Holy Trinity Church, is one of the oldest buildings in the East End. In 1719 the
residents of the fast growing port of Sunderland petitioned for a parish
separate from St. Michael's at Bishopwearmouth. St. Michael's church was always
full and a mile walk up High Street, it could no longer meet the needs of the
growing community.
Holy Trinity was built and on the 5th September 1719 was consecrated. The rector
Daniel Newcombe was appointed and credited with the design of the church but it
was actually designed by William Etty of York. It was built using small dark
hand made bricks which made it look gloomy from the outside but the inside was
very light and spacious with seven pairs of very large windows. Tall slender
Corinthian columns supported the gallery and the roof.
It originally had no chancel so at his own expense rector Daniel Newcombe added
the present near circular apse in 1735. The tall Corinthian columns, broken
pediment and cherubic heads are the most extravagantly ornamented part of the
church. The west gallery was added in 1803, proudly and prominently displayed in
the gallery are 3 coats of arms. In the middle the royal arms of George I of
Hanover and on one side those of Lord Crew the Bishop of Durham and on the other
side the Bishop of London who actually consecrated the church .
The tower has a central high rusticated arch with triple keystones over the
original double 6 panelled oak doors and a semicircular over light. The tall
window in the tower has small paned sashes containing the only old glass left
after damage in WWII. The clock was not placed in the tower until 1856. The
vestibule contains a font with fluted marble bowl on turned limestone pedestal
and sandstone base.
The first recorded baptism's were on 25th July 1719 when Primus Barwick and Mary
Whiton were christened. For much of its early life Holy Trinity was the centre
of local government as the residents also wanted their own government as well as
their own place to worship. 24 Gentlemen were annually elected by the
parishioners to run the parish's civil affairs under the chairmanship of the
rector. The 24 gentlemen appointed local officials to collect the rates, keep
law and order, care for the poor and cleanse the streets.
Robert Gray, rector from 1819 to 1838 was the last rector to play a prominent
part in town matters. His statue by David Dunbar stands in the disused central
porch, complete with a lengthy inscription recording his many virtues. As the
community life in the East End began to break down in the late nineteenth
century the number of people going to church started to dwindle.
By 1988 the structure of Holy Trinity was in urgent need of costly repairs, so
with little choice the final services were held on 26th June 1988 and a few days
later the church was handed over to the Redundant Churches Fund. This was to
make sure that Holy Trinity would survive and the property would be maintained.
Holy Trinity is now a listed building.
The once crowded churchyard is now empty of most of its memorials, and of the
public buildings that once gathered round, such as the assembly hall, the
workhouse and the rectory. The now deserted building stands in isolation as a
memory to some of Sunderland's wonderful historic past and it is still
accessible to visitors.
