The ancient parish of St Margaret's was divided into St Margaret's and St John's in 1727 but it was still run as a single vestry. In 1855 the two parishes were reformed into the Westminster District but St Margaret and St John continued to have a nominal existence until 1922.
Westminster City Council was created in 1965 from the former area of the Metropolitan Boroughs of St Marylebone, Paddington and the smaller Metropolitan Borough of Westminster.