Westminster St James

Westminster St James
Area
• 1881	815 acres (3.30 km2)
• 1901	766 acres (3.10 km2)
• 1921	767 acres (3.10 km2)
Population
• 1881	29,941
• 1901	21,588
• 1921	13,644
History
• Origin	Bailiwick of St James
• Created	1685
• Abolished	1900 (vestry) 1922 (civil parish)
• Succeeded by	Metropolitan Borough of Westminster
Status	Civil parish
Government	St James Vestry (1685–1900)
• HQ	Vestry 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.