Camden History Society

Dr Ann Saunders has been examining the letters of 23-year-old Samuel Molyneux (1689-1728) written from London to his uncle back in his native Ireland. Samuel had come to London in 1712 where he was immediately elected FRS in recognition of his work in astronomy. Ann has also traced the later career of this brilliant young man, who went on from London to Antwerp where he met the duke and duchess of Marlborough, who sent him on a diplomatic mission to the Court of Hanover. When in 1715 the Elector of Hanover ascended the throne of the United Kingdom Molyneux was appointed secretary to his son, now the Prince of Wales, later to become George II. Molyneux's brilliant career at Court - Privy Councillor and one of the Lords of the Admiralty - culminated in his becoming MP for Bossinney and St Mawes in Cornwall. Meanwhile he continued his work in astronomy and the making of ever more powerful telescopes, tried out on the roof of his house at Kew which subsequently became a royal residence. But in 1728 he fell down in a fit in the House of Commons and died shortly afterwards.

The talk will therefore deal not only with the intrinisic interest of the early letters but will lead right up to the tragic events preceding Molyneux's death.