International Partners

Trinity Wall Street is St Mary-le-Bow's sister church in New York. Founded in 1697, its Vestry was commanded to do everything 'according to the use of St Mary-le-Bow'.

In 1703 Trinity wrote to St Mary-le-Bow to ask what they charged for burying people. A list of prices was duly returned, establishing the charges for burying both members of the parish and 'strangers'.

The burial fees depended upon whether you were buried 'above step' (£1.10s), 'middle aisle' (£1) 'fore ground' (£16) or 'under the belfry' (£10). "All strangers to pay double all ye Same Rate".

In 1704 the Bishop of London, the Right Reverend Henry Compton, the nominal first Rector of Trinity, sent a large bell, which was put in the tower of the Chapel of the Intercession. There is speculation that thoughts of the famous Bow Bell of St Mary-le-Bow prompted Bishop Compton to send this gift.

In 1963, Joseph McCulloch, then Rector of St Mary-le-Bow, addressed a Vestry meeting at Trinity Wall Street and gave them a gift of a miniature replica of the great Bow Bell. The inscription reads: 'Presented by the Church of St Mary-le-Bow, London, to assist the Church of Trinity, New York. December 6 1963'. Dr Heuss, then Rector of Trinity, promised that the bell would henceforth be used at all Vestry meetings to call the meeting to order and to a close. Dr Heuss attended the service of reconsecration of St Mary-le-Bow, on June 11 1964, and delivered an address during the service.

Trinity gave substantial monetary gifts towards the cost of restoration of St Mary-le-Bow: US$50,000 in 1947 and a further US$4,000 in 1964. St Mary-le-Bow, designed by Sir Christopher Wren and badly damaged in an air-raid on May 10 1941, presented one of the surviving stone cherubs to Trinity in 1964. Other stones had already been donated in 1914 and 1935.

The Rectors of both parishes maintain close contacts. After the events of September 11 2001, the World Trade Centre being in the parish of Trinity, St Mary-le-Bow opened a Book of Condolence, which was delivered to Trinity by Timothy Carter, then St Mary-le-Bow's Treasurer.

Further research is currently being undertaken by Trinity's Assistant Archivist into the details of our historic connections, and the parishes continue to share in their exploration of mission and ministry in the world's financial and business centres.