Christopher Merrett
Encyclopedia
Christopher Merret FRS (16 February 1614/5 – 19 August 1695) was an English
physician and scientist. He was the first to document the deliberate addition of sugar for the production of sparkling wine
, and produced the first list of British birds.
, Gloucestershire
on 16 February; Hunter gives the year of his birth as 1615, which may be 1614 Old Style
. In 1632 he went up
to Gloucester Hall, Oxford (which later became Worcester College); he received his BA from Oriel
in 1635, and his BMed and DMed from Gloucester Hall in 1636 and 1643 respectively.
Merret then practised medicine in London, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
in 1651. Three years later he moved to the RCP's premises at Amen Corner
near St Paul's Cathedral
, as the first Harveian Librarian, a post he held until 1665. He was a founding Fellow of the Royal Society
and chairman of the Royal Society's committee concerned with the history of trade and commerce, but was expelled in 1685.
He died at his home near the chapel in Hatton Garden
, on 19 August 1695, and was buried at St Andrew's, Holborn.
and tin
mining. In 1662 he translated Antonio Neri
’s The Art of Glass (1611) and added 147 pages of his own, from other authors and his own observations. His descriptions of glassmaking indicate an intimate familiarity with the process, but his modern claim to fame lies in a passing mention to a different field altogether. On 17 December 1662 he presented Some Observations concerning the Ordering of Wines to the Royal Society
. In this paper, unearthed by wine writer Tom Stevenson, Merret describes winemakers adding quantities of sugar and molasses to make the wines drink brisk and sparkling. Today this would be called the méthode champenoise, the addition of liqueur de tirage in order to stimulate a secondary fermentation that produces the bubbles in sparkling wine.
Spontaneous secondary fermentation had occurred in still wines since antiquity; most glass bottles of the time were not strong enough to contain the high pressures thus generated and so exploding bottles were an occupational hazard of winemaking. Sir Robert Mansell obtained a monopoly on glass production in England in the early 17th century and industrialised the process; his coal-powered factories in Newcastle-on-Tyne produced much stronger bottles than were available in France. As a result the English could deliberately induce a secondary fermentation in wine without the risk of blowing up the bottle, long before Dom Pérignon
is traditionally considered to have invented sparkling wine in Champagne
around 1697.
Although Merret appears to have been more interested in making glass than in making wine, producers of English sparkling wine such as Ridgeview have been quick to use his name as a generic term to describe their wines.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
physician and scientist. He was the first to document the deliberate addition of sugar for the production of sparkling wine
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
, and produced the first list of British birds.
Life
Merret was born in WinchcombeWinchcombe
Winchcombe is a Cotswold town in the local authority district of Tewkesbury, in Gloucestershire, England. Its population according to the 2001 census was 4,379.-Early history:...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
on 16 February; Hunter gives the year of his birth as 1615, which may be 1614 Old Style
Old Style and New Style dates
Old Style and New Style are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year has been adjusted to start on 1 January even though documents written at the time use a different start of year ; or to indicate that a date conforms to the Julian...
. In 1632 he went up
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
to Gloucester Hall, Oxford (which later became Worcester College); he received his BA from Oriel
Oriel College
Oriel College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford...
in 1635, and his BMed and DMed from Gloucester Hall in 1636 and 1643 respectively.
Merret then practised medicine in London, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
in 1651. Three years later he moved to the RCP's premises at Amen Corner
Amen Corner (London)
Amen Corner lies at the junction of Paternoster Row and Ave Maria Lane, just to the west of St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London.- History :...
near St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, as the first Harveian Librarian, a post he held until 1665. He was a founding Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
and chairman of the Royal Society's committee concerned with the history of trade and commerce, but was expelled in 1685.
He died at his home near the chapel in Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden is a street and area near Holborn in London, England. It is most famous for being London’s jewellery quarter and centre of the UK diamond trade, but the area is also now home to a diverse range of media and creative businesses....
, on 19 August 1695, and was buried at St Andrew's, Holborn.
Naturalist
Merret collected new plants, maintained a herb garden and compiled one of the first lists of the flora, fauna and minerals of England, the Pinax Rerum Naturalium Britannicarum. The Pinax was published in 1666 and is an alphabetical catalogue with no explanatory commentary. However it represents the first list of British birds, and contains one of the first statements by an Englishman on the organic origin of fossils:Metallurgy and glass making
Merret had a particular interest in industrial uses of minerals, publishing papers on smeltingSmelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
and tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
mining. In 1662 he translated Antonio Neri
Antonio Neri
Antonio Neri was a Florentine priest who published L’Arte Vetraria or The Art of Glass in 1612. His father was a physician, and he was an herbalist, alchemist, and glassmaker. Neri traveled extensively in Italy and Holland.-References:...
’s The Art of Glass (1611) and added 147 pages of his own, from other authors and his own observations. His descriptions of glassmaking indicate an intimate familiarity with the process, but his modern claim to fame lies in a passing mention to a different field altogether. On 17 December 1662 he presented Some Observations concerning the Ordering of Wines to the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
. In this paper, unearthed by wine writer Tom Stevenson, Merret describes winemakers adding quantities of sugar and molasses to make the wines drink brisk and sparkling. Today this would be called the méthode champenoise, the addition of liqueur de tirage in order to stimulate a secondary fermentation that produces the bubbles in sparkling wine.
Spontaneous secondary fermentation had occurred in still wines since antiquity; most glass bottles of the time were not strong enough to contain the high pressures thus generated and so exploding bottles were an occupational hazard of winemaking. Sir Robert Mansell obtained a monopoly on glass production in England in the early 17th century and industrialised the process; his coal-powered factories in Newcastle-on-Tyne produced much stronger bottles than were available in France. As a result the English could deliberately induce a secondary fermentation in wine without the risk of blowing up the bottle, long before Dom Pérignon
Dom Pérignon (person)
Dom Pierre Pérignon, O.S.B., was a French Benedictine monk who made important contributions to the production and quality of Champagne wine in an era when the region's wines were predominantly still and red...
is traditionally considered to have invented sparkling wine in Champagne
Champagne (province)
The Champagne wine region is a historic province within the Champagne administrative province in the northeast of France. The area is best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name...
around 1697.
Although Merret appears to have been more interested in making glass than in making wine, producers of English sparkling wine such as Ridgeview have been quick to use his name as a generic term to describe their wines.
Further reading
- Dodds, C. (1954) Christopher Merrett, F.R.C.P. (1614-1695), First Harveian Librarian Proc R Soc Med. 1954 December; 47(12): 1053–1056. Old but detailed account of Merret's time at the RCP.