William Molesworth

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Sir William Molesworth, 8th Baronet (23 May 1810–22 October 1855), was an English politician.

He was born in London and succeeded to the baronetcy in 1823. At Cambridge he fought a duel with his tutor, and for some time studied abroad. On the passing of the Reform Act 1832 he was returned to Parliament for the Eastern division of Cornwall, to support the ministry of Lord Grey. Through Charles Buller he made the acquaintance of George Grote and James Mill, and in April 1835 he founded, in conjunction with Roebuck, the London Review, as an organ of the Philosophic Radicals. After the publication of two volumes he purchased the Westminster Review, and for some time the united magazines were edited by him and J. S. Mill.

From 1837 to 1841 Sir William Molesworth sat for Leeds, and acquired considerable influence in the House of Commons by his speeches and by his tact in presiding over the select committee on transportation. But his Radicalism made little impression either on the house or on his constituency. In 1839 he commenced and carried to completion, at a cost of £6000, a reprint of the entire miscellaneous and voluminous writings of Hobbes, which were placed in most of the English university and provincial libraries. The publication did him great disservice in public life, his opponents endeavouring to identify him with the freethinking opinions of Thomas Hobbes in religion as well as with the philosopher's conclusions in favor of despotic government. From 1841 to 1845 he had no seat in parliament. In 1845 he was returned for Southwark, and retained that seat until his death. On his return to parliament he devoted special attention to the condition of the colonies, and was the ardent champion of their self-government. In January 1853 Lord Aberdeen included him in the cabinet as First Commissioner of Works, the chief work by which his name was brought into prominence at this time being the construction of the new Westminster Bridge; he also was the first to open Kew Gardens on Sundays. In July 1855 he was made Colonial Secretary, but he died on 22 October.

[edit] Biography

• Millicent Garrett Fawcett, Life of the Right Hon. Sir William Molesworth, Macmillan London 1901

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• This page incorporates information from Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page.
• This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.

Political offices
Preceded by The Lord John Manners	First Commissioner of Works 1853–1855	Succeeded by Sir Benjamin Hall, Bt
Preceded by The Lord John Russell	Secretary of State for the Colonies 1855	Succeeded by Henry Labouchere
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by None	Member of Parliament for East Cornwall 1832–1837	Succeeded by Lord Eliot Sir Hussey Vivian, Bt
Preceded by Sir John Beckett	Member of Parliament for Leeds 1837–1841	Succeeded by William Beckett William Aldam
Preceded by Benjamin Wood	Member of Parliament for Southwark 1845–1855	Succeeded by Sir Charles Napier
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Arscott Molesworth	Baronet (of Pencarrow) 1823–1855	Succeeded by Hugh Molesworth