William Wotton
William Wotton [1]
an English divine, was born at Wrentham, Suffolk, Aug. 13, 1666. He was endowed with a remarkable memory, and by the time he was five years old had acquired, under the tuition of his father, considerable facility in translating Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. In April, 1676, when not yet ten years old, he was admitted to Catherine Hall, Cambridge, where he made rapid progress in the languages and other branches of learning. In 1679 he took the degree of A.B., and afterwards obtained a fellowship in St. John's. In 1691 he received the living of Llandrillo, Denbighshire, and was soon after made chaplain to the earl of Nottingham, who, in 1693, presented him to the rectory of Middleton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. He died at Buxted, Essex, Feb. 13, 1726,
His publications are numerous, among which may be named, Reflections upon Ancient and Modern Learning (1694): — Hist. of Rome from the Death of Antoninus Pius to the Death of Severus Alexander (1701): — Discourse on the Confusion of Language at Babel (1730). Wren, Christopher, D.D., an English clergyman, was fellow of St. John's College, Oxford, afterwards chaplain to Charles I, and rector of Knoyle, Wiltshire. He was made dean of Windsor in 1635; and presented to the rectory of Haseley, Oxfordshire, in 1638. He died at the house of his son-in-law, Mr. William Holder, at Blechingdon, in the County of Oxford, in 1638. Wren, Matthew, D.D., an eminent English prelate, was born in the parish of St. Petercheap, London, Dec. 23, 1585. He was educated at Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, and elected fellow of his college, Nov. 9, 1605. He studied divinity, and was admitted to holy orders in 1610. He was appointed chaplain to bishop Andrews, and presented to the rectory of Teversham, Cambridgeshire, in 1615. In 1621 he became chaplain to prince Charles, whom he attended in that office to Spain in 1623. He became rector of Bingham, Nottinghamshire, and prebendary of Winchester in 1624. In July, 1625, he was chosen master of Peterhouse, Cambridcge, to which-he became a great benefactor, building a large part of the college, and securing contributions for a chapel, which was completed in 1632. In July, 1628, he became dean of Windsor and Wolverhampton. He was sworn a judge of the Star-chamber for foreign causes in 1629; installed as prebendary of Westminster in 1634; promoted to the bishopric of Hereford the same year; and translated to the see of Norwich in 1635, where he remained about two years and a half. He succeeded Juxon as dean of his majesty's chapel in 1636, and was translated to the bishopric of Ely in May, 1638. In December, 1640, proceedings were begun in Parliament against him, and in July, 1641, he was impeached of high crimes and misdemeanors. The penalty was fixed at imprisonment in the Tower during the pleasure of the Parliament, which lasted eighteen years. When the Restoration drew nigh, he was released, in March, 1659, and returned to his palace at Ely in 1660. He died at Ely. House, London, April 24, 1667. He published some Sermons and other works of no present interest.
