Person Wren; Sir; Christopher (1632 - 1723); architect, astronomer, and mathematician Wren Christopher Sir architect, astronomer, and mathematician 1632 - 1723 English Male East Knoyle, Wiltshire, England, Europe 20 October 1632 16321020 St James's Street, Piccadilly, London, England, Europe 25 February 1723 17230225 Burial: St Paul's Cathedral, London, England, Europe (5 March 1723)

Court House, Hampton Court, Middlesex (1717-1723); St James's Street, Piccadilly, London (-1723)

Architect 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 (-1657); Professor of Astronomy, Gresham College, London (1657-1661); 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) Honours: Kt 1673 Parents: Christopher Wren and Mary Cox Married: 1) Faith Coghill; 2) Jane Fitzwilliam Brother-in-law: William Holder (FRS 1663) Children: Christopher Wren (FRS 1693) Additional relatives: cousin of Matthew Wren (FRS 1663) and Thomas Wren (FRS 1663) Wren's move from mathematics and geometry towards architecture was commonly seen as a way to practically apply mathematics and he additionally strengthened international contacts with European architects. His major architectural works include St Paul's Cathedral, many city churches, the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, Pembroke College chapel and Trinity College Library at Cambridge. Wren left a long-lasting and wide-spanning impact on architecture, both private commissions and in the public service, as well as natural philosophy to which he contributed in a variety of specialities. Royal Society roles: PRS 1680-1682; VP 1674-1676, 1679; 1682-? Committee and panels: Committee to consider a proposal on perpetual motion (1664) ; Committee to consider a way of determining the measure of a degree on the earth (1669) Founder Fellow 28/11/1660 28 One of Wren's lectures at Gresham College was followed by the official foundation of the Royal Society (28 November 1660); Wren was involved in the Royal Society's original purchase and later lease of Chelsea College in 1670; As President, Wren implemented means in which financial contributions from Fellows could be secured regularly and Fellow's arrears reduced Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB; Venn; Foster; Aubrey; Henning; ODNB; Hunter 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 Wren P0145.jpg ©The Royal Society International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/results?mi_search_type=adv&mi_adv_search=yes&adv_person_id=AUTH101720 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/image-rs-9545 20 Oct 1632 - 25 Feb 1723 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 24/11/2021 as part of Name Authority Project update. NA8299 21/11/2001 Andyg Martind 28/03/2023 RS_NET\JonathanB Yes http://viaf.org/viaf/49261635 5298fc18-2ea3-4551-9d45-f966256189ee