Editing Christopher Wren (section)

===1665–1723===
It was probably around this time that Christopher Wren was drawn into redesigning a battered [[St Paul's Cathedral]]. Making a trip to Paris in 1665, Wren studied architecture, which had reached a climax of creativity, and perused the drawings of [[Gian Lorenzo Bernini|Bernini]], the great Italian sculptor and architect, who himself was visiting Paris at the time. Returning from Paris, he made his first design for St Paul's. A week later, however, the [[Great Fire of London|Great Fire]] destroyed two-thirds of the city. Wren submitted his plans for rebuilding the city to King Charles II, although they were never adopted. With his appointment as King's Surveyor of Works in 1669, he had a presence in the general process of rebuilding the city, but was not directly involved with the rebuilding of houses or companies' halls. Wren was personally responsible for the rebuilding of [[List of Christopher Wren churches in London|51 churches]]; however, it is not necessarily true to say that each of them represented his own fully developed design.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}

Wren was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] on 14 November 1673.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Meridew|first=John|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=luZhAAAAcAAJ|title=A Catalogue of Engraved Portraits of Nobility, Gentry, Clergymen and Others, Born, Resident In, Or Connected with the County of Warwick: Alphabetically Arranged, with Names of the Painters and Engravers, ... to which are Added Numerous Biographical Notices, ...|date=1848|publisher=|pages=77|language=en}}</ref> This honour was bestowed on him after his resignation from the Savilian chair in Oxford, by which time he had already begun to make his mark as an architect, both in services to the Crown and in playing an important part in rebuilding London after the Great Fire.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}

Additionally, he was sufficiently active in public affairs to be returned as [[Member of Parliament]] on four occasions.<ref name=HoC7>{{cite web |title=Sir Christopher Wren, 1632–1723 |url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1690-1715/member/wren-sir-christopher-1632-1723 |work=[[The History of Parliament]] |access-date=15 September 2016}}</ref> Wren first stood for [[Parliament of England|Parliament]] in a by-election in 1667 for the [[Cambridge University (UK Parliament constituency)|Cambridge University constituency]], losing by six votes to Sir [[Charles Wheler]].<ref name=HoC5>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1660-1690/constituencies/cambridge-university|title=Cambridge University, 1660–1690 |work=[[The History of Parliament]] |access-date=15 September 2016}}</ref> He was unsuccessful again in a by-election for the [[Oxford University (UK Parliament constituency)|Oxford University constituency]] in 1674, losing to [[Thomas Thynne, 1st Viscount Weymouth|Thomas Thynne]].<ref name=HoC6>{{cite web |title=Oxford University, 1660–1690 |url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1660-1690/constituencies/oxford-university |work=[[The History of Parliament]] |access-date=15 September 2016}}</ref> At his third attempt Wren was successful, and he sat for [[Plympton Erle (UK Parliament constituency)|Plympton Erle]] during the [[Loyal Parliament]] of 1685 to 1687.<ref name=HoC4>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1660-1690/constituencies/plympton-erle|title=Plympton Erle, 1660–1690 |work=[[The History of Parliament]] |access-date=15 September 2016}}</ref> Wren was returned for [[Windsor (UK Parliament constituency)|New Windsor]] on 11 January 1689 in the [[1689 English general election|general election]], but his election was declared void on 14 May 1689.<ref name=HoC1>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1660-1690/constituencies/new-windsor|title=New Windsor, 1660–1690 |work=[[The History of Parliament]] |access-date=15 September 2016}}</ref> He was elected again for New Windsor on [[1690 English general election|6 March 1690]], but this election was declared void on 17 May 1690.<ref name=HoC2>{{cite web |title=New Windsor, 1690–1715 |url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1690-1715/constituencies/new-windsor |work=[[The History of Parliament]] |access-date=15 September 2016}}</ref> Over a decade later he was elected unopposed for [[Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (UK Parliament constituency)|Weymouth and Melcombe Regis]] at the [[December 1701 English general election|November 1701 general election]]. He retired at the [[1702 English general election|general election]] the following year.<ref name=HoC3>{{cite web |title=Weymouth and Melcolme Regis, 1690–1715 |url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1690-1715/constituencies/weymouth-and-melcombe-regis |work=[[The History of Parliament]] |access-date=15 September 2016}}</ref>