A church in London's famous Strand. A few of the church of St Mary le Strand one of the two 'Island Churches' in London's famous Strand. It was given its name in memory of the church demolished by Somerset when he was clearing the site for his new house. One of the 50 churches scheduled to be put up in Queen Anne's reign. It was consecrated in 1723 and took nine years to build. According to tradition, it was in this church that Prince Charles Edward Stuart 'the young Pretender'renounced Roman Catholicism in the hope of thereby increasing his chances of gaining the throne of his fathers. It is on the site of the Strand Maypole, which was destroyed in 1644. 10 December 1948