Sir William Molesworth, 8th Baronet
Sir William Molesworth | |
|---|---|
Portrait by John Watson Gordon, 1854 | |
| First Commissioner of Works | |
| In office 5 January 1853 – 30 January 1855 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | The Earl of Aberdeen |
| Preceded by | Lord John Manners |
| Succeeded by | Sir Benjamin Hall, Bt |
| Secretary of State for the Colonies | |
| In office 21 July 1855 – 22 October 1855 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | The Viscount Palmerston |
| Preceded by | Lord John Russell |
| Succeeded by | Henry Labouchere |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 May 1810 London |
| Died | 22 October 1855 (aged 45) |
| Party | Radical |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
Sir William Molesworth, 8th Baronet, PC (23 May 1810 – 22 October 1855) was a Radical British politician, who served in the coalition cabinet of The Earl of Aberdeen from 1853 until 1855 as First Commissioner of Works, and then in the Whig cabinet of Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston from 1855 until his death later that year as Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Much later, when justifying to the Queen his own new appointments, Gladstone told her: "For instance, even in Ld Aberdeen's Govt, in 52, Sir William Molesworth had been selected, at that time, a very advanced Radical, but who was perfectly harmless, & took little, or no part... He said these people generally became very moderate, when they were in office", which she admitted had been the case.