| Who
was He? Architect and Scientist.

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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Places of Interest:
LONDON:
St. Paul's Cathedral.
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.
Greenwich Observatory.
Kensington Palace State Apartments.
St. Mary-Le-Bow, Cheapside.
St. Stephen, Walbrook.
St. Anne's and St Agnes, Gresham Street.
St. Mary, Abchurch.
The Monument. (Commemorating the Great Fire of London).
Marlborough House, Pall Mall.
Hampton Court Palace (Part of)
OXFORDSHIRE:
Fawley Court, Henley-on-Thames.
Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford.
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
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