The parishes of St Margaret and St John the Evangelist lie at the heart of historic Westminster, which is known most widely today for its Abbey and its associations with the British monarchy and Parliament. Less well known is that during the post-medieval period it was a thriving industrial centre, and one of those industries was the manufacture of clay tobacco pipes. During the early years of the industry in this country the pipe makers of Westminster were at the forefront of their trade, and the town became one of the principal pipe-making areas in the London region. This report is the result of 10 years of research into the clay pipe industry of Westminster. 

The report opens with an Introduction describing the origins of the study (as a Museum of London Archaeology Service project, funded by the City of London Archaeological Trust) and stating its main objectives. These were to identify the pipe makers living and working in the two parishes and to locate their workshops. The introduction is followed by a brief account of the history and topography of the parishes, and an attempt to place the local clay pipe industry within its economic context (Historical background). Next there is a discussion of the origins of the industry in Westminster and a summary of what little is known about the pipe makers of St Margaret's parish in the 17th century (The origins of the Westminster clay pipe industry).

The bulk of the report deals with the pipe makers of the 18th- and 19th centuries. The evidence for them is derived from a wide range of published and documentary sources, the latter including rate books, parish registers, wills, census returns, insurance policies, poll books, trade directories and the records of the company of tobacco pipe makers. At least 10 workshops or centres of production have been identified and each is described on a separate page, arranged in chronological order according to their earliest known dates of operation. The workshops are located on historic maps and, where possible, some indication is given of the likelihood of their archaeological survival. Most of the workshops were occupied over many decades by successions of master pipe makers, each of whom is recorded with as much biographical detail as is known. There are illustrations and photographs of many of their pipes. The Conclusions of the report are followed by an alphabetical List of pipe makers containing 133 names, many of which do not appear in similar lists published previously. The report concludes with various Appendices, Acknowledgements and a Bibliography.