17th and 18th centuries

Holy Trinity church, built in 1719
Before the English Civil War in 1642, King Charles I bestowed the rights to the East of England coal trade on Newcastle. This had a big impact on Sunderland, which had begun to grow as a coal-trading town. It created resentment toward Newcastle and the monarchy. In March 1644, a Scottish army allied to the king's enemies was stationed at Sunderland and clashes occurred in the vicinity with Royalist troops under the Marquess of Newcastle who moved against them. The most significant encounter occurred in the Hylton and Boldon areas. Parliament blockaded the River Tyne, crippling the Newcastle coal trade which allowed the Sunderland coal trade to flourish. Because of the difficulty for colliers trying to navigate the shallow waters of the Wear, the coal was loaded onto keels (large boats) and taken downriver to the waiting colliers. The keels were manned by a close-knit group of workers known as 'keelmen'.
In 1719, the parish of Sunderland was carved from the densely populated east end of Bishopwearmouth by the establishment of a new parish church, Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland (today also known as Sunderland Old Parish Church). The three original settlements Wearmouth (Bishopwearmouth, Monkwearmouth and Sunderland) had begun to combine, driven by the success of the port of Sunderland and salt panning and shipbuilding along the banks of the river. Around this time, Sunderland was known as 'Sunderland-near-the-Sea'
Holy Trinity is a former church in Sunderland. It was opened in 1719 as the church for the newly created Parish of Sunderland.
It is a listed building and is one of the oldest buildings in the East End of Sunderland.
It is unknown who built the church, but what is known for sure is that Daniel Newcombe — who was appointed rector — and William Etty were involved in some of its design.[3][4] A plaque marking its Grade I listed building status credits Etty as the designer. In its early years, the building was also home to the Select Vestrymen — in effect the town council — and the library[5] and the mechanical fire pump.[citation needed]
The church is no longer in use for worship, having closed in 1988, and is now owned by the Churches Conservation Trust. It is also used by Sunderland Old Township Heritage Society, the Donnison School, the Rector Gray Society and the communities of Hendon and Old Sunderland during "Heritage Days".

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Holy_Trinity_Church,_Sunderland