Christopher Wren, Jr.
Christopher Wren (1675–1747), was a Member of Parliament, and the son of the architect Sir Christopher Wren and his first wife, Faith Coghill, daughter of Sir John Coghill of Bletchingdon.
Biography
He was educated at Eton and Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, which he entered in 1691, but left without a degree. In 1708, he laid the last stone of the lantern which surmounts the dome of St Paul's Cathedral in the presence of his father.
He represented Windsor British general election in 1713 and Parliament during the periods of 1713–15 and was officially return as a Member of Parliament by 29, 37.
He collected documents, which were dedicated to Arthur Onslow, Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom), and published as the Parentalia by his son Stephen in 1750. His portrait, engraved by Faber, forms the frontispiece of the Parentalia. Two letters written to him by Sir Christopher while he was quite a youth, were printed in Miss Phillimore's Life (pp. 282, 302), that show their relationship was of an affectionate character. The younger Christopher was also a numismatist of some repute (Hearne, Collections, ed. Doble, ii. 264), and he published Numismatum Antiquorum Sylloge (London, 4to) in 1708.
Wren was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1693.[1]
His first wife was Mary, daughter of Philip Musard, jeweler of Queen Anne. His second wife, Constance, daughter of Sir Thomas Middleton, and widow of Sir Roger Burgoyne, Bart., died on 23 May 1734.[2]
Christopher Wren, Jr. died on 24 August 1747.[3]
References
- ↑ "Complete List of Royal Society Fellows 1660-2007" (PDF). Royal Society. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
- ↑ Gent. Mag. 1734, p. 275
- ↑ Gent. Mag. 1747, p. 447; Letters of Eminent Lit. Men, Camden Soc. p. 346
- Francis Cranmer Penrose, "Christopher Wren (1675–1747)", Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, Volume 63
- D. Hayton, E. Cruickshanks, S. Handley (editors), "WREN, Christopher (1675-1747), of St. James’s Street, Westminster, Mdx. and Wroxall, Warws.", The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715, at historyofparliamentonline.org, retrieved 28 August 2012
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Wray, Christopher (1524-1592)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.