St Mary’s Church inside Fort St George was consecrated on 28 October 1680, which makes it the oldest masonry building within the fort walls and, by the reckoning of Tamil Nadu Tourism, probably the oldest British building anywhere in India. It is still a working church, it is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, and Tamil Nadu Tourism lists it as open from 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Saturday, with services on Sunday.
The churchyard is paved with 104 tombstones, some older than the church itself. Here is how the church came to be, what to look for, and how to fit it into a visit.
How a garrison town got its church
For its first decades the English settlement at Madras had no proper Anglican church. A small chapel built under Sir Edward Winter in the 1660s soon proved too cramped. When Streynsham Master became Agent in 1678, he pushed for a real building, and the money came not from the East India Company but from the settlers themselves. According to Madras Musings, 38 residents put in 850 pagodas, about 400 pounds at the time.
The foundation was dug on Lady Day, 25 March 1678, the feast of the Annunciation, and that is where the name St Mary’s comes from. A Company entry from April 1678 describes a planned building of 80 by 50 feet. Tradition names Edward Foule, a master gunner, as the designer, though the historian H.D. Love suggested his predecessor William Dixon. Work was complete in early 1680, and the Rev. Richard Portman, the first chaplain, presided at the consecration that October.
Built to take a cannonball
St Mary’s does not look like a parish church in England, and that was deliberate. It was put up inside a fort that expected to be attacked. The walls are about four feet thick and the roof is a heavy curved vault designed to be bomb-proof. Tamil Nadu Tourism notes that it was the only bomb-proof building in the fort at the time.
That design earned its keep. During the French sieges of the 18th century and Hyder Ali’s attack in 1782, the church was used as a barrack and a granary. Its spire served as a lookout during the 1759 siege, was pulled down soon afterwards, and was rebuilt in 1795. The tower itself was built separately in the 1690s and was joined to the church around 1760, stretching the building to about 125 feet.
Inside, look for:
- The west gallery, reached by two curved outdoor staircases. The Ministry of Tourism page says it was enlarged in 1761 to hold an organ, and rests on Burma teak pillars.
- An old Bible dated 1660, which the Ministry of Tourism lists among the church’s possessions.
The churchyard and its 104 stones
The real treasure is underfoot. After the French siege of 1758, inscribed stones from the old English burial ground were moved into the yard around St Mary’s, and stones from the Capuchin church of St Andrew’s, demolished in 1749, followed. In the 1780s Hyder Ali’s forces used some slabs to mount guns, and several were broken or lost.
The Madras Musings series on the fort picks out three stones worth finding:
- Elizabeth Baker, who died off the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. Her stone is described as the oldest surviving British inscription in India.
- Agent Henry Greenhill, who died in 1658. His multicoloured stone is set into the church’s north wall.
- Thaniappa Mudaliar, also called Lazarus Timothy, who died in 1691. His tomb carries a Tamil inscription.
Weddings, governors and a university
St Mary’s was the Governor’s own church, and Sunday prayers were once a procession. Elihu Yale, later Governor of Fort St George, gave money towards the building and married Catherine Hynmers here in 1680, according to the Madras Courier. His later gift to a college in Connecticut is the reason Yale University carries his name. The Ministry of Tourism page also records that Robert Clive married Margaret Maskelyne at St Mary’s in 1753.
The church’s prominence faded once the English moved out of the fort in the early 1800s, and St George’s Cathedral, opened in 1815, took over as the main Anglican church. St Mary’s remained a garrison church until 1947, then passed to the Church of South India. Services continue for a small congregation.
Visiting St Mary’s today
The church sits inside the fort complex, which also holds the Tamil Nadu Secretariat and Assembly, so expect security checks at the gate. The ASI’s list of protected colonial buildings places St Mary’s alongside Clive’s House, Wellesley House, the King’s Barracks and the ramparts.
| Site in the fort | Timings (Tamil Nadu Tourism) | Entry for Indians |
|---|---|---|
| Fort St George | 9 am to 5 pm, closed Fridays | Rs 5 |
| Fort Museum | 9 am to 5 pm, closed Fridays | Rs 15 |
| St Mary’s Church | 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Saturday | Not listed |
The Ministry of Tourism page gives narrower afternoon hours on some days, so a weekday late morning is the safest window. Dress modestly and ask before photographing the interior. Children under 15 enter the fort and museum free.
Quick answers
When was St Mary’s Church in Fort St George built?
Work began on 25 March 1678 and the church was consecrated on 28 October 1680.
Why is it called St Mary’s?
Because the foundation was dug on Lady Day, the feast of the Annunciation to Mary.
How many tombstones are in the churchyard?
There are 104, including one from 1652 that is older than the church itself.
Is St Mary’s still used for worship?
Yes. It belongs to the Church of South India and holds Sunday services.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Fort St George (Tamil Nadu Tourism)
- St. Mary’s Church, Chennai (Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism)
- List of colonial buildings, Chennai Circle (Archaeological Survey of India)
- Know your Fort better 5 (Madras Musings)
- Know your Fort better 6 (Madras Musings)
- St Mary’s: The first Anglican church east of Suez (Madras Courier)
