St James's, Spanish Place

St James' Church, is a large English gothic Roman Catholic church in George Street, Marylebone, London. Although currently situated in George Street, the church maintains its connection with Spanish Place, the road opposite the current church, because of its historic connection with the Spanish Embassy. It is grade II* listed with Historic England.SiteThe church is located in George Street, Marylebone, behind the Wallace Collection and close to Marylebone High Street.HistoryIn the reign of Elizabeth I the Bishops of Ely let their palace and chapel in Ely Place to the Spanish Ambassador and, until the reign of Charles I, it was occupied by the High Representative of the Court of Spain. During this period the chapel (now St Etheldreda's Church) was freely used by English Roman Catholics and became a sanctuary to some degree for them.After the restoration of Charles II the Spanish Embassy was re-established in London, first on Ormond Street and then at Hertford House, Manchester Square, where the Wallace Collection is now housed. Here, in 1793–1796, shortly after the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1791 repealed some of the laws affecting Catholic worship, a chapel was built to designs by Joseph Bonomi on the corner of Spanish Place and Charles Street (now George Street), largely through the efforts of Thomas Hussey, chaplain at the embassy. Most of the objects of piety in the present church are legacies from this older building. In 1827 the official Spanish connection with the chapel ceased and it was handed over to the London Vicariate.