lord Grandison and a future

royal mistress A royal mistress is the historical position and sometimes unofficial title of the extramarital lover of a monarch or an heir apparent, who was expected to provide certain services, such as sexual or romantic intimacy, companionship, and advice ...

of King Charles II, was christened in the church on 27 November 1640. * Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, was christened in the church on 12 May 1661''

The Gentleman's Magazine ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term ''magazine'' (from the French ''magazine'' ...

'', Volume 189 (1850), pp. 367, 368 * Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland, eldest son of Barbara Villiers, was christened in the church on 16 June 1662, when the father's name was given as her husband, Lord Castlemaine, instead of as the King, who later acknowledged the child as his. In October 1850 ''

'' reported this entry and claimed it as "an untruth" and "a new fact in the secret history of Charles II". *

Thomas Pelham-Clinton, 3rd Duke of Newcastle Major-General Thomas Pelham-Clinton, 3rd Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne (1 July 1752 – 18 May 1795), known as Lord Thomas Pelham-Clinton until 1779 and as Earl of Lincoln from 1779 to 1794, was a British Army officer and politician who sat in the ...

, 28 July 1752 * Olaudah Equiano, a slave who bought his freedom, becoming a key abolitionist, was christened as Gustavus on 9 February 1759, when he was described in the parish register as "Gustavus Vassa a Black born in Carolina 12 years old".

Burials

, 1491 *

John Sutton, 3rd Baron Dudley John Sutton, 3rd Baron Dudley ( –1553), commonly known as Lord Quondam, was an English nobleman. Early life John Sutton was born in 1494, at Dudley Castle, Worcestershire, the eldest son and heir of Sir Edward Sutton, 2nd Baron Dudley and his w ...

, "Lord Quondam", 18 September 1553; and his wife Lady Cicely Grey, 28 April 1554 *

Nicholas Ludford Nicholas Ludford (c. 1485 – 1557) was an English composer of the Tudor period. He is known for his festal masses, which are preserved in two early-16th-century choirbooks, the Caius Choirbook at Caius College, Cambridge, and the Lambeth Choirb ...

, 1557 * John Sheppard, December 1558, composer *

Blanche Parry Blanche Parry (1507/8–12 February 1590) of Newcourt in the parish of Bacton, Herefordshire, in the Welsh Marches, was a personal attendant of Queen Elizabeth I, who held the offices of Chief Gentlewoman of the Queen's Most Honourable Privy C ...

, 1590 *

Thomas Churchyard Thomas Churchyard (c. 1523 – 1604) was an English author and soldier. He is chiefly remembered for a series of autobiographical or semi-autobiographical verse collections, including ''Churchyardes Chippes'' (1575); ''Churchyard's Choise'' (157 ...

, 1604, Elizabethan poet, soldier and courtier *

, 1618 *

William Murray, 2nd Earl of Tullibardine William Murray, 2nd Earl of Tullibardine (c. 1574–1626) was a Scottish landowner and courtier. He was the son of John Murray, 1st Earl of Tullibardine and Catherine Drummond, daughter of David, 2nd Lord Drummond. He travelled abroad in 1594 ...

, 30 July 1627 *

Edward Grimeston Edward Grimeston (died 1640) was an English sergeant-at-arms and one of the most active translators of his day. Life He was sworn in as sergeant-at-arms to assist the Speaker in the Parliament of England on 17 March 1609/10.Clark, “Edward Grim ...

, 14 December 1640 *Following the

Restoration of the Monarchy Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration *Restoration ecology ...

, in 1661 several Parliamentarians who had been buried in Westminster Abbey,

, Denis Bond, Nicholas Boscawen,

Mary Bradshaw Mary Bradshaw (died 1780) was a British stage actress at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane for 37 years. She appeared with David Garrick and she was included in a painting by Johann Zoffany. Life Bradshaw comes to notice playing young women. She join ...

, Sir William Constable, Admiral Richard Deane,

Isaac Dorislaus Isaac Dorislaus (1595 in Alkmaar, Holland – 2 May 1649 at The Hague, Holland) was a Dutch Calvinist historian and lawyer who was an important official in Oliver Cromwell's period of rule. He came to England as a historian. His lectures were see ...

, Anne Fleetwood, Thomas Hesilrige,

Humphrey Mackworth Sir Humphrey Mackworth (Jan 1657–1727) was a British Business magnate, industrialist and politician. He was involved in a business scandal in the early 18th century and was a founding member of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. ...

, Stephen Marshall, Thomas May, John Meldrum, Admiral Edward Popham, John Pym,

Humphrey Salwey Humphrey Salwey (1575–1652) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1652. He supported the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War. Salwey was the son of Arthur Salwey of Stanford Court at Stanford-on-Teme, ...

, William Strong, William Strode, and William Twisse, were all disinterred from there and reburied in an unmarked pit in St Margaret's churchyard, on the orders of King Charles II. A memorial to them is set into the external wall to the left of the main west entrance. *Mary avies orn 1675Widow of

Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet (20 November 1656 – 2 July 1700) was an English Member of Parliament, and an ancestor of the modern day Dukes of Westminster. He was the first member of the family to build a substantial house on the presen ...

; she is buried in the courtyard close to the north porch of the church * Wenceslas Hollar, March 1677 * Thomas Blood, 1680 * John West, 6th Baron De La Warr, 1723 *Bishop

Nicholas Clagett Nicholas Clagett (14 April 1686 – 8 December 1746) was an English bishop. Life Claggett was from a clerical family of Bury St Edmunds. He went up to Trinity College, Cambridge aged 16 in April 1702, graduating B.A. in 1705–6, M.A. in 1 ...

, 1746 *

Elizabeth Elstob Elizabeth Elstob (29 September 1683 – 3 June 1756), the "Saxon Nymph", was a pioneering scholar of Anglo-Saxon. She was the first person to publish a grammar of Old English written in modern English. Life Elstob was born and brought up in th ...

, scholar and early feminist, 1756. *

Ignatius Sancho Charles Ignatius Sancho ( – 14 December 1780) was a British abolitionist, writer and composer. Born on a slave ship in the Atlantic, Sancho was sold into slavery in the Spanish colony of New Granada. After his parents died, Sancho's owner t ...

, composer, writer, slavery abolitionist, 1780 *

Henry Constantine Jennings Henry Constantine Jennings (August 1731 – 17 February 1819) was an antiquarian, collector and gambler, best known for the Ancient Rome, Roman sculpture – known as ''Jennings Dog, The Jennings Dog'' – which he acquired and which is now in the ...

, 1819

Funerals and memorial services

* Jeremy Thorpe, ex-leader of Liberal Party *

Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, (7 March 1930 – 13 January 2017), was a British photographer and filmmaker. He is best known for his portraits of world notables, many of them published in ''Vogue'', '' Vanity Fa ...

Lady Elizabeth Shakerley Lady Elizabeth Georgiana Shakerley (''née'' Anson; 7 June 1941 – 1 November 2020) was a British party planner and socialite from the Anson family. She was a first cousin once removed of Queen Elizabeth II and sister of Patrick Anson, 5th Ear ...

Other notable events

On Easter day 1555 in the reign of Mary I a Protestant ex-Benedictine monk,

William Flower William Flower may refer to: *William Flower (officer of arms) (c. 1498–1588), herald, Norroy King of Arms in the reign of Elizabeth I of England *William Flower (martyr), burnt 1555 during the Marian Persecutions *William Flower, 1st Baron Castl ...

inflicted wounds to the administerer of the sacrament. He repented for the injuries but would not repent his motive which was rejection of the doctrine of

transubstantiation Transubstantiation (Latin: ''transubstantiatio''; Greek: μετουσίωσις ''metousiosis'') is, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, "the change of the whole substance of bread into the substance of the Body of Christ and of th ...

. He was thus sentenced for heresy and a week later severed of his hand and burned at the stake outside the church. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Edward Lyttelton Edward Lyttelton (23 July 1855 – 26 January 1942) was an English schoolmaster, cleric and sportsman from the Lyttelton family who was headmaster of Eton College from 1905 to 1916. During his early years he played first-class cricket for Cambr ...

, headmaster of

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

, gave a sermon in the church on the theme of "loving your enemies", promoting the view that any post-war treaty with Germany should be a just one and not vindictive. He had to leave the church after the service by a back door, while a number of demonstrators sang ''

Rule Britannia! "Rule, Britannia!" is a British patriotic song, originating from the 1740 poem "Rule, Britannia" by James Thomson and set to music by Thomas Arne in the same year. It is most strongly associated with the Royal Navy, but is also used by the ...

'' in protest at his attitude.

Choirs

The treble choristers for St Margaret's are supplied by

Westminster Under School Westminster Under School is an independent preparatory school for boys aged 7 to 13, attached to Westminster School in London. The school was founded in 1943 in the precincts of Westminster School in Little Dean's Yard, just behind Westminster ...

. The church also hosted the first performance by the UK Parliament Choir under

Simon Over Simon Over attended King Henry VIII School in Coventry, UK. He subsequently studied at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, the Royal Academy of Music and the University of Oxford (at Keble College). From 1992 to 2002, Over was a member of the m ...

in 2000.

Organ

An organ was installed in 1806 by John Avery. The current organ is largely built by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Rectors

Mackenzie Walcott Mackenzie Edward Charles Walcott (1821–1880) was an English clergyman, known as an ecclesiologist and antiquarian. Life Born at Walcot, Bath on 15 December 1821, he was the only son of Admiral John Edward Walcott (1790–1868), M.P. for Christc ...

lists the following as ''officiating clergymen'': * Sir John Conyers, ''curate'' * Sir John Symes, ''curate'' * Mr. Hall, ''curate'' * Sir Robert Danby, ''curate'' * William Tenant, ''curate'' * 1594 William Drap * William Murrey * Prosper Styles, ''curate'' *

Isaac Bargrave Isaac Bargrave (1586 – January 1643) was an English royalist churchman, Dean of Canterbury from 1625 to 1643. Life Early life Isaac was the sixth son of Robert Bargrave, of Bridge, Kent, and was educated at Clare Hall, Cambridge, where he ...

, ''minister'' * Gilbert Wymberly, ''minister'' * 1640 Stephen Marshall, ''lecturer'' * 1642 Samuel Gibson * 1644 Mr. Eaton, ''minister'' * 1649 John Binns * 1657 Mr. Wyner / Mr. Warmstree, ''lecturer'' * 1661 William Tucker, ''curate'' *

William Owtram William Owtram D.D. (17 March 1626 – 23 August 1679) was a clergyman who published notable theological works. After leading the church of the House of Commons, St. Margaret's, Westminster, he gained preferment as Archdeacon of Leicester. Life S ...

(also minister in 1664) * 1679–1683 Thomas Sprat * 1683–1724† Nicholas Onley * 1724–1730† Edward Gee * 1730–1734 James Hargrave * 1734–1753†

Scawen Kenrick Scawen Kenrick (3 June 1694 – 2 May 1753) was an English clergyman who served as Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons and Archdeacon of Westminster. Life Kenrick was the son of John Kenrick, a London merchant. He was educated at Mer ...

* 1753–1784† Thomas Wilson * 1784–1788† John Taylor * 1788–1796† Charles Wake * 1796–1827† Charles Fynes-Clinton * 1828–1835

James Webber James Webber (1772 – 3 September 1847) was an English churchman, Dean of Ripon from 1828 until his death. Webber was the son of Rev. William Webber, canon of Chichester Cathedral, and his wife Anne . He was educated at Westminster School and C ...

Under the Ecclesiastical Commissioners Act 1840, this rectory was annexed to the canonry of Westminster Abbey then held by

Henry Hart Milman Henry Hart Milman (10 February 1791 – 24 September 1868) was an English historian and ecclesiastic. Life He was born in London, the third son of Sir Francis Milman, 1st Baronet, physician to King George III (see Milman Baronets). Educat ...

, such that he and his successors as Canon would be Rector ''ex officio''. This arrangement continued until 1978. The Rector was often (and continuously from 1972 to 2010) also the Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons. * 1835–1849

* 1849–1864†

William Cureton William Cureton (180817 June 1864) was an English Orientalist. Life He was born in Westbury, Shropshire. After being educated at the Adams' Grammar School in Newport, Shropshire and at Christ Church, Oxford, he took orders in 1832, became chapl ...

* 1864–1876†

William Conway William, Bill, or Billy Conway may refer to: * William Conway (Arkansas judge) (1805–1852), Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court * William Conway (cardinal) (1913–1977), Irish cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church * William Conway (Irish rep ...

* 1876–1895

Frederic Farrar Frederic William Farrar (Bombay, 7 August 1831 – Canterbury, 22 March 1903) was a cleric of the Church of England (Anglican), schoolteacher and author. He was a pallbearer at the funeral of Charles Darwin in 1882. He was a member of the Cambr ...

(also Speaker's Chaplain from 1890) * 1895–1899 Robert Eyton * 1899–1900 Joseph Armitage Robinson * 1900–1912

* 1912–1936†

William Hartley Carnegie William Hartley Carnegie (27 February 1859 – 18 October 1936) was an Anglican priest and author. In addition to parish ministries and chaplaincy, he served as Archdeacon of Westminster from 1918 to 1919 and as sub-dean of Westminster Abbey from ...

(also Speaker's Chaplain from 1916) * 1936–1940†

Vernon Storr Vernon Faithfull Storr (4 December 1869 – 25 October 1940) was an Anglican priest, most notably Archdeacon of Westminster from 1931 to 1936. Early life and education The son of Edward Storr (1840–1878), Indian Civil Service (a descendant of ...

* 1941–1946

Alan Don Alan Campbell Don (3 January 1885 – 3 May 1966) was a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery, editor of the Scottish Episcopal Church's 1929 '' Scottish Prayer Book'', chaplain and secretary to Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury, from 1 ...

(also Speaker's Chaplain since 1936) * 1946–1956 Charles Smyth * 1957–1969

Michael Stancliffe Michael Staffurth Stancliffe (8 April 1916 – 26 March 1987) was a Church of England priest who served as the Dean of Winchester from 1969 to 1986. Career Stancliffe trained for ordination at Lincoln Theological College, and was ordained dea ...

(also Speaker's Chaplain from 1961) * 1970–1978 David Edwards (also Speaker's Chaplain from 1972) * 1978–1982

John Baker John Baker or Jon Baker may refer to: Military figures *John Baker (American Revolutionary War) (1731–1787), American Revolutionary War hero, for whom Baker County, Georgia was named *John Baker (RAF officer) (1897–1978), British air marshal ...

(also Speaker's Chaplain) * 1982–1987

Trevor Beeson Trevor Randall Beeson (born 2 March 1926) was Dean of Winchester in the last two decades of the 20th century. He is also an ecclesiastical obituarist. Beeson was educated at King's College London, studied theology at St Boniface College, W ...

(also Speaker's Chaplain) * 1987–1998 Donald Gray (also Speaker's Chaplain) * 1998–2010 Robert Wright (also Speaker's Chaplain) * 2010–2016

Andrew Tremlett Andrew Tremlett (born 9 March 1964) is a British Church of England priest. Since 2022, he has served as Dean of St Paul's, and is therefore the head of the Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral and the most senior priest in the Diocese of ...

* 2016–2020 Jane Sinclair *2020 – date Anthony Ball † ''Rector died in post''

Organists

Organists who have played at St Margaret's include: *

Robert Whyte Robert Whyte (born 1955, in Melbourne) is an Australian writer. He was a founding co-owner and director of the Brisbane-based multimedia firm ToadShow. After 2012 he participated in the Australian Government's new species exploration program ...

1570–1574 *John Egglestone * John Parsons 1616–1621 (then organist of

) * John Hilton 1628 – 1657(?) * John Blow, 1695–???? * Bernard Smith, 1676–1708 *Henry Turner 1708–???? *John Illam ????–1726 * Edward Purcell, son of

Henry Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer. Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest E ...

, 1726–1740 *James Butler 1740 – 1772 *William Rock 1774 – 1802 *Michael Rock 1802 – 1809 *

John Bernard Sale John Sale (1758 – 11 November 1827) was an English bass singer of church music, and a singer and composer of glees. Life He was born in London in 1758, the son of John Sale (1734–1802). From 1767 to 1775 Sale was a chorister of St George's C ...

1809 – 1838 *T.G. Baines around 1864 * Walter Galpin Alcock ???? – 1896 *

Edwin Lemare Edwin Henry LemareFrequently misspelled "Lamare" in early publications (9 September 1865 – 24 September 1934) was an English organist and composer who lived the latter part of his life in the United States. He was one of the most highly regarde ...

1897 – 1902 * Reginald Goss-Custard 1902 – 1914 * Edwin Stephenson 1914 – 1922 (formerly organist of

St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham The Cathedral Church of Saint Philip is the Church of England cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of Birmingham. Built as a parish church in the Baroque style by Thomas Archer, it was consecrated in 1715. Located on Colmore Row in central Birmin ...

) *Edgar Stanley Roper ? - 1929 (Also Organist & Composer to His Majesty's Chapel Royal, St. James' Palace) *Herbert Dawson 1929 – 1965 * Martin Neary 1965 – 1972 * Richard Hickox 1972 – 1982 * Thomas Trotter 1982- * Zoe Ryan 1995 – Present

Gallery

Image:StMargeretsChurch-London-February2016.jpg, Explanatory plaque Image:saint.margarets.overall.london.arp.jpg, St Margaret's Church. To the left is the Elizabeth Tower of the

; to the right is the Abbey. Image:st.margarets.church.westminster.arp.750pix.jpg, St Margaret's, seen from the

London Eye The London Eye, or the Millennium Wheel, is a cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. It is Europe's tallest cantilevered observation wheel, and is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United ...

Ferris wheel Image:saint.margarets.interior.london.arp.jpg, The nave of St Margaret's Image:Flag of the Church of St Margaret Westminster Abbey.svg, Flag of St Margaret's, flown from the bell tower

References

External links

Guide to St. Margaret's

Memorials of St. Margaret's church, Westminster, comprising the parish registers, 1539–1660, and other churchwardens' accounts, 1460–1603
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westminster, Saint Margaret 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United Kingdom Churches completed in 1523 16th-century Church of England church buildings Church of England church buildings in the City of Westminster World Heritage Sites in London J. L. Pearson buildings Grade I listed churches in the City of Westminster 12th-century church buildings in England