As north Oxford was built up and its population grew in Victorian times, new parishes were created out of parts of St. Giles’ parish. They included St Philip and St James’, consecrated in 1862 and St. Margaret’s, founded as a daughter church of St. Philip and St James in 1883. The church was designed by H. G. W. Drinkwater. The foundation stone was laid on 8 May 1883. The church was consecrated by Bishop Stubbs on 22 November 1893. A new tower designed by G. F. Bodley was started in 1899, but was never completed, this remains as the south-west porch. The Lady Chapel contains three fine windows by F. C. Eden based on an iconographic theme ‘The Plan of Salvation’, picturing the Nativity (Incarnation), the Crucifixion (Atonement) and Pentecost (the gift of the Spirit to the Church). St Margaret’s became a parish in its own right in August 1896. It was reunited with St Philip and St James parish once more in 1976, and St Philip and St James Church was declared redundant in 1982. In 1983 the parish of St Philip and St James with St Margaret and the parish of St Giles were reunited in a united benefice.