St Mary le Strand (parish)

St Mary le Strand was an ancient parish in the metropolitan area of London, England. It was partly within the Liberty of the Savoy and partly within the Liberty of Westminster. It took its name from the church of St Mary and the Innocents. The church was demolished in 1548 during the construction of Somerset House and not rebuilt until 1723. The parish was de facto merged with the Precinct of the Savoy as "St Mary Savoy", but an attempt to merge the parishes de jure in the early 18th century failed. It was restored as a separate parish following the construction of the New Church in the Strand in 1723. The parish was grouped into the Strand Poor Law Union in 1836 and the Strand District in 1855. In 1889 it became part of the County of London and the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster from 1900. It was abolished as a civil parish in 1922.

History

The ancient parish church of St Mary and the Innocents was demolished in 1548 when Somerset House was constructed. Edward Seymour promised to provide a replacement, but it was never built. The parish was not counted separately from 1549 to 1723. Parishioners initially used the church of St Clement Danes and then the Savoy Chapel from 1558. The parish was de facto merged with the Precinct of the Savoy, becoming known as "St Mary Savoy". In 1606 "St Mary Savoy" was added to the returns of the Bills of mortality.

St Mary le Strand

St Mary le Strand is a Church of England church at the eastern end of the Strand in the City of Westminster, London. It lies within the Deanery of Westminster (St Margaret) within the Diocese of London. The church stands on what is now a traffic island to the north of Somerset House, King's College London's Strand campus and The Temple, and south of Bush House. It is the official church of the Women's Royal Naval Service, and has a book of remembrance for members who have died in service. The nearest tube station is Temple, with the now-closed Aldwych station nearly opposite the church. It is known as one of the two 'Island Churches', the other being St Clement Danes.

History

The church is the second to have been called St Mary le Strand, the first having been situated a short distance to the south. The date of its foundation is unclear but it was mentioned in a judgment of 1222, when it was called the Church of the Innocents, or St Mary and the Innocents. It was pulled down in 1549 by Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset to make way for Somerset House. The parishioners were promised a new church, which was never built, forcing them to move to the nearby church of St Clement Danes and afterwards to the Savoy Chapel. The site now occupied by the modern church was formerly occupied by a great maypole which had been the scene of May Day festivities in the 16th and 17th century but was severely decayed by the early 18th century.

Mary (mother of Jesus)

According to the New Testament, Mary (Miriam: Hebrew: מרים‎; c. 18 BC – c. 43 AD), also known as Saint Mary, the Virgin Mary, or the Blessed Virgin Mary—amongst other titles, styles and honorifics—was a Galilean Jewish woman of Nazareth and the mother of Jesus.

The gospels of Matthew and Luke in the New Testament describe Mary as a virgin (Greek: παρθένος, parthénos) and Christians believe that she conceived her son while a virgin by the Holy Spirit. This took place when she was already betrothed to Joseph and was awaiting the concluding rite of marriage, the formal home-taking ceremony. She married Joseph and accompanied him to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. According to ancient Jewish custom, Mary could have been betrothed at about 12, however, there is no direct evidence of Mary's age at betrothal or in pregnancy. The term "betrothal" is an awkward translation of kiddushin; according to the Jewish law those called "betrothed" were actually husband and wife.

The Gospel of Luke begins its account of Mary's life with the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced her divine selection to be the mother of Jesus. According to gospel accounts, Mary was present at the Crucifixion of Jesus and is depicted as a member of the early Christian community in Jerusalem. According to Apocryphal writings, at some time soon after her death, her incorrupt body was assumed directly into Heaven, to be reunited with her soul, and the apostles thereupon found the tomb empty; this is known in Christian teaching as the Assumption.

St. Mary's Church

St. Mary's Church, St. Mary the Virgin's Church, St. Mary Church, Saint Mary Church, or other variations on the name, is a commonly used name for specific churches of various Christian denominations. Notable uses of the term may refer to:

Albania

Australia

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Sainte-Marie (electoral district)

Sainte-Marie and St. Mary were federal electoral districts in Quebec, Canada, that were represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1896 to 1979.

This riding was created in 1892 as "St. Mary" riding from parts of Montreal East riding. It consisted of St. Mary's ward in the city of Montreal. In 1914, it was expanded to include papineau ward. After 1924, it was defined as being a part of the city of Montreal circumscribed by a number of streets.

In 1952, St. Mary riding was abolished, and replaced by "Sainte-Marie" riding. In 1976, this riding was abolished when it was redistributed into Hochelaga, Laurier and Saint-Henri ridings.

From 1978 to 1980, Hochelaga riding was known as "Sainte-Marie", and from 1981 to 1987, it was known as "Montreal—Sainte-Marie". See that article for more information.

Members of Parliament

This riding elected the following Members of Parliament:

Election results

St. Mary, 1896–1953

Sainte-Marie, 1953–1979

See also