SAINT GEORGE THE MARTYR, QUEEN SQUARE : QUEEN SQUARE, CAMDEN

Parish registers & other administrative records.

COVERING DATES OF REGISTERS DEPOSITED

September 1723 - October 1955 Baptisms

December 1706 - December 1950 Marriages

January 1714/15 - April 1855 Burials

<span class="wrapper"><p>BURIAL GROUND</p> <p>The burial ground was situated in the parish of St Pancras on the north side of the Foundling Hospital. It was closed on 1 April 1855, though the burial fee book (reference P82/GE02/40) appears to record another thirteen burials after that date. For a history and plan of the burial ground and Prospect Terrace, the road connecting it to Grays Inn Road, see P82/GE02/55. For a faculty to remove tombs and gravestones 1819 see P82/GE02/73/5. For a proposal to lease part of the burial ground to the Foundling Hospital see P82/GE02/52/1.</p> <p>ST GEORGE THE MARTYR PAROCHIAL SCHOOL</p> <p>For plans of the school by S S Teulon dated 1862 see Y/SP/82/6/A - I. For LCC Education Officer's Department subject and policy file 1915 - 1931 see E0/PS/13/190.</p></span>

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(Acc 1723)

INTRODUCTION

St George the Martyr Church was built as a proprietary chapel in 1705 - 1706 by a group of substantial inhabitants of the newly developed area of Queen Square within the parish of St Andrew, Holborn. By a deed of settlement dated 1 July 1706 (ref. P82/GE02/48/1) they drew up an agreement to elect trustees to manage the affairs of the chapel and appointed a minister, lecturer and clerk.

By 1713 the proprietors of pews in St George's Chapel had entered into negotiations with the Commissioners for Building 50 Wew Churches to make the chapel a new parish church. The Commissioners bought both the lease and the freehold of the chapel, they provided money to repair the chapel and to purchase pews for the use of parishioners, and they bought a piece of land near Gray's Inn Road to serve as a burial ground for the parish. St George's Church was consecrated by the Bishop of London on 26 September 1723. A new parish of St George the Martyr, Middlesex was constituted and separated from St Andrew, Holborn for church purposes. The two parishes remained united for the care of highways and the poor.

The Rector of St George the Martyr was not provided with a proper endowment by the Commissioners, but received a salary from the quarterly assessments levied on the proprietors of pews. Two Acts of Parliament were obtained in 1816 and 1819 for the repair of the church and to make further provision for the Rector. These Acts provided for the appointment of trustees who were empowered to levy church rates.

St George the Martyr was united with the parish of Holy Trinity, Gray's Inn Road in 1931 and with St Bartholomew, Gray's Inn Road in 1959.

The burial ground of St George the Martyr (which was situated to the north of the Foundling Hospital adjoining the burial ground of St George, Bloomsbury) appears to have attracted many burials of non-parishioners in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

BENEFICE

The property of the benefice consisted of the Vestry House and the original two houses built adjoining the church, later known as nos. 8 and 10 Cosmo Place (see P82/GE02/47/1-7). It also included the burial ground (disused after 1855) situated on the north side of the Foundling Hospital in the parish of St Pancras, together with Prospect Terrace, the private road leading to the burial ground from Gray's Inn Road, which was owned jointly with the Rector of St George, Bloomsbury.

TRUSTEES FOR REPAIRING AND ALTERING THE CHURCH

The trustees were established by an Act of Parliament of 1816 (56 Geo III c 28), See below.

MRS ELIZABETH PALMER'S CHARITY

By will dated 4 Aug 1726 Mrs Palmer left £500 to St George's Charity School.

CAPTAIN JAMES SOUTH'S CHARITY

Chimney Sweep's Sermon Fund and Educational Foundation

REVEREND JOHN BACK'S CHARITY

Object - Mission Hall and parochial activities