Saga of Marylebone Parish Church: Three Rebirths

Marylebone Parish Church, a historical edifice, can trace its roots to the 12th century, with its initial construction near Marble Arch and Marylebone High Street. The first church, dedicated to St John the Evangelist, was replaced by one dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the 1400s, which in turn inspired William Hogarth's 'A Rake's Progress'. Owing to a burgeoning congregation by 1722, a chapel of ease was necessary, leading to the demolition of the second church in 1740.

A new, smaller church was built in its place in 1742, only to be replaced by the current structure, designed by Thomas Hardwick, in 1818. The third church, serving as a chapel-of-ease to the present one, was demolished in 1949, leaving a school for girls to occupy the site of the second and third churches. Over the centuries, the church has hosted many distinguished figures such as Admiral Horatio Nelson, his daughter Horatia, who was baptized there, and Charles Wesley, the writer of 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing'.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons