Steeple of St.Marys

      The oldest  Anglican church in the  East Indies.  The first  chaplain who served the Company in the East  Indies  was John Cartwright of London  on a salary of 3 pounds a month.  15 pounds was given for outfit. Until  1668 there was only one chaplain  for the  East  Indies when it was made four and one was stationed in Fort St. George.  Edward  Terry was the first  chaplain in the  Coromandel  coast.  The  spire of the St . Marys was built in 1692 and quarters for the  chaplain was also built on the  west end of the  church.  This house of the  chaplain was demolished later and the present  tower of the  church is not the original one. The  tower was damaged  during the  siege of Lally in 1759 by gun shots and shelling of the French and it was damaged  beyond  repairs. The tower was entirely  rebuilt with some delay due to shortage of funds by the  East India  Company  under the direction of  Colonel  Gents. The new tower was considerably taller than the old one and finer.