▁Nicholas ' ▁Church ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 4 2 1 ▁beside ▁the ▁c athedral ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁parish ▁church ▁for ▁the ▁citizens ▁of ▁Ro chester . ▁ ▁The ▁ancient ▁c athedral ▁included ▁the ▁Bened ict ine ▁mon astic ▁pri ory ▁of ▁St ▁Andrew ▁with ▁greater ▁status ▁than ▁the ▁local ▁par ishes . ▁Ro chester ' s ▁pre - 1 5 3 7 ▁dioc ese , ▁under ▁the ▁juris diction ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁Rome , ▁covered ▁a ▁vast ▁area ▁extending ▁into ▁East ▁Ang lia ▁and ▁included ▁all ▁of ▁Es sex . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁rest ruct uring ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁during ▁the ▁Re formation ▁the ▁c athedral ▁was ▁recon sec r ated ▁as ▁the ▁C athedral ▁Church ▁of ▁Christ ▁and ▁the ▁B less ed ▁Virgin ▁Mary ▁without ▁par och ial ▁respons ib ilities , ▁being ▁a ▁dioc es an ▁church . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁the ▁parish ▁of ▁St ▁Peter ' s ▁was ▁created ▁to ▁serve ▁the ▁bur geon ing ▁city ▁with ▁the ▁new ▁church ▁being ▁consec r ated ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 9 . ▁Following ▁dem ographic ▁sh ifts , ▁St ▁Peter ' s ▁and ▁St ▁Margaret ' s ▁were ▁re comb ined ▁as ▁a ▁joint ▁benef ice ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁with ▁the ▁parish ▁of ▁St ▁Nicholas ▁with ▁St ▁Clement ▁being ▁absor bed ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁The ▁combined ▁parish ▁is ▁now ▁the ▁" Par ish ▁of ▁St ▁Peter ▁with ▁St ▁Margaret ", ▁cent red ▁at ▁the