One of the founding endowments for the Abbey was land that had belonged to "Ranulph the priest", implying the existence of a parish church.

The first concrete reference is a charter of 1181-82 by Henry II of England which confirmed the church of West Ham to the abbey.

Gilbert Foliot, bishop of London also assigned a vicar to the parish church around the same time.

The nave was largely rebuilt halfway through the 13th century, adding five-bay arcades on the north and south sides.

Its crossing was demolished around 1400 to add two bays to the nave's east end - the chancel arch was rebuilt and the west tower added at the same time.

Two curiosities are worth noting in the present church: the baptismal font, dated 1707, which bears the name of three churchwardens instead of the usual two (the ancient parish was once divided into three wards and the custom continues); and the other is the clock in the tower, made in 1857 to Lord Grimthorpe's design, and the prototype of Big Ben.