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St. Mary-le-Bow: A History features a chapter about Trinity Wall Street's relationship with its sister parish.

Trinity Church and St. Mary-le-Bow of London have long been sister parishes, but until recently, no one knew precisely why.

The question was raised when St. Mary-le-Bow began to update its tourist pamphlet. Soon, a book based on St. Mary-le-Bow’s history was in the works, and assistant archivist Dorthea Sartain was tapped to write the chapter detailing St. Mary-le-Bow’s relationship with Trinity Church and to determine why St. Mary-le-Bow is mentioned in three times in the charter of Trinity Church.

Dorthea, who holds a doctorate from the University of Cambridge, researched the references to St. Mary-le-Bow in Trinity’s charter, suspecting that the charter’s authors were trying to establish the legal framework of the parish by referencing an existing parish.

“The most challenging aspect of the project was being asked to delve into all sorts of new subjects, such as the legal definition of the corporation, the history of vestries and even the identity of a parish. To top it all off, the questions needed to be addressed from both sides of the Atlantic.”

Though Dorthea could not reach a definite conclusion, it’s clear that those three references in Trinity’s charter provided the basis for the parishes’ bond. Interaction between the parishes’ became consistent after 1947, when Trinity honored St. Mary-le-Bow with a $50,000 donation to rebuild the church, which had been damaged in the Blitz.

Rectors of both parishes have since looked to each other for support and inspiration, as both churches are located in major financial districts. Dorthea puts it well: “The most interesting aspect of the project was watching the relationship between our two parishes unfold on paper, particularly the relationship as it has developed during the 20th century. It was fascinating to see how people used artifacts to create shared memories, and shared memories to build relationships.”

St. Mary-le-Bow: A History , features a foreword by Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury. It can be purchased through the vestry of St. Mary-le-Bow.

--Leah Reddy