| Authorised form of name | Wren; Sir; Christopher (1632 - 1723); architect, astronomer and mathematician |
| Surname | Wren |
| Forenames | Christopher |
| Dates | 1632 - 1723 |
| Nationality | English |
| Dates and places | Birth:
East Knoyle, near Tisbury, Wiltshire, England (20 October 1632)
Death:
St James's Street, Piccadilly, London (25 February 1723)
Burial:
St Paul's Cathedral, London |
| Activity | Profession:
Architect
Research Field:
Astronomy, Anatomy
Education:
Westminster School; tutored in mathematics by his brother-in-law, William Holder (FRS 1663); Wadham College, Oxford; BA (1651), MA (1653), DCL (1661); Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1676)
Career:
Assistant to Charles Scarburgh (FRS 1663) for his lectures at Surgeons' Hall (1646); Fellow of All Souls, Oxford (1653-1661); stayed in Oxford, engaging in scientific studies and experiments, until 1657; Professor of Astronomy, Gresham College, London (1657-1661); The Royal Society was officially founded after a lecture by Wren at Gresham College (28 November 1660); Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford (1661-1673); Assistant to Sir John Denham (FRS 1663), Surveyor-General of the King's Works (1661); Surveyor-General for rebuilding St Paul's Cathedral and the city churches after the Great Fire (1666); Surveyor-General of the Royal Works (1669-1719); Commissioner for Assessment for Middlesex (1673-1679), Westminster (1673-1680), Westminster and Berkshire (1689-1690); Surveyor-General for the repairs of the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster (1698-1723); MP for Plympton Erle (1685), for New Windsor (1689), and for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (1701); his major architectural works include St Paul's Cathedral, many city churches, the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, Pembroke College chapel and Trinity College library, Cambridge; died of a chill caught on a journey to London
Honours:
Kt 1673 |
| Royal Society activity | Membership:
Founder Fellow
Election Date:
28/11/1660
Council:
PRS 1680-1682; VP 1674-?, 1682-? |
| Relationships | Son of Christopher Wren, Dean of Windsor, and his wife, Mary, daughter of Richard Cox of Fonthill, Wiltshire.
Married: 1) Faith, daughter of Sir John Coghill; 2) Jane, daughter of William Fitzwilliam, 2nd Baron Fitzwilliam; brother-in-law of William Holder (FRS 1663); father of Christopher Wren (FRS 1693); cousin of Matthew Wren (FRS 1663) and Thomas Wren (FRS 1663) |
| Sources | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB; Venn; Foster; Aubrey; Henning
References:
Sir John Summerson, 'Sir Christopher Wren, PRS (1632-1723)' in NR 1960 vol 15 pp 99-105, plate
Sir John Craig, 'The Royal Society and the Royal Mint' in NR 1964 vol 19 pp 156-167
Sir Harold Hartley and Sir Cyril Hinshelwood, 'Gresham College and the Royal Society' in NR 1961 vol 16 pp 125-135
Kenneth Dewhurst, 'Locke's Contribution to Boyle's Researches on the Air and on Human Blood' in NR 1962 vol 17 pp 198-206
John Thomas, 'Josiah Wedgwood's Portrait Medallions of Fellows of the Royal Society' in NR 1963 vol 18 pp 45-53, plate
H W Jones, 'Sir Christopher Wren and Natural Philosophy: with a Checklist of his Scientific Activities' in NR 1958 vol 13 pp 19-37, plate
George Watson, 'Dryden and the Scientific Image' in NR 1963 vol 18 pp 25-35
G H Turnbull, 'Samuel Hartlib's Influence on the Early History of the Royal Society' in NR 1953 vol 10 pp 101-130
E N da C Andrade, 'The Birth and Early Days of the Philosophical Transactions' in NR 1965 vol 20 pp 9-27
Douglas McKie, 'The Origins and Foundation of the Royal Society of London' in NR 1960 vol 15 pp 1-37
Derek T Whiteside, 'Wren the Mathematician' in NR 1960 vol 15 pp 107-111
C A Ronan and Sir Harold Hartley, 'Sir Paul Neile, FRS (1613-1686)' in NR 1960 vol 15 pp 159-165
Asit K Biswas, 'The Automatic Rain-Gauge of Sir Christopher Wren, FRS' in NR 1967 vol 22 pp 94-104
A Rupert Hall, 'Wren's Problem' in NR 1965 vol 20 pp 140-144
D T Whiteside, 'The Prehistory of the Principia from 1664 to 1686' in NR 1991 vol 45 pp 11-61
Derek Hull, 'Robert Hooke: A Fractographic Study of Kettering-Stone' in NR 1997 vol 51 pp 45-55
Jacques Heyman, 'Hooke's Cubico-Parabolical Conoid' in NR 1998 vol 52 pp 39-50
Gordon Higgott, 'Wren's Architectural Writings', review of Lydia M Soo, Wren's "Tracts" on Architecture and Other Writings in NR 2000 vol 54 pp 119-120
Lisa Jardine, 'Monuments and microscopes: scientific thinking on a grand scale in the early Royal Society' in NR 2001 vol 55 pp 289-308
A Rupert Hall and Marie Boas Hall, 'The Intellectual Origins of the Royal Society - London and Oxford' in NR 1968 vol 23 pp 157-168
Albert Van Helden, 'Christopher Wren's De Corpore Saturni' in NR 1968 vol 23 pp 213-229
J A Bennett, 'Wren's Last Building?' in NR 1972-3 vol 27 pp 107-118
Michael Hunter, 'A "College" for the Royal Society: The Abortive Plan of 1667-1668' in NR 1983-84 vol 38 pp 159-186
Michael Hunter, 'The Social Bias and Changing Fortunes of an Early Scientific Institution: An Analysis of the Membership of the Royal Society, 1660-1685' in NR 1976-7 vol 31 pp 9-114
P D Lawrence and A G Molland, 'David Gregory's Inaugural Lecture at Oxford' in NR 1970 vol 25 pp 143-178
Robert G Frank, Jr, 'John Aubrey, FRS, John Lydall, and Science at Commonwealth Oxford' in NR 1972-3 vol 27 pp 193-217
Sir Bernard Lovell, 'Address at Westminster Abbey, on the Occasion of the Tercentenary of the Royal Greenwich Observatory' in NR 1975-6 vol 30 pp 127-132
N J W Thrower, 'Samuel Pepys FRS (1633-1733) and The Royal Society' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 3-13
J Heyman, 'The birth of the modern architect. On a grander scale: the outstanding career of Sir Christopher Wren, by L Jardine' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 243-244
Sir Alan Cook FRS, 'Continental connections' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 267-268
P Breeze, 'The ancestry of Robert Hooke: John Hooke of Wroxhall' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 269-271
L Jardine, 'The 2003 Wilkins Lecture: Dr Wilkins's boy wonders' in NR 2004 vol 58 pp 107-129
J Gribbin, 'The Fellowship', 2005, pp136-138 |
| Royal Society code | NA8299 |
| Reference number | Title | Date |
| EL/W3/3 | Copy of a letter from Christopher Wren to William Brouncker | 30 July 1663 |
| EL/O1/85 | Henry Oldenburg, dated at London, to Christopher Wren | 29 October 1668 |
| EL/W3/5 | Christopher Wren to Robert Moray | 11 April 1665 |
| EL/W3/6 | Christopher Wren to Robert Hooke | 20 April 1665 |
| EL/O1/86 | Henry Oldenburg, dated at London, to Christopher Wren | 6 November 1668 |
| IM/005009 | Wren, Sir Christopher | April 2000 |
| IM/005013 | Wren, Sir Christopher | nd |
| IM/005011 | Wren, Sir Christopher | nd |
| RBC/2/35 | Christopher Wren's weather clock | 1663 |
| RBO/4/27 | 'A Description and Scheme of Dr Wren's Instrument for Drawing up Great Weights from Deep places' | 1670 |
| EL/W3/2 | Christopher Wren, dated at Oxford, to Paul Neile | 1661 |
| EL/L1/68 | Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, dated at Delft, to Christopher Wren | 16 July 1683 |
| RBO/2i/78 | 'The Description Of a Weather-Clock consisting of two wings, that may be added to a Pendulum Clock' by Christopher Wren | 4 December 1663 |
| EL/W3/4 | Christopher Wren, dated at Wadham College, Oxford, to John Wilkins | 26 November 1663 |
| IM/005015 | Wren, Sir Christopher | nd |
| RBO/9/57 | 'Proposals for building a House for the Royal Society' by Sir Christopher Wren | 1704 |
| RBO/4/15 | A Cypher by Dr Christopher Wren | 4 February 1669 |
| CLP/3i/46 | Paper, 'Cyphers of Christian Huygens and Christopher Wren' | 4 February 1668 |
| MM/15/68 | Letter from WF Tiffin to Royal Society | 27 August 1883 |
| RBO/2ii/65 | Account of a weather clock by Christopher Wren | 1663 |
| RBO/4/20 | 'The Generation of an Hyperbolical Cylindroid, accommodable to the Grinding of Hyperbolical Glasses Invented by Dr Christopher Wren' | 10 June 1669 |
| RBO/4/21 | 'Animadversiones in novam Theoriam Motus' of Christopher Wren and Christian Huygens | 1669 |
| DM/5/20 | Hooke's bills of expenditure by him on the Society's account, and an order dated 23 December 1681 by Sir Christopher Wren to Abraham Hill, Treasurer, to pay Hooke £40 | 23 December 1681 |
| EL/L1/67 | Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to Christopher Wren | 22 January 1683 |
| IM/005007 | Wren, Sir Christopher | 2001 |
| P/0145 | Portrait of Wren, Sir Christopher | |
| IM/005006 | Wren, Sir Christopher | 1750 |
| IM/005002 | Wren, Sir Christopher | nd |
| IM/005004 | Wren, Sir Christopher | nd |
| IM/005005 | Wren, Sir Christopher | nd |
| IM/005008 | Wren, Sir Christopher | 2001 |
| IM/005014 | Wren, Sir Christopher | 2001 |
| CLP/3i/54/4 | Equations, criticism of Wren's theory of motion by Francis Willughby | 1669 |
| CLP/1/12/2 | Print of diagrams from Jean de Montfort | 1658 |
| CLP/3i/54/1 | Paper, 'Animadversiones in novam theoriam [amendments to the new theory] of Christopher Wren and Christian Huygens' by Francis Willughby | 1669 |
| CLP/1/11 | Paper, 'Generatio corporis cylindroidis hyperbolici' [The generation of an hyperbolical cylindroid] by Christopher Wren | 1669 |
| CLP/3i/42 | Paper, 'A summary account given by Dr John Wallis of the general laws of motion' by Dr John Wallis | 1668 |
| MS/390/22 | Bond of Sir Christopher Wren to the Treasurer of the Royal Society | 26 November 1674 |
| NLB/66/110 | Copy letter from Francis Alexander Towle, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society; to W. H. Ward, Honorary Secretary of the Wren Society, Bedford Square, W.C | 22 February 1924 |
| CLP/3i/54 | Paper, 'Animadversiones in novam theoriam [amendments to the new theory] of Christopher Wren and Christian Huygens' by Francis Willughby | 1669 |
| CLP/1/11/1 | Paper, 'Generatio corporis cylindroidis hyperbolici' [The generation of an hyperbolical cylindroid] by Christopher Wren | 1669 |
| CLP/8i/5 | Paper, observations of the moon and stars in voyage to Portugal by the earl of Sandwich | 1662 |
| RBC/2/92 | 'A new Levell Of Dr Christopher Wren's Invention' | nd |
| RBO/3/53 | 'A New Levell Of Dr Christopher Wren's Invention' | 14 March 1667 |
| CD/4 | Documents on the Wren Bicentenary, for the consideration of Council of the Royal Society | 1922-1924 |
| CLP/2/1/2 | Diagram in 'A New Levell' by Christopher Wren | 1667 |
| CLP/3i/43 | Paper, 'Hypothesis of motion' by Christopher Wren | 1668 |
| CLP/8i/5/1 | Paper, observations of the moon and stars in voyage to Portugal by the earl of Sandwich | 1662 |
| CLP/4i/16 | Paper, 'Shapes of haile' brought before the Royal Society by Christopher Wren | 1667 |
| RBO/4/8 | Dr Christopher Wren's hypothesis of motion | 1668 |
| CLP/4i/16/1 | Drawing of hail brought before the Royal Society by Christopher Wren | 1667 |
| CLP/2/1/1 | Paper, 'A new levell' by Christopher Wren | 1667 |
| CLP/1/11/7 | Diagram, for doubling the cube by William Brouncker | 1669 |
| CLP/1/11/3 | Diagram, generation of an hyperbolical cylindroid by Christopher Wren | 1669 |
| CLP/1/11/6 | Diagram, erroneous diagram for Brouncker's paper on the pendulum by Christopher Wren | 1669 |
| CLP/1/11/2 | Diagram, engine for grinding hyperbolic glasses by Christopher Wren | 1669 |
| CLP/1/12 | Paper, 'A mathematical problem to be solved by English mathematicians' from Jean de Montfort | 1658 |
| CLP/1/11/4 | Diagram, geometric shape by Christopher Wren | 1669 |
| CLP/1/11/5 | Diagram, geometric shape by Christopher Wren | 1669 |
| CLP/1/12/1 | Paper, 'A mathematical problem to be solved by English mathematicians' from Jean de Montfort | 1658 |
| CLP/2/1 | Paper, 'A new levell' by Christopher Wren | 1667 |
| CLP/8i/5/3 | Drawing, astronomical observations by the earl of Sandwich | 1662 |
| CLP/3i/54/3 | Equations, criticism of Wren's theory of motion by Francis Willughby | 1669 |
| CLP/6/17 | Paper, 'Observations of Dr Robert Moray, Sir P [Paul] Neil and Dr [Christopher] Wren, made by them in their late excursion into the country' by Robert Moray | [1664] |
| CLP/8i/5/2 | Drawing, astronomical observations by the earl of Sandwich | 1662 |
| MOB/018 | Dividers attributed to Christopher Wren | 1697 |
| CLP/8i/60 | Paper, 'An instrument for seeing the sun, moon and stars pass the meridian of any place usefull for setting wathces in all parts of the world with the greatest exactness; to correct sun-dials; to assist in the discovery of the longitudes of places etc' by William Derham | 1705 |
| CLP/3i/54/2 | Diagram, criticism of Wren's theory of motion by Francis Willughby | 1669 |
| IM/005010 | Wren, Sir Christopher | 2002 |
| DM/5/101 | A list of benefactors to the Museum, to the value of £5 or upwards at one time | c.1737 |
| M/235 | Wren, Sir Christopher | 1723 |
| EL/B1/13 | Copies of two letters from William Brouncker, dated at London, and Christopher Wren | 8 October 1673 |
| EL/W3/7 | Christopher Wren, dated at Oxford, to Henry Oldenburg | 7 June 1668 |
| EL/W3/8 | Christopher Wren to Henry Oldenburg | 3 November 1668 |
| DM/5/74C | 'Desiderata from Dr Christopher Wren' | c.1666 |
| CLP/1/11/8 | Diagram, for doubling the cube by William Brouncker | 1669 |
| MM/16/67 | Letter from TL Brunton, Stratford Place, Archibald Geikie | 30 October 1906 |
| DM/5/70 | Resolution signed by Henry Oldenburg, appointing a Committee of the Royal Society to consider a way of determining the measure of a degree on the earth | 21 October 1669 |
| LBO/1/6 | Copy letter from Christopher Wren, Oxford, to Paul Neile | 1 October 1661 |