Holy Trinity/History
The History of Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity Church stands in a secluded spot about 100 metres from Seaton Carew beach. It began its life as a chapel within the parish of Stranton, and was consecrated on 29th September 1831 to care spiritually for the needs of the growing number of local villagers and workers in this area. On October 21st 1841, consent was given for Seaton Carew to become a parish in its own right. Funds were raised to extend the church building with a chancel and gallery, a clock was added to the church tower, and the churchyard was extended. In 1842 a vicarage was built and a wing added in 1860.
In the four years from 1890 there was much new development to the church: the chancel was re-ordered, an organ chamber built and a new organ installed. A vestry was added with access to the chancel, and with that, much of the shape of the church we know today was in place. On Sunday 6th February 1921, a new clock, a ring of bells and a plaque to the fallen in the nave were unveiled.
Sadly the vicarage had to be demolished in the late 1970s, but over the last thirty years much restoration has taken place, including a recent major project to restore the stonework and roof which were both in a severe state of disrepair. With the help of a Heritage Lottery Grant and a lot of willing volunteers to undertake fund-raising, we managed to raise over £300,000 to keep the building in good order for future generations. A benefactor has also provided funds to refurbish the parish centre, which is well-used for local activities and groups.
The parish now extends across a wide area from the Tees to Stranton and from the North Sea to Owton Manor. It also has spiritual oversight for the tourists and industrial workers in its bounds. Faithful hands have made Holy Trinity a very beautiful House of God, and for each succeeding generation, times of joy and jubilation, of sadness and despair, high days and holidays as well as national occasions have all found full expression here.
Parish History Book
We have a parish history book on sale in aid of the Restoration Fund, ‘Portrait of a Seaside Parish: Holy Trinity Seaton Carew’, priced at £10. It is available from church or from Hartlepool Central Library in York Road. The book outlines many fascinating stories and facts about the church, the parish (which used to be a village with a gate at each end) and the families and other local characters who made their mark in the community.
Parish Registers
Please click on the links below to download transcripts of Holy Trinity’s marriage registers for 1842 – 1922 and burial registers for 1842 – 1987. These were transcribed by volunteers so please forgive any errors. If anyone would be willing to transcribe baptisms from the paper copies in Hartlepool Central Library, it would be much appreciated.
Holy Trinity Marriage Records 1842-1922
Holy Trinity Seaton Carew burial register 1842-1987
A kind volunteer has been busy recording the graveyard plots and trying to find out further information about the people buried in the churchyard. We will publish this as soon as we are able to achieve a workable format for it. Until then, we are sorry but we are unable to advise on the location of any graves. Some of the headstone inscriptions are very worn and other plots don’t have headstones at all. So even though an ancestor might be recorded in the burial register, there is no guarantee that you will be able to find a grave.