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Christopher Wren
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Great Britons: 250 Lives

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Who was Christopher Wren?

Architect and Scientist.

Portrait of Christopher Wren

Date and Place of Birth:

20th October 1632. Village Rectory, East Knoyle, Wiltshire, England.

Family Background:

Father was the Reverend Dr Christopher Wren. Mother was Mary Cox daughter of a Wiltshire Squire.

Education:

Westminster School, Westminster, London, England. Wadham College, Oxford, England.

Chronology/Biography of Sir Christopher Wren:

1634: Probable death of his mother after the birth of her daughter Elizabeth. His father became Dean of Windsor.
1642: At the outbreak of the English Civil War his Uncle Matthew Wren Bishop of Ely was imprisoned in the Tower and the Deanery at Windsor was attacked. The Wren family were forced to move out and his father went to live in Bletchingham, Oxfordshire with his daughter and son-in-law William Holder the mathematician.
1646: Left Westminster School but did not immediately go to university, but encouraged by Holder began to experiment in astronomy. He became an assistant to Dr Charles Scarburgh to sustain himself and helped him with his anatomical experiments.
1649: Entered Oxford University.
1652: Made observations of the Planet Saturn.
1653: Granted an M. A. by Oxford University.
1653-57: Lived in College as a Fellow of All Soul's College, Oxford.
1657: Professor of Astronomy, Gresham College, London.
1661: Savilian Professor of Astronomy Oxford. Asked to work on the designs for fortifications at Tangiers harbour but turned it down.
1662: Foundation of the Royal Society of London of which Wren was a founder Member.
1663: Visited Rome to study the Theatre of Marcellus amongst other things. Worked on repairs to the old St Paul’s Cathedral.
1664: Sent designs for the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford to the Royal Society. This was to first of his projects to include a dome.
1665: Visited Paris to study the buildings.
1666: Appointed Commissioner for Rebuilding the City of London after the great fire.

Plaque Commemorating the site of the Great Fire of London in 1666 Pudding Lane road sign
Plaque Commemorating the site of the Great Fire of London in 1666 which started in Pudding Lane
(© Anthony Blagg)

1669: Appointed Surveyor of St. Paul’s Cathedral and Surveyor General of the King’s Works.
1668: Building of his designs for Emmanuel College Chapel in Cambridge.
1669: Working extensively on optics.
1670: Became the Surveyor for the Rebuilding of 51 of the City’s churches.
1671: Beginning of the construction of The Monument to the Great Fire of London of 1666. It took six years to build and was completed in 1677.

The Monument to the Great Fire of London designed by Christopher Wren
(© Anthony Blagg)
1672: Birth of his son Gilbert.
1674: Second plan and model for St Paul’s Cathedral unveiled as the first designs were not felt grand enough by the City of London Council. This was Greek in inspiration and was rejected by the Clergy for not being Christian enough. He set to work on a third design based on a Latin cross with a dome.
1675: Foundation Stone laid for St. Paul's Cathedral, London. Birth of his son Christopher. Receives commission from King Charles the Second to build a Royal Observatory for the new Astronomer Royal, Flamstead. Charles was keen for his officials to solve the longitude problem for the safe navigation at sea which would make his navy and maritime traders more successful than other world rivals. (September) Death of his Wife Faith.

St Paul's Cathedral, London
St Paul's Cathedral. Wren's towering masterpiece.
(© Anthony Blagg)

1675: Birth of his son Christopher.
1676: Designs for Trinity College, Cambridge.
1677: Birth of his daughter Jane.
1679: Birth of his son William.
1680-82: President of the Royal Society.
1682: Designs for the Royal Hospital, Chelsea.

Royal Hospital Chelsea
The Royal Hospital Chelsea, designed by Christopher Wren for ex-servicemen
and now the home of the Chelsea Pensioners.
The statue is of the founder King Charles the Second.

(© Anthony Blagg)

1696: Appointed Surveyor of the Royal Naval Hospital in Greenwich, now the National Maritime Museum.
1699: Appointed Surveyor of Westminster Abbey.
1703: Death of his daughter Jane.
1716: Resigned as Surveyor of the Royal Naval Hospital in Greenwich.

Marriages:

1. 7th December 1669 to Faith Coghill at Temple Church, London. (died 1675).
2. 24th February 1677 to Jane Fitzwilliam at Chapel Royal, Whitehall, (died 1679).

Date and Place of Death:

25th February 1723. St. Jame's Street, London, England.

Age at Death:

91.

Site of Grave:

St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England.

Wren's Grave Wall plaque
Wren's Grave and Plaque St Paul's Cathedral, London
(© Anthony Blagg)

Places of Interest:

LONDON:

St. Paul's Cathedral.
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.
Greenwich Observatory.
Kensington Palace State Apartments.
St Nicholas Cole Abbey

St Nicholas Cole Abbey
St Nicholas Cole Abbey one of the many London churches
rebuilt by Wren after the Great Fire of London
(© Anthony Blagg)

St. Mary-Le-Bow, Cheapside.
St. Stephen, Walbrook.
St. Anne's and St Agnes, Gresham Street.
St. Mary, Abchurch.
The Royal Hospital Chelsea.
The Monument. (Commemorating the Great Fire of London).
Marlborough House, Pall Mall.
Hampton Court Palace (Part of)
The Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich

Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich
Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich looking towards Canary Wharf.
Wren designed most of the buildings including the chapel on the right
and the painted Hall on the left where Nelson's body lay in state after Trafalgar.

(© Anthony Blagg)

 

OXFORDSHIRE:

Fawley Court, Henley-on-Thames.
Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford.


The Sheldonian Theratre, Oxford. Designed by Wren
and now used for university degree ceremonies amongst other things

(© Anthony Blagg)

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