Christopher Wren, of East Knoyle, D.D. 115 
his heirs; and for greater security the seal of the Borough is affixed 
to this grant. 
The seals of the respective grantors have evidently been affixed 
to both these feoffments, but are now lost. 
The Corporation seal of Marlborough used now, has on it the 
Town Arms as given in the title page of Mr. Waylen’s “ History 
of Marlborough.” 
F. A. CaRrRrinctTon. 
Christopher Vren af East Kuoyle, H.D. 
Among the many distinguished names which gave prominence 
and lustre to the County of Wilts during the 17th century, not 
the least was that of the first English architect of his day, Sir 
Christopher Wren, born in 1631 at East Knoyle, at the parsonage 
house of his father, Dr. Christopher Wren, the Dean of Windsor. 
As the following incidents, occurring during the childhood of Sir 
Christopher, will not be found in the Parentalia, published by his 
descendant Dr. Stephen Wren, their appearance in the Wiltshire 
Magazine, may, it is hoped, provoke further elucidation and illus- 
tration from other local contributors. 
When the civil wars broke out between Charles I. and his 
Parliament, Knoyle was the centre of a group of royalist families, 
such as Stourton, Bennett, Cottington, Digby, Green of Mere, 
Willoughby, and Hyde. The Doctor’s advanced age, moreover, 
made him averse to any movement of a revolutionary kind. His 
adherence to the King’s party was therefore from the first pro 
nounced in a decided manner. This, in fact, was all that could be 
alleged against him, to prove what was termed “Delinquency,” 
for he had served his cure with credit for nearly thirty years. 
Still, delinquency, though in the form only of adherence to the 
king, was a crime to be punished, and even on this point the evi- 
dence was very contradictory. There was also another charge, 
relating to pictures which he erected in the chancel, but it was 
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