[1] It was established in 1891 as the City Parochial Foundation and changed its name to Trust for London in 2010.

On 10 August 1878 a royal commission was established to investigate the parochial charities.

It reported on 12 March 1880, which led to the City of London Parochial Charities Act 1883.

This provided that the five largest parishes should continue to administer their own charitable endowments, but that the charities of the remaining 107 parishes (consisting of about 1,400 separate charitable gifts and bequests stretching back over 400 years) should be administered by a new corporate body officially called the Trustees of the London Parochial Charities.

The trust assumed trusteeship of the City Church Fund, which held the ecclesiastical endowments.