William Molesworth was born
23 May 1810 in the
London, England.
1 Molesworth studied at both Cambridge University and Trinity College.
2 However, he soon challenged a tutor to a duel, and as a result was asked to leave
the college.
3 He subsequently travelled to Germany, Italy and returned to England in
1831.
4 He was known at the time as a radical politician, serving as the representative from
East Cornwall in
1832.
5 Three years later, in
1835, he helped found the London Review; a journal on radical political philosophy.
6 From 1837 to 1841 he represented Leeds in the British House of Commons.
7 Molesworth edited and reprinted the work of Thomas Hobbes in
1839, and was subsequently associated with his political thought.
8 He held no seat in parliament
from 1841 to 1845.
9 In
1844, he married Andalusia Grant.
10 Then, by
1845 he was returned as the representative from Southwark, a seat he would hold until
his death.
11
In
1855, he was made the British Colonial Secretary.
12 Molesworth appointment came at the initiation of the
San Juan Island Dispute which renewed his interest in the question of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s
role on Vancouver Island.
13 Molesworth requested an explanation from Governor
Douglas about the conflicting information in his despatches and that of
Charles John Griffin about the status of British settlements on the
San Juan Islands.
14Molesworth was often critical of
Douglas, for example noting that his appointment of
David Cameron as Chief Justice was an example of nepotism.
15 Molesworth was also critical of
Vancouver Island becoming a British dependency, as well as the establishment of a General Assembly
as he deemed it unnecessary, but died before a final conclusion was reached on the
subject.
16 He died on
22 October 1855, at the age of 45.
17