The Ancient Parish of Hampstead
Belsize, part of Chalk Farm, part of Child’s Hill, Finchley Road, Fortune Green, Frognal, Hampstead Heath, Haverstock Hill, Kenwood, Kilburn (east of Edgware Road), North End, Rosslyn Hill, Swiss Cottage, West End and West Hampstead are places in the Ancient Parish of Hampstead, which was part of the Holborn division of the Ossulstone hundred subdivision of the county of Middlesex. Civil Parishes took over from Ancient Parishes in the 1860s, followed by Urban District Councils in 1894 and then London Boroughs in 1965. Hampstead now forms part of the London Borough of Camden.
Surrounding it are the Middlesex parishes of Hendon, Finchley, St Pancras, St Marylebone and Willesden.
The Society has produced a Parish Guide to Hampstead.
St John at Hampstead, Church Row
A medieval chapel dedicated to St Mary served the manor of Hampstead when it was in the parish of Hendon but from 1365 it seems to have become and independent parish. A new church was built in 1747 and dedicated to St John. It was extended westwards in 1844 and again in 1878 in order to accommodate a growing local population.
Records of the parish include baptisms (1560-1925), marriages (1560-1952) and burials (1560-1950) are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: P81/JN1.
The parish registers from 1560-1842 together with the Trustees’ Minute Books dating from 1744-1934 are available on CD Rom from the church’s online shop, reached via the website: https://www.hampsteadparishchurch.org.uk/
All Souls, Loudoun Road, Hampstead
This church was founded and endowed by the Rev Henry Robinson Wadmore and a district was assigned in 1865. The church closed and has now been converted into residential flats.
Records of the parish of All Souls, Hampstead, including registers of baptisms (1865-1944); banns (1865-1988); marriages (1865-1957); confirmations papers relating to the parish school and more are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: P81/ALS
Christ Church, Hampstead Square, Hampstead
This church was built about 1851 to replace an overcrowded proprietary chapel in the Pump Room on Well Walk. It was restored in 2015 and is still open today.
Records of the parish of Christ Church, Hampstead, including registers of baptisms (1853-1987); banns (1880-1998); marriages (1853-1987); confirmations, parish magazines and more are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: P81/CTC
Emmanuel, Lyncroft Gardens, Hampstead
This parish has its origins in services held at West End National School in the 1840s, with a district assigned in 1885 from Holy Trinity parish and a permanent church built in 1897.
Records of the parish of Emmanuel, Hampstead, including registers of baptisms (1885-1981); Banns (1914-1955); marriages (1885-1966); confirmations; newsletters and yearbooks and more are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: P81/EMM
Holy Trinity, Finchley Road, Swiss Cottage
This church was built in 1871 and its parish covered most of south west Hampstead. The church was demolished in 1974 and a smaller one built in its place. This is now known as The Lighthouse.
Records of the parish of Holy Trinity, Hampstead, including registers of baptisms (1872-1906); Banns (1873-1920 and 1932-1998); marriages (1873-1966); Parochial Church Council minute books and correspondence; parish newsletters and more are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: P81/TR1
St Andrew’s Mission Church, Allitsen Road, Hampstead
In 1945 this church, which had been a mission church to St Stephen the Martyr, was transferred to St John’s Wood Chapel in Marylebone. St Andrew’s was closed in 1948. There are some service registers and so on in the parish chest of St Stephen but no vital records. These are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: P81/STE1
St Cuthbert, Fordwych Road, Hampstead
This parish was taken from that of Holy Trinity in 1886. The church started as an iron mission church, which became the church hall after a more permanent structure was built. The current building was constructed in 1988.
Records of the parish of Saint Cuthbert, Hampstead, comprising registers of baptisms (1882-1929); banns (1888-1950); marriages (1888-1950); Annual Vestry meeting minutes and Parochial Church Council minutes are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: P81/CUT
St James, West End Lane, West Hampstead
The church was built in 1887 and now shares clergy with St Mary, Priory Road. During the week The Sherriff Centre inside St James’ Church provides community functions such as a post office, café and children’s play area.
Records of the church of St James. West Hamptead comprise registers of baptisms (1882-1991), marriages (1888-1992), banns (1934-1978), and confirmations (1907-1927). Other records include parish magazines, service leaflets, and a list of war dead are currently uncatalogued. This archive is at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: P81/JS.
St John, Downshire Hill, Hampstead
This church was a proprietary chapel owned by the Rev John Wilcox in 1832 and it remained a proprietary chapel until 1982 – the last remaining one in London. The Baptism register started in 1890 but registers have not been deposited at London Metropolitan Archives. The church is still open to worship.
St Luke, Kidderpore Avenue, West Hampstead
Baptisms started in 1896 and marriages in 1899. Registers have not been deposited at London Metropolitan Archives. Contact them here: https://www.stlukeshampstead.org/
St Mary, Priory Road, Kilburn
This church was opened in 1857, a district being taken from St John’s in 1863.
Records of the parish of St Mary, Kilburn, including registers of baptisms (1857-1934); banns (1863-1899); marriages (1863-1953); Parochial Church Council minute books; and lists of church staff are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: P81/MRY.
St Mary the Virgin, Primrose Hill
This church opened in 1867 on a site that had been owned by Eton College (who had been given much land in the Hampstead area by King Henry VI). A district was assigned when the church was consecrated in 1885 – it had previously come under the parish of St Saviour, South Hampstead. The parish of St Paul, Avenue Road united with St Mary in 1956.
Records of the parish of St Mary the Virgin, Primrose Hill, including registers of baptisms (1868-1951); banns (1930-1957); marriages (1885-1972); Vestry minutes; Parochial Church Council minutes; and photographs of the church interior are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: P81/MRV. Also here is a series of records relating to the litigation between the Church of St Mary the Virgin and the London and North Western Railway Company.
St Paul, Avenue Road, Hampstead
This church was built in 1859 with its parish taken from those of St John and St Saviour. In 1956 it united with the parish of St Mary the Virgin and St Paul’s church was demolished.
Records of the parish of St Paul, Hampstead, comprising registers of baptisms (1859-1956); marriages (1860-1951) and confirmations are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: P81/PAUL
St Peter, Belsize Square, Belsize Park
This district was formed in 1861, taken from St John’s land.
Records of the parish of St Peter, Belsize Park, including baptism registers (1859-1921); marriage registers (1861-1996); confirmation register; Parochial Church Council minutes and financial accounts; and cash books are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: P81/PET.
St Saviour, Eton Road, Hampstead
This church was also built on land previously owned by Eton College and was consecrated in 1856.
Records of the parish of St Saviour, Hampstead, including registers of baptisms (1853-1956),; banns (1857-1953, with gaps); marriages (1857-1975); confirmations; a collection of parish publications (1884-1926); and a richly illustrated and supplemented Book of Remembrance for World War One are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: P81/SAV.
This archive includes baptisms which took place at the Hostel for Mothers and Babies in Fitzjohn’s Avenue, Hampstead from 1938-1940.
St Stephen the Martyr, Avenue Road, Hampstead
This church was constructed in 1856 and although it is in Hampstead, much of its parish is in Marylebone. In 1945 the Marylebone part of the parish was assigned to St John’s Wood Chapel and St Stephen’s was closed.
Records of the parish of St Stephen the Martyr, including registers of baptisms (1856-1948); banns (1889-1945); marriages (1856-1945); National Schools Committee minute books; Sunday school exercise books and church magazines. Also church service registers for Saint Andrew’s Mission Church are at London Metropolitan Archives, Ref: P81/SE1/
St Stephen, Rosslyn Hill
St Stephen was consecrated in 1870, its district taken from that of St John. It was united with All Hallows, Gospel Oak in St Pancras parish and the church was closed for worship in 1977. These parish records are currently uncatalogued but include registers of baptisms (1870-1977); Banns (1942-1947) and marriages (1870-1977). In due course they will appear on the London Metropolitan Archive (LMA) catalogue but they can be inspected in person at LMA if you request an appointment to do so, at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Free Church, North Square, Hampstead Garden Suburb
St Jude on the Hill, Central Square, Hampstead Garden Suburb
