Research on Wren Home Wren Biography Career Links   Martin Centre   Email		Personal Life Born: East Knoyle, Wiltshire 20 October 1632 Father: Christopher Wren (1591-1658), son of Francis Wren, a London mercer, educated at Merchant Taylor's School and St John's College, Oxford. The elder Wren was a well-known clergyman, rector of Fonthill in 1620, East Knoyle in 1623, and subsequently made Dean of Windsor on 4 April 1635. A Royalist, he played an important part in saving the records of the Order of the Garter from the Parliamentarians in the Civil War but died in before the Restoration. Mother: Mary, daughter of Robert Cox. She died when Wren was very young, sometime after giving birth to his younger sister in 1634. Siblings: Elder sister Susan, married William Holder. Younger sister Elizabeth, born 26 December 1634 . Early Education: The young Christopher was a child of delicate disposition and was educated at home At the age of nine he was sent to Westminster School where he studied under the famous Dr Busby, who was noted for both his severity and his ability as a brilliant tutor. Wren left Westminster in 1646 at the age of 14. He spend most of the remaining years between leaving school and entering college in the care of Dr Scarburgh. He may have been sent to Scarburgh to convalesce. Whatever the reason for his sojourn with the eminent doctor, he was soon helping him with his various anatomical experiments and in translating William Oughtred's work on the mathematics of sun-dials. Wren interest in mathematics had first been awakened by his brother-in-law, William Holder, but it was probably Scarburgh who developed his ability into something more substantial. By the time he entered University he was already well versed in mathematics and natural sciences. University Education: Wren probably entered Wadham College, Oxford in 1649 as a gentleman commoner at the age of 17. He took his B.A degree on 18 March 1651 (1650/51 according to the old calendar in use at the time) and became a Fellow of All Souls in 1653, the same year he received his M.A. Had doctorates in the form with which we are familiar today existed in Wren's time he would no doubt have completed one at this stage, but the PhD (or DPhil as it is called in Oxford) was a later innovation. In any event he had long exceeded its requirements. For details of his subsequent academic career see Academic Career First Marriage: In 1669 Wren married Faith Coghill, daughter of Sir John Coghill of Bletchingham. Wren was 37 years old. Bletchingham was the home of Wren's brother-in-law William Holder who was rector of the local church. Holder had been a Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford. An intellectual of considerable ability, he is said to have been the figure who introduced Wren to arithmetic and geometry. During the Civil War Wren's father had fled to Bletchingham and no doubt the young Christopher spent much of his teenage years there. By 1669 Wren's career was well established (see Professional Career) and it may have been his appointment as Surveyor-General of the King's Works in early 1669 that persuaded him that he could finally afford to take a wife. Little is known of Faith's life or demeanour, but a charming love letter from Wren survives and it is clear that the young Wren was entirely devoted to her. The marriage lasted six years. Faith died a few months after giving birth to their second child, in September 1675. Second Marriage: In 1677, at the age of 45, and only a couple of years after Faith's death, Wren married again. He was probably as least partly prompted by wanting to provide a mother for his young children. Jane Fitzwilliam was the daughter of Lord Fitzwilliam of Lifford. She died of tuberculosis in 1679 having given birth to two children After this second tragedy Wren never remarried. Children: By the first marriage two children: Gilbert (1672-1674): died in infancy Christopher (1675-1747): educated at Eton and Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, his father trained him up to be an architect. It was the younger Christopher that supervised the topping out ceremony of St Paul's in 1710. The youngest Christopher married well. His first wife, Mary was the daughter of the king's jeweller. His second, Constance was the daughter of Sir Thomas Middleton, and widow of Sir Roger Burygoyne from whom his father had purchased the Wroxhall Abbey Estate. He was never a successful architect but died a country gentleman settled in his Warwickshire Estate. By the second marriage two children: Jane (1677-1702): Hooke records in his diary buying a rocking horse for Jane. When she grew up she looked after her father. When she died at the age of 26 her father arranged for her burial in the cathedral he had been building all her life. William (1679-1738): there has been speculation that William was mentally handicapped. He never had any sort of career and his brother Christopher jnr. was charged with William's care on his father's death. For more information on Wren see Professional Career and on his buildings James Campbell October 2000