Merret, Christopher (1614-02-16 - 1695-08-19)

Christopher Merret was born at Winchcombe, Gloucestershire on 16 February 1614. He matriculated at Gloucester Hall, Oxford on 8 June 1632 at the age of seventeen. He graduated B.A. from Oriel College, Oxford on 24 January 1635, proceeding B.Med. (Gloucester Hall) on 30 June 1636. He was awarded the degree of D.Med. on 31 January 1643. In addition to his duties as a physician, Merret was keeper of the library and museum at the College of Physicians, as well as the Goulstonian lecturer, from 1654. In the Restoration, Merret was one of the founding fellows of the Royal Society. Merret's interests included geology. He is also credited to have been the first to document the addition of sugar to a finished wine to induce a second fermentation to create sparkling wine (or champagne), in 1662. After the Great Fire of London, which destroyed the Library of the College of Physicians, Merret lost his keepership. In 1681, Merret was expelled from his fellowship at the College of Physicians, which he had held for thirty years. He was also expelled from the Royal Society owing to mounting debts. Merret died on 19 August 1695 and was buried in St Andrew's, Holborn.