Christopher Wren was born on October 20, 1632 at East Knoyle in Wiltshire, England.
His father, also Christopher Wren, was at that time the rector of East Knoyle.
In 1635, Christopher Wren snr was appointed Dean of Windsor by Charles I and the family moved to Windsor.
His mother Mary died in 1643 sometime after giving birth to Christopher's youngest sister Francesca.
The family were staunch royalists and Christopher's father saved the records of the Order of the Garter and King Edward III's sword when Windsor chapel was ransacked by Cromwell's men in the Civil War.
Christopher's royalist family were hit badly by the Civil War. His Uncle Matthew, who was Bishop of Ely, was held for 18 years in the Tower of London.
Young Christopher spent his early years at Windsor Castle where his father was Dean. He used to play there with the future Charles II.
Christopher attended Westminster School for an unknown period of time. His headmaster there, realizing he had a boy genius, let him do his own thing as he realised he didn't need to be taught.
In his school holidays Christopher set to work as an inventor. He devised among other things an instrument for turning salt water into fresh water and a pen for writing in the dark.
Christopher entered Wadham College, Oxford on June 25, 1650, where he studied Latin and Aristotelian physics.
He graduated B.A. in 1651, and two years later Christopher received his M.A.
One of the greatest minds of his age, Wen was killed in astronomy, geometry, and physics. In his younger days Wren was known more as a celebrated mathematician.
His academic career was centred at Oxford, where he was a member of both Wadham and All Soul's Colleges.
In 1657 Wren was appointed Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College, London and four years later he was elected Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford. In 1662, he was one of the founding members of the Royal Society.
As an Astronomer, Wren observed Saturn for many years. He also made a globe of the Moon, which he presented to Charles II.
Christopher Wren was interested in medicine. His experiments at Oxford included anatomical dissection, looking for veins and arteries. His experiments involving vivisection of dogs seem horribly cruel. Wren produced one of the first anaesthetics by injecting opium into the pooches prior to dissecting them. However, by doing this he proved that organs could be removed from the body without endangering life.
As an anatomist Wren prepared the drawings for Thomas Willis' Cerebri Anatome, He was also a geometer (Issac Newton classed him among the best), a physicist who impacted studies, a meteorologist, and a surveyor. In addition, Wren also made microscopic studies of insects.
Wren developed an interest in architecture following his studies of physics and engineering. His first architectural design was the chapel at Pembroke College, Cambridge, which he was commissioned to do by his uncle the Bishop of Ely in 1663.(His Uncle Matthew had been freed from the Tower of London following the Restoration).
Wren was sent to the French capital by King Charles II to take a look at the grand rebuilding of Paris. During his visit he studied "the most esteem’d fabricks of Paris" in particular the French and Italian baroque styles.
Nine days after the Great Fire of London in 1666 Wren prepared a plan for rebuilding the city which he presented to King Charles II. In it he removed the crowded alleyways which were a fire and health hazard. All new streets would have one of three widths - 90,60 or 30 feet.
The plan didn't proceed any further but in 1669, the King's Surveyor of Works died and Wren was promptly installed. He was given responsibility for rebuilding the city, a post he held for over 45 years. Wren rebuilt 52 London churches including St Paul's Cathedral. His favourite church design of the ones he did was St Paul's, Piccadilly.
King Charles II rejected Christopher Wren's first plan for St Paul's, it was deemed too modest and Wren was so upset at it being turned down he wept. The king also rejected his second scheme as it was not thought "stately enough" but accepted Wren's third design in the English Baroque style.
The 1677 monument designed by Wren and Robert Hooke to mark the Great Fire is still Europe’s highest freestanding stone column.
Among Wren's other designs were the library at Trinity College, Oxford, the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, Chelsea Hospital and the south front of Hampton Court Palace.
Wren often worked with the same team of craftsmen, including master plasterer John Groves and wood carver Grinling Gibbons.
The the oldest academic building still in continuous use in the United States: the College of William and Mary's Wren Building, was modeled by Sir Christopher Wren.
Wren was knighted on November 14, 1673, following his departure from the Savilian chair in Oxford. In honor of Wren's knighthood, Edward Pierce carved a famous bust of the great architect.
He served twice as a MP. Wren sat for Plympton Erle during the Loyal Parliament of 1685 to 1687. Over a decade later he was elected unopposed for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis at the November 1701 general election. He retired at the general election the following year.
Wren did not grow rich despite serving seven monarchs.
Wren's appointment as Surveyor of the King's Works in early 1669 persuaded him that he could finally afford to take a wife. On December 7, 1669 the 37-year-old Wren married his childhood playmate, the 33-year-old Faith Coghill at London's Temple Church.
Faith bore him two children, Christopher and Gilbert (who died in infancy in 1674).
Faith died of smallpox on September 3, 1675.
Wren got remarried in 1677 to Jane Fitzwilliam, but she died two years later of tuberculosis in September 1680, having born him two children Jane and William. "Poor Billy" born June 1679, was developmentally delayed.
Jane was buried alongside Faith and Gilbert in the chancel of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Wren was never to marry again.
Wren was a freemason and devout Anglican who always put humanity at the heart of his worldview. He was also a staunch royalist.
The 90-year-old Wren caught a chill which worsened over the next few days. He died on February 25, 1723 seated in a chair after dinner (taking his afternoon rest) at his house in St James Street, London. A servant who tried to awaken Wren from his nap found that he had passed away.
Wren was entombed inside St Paul's. His epitaph engraved by his son Christopher contains the words "Si Monumentum requins circumspice". (If you seek his monument look around).
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| Wren, portrait c.1690 by John Closterman |
FAMILY
His father, also Christopher Wren, was at that time the rector of East Knoyle.
In 1635, Christopher Wren snr was appointed Dean of Windsor by Charles I and the family moved to Windsor.
His mother Mary died in 1643 sometime after giving birth to Christopher's youngest sister Francesca.
The family were staunch royalists and Christopher's father saved the records of the Order of the Garter and King Edward III's sword when Windsor chapel was ransacked by Cromwell's men in the Civil War.
Christopher's royalist family were hit badly by the Civil War. His Uncle Matthew, who was Bishop of Ely, was held for 18 years in the Tower of London.
CHILDHOOD
Young Christopher spent his early years at Windsor Castle where his father was Dean. He used to play there with the future Charles II.
Christopher attended Westminster School for an unknown period of time. His headmaster there, realizing he had a boy genius, let him do his own thing as he realised he didn't need to be taught.
In his school holidays Christopher set to work as an inventor. He devised among other things an instrument for turning salt water into fresh water and a pen for writing in the dark.
Christopher entered Wadham College, Oxford on June 25, 1650, where he studied Latin and Aristotelian physics.
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| Wadham College, By Andrew Gray - |
He graduated B.A. in 1651, and two years later Christopher received his M.A.
SCIENTIFIC CAREER
One of the greatest minds of his age, Wen was killed in astronomy, geometry, and physics. In his younger days Wren was known more as a celebrated mathematician.
His academic career was centred at Oxford, where he was a member of both Wadham and All Soul's Colleges.
In 1657 Wren was appointed Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College, London and four years later he was elected Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford. In 1662, he was one of the founding members of the Royal Society.
As an Astronomer, Wren observed Saturn for many years. He also made a globe of the Moon, which he presented to Charles II.
Christopher Wren was interested in medicine. His experiments at Oxford included anatomical dissection, looking for veins and arteries. His experiments involving vivisection of dogs seem horribly cruel. Wren produced one of the first anaesthetics by injecting opium into the pooches prior to dissecting them. However, by doing this he proved that organs could be removed from the body without endangering life.
As an anatomist Wren prepared the drawings for Thomas Willis' Cerebri Anatome, He was also a geometer (Issac Newton classed him among the best), a physicist who impacted studies, a meteorologist, and a surveyor. In addition, Wren also made microscopic studies of insects.
ARCHITECTURAL CAREER
Wren developed an interest in architecture following his studies of physics and engineering. His first architectural design was the chapel at Pembroke College, Cambridge, which he was commissioned to do by his uncle the Bishop of Ely in 1663.(His Uncle Matthew had been freed from the Tower of London following the Restoration).
Wren was sent to the French capital by King Charles II to take a look at the grand rebuilding of Paris. During his visit he studied "the most esteem’d fabricks of Paris" in particular the French and Italian baroque styles.
Nine days after the Great Fire of London in 1666 Wren prepared a plan for rebuilding the city which he presented to King Charles II. In it he removed the crowded alleyways which were a fire and health hazard. All new streets would have one of three widths - 90,60 or 30 feet.
 |
| Wren's plan for rebuilding after the Great Fire of London |
The plan didn't proceed any further but in 1669, the King's Surveyor of Works died and Wren was promptly installed. He was given responsibility for rebuilding the city, a post he held for over 45 years. Wren rebuilt 52 London churches including St Paul's Cathedral. His favourite church design of the ones he did was St Paul's, Piccadilly.
King Charles II rejected Christopher Wren's first plan for St Paul's, it was deemed too modest and Wren was so upset at it being turned down he wept. The king also rejected his second scheme as it was not thought "stately enough" but accepted Wren's third design in the English Baroque style.
The 1677 monument designed by Wren and Robert Hooke to mark the Great Fire is still Europe’s highest freestanding stone column.
Among Wren's other designs were the library at Trinity College, Oxford, the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, Chelsea Hospital and the south front of Hampton Court Palace.
Wren often worked with the same team of craftsmen, including master plasterer John Groves and wood carver Grinling Gibbons.
The the oldest academic building still in continuous use in the United States: the College of William and Mary's Wren Building, was modeled by Sir Christopher Wren.
LATER CAREER
Wren was knighted on November 14, 1673, following his departure from the Savilian chair in Oxford. In honor of Wren's knighthood, Edward Pierce carved a famous bust of the great architect.
He served twice as a MP. Wren sat for Plympton Erle during the Loyal Parliament of 1685 to 1687. Over a decade later he was elected unopposed for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis at the November 1701 general election. He retired at the general election the following year.
Wren did not grow rich despite serving seven monarchs.
 |
| Christopher Wren by Godfrey Kneller 1711 |
MARRIAGES
Wren's appointment as Surveyor of the King's Works in early 1669 persuaded him that he could finally afford to take a wife. On December 7, 1669 the 37-year-old Wren married his childhood playmate, the 33-year-old Faith Coghill at London's Temple Church.
Faith bore him two children, Christopher and Gilbert (who died in infancy in 1674).
Faith died of smallpox on September 3, 1675.
Wren got remarried in 1677 to Jane Fitzwilliam, but she died two years later of tuberculosis in September 1680, having born him two children Jane and William. "Poor Billy" born June 1679, was developmentally delayed.
Jane was buried alongside Faith and Gilbert in the chancel of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Wren was never to marry again.
BELIEFS
Wren was a freemason and devout Anglican who always put humanity at the heart of his worldview. He was also a staunch royalist.
DEATH
The 90-year-old Wren caught a chill which worsened over the next few days. He died on February 25, 1723 seated in a chair after dinner (taking his afternoon rest) at his house in St James Street, London. A servant who tried to awaken Wren from his nap found that he had passed away.
Wren was entombed inside St Paul's. His epitaph engraved by his son Christopher contains the words "Si Monumentum requins circumspice". (If you seek his monument look around).
 |
| Crypt of St. Paul's Cathedral, Wren's memorial on the left |
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