| Authorised form of name | Molyneux; Samuel (1689 - 1728) |
| Dates | 1689 - 1728 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Chester, Cheshire, England |
| Date of birth | 16 or 18 July 1689 |
| Place of death | Kew, Surrey |
| Date of death | 13 April 1728 |
| Research field | Astronomy |
| Optics |
| Activity | Education:
Trinity College, Dublin. BA (1708), MA (1710), LLD (1717)
Career:
Travelled in England, to Antwerp (1712-1713), and then on a diplomatic mission to Hanover (1714); accompanied the royal family to England; Secretary to the Prince of Wales (1714-1727); MP for Bossiney (1715-1722); MP for St Mawes (1726-1727); MP for Exeter (1727-death); MP for the University of Dublin in the Irish Parliament (1727); Privy Councillor; assisted James Bradley (FRS 1718) in making Newtonian telescopes, one of which he presented to John V of Portugal; had a private observatory at his house at Kew; one of the Lords of the Admiralty (1727-death); had a fit in the House of Commons and died a few days later; his wife's second husband, a Swiss surgeon, won an action for defamation on a charge of having killed Molyneux by administering opium in his last illness
|
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 01/12/1712 |
| Proposer | Sir Isaac Newton |
| Royal Society activity | Royal Society roles:
Council (1716, 1718, 1721, 1723, 1725, 1727) |
| Relationships | Son of William Molyneux (FRS 1686) and his wife, Lucy, daughter of Sir William Domville, Attorney-General for Ireland; nephew of Sir Thomas Molyneux (FRS 1686); kinsman of John Perceval, 1st Earl of Egmont (FRS 1702); married Elizabeth, daughter of Algernon Capel, 2nd Earl of Essex; no children |
| Sources | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB; Thomas; Burtchaell
References:
K Theodore Hoppen, 'The Royal Society and Ireland. II' in NR 1965 vol 20 pp 78-99 |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/198572397 |
| Royal Society code | NA7967 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| Reference number | Title | Date |
| MS/390/151 | Bond of Samuel Molyneux to the Treasurer of the Royal Society | 1 December 1712 |
| CLP/10iii/39 | Paper, 'A discourse of His Grace the Lord Arch Bp [Bishop] of Dublin containing an account of the manner of manuring lands by sea shells as practiced in the county's [sic] of Londonderry and Donegall' by [William King] | [1708] |
| CLP/12ii/20 | Letter, 'Sectio oculorum duorum cataracta affectorum' from unknown author to Samuel Molyneux | [1724?] |
| RBO/12/6 | 'Sectio oculorum duorum Cataracta affectorum' from a letter to Richard Waller by Samuel Molyneux | 1724 |
| CLP/4i/55 | Paper, 'A relation of the strange effects of thunder and lightning which happened at Mrs Close's house at New Forge in the County of Down in Ireland, on the 9th of August, 1707' by Samuel Molyneux | 1707 |