Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 38.djvu/143

 Wales. It was demolished in 1804, and a sundial, erected by William IV in 1834, now commemorates the observations made there. Nothing is known as to the fate of the Kew sector.  MOLYNEUX or MOLINEL, THOMAS (1531–1597), chancellor of exchequer in Ireland, was born at Calais in 1531. His parents, of whom he was the only child, died while he was young, and he was brought up by John Brishin, an alderman of Calais. When that town was taken from the English by the Duke of Guise in 1558, Molyneux was made prisoner. Having ransomed himself by payment of five hundred crowns, he removed to Bruges, and there married Catherine Stabeort, daughter of an opulent burgomaster, portraits of both of whom are in the possession of Molyneux's descendants. On account of Alva's persecutions Molyneux removed to London in 1568, and in 1576 settled in Dublin (extract from 'Memoranda,' Roll of Excheq. of Ireland, p. 4). In 1578 he received a grant in connection with the town of Swords near that city, and was employed as surveyor of victuals for the army in Ireland and as deputy to the collector of customs on wines there. He was appointed chancellor of the exchequer in Ireland in 1590, and in the succeeding year obtained the office of receiver of customs and imposts on wines. At this time he contributed 40l. towards the building of Trinity College, Dublin. In consequence of an impugnment of the legality of Molyneux's official employment under the queen, on the allegation that he was an alien, an inquiry was instituted in the court of exchequer at Dublin in 1594. Witnesses examined there, before the attorney-general, deposed that Molyneux was an Englishman, born in Calais, while that town was under the crown of England; that he was a true and loyal subject, 'of Christian religion, using sermons and other goodly exercises' (ib. p. 4). Molyneux died at Dublin on 24 Jan. 1596-7, and was buried there in the cathedral of Christ Church. He left two daughters and two sons, Samuel and Daniel, both of whom sat in the Irish parliament of 1613; Samuel became surveyor-general of buildings and works in Ireland, and Daniel (1568-1632) was Ulster king-of-arms, and by Jane, daughter of Sir William Usher, had eight children, of whom the third, Samuel, was father of William and Sir Thomas, who are noticed separately.  MOLYNEUX, THOMAS (1661–1733), physician, brother of William Molyneux [q. v.], was born in Dublin, 14 April 1661. He was educated at Dr. Henry Rider's school in Dublin, and entered Trinity College, Dublin, in 1676. He graduated M. A. and M.B. in 1683, and then started for Ley den in order to extend his medical knowledge before proceeding to the degree of M.D. He sailed from Dublin in the first week of May 1683, rested at Chester for five days, and was introduced to Bishop Pearson [q. v.], whom he at once recognised from the frontispiece of his 'Treatise on the Creed.' On 12 May he arrived in London and took lodgings at the Flower de Luce, near St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet Street. He called on Nehemiah Grew [q. v.], and there met Thomas Burnet [q.v.], author of 'Theoria Telluris,' and Robert Boyle [q. v.], at whose house he made the acquaintance of Sir William Petty [q. v.] Soon after he was introduced to Dr. Edward Browne [q. v.], and on 23 May attended a meeting of the Royal Society in Gresham College and saw Sir Isaac Newton, John Evelyn, and Dr. Edward Tyson [q. v.] He enjoyed the conversation of all these famous men as well as that of John Flamsteed [q. v.], the astronomer. Early in June he visited Eton and saw King William and Queen Mary at supper at Windsor, and later in the month met Dryden in London. He went to Cambridge, where he saw 'that extraordinary platonick philosopher,' Dr. Henry More, and was surprised at the purple gowns of the Trinity undergraduates. On 17 July he went to Oxford, attended a lecture of Dr. Luff, the professor of physic, on the first aphorism of Hippocrates, and made the acquaintance of several learned men. On 20 July he sailed from Billingsgate to Rotterdam, visited Amsterdam, Haarlem, and Utrecht, and finally entered at the university of Leyden. While there next year he met Locke, who afterwards wrote a letter to him from Utrecht on 22 Dec. 1684, thanking him for his kindness. In the 'Philosophical Transactions,' No. 168, he published an essay on a human frontal bone