Showing 91 results

People & Organisations
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Wren, Christopher Michael, Sir, 1632-1723

  • GB-2014-WSA-01498
  • Person
  • 1631-1723

WREN, SIR CHRISTOPHER, son of Very Rev. Christopher Wren, Dean of Windsor, and Mary, dau. of Robert Cox, Fonthill Abbey, Wilts.; bapt. 10 Nov 1632; adm. 1641; left 1646; Wadham Coll. Oxford, adm. fellow commoner 25 Jun 1649 (or 1650); BA 18 Mar 1650/1; MA 1653; DCL 1661; LLD Cambridge 1662; Fellow, All Souls Coll. Oxford 1653-7; Professor of Astronomy, Gresham Coll., London 1657-61; Savilian Professor of Astronomy, Oxford Univ. 5 Feb 1660/1- 9 Mar 1673; initiated experiments on the cause of the variations of the barometer; conducted research into anatomy and medical subjects; drew up the preamble to the first charter of the Royal Society 1660; one of the Council named in the second charter of the Royal Society 22 Apr 1663; FRS 20 May 1663 (original Fellow); one of the three Commissioners named by Charles II in October 1666 to consider rebuilding the city of London after the Great Fire; Surveyor of the King’s Works Mar 1668/9-1718; knighted 20 Nov 1673; adm. Lincoln’s Inn 25 Apr 1676; President, Royal Society 30 Nov 1680 – 30 Nov 1682; Comptroller of Works, Windsor Castle 1684-1716; MP Plympton 1685-7, Windsor Jan 1688/9 – unseated 14 May 1689, Mar 1689/90 – unseated 17 May 1690, Weymouth and Melcombe Regis Nov 1701-2; Surveyor of St. Paul’s Cathedral from 1675; Surveyor, Greenwich Hospital 1696-1716; Surveyor to the Fabric, Westminster Abbey, from 1699; architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral, many London city churches and halls of City livery companies, Temple Bar, the Monument, Greenwich Hospital, Chelsea Hospital, the Sheldonian Theatre and Old Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, Tom Tower, Christ Church, Oxford, and Neville’s Court and the Library, Trinity Coll. Cambridge; made extensive alterations and additions at Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace and Westminster Abbey; purchased Wroxall Abbey estate, Warwickshire, for his son 1713; m. 1st, 27 Dec 1669 Faith, dau. of Sir Thomas Coghill, Kt, Bletchingdon, Oxfordshire; m. 2nd, 24 Feb 1676/7 Hon. Jane Fitzwilliam, sister of Hon. Charles Fitzwilliam (qv); d. 25 Feb 1722/3. Buried St. Paul’s Cathedral. DNB.

Wesley, Charles, 1707-1788

  • GB-2014-WSA-01460
  • Person
  • 1707-1788

WESLEY, CHARLES, brother of Samuel Wesley (qv); b. 18 Dec 1707; adm. Apr 1716; KS 1721; Capt. of the School 1725; elected head to Christ Church, Oxford 1726, matr. 13 Jun 1726, Westminster Student 22 Dec 1726 – void by marriage 5 May 1749, Tutor 1732-3; acquired the nickname “Methodist” while at university; BA 1730; MA 12 Mar 1732/3; ordained deacon (Oxford), priest (London) Oct 1735; Secretary to James Oglethorpe, Governor of Georgia 1736-8 (but was only in Georgia to Jul 1736); became “converted” 21 May 1738; settled at Bristol and made evangelistic journeys through the country 1739-56; removed to Bath 1761 and to London 1771; preached at the City Road Chapel; called by Robert Southey (qv) “the sweet singer of Methodism”; composed some 6500 hymns; his poetical works, together with those of his brother John, were published in thirteen volumes 1868-72; m. 8 Apr 1749 Sarah, third dau. of Marmaduke Gwynne, Garth, Llanlleonfel, Breconshire; d. 29 Mar 1788. Tablet to him and his brother John erected in Westminster Abbey 1871. DNB.

Waldegrave, James, 1715-1763

  • GB-2014-WSA-17478
  • Person
  • 1715-1763

WALDEGRAVE, JAMES, 2nD EARL WALDEGRAVE, eldest son of James Waldegrave, 1st Earl Waldegrave PC KG, Ambassador at Paris, and Mary, second dau. of Sir John Webb, Bart., Hatherop, Gloucs.; b. 14 Mar 1714/5; adm. Feb 1723/4; left 1725; went to Eton Coll.; styled Viscount Chewton 1729-41; succ. father as 2nd Earl Waldegrave 11 Apr 1741; a Lord of the Bedchamber 13 Dec 1743 – 18 Dec 1752; an intimate friend and adviser of George II; Lord Warden of the Stannaries 16 Apr 1751-6; Governor and Keeper of the Privy Purse to George, Prince of Wales, and to Prince Edward 18 Dec 1752 – Oct 1756; Privy Councillor 20 Dec 1752; a Teller of the Exchequer from 5 Feb 1757; employed by George II as an intermediary with his Ministers, and was finally compelled by him to accept the office of Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, but his tenure was only for five days, 8-12 Jun 1757; LLD Cambridge 3 Jul 1749; FRS 14 Dec 1749; KG 30 Jun 1757 (invested); his Memoirs were published in 1821; m. 15 May 1759 Maria (subsequently wife of HRH William Henry, Duke of Gloucester), natural dau. of Hon. Sir Edward Walpole KB; d. 28 Apr 1763. DNB.

Vincent, William, 1739-1815

  • GB-2014-WSA-00013
  • Person
  • 1739-1815

VINCENT, WILLIAM, fifth surviving son of Giles Vincent, Lime Street Ward, London, packer and Portugal merchant, and Sarah, dau. of Francis Holloway, Newnham Murren, Oxfordshire; nephew of Richard Vincent (QS 1708, qv); b. 2 Nov 1739; adm. Sep 1748 (Hutton's); KS 1753; elected to Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1757, adm. pens. 9 Jun 1757, scholar 21 Apr 1758, matr. 1758; BA 1761; MA 1764; BD and DD 1776; Usher at the School 1762-71, Under Master 28 May 1771-88, Head Master 1788-1802; ordained deacon (Norwich, lit. dim. from Rochester) 19 Dec 1763, priest (London) 22 Sep 1765; Vicar of Longdon, Worcs., 1778; Rector of All Hallows the Great, London 17 Dec 1778-1803; Chaplain in Ordinary to George III (occurs 1778-93), Sub-Almoner 28 Nov 1783 - Feb 1808; Dean of Westminster from 7 Aug 1802; Prolocutor, Lower House of Convocation 1802, 1806, 1807; Rector of St. John’s, Westminster 28 May 1803 - Jan 1807; Rector of Islip, Oxfordshire, from 31 Jan 1807; one of the soundest scholars of his day, although he resembled Busby in his love for the rod; when Dean of Westminster obtained an annual grant from Parliament for the restoration of Henry VII’s Chapel; his name is perpetuated by Vincent Square, preserved through his influence as playing fields for the School; Busby Trustee 22 Apr 1790; author, Defence of Public Education, 1801, and of a number of highly regarded works on ancient geography and other subjects; m. 15 Aug 1771 Hannah, fourth dau. of George Wyatt, Chief Clerk of Vote Office, House of Commons; d. 21 Dec 1815. Buried St. Benedict’s Chapel, Westminster Abbey (monument facing Poets’ Corner, with inscription composed by himself). DNB.

Vane, Henry, Sir, 1612?-1662

  • GB-2014-WSA-01409
  • Person
  • 1612?-1662

VANE, SIR HENRY, eldest son of Sir Henry Vane, Kt MP, Treasurer of the Household and Secretary of State, Hadlow, Kent, and Raby Castle, co. Durham, and Frances, dau. of Thomas Darcy, Tolleshunt D’Arcy, Essex; bapt. 26 May 1613; at schoool under Osbaldeston (Wood, Athenae Oxon., iii, 578); became a puritan at age of 15; Magdalen Hall, Oxford, adm. fellow commoner, aged 16, but did not matr., as he objected to taking the oath; went to New England to obtain freedom of worship 1635; Governor of Massachusetts 1636-7; became entangled in doctrinal controversies and returned to England; Joint Treasurer of the Navy Jan 1639- Dec 41; MP Hull 1640-53; knighted 23 Jun 1640; showed Pym his father's notes of Strafford's advice to Charles I at the Council meeting of 5 May 1640; one of the originators of the bill for the abolition of episcopacy 1641; one of the committee appointed to vindicate the privileges of Parliament on the arrest of the five members; a leader of the war party in the House of Commons; Treasurer of the Navy (for Parliament) Aug 1642 - Dec 1650; conducted the negotiations with the Scots 1643; the virtual leader of the House of Commons after Pym's death; proposed and carried the establishment of the Committee of both Kingdoms 1644; one of the Parliamentary Commissioners at Uxbridge 1645; rejected Charles I’s overtures in 1644 and 1646; a Commissioner to treat with the army at Wycombe 1647; distrusted by the Presbyterians and the Levellers; took no part in Charles I’s trial; member of Council of State 14 Feb 1649; active member of the government 1649-53; a Commissioner for settling Scottish affairs 1651; quarrelled with Cromwell over the expulsion of the Long Parliament 1653; retired to Lincolnshire and refused a seat in the Little Parliament; imprisoned at Carisbrooke Castle as a result of the publication of his book Healing Question, propounded and resolved, 1656; MP Whitchurch in Richard Cromwell’s Parliament; assisted in the abolition of the Protectorate; Commissioner of the Navy and manager of foreign affairs in the restored Long Parliament; unsuccessfully endeavoured to reconcile Parliament and the army; became distrusted by all parties; expelled from the House of Commons 9 Jan 1660; partially excluded from the Act of Indemnity; imprisoned in the Tower of London, and subsequently transported to the Scilly Isles; tried for high treason in Court of King’s Bench, and sentenced to death 11 Jun 1662; an able statesman of enormous industry, but although his devotion to the public service and his freedom from corruption were well known, his religious enthusiasm and his subtlety in speculative matters exposed to him to the charge of being a fanatic and an unscrupulous schemer; author, The Retired Man’s Meditations, 1655, and other works; m. 1 Jul 1640 Frances, dau. of Sir Christopher Wray, Bart., Barlings, Lincs.; executed on Tower Hill 14 Jun 1662. DNB.

Trelawny, Jonathan, 1650-1721

  • GB-2014-WSA-17033
  • Person
  • 1650-1721

TRELAWNY, SIR JONATHAN, BART., third son of Sir Jonathan Trelawny, Bart., and Mary, dau. of Sir Edward Seymour, Bart.; b. 24 Mar 1650; adm.; KS 1663; Exeter Coll. Oxford, adm. commoner 14 Apr 1668 while still at school, but elected to Christ Church, Oxford 1668, matr. 11 Dec 1668, Westminster Student 26 Dec 1668- void 1679, Tutor 1678; BA 1672; MA 1675; DD 1685; adm. Middle Temple 1 Nov 1669; ordained 4 Sep 1673; Vicar of South Hill, Cornwall 4 Oct 1677-89; Rector of St. Ives, Cornwall 12 Dec 1677-89; succ. father as 3rd baronet Mar 1680/1; distinguished himself by his active opposition to Monmouth’s rebellion summer 1685; consecrated Bishop of Bristol 8 Nov 1685; refused to sign address in favour of first Declaration of Indulgence 1687; assisted in drawing up the petition of the Bishops against the second Declaration of Indulgence, and was sent to the Tower 8 Jun 1688; tried for seditious libel with the six other bishops and acquitted 30 Jun 1688; took the oaths to William and Mary; translated to Exeter 13 Apr 1689; Archdeacon of Totnes 1693-4, Exeter 1704-7; established his rights as Visitor of Exeter Coll. Oxford 1694; supported Atterbury in his movement for the revival of Convocation; translated to Winchester 14 Jan 1707; a benefactor to the building of Tom Tower, at Christ Church, Oxford, 1680-1; Busby Trustee 28 Jan 1719/20; m. 1684 Rebecca, dau. of Thomas Hele, Bascombe, Devon; d. 19 Jul 1721. DNB.

Tizard, Henry Thomas, 1885-1960

  • GB-2014-WSA-16918
  • Person
  • 1885-1960

Tizard, Sir Henry Thomas, only son of Capt. Thomas Henry Tizard, R.N., C.B., F.R.S., asst. hydrographer to the Admiralty, by Mary Elizabeth, daughter of William H. Church­ward, C.E., of Woking, Surrey; b. Aug. 23, 1885; adm. as exhibitioner Sept. 28, 1899 (R); Q.S. Jan. 1900; left (with Triplett) July 1904; Magd. Coll. Oxon., matric. Michaelmas 1904; demy (Science) 1905; 1st class Maths. (Mods.) 1905; 1st class Nat. Science (Chemistry) 1908; B.A. 1908; senior demy 1909; Fellow of Oriel Coll. and lecturer in Nat. Science 1911-20; M.A. 1911; served in Great War I; Lieut.-Col. R.A.F. April 1, 1918; director of Technical Research and Experiment R.A.F.; mentioned in despatches; A.F.C. Nov. 2, 1918; principal asst. sec. Dept. of Scientific and Industrial Research; F.R.S. 1926; C.I.E. Jan. 1, 1927; Rector of the Imperial Coll. of Science and Technology 1929-42; Hon. Fellow of Oriel Coll. Oxon. 1933; a trustee of the British Museum 1937; K.C.B. Feb. 1, 1937; member of the Air Council 1941-3; president of Magd. Coll. Oxon. 1942-6; chairman of the Defence Research Policy Committee and of the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy 1946-52; Hon. Fellow of Magd. Coll. 1946; Hon. Sc.D., Cambridge, London and Leeds; Hon. LL.D. Queensland and Edinburgh; Hon. D.C.L. Durham; Gold Medallist of the Franklin Society of Philadelphia 1946; president of the British Association 1948; G.C.B. Jan. 1, 1949; a Busby Trustee 1938; a Governor of the School 1939; he was one of the leading scientists of his day, and it was in great part due to his prescience in the development of radar that the R.A.F. won the Battle of Britain in 1940; m. April 24, 1915, Kathleen Eleanor, second daughter of Arthur Prangley Wilson, of Rudgarick, Surrey; d. Oct. 9, 1959; the Henry Tizard Memorial Fund for the promotion of science at Westminster was founded in his memory 1960.

Southey, Robert, 1774-1843

  • GB-2014-WSA-00017
  • Person
  • 1774-1843

SOUTHEY, ROBERT, son of Robert Southey, Bristol, linen draper, and Margaret, dau. of Edward Hill, Bedminster, Somerset, attorney; b. 12 Aug 1774; adm. 2 Apr 1788 (Ottley); Min. Can. 1789; an elegy written by him on his sister’s death was refused for publication by the editors of The Trifler; he, Grosvenor Charles Bedford (qv), and Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn (adm. 1784, qv) founded The Flagellant, which appeared for the first time 1 Mar 1792, but he was expelled from the School for writing the article against excessive flogging in the fifth number, dated 29 Mar 1792; refused admittance to Christ Church, Oxford, and went to Balliol Coll. Oxford, matr. 3 Nov 1792, where he resided for a year and a half, making the acquaintance of S. T. Coleridge; author, Joan of Arc 1796; adm. Gray’s Inn 7 Feb 1797; author, Thalaba 1801; settled at Keswick, Cumberland 1803; author, Madoc 1805, The Curse of Kahama, 1810; Poet Laureate from 12 Aug 1813; author, Life of Nelson 1813, Life of Wesley 1820; MP Downton 1826 – Dec 1826, when unseated for not possessing a sufficient property qualification; during his career his political and religious opinions altered, the republican becoming a Tory and the independent thinker a champion of the established church; author of a large number of books, including the standard edition of William Cowper’s (qv) Works in 15 vols, 1833-7; contributed 95 articles to the Quarterly Review; m. 1st, 14 Nov 1795 Edith, dau. of Stephen Fricker, Westbury, Wilts.; m. 2nd, 4 Jun 1839 Caroline Anne, poetess, dau. of Capt. Charles Bowles, EICS Bengal, Buckland Cottage, Lymington, Hampshire; d. 21 Mar 1843. Monument in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey. DNB.

South, Robert, 1634-1716

  • GB-2014-WSA-01309
  • Person
  • 1634-1716

SOUTH, ROBERT, son of Robert South, Hackney, Middlesex, merchant, and his second wife Elizabeth, eldest dau. of Capt. John Berry, Lydd, Kent; b. 4 Sep 1634; adm.; was “up School” on the morning of 30 Jan 1648/9, when “the King was publicly prayed for … but an hour or two (at most) before his sacred head was struck off “ (South, Sermons, 1823, iii, 411); KS 1650; elected head to Christ Church, Oxford 1651, matr. 11 Dec 1651, Westminster Student to 1670 [check]; BA 24 Feb 1654/5; MA 1657 (incorp. Cambridge 1659); BD and DD 1663 (incorp. Cambridge 1664); ordained 1658; Public Orator, Oxford Univ. 10 Aug 1660 – Nov 1677, res.; Chaplain to Earl of Clarendon, Chancellor of Oxford Univ.; Prebendary of Westminster from 30 Mar 1663; Rector of Llanrhaiadr yn Mochnant, Denbighshire 1666/7 – still 1678 (when disp. to hold with R. Islip); Canon of Christ Church, Oxford, from 29 Dec 1670; went to Poland as Chaplain to Laurence Hyde (afterwards Earl of Rochester), Ambassador there 1676-8; Rector of Islip, Oxfordshire, from 1678; Chaplain in Ordinary to Charles II; attacked William Sherlock, Master of the Temple, in his Animadversions, 1693, and accused Sherlock of Tritheism 1695; declined Bishopric of Rochester and Deanery of Westminster on death of Thomas Sprat in 1713; an eloquent and pithy preacher, with a gift of humour; rebuilt chancel and rectory at Islip at his own expense; bequeathed his property in Caversham, Oxfordshire, and Kentish Town, Middlesex, to Dean and Chapter of Christ Church, Oxford, upon trust for certain charities named in his will, the surplus of the yearly income to be paid to six poor scholars of Christ Church who had been “bred and brought up in Westminster School, commanly called the King’s or Queen’s Scholars [check] there”; an original trustee of Busby’s will; several editions of his collected sermons have been published; d. unm. 8 Jul 1716. After lying in state four days in Jerusalem Chamber, his body was carried into College Hall, where John Barber (qv), Captain of the KSS, pronounced a funeral oration over it; buried at the foot of the steps before the altar, Westminster Abbey, near the grave of Richard Busby (qv), with monument facing Poets’ Corner. DNB.

By his will dated 30 Mar 1713/4 (proved 24 Jul 1716) he left his estates at Caversham, Oxfordshire, and at Kentish Town, Middlesex, after the death of his housekeeper Margaret Hammond and the expiry of her life interest in them, to the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church, Oxford, upon trust to pay out of the income “to six poor scholars for ever twenty nobles apiece by even and equall portions … and that the said poore scholars be all of them of Christ Church in Oxon. ; but bred and brought up in Westminster Schole commonly called the (King’s or Queen’s) Schole there and these likewise to be of the sole choice and nomination of the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church and their successors for ever”. By the ordinances annexed to the Christ Church (Oxford) Ordinances Act 1867, the income was directed to be applied, with other funds, for the maintenance of the Westminster Junior Studentships.
According to E.G.W.Bill, op.cit., p.104-5, “the foundation had a shaky start, and the first appointment of an exhibitioner was not made until 1738”. As Bill records, “the value of the exhibitions by themselves was too small to have much effect, but South was often held with one or more of the Lee exhibitions”. The foundation remained “incapable of improvement until the Dean and Chapter were empowered to grant building leases of the Kentish Town estate in 1851”.

Somerset, Fitzroy John Henry, 1788-1855

  • GB-2014-WSA-16012
  • Person
  • 1788-1855

SOMERSET, FITZROY JOHN HENRY, 1ST BARON RAGLAN, youngest son of Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort (qv); b. 30 Sep 1788; adm. 1 Feb 1802 (Clapham); in school list 1803; Cornet, 4th Light Dragoons 9 Jun 1804; Lieut., 30 May 1805; Capt., 6th Garrison Battn., 5 May 1808; 43rd Foot 18 Aug 1808; Brevet Maj., 9 Jun 1811; Brevet Lieut. -Col., 27 Apr 1812; Capt. and Lieut. -Col., 1st Foot Guards 25 Jul 1814; Col. in the Army and ADC to Prince Regent 28 Aug 1815; Major-Gen., 27 May 1825; Col., 53rd Foot 19 Nov 1830 – May 1854 [check]; Lieut. -Gen., 28 Jun 1838; Col., Royal Horse Guards, from 8 May 1854; Gen., 20 Jun 1854; Field-Marshal 5 Nov 1854; served with Wellington in Peninsular War; wounded at battle of Busaco; lost right arm at battle of Waterloo; Secretary to Embassy, Paris 1814, Minister Plenipotentiary there Jan – Mar 1815; Secretary to Master-Gen. of the Ordnance 1815-27; MP Truro 1818-20, 1826 – Mar 1829; Military Secretary, War Office Jan 1827 – Sep 1852; Master-Gen. of the Ordnance 30 Sep 1852 – May 1855; Commander-in-Chief of British Troops in Crimea from 1854; Privy Councillor 16 Oct 1852; created Baron Raglan 20 Oct 1852; KCB 2 Jan 1815; GCB 24 Sep 1852; DCL Oxford 1834; m. 6 Aug 1814 Lady Emily Harriet Wellesley Pole, second dau. of William Wellesley Pole, 3rrd Earl of Mornington PC, Master of the Mint; d. in camp before Sevastopol 28 Jun 1855. DNB.

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