Sir Christopher Wren, PRS

Sir Christopher Wren PRS was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history. He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710. The principal creative responsibility for a number of the churches is now more commonly attributed to others in his office, especially Nicholas Hawksmoor. Other notable buildings by Wren include the Royal Naval College in Greenwich and the south front of Hampton Court Palace.

Educated in Latin and Aristotelian physics at the University of Oxford, Wren was a notable astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist, as well as an architect. He was a founder of the Royal Society (president 1680–82), and his scientific work was highly regarded by Sir Isaac Newton and Blaise Pascal.

His obituary was published in the Post Boy No. 5244 London 2 March 1723:

• Sir Christopher Wren who died on Monday last in the 91st year of his age, was the only son of Dr. Chr. Wren, Dean of Windsor & Wolverhampton, Registar of the Garter, younger brother of Dr. Mathew(sic) Wren Ld Bp of Ely, a branch of the ancient family of Wrens of Binchester in the Bishoprick (sic) of Durham
• 1653. Elected from Wadham into fellowship of All Souls
• 1657. Professor of Astronomy Gresham College London
• 1660. Savilian Professor. Oxford After 1666. Surveyor General for Rebuilding the Cathedral Church of St.Paul and the Parochial Churches & all other Public Buildings which he lived to finish
• 1669. Surveyor General till April 26. 1718
• 1680. President of the Royal Society
• 1698. Surveyor General & Sub Commissioner for Repairs to Westminster Abbey by Act of Parliament, continued till death.
• His body is to be deposited in the Great Vault under the Dome of the Cathedral of St. Paul.

Freemason: Master of Lodge Original, No. 1, now the Lodge of Antiquity No. 2

From June 1679 to March 1684 Christopher was one of the "Adventurers of England Trading into the Hudson Bay"
"It is reported he went aboard the 'Prudent Mary'" page 259
"In the archives of the Company there is a volume which gives brief records of nearly the whole of the more than 600 voyages which have been made to and from Hudson Bay by the Company's ships." page 262
https://archive.org/details/b1181875/page/n7/mode/2up

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Wren

Other References

Sir Christopher Wren, 1632-1723 / with contributions by Paul Waterhouse ... [et al.] by Waterhouse, Paul. * https://archive.org/details/b1181875/page/n7/mode/2up

• Hogg, Bruce; Freemasons and the Royal Society ed 2; Library and Museum of Freemasonry; January 2012; page 126
• Reference: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1941/christopher-wren