William Molyneux
| William Molyneux | |
|---|---|
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| Born |
7 April 1656 Dublin |
| Died | 11 October 1698 (aged 42) Dublin |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation |
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| Known for | Dublin Philosophical Society |
| Awards | Fellow of the Royal Society |
William Molyneux FRS (/ˈmɒlɪnjuː/; 17 April 1656 – 11 October 1698) was an Irish natural philosopher and writer on politics.
He was born in Dublin to Samuel Molyneux (1616–1693), lawyer and landowner (whose grandfather, Sir Thomas Molyneux, had come to Dublin from Calais in the 1560s), and his wife, Anne, née Dowdall. The second of five children, William Molyneux came from a relatively prosperous Anglican background, with his father established at Castle Dillon in County Armagh, and his uncle Colonel Adam Molyneux holding large estates inherited from the Dowdall's in Ballymulvey, near Ballymahon in County Longford. He was close to his brother Thomas, with whom he later shared philosophical interests. His sister Jane married Anthony Dopping, the eventual Anglican Bishop of Meath. In 1671 Molyneux started at Trinity College, Dublin where he became an avid reader of the leading figures of the Scientific Revolution. After attaining a Bachelor of Arts there, Molyneux was sent to study law in the Middle Temple, London from 1675 to 1678. In 1678 he married Lucy Domville (?–1691), the youngest daughter of Sir Wiliam Domville the Attorney-General for Ireland. His wife became ill, which led to blindness, after their marriage and died young. Of their 3 children, only Samuel Molyneux (1689–1728) lived past childhood. Samuel went on to become an astronomer and politician who worked with his father on various scientific endeavours.
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