Born  Chester, England, 18 July 1689
Died  Kew, (London), England, 13 April 1728
Samuel Molyneux, noted as an instrument maker and observational astronomer, assisted James Bradley in the latter's studies that led to the discovery of the aberration of light. The only son of the astronomer William Molyneux and Lucy Domville, Molyneux was raised by his uncle, Thomas after both parents died while he was a young boy. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin (BA: 1708, MA: 1710), Molyneux studied meteorology and was elected to the Royal Society in 1712. He became a member of parliament in 1715 (elected again in 1726 and 1727).
In 1717 Molyneux married Lady Elizabeth Capel, who inherited money and an estate at Kew, to which the couple moved. Caught by the enthusiasm of John Hadleyfor optics, Molyneux turned his scientific interests to making optical components and instruments. His design for a Newtonian reflector set the standard of construction for such instruments. He conducted experiments to...
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Selected Reference
Bradley, James (1832). Miscellaneous Works and Correspondence, edited by S.  P. Rigaud. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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Murdin, P. (2007). Molyneux, Samuel. In: Hockey, T., et al. The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30400-7_969
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