The Covent Garden estate was originally under the control of Westminster Abbey and lay in the parish of St Margaret.[34] During a reorganisation in 1542 it was transferred to St Martin in the Fields, and then in 1645 a new parish was created, splitting governance of the estate between the parishes of St Paul Covent Garden and St Martin,[35] both still within the Liberty of Westminster.[36] St Paul Covent Garden was completely surrounded by the parish of St Martin in the Fields.[37] It was grouped into the Strand District in 1855.[38] In 1900 it became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster and was abolished as a civil parish in 1922.