Obituary—Mr. William Molyneux, F.G.S. 431 
British Association at Oxford, “On Fossil Fish from the North 
Staffordshire Coal-field.” 
In 1861 he left Trentham, having been appointed Secretary and 
Librarian to the Mechanics’ Institution, Stafford; and his collection 
of Fossil Fishes was purchased for the Museum of Practical Geology, 
Jermyn Street, London. 
In 1864 Mr. Molyneux was elected a Fellow of the Geological 
Society of London, and was entrusted with a grant from the British 
Association to draw up a ‘ Report on the Distribution of the organic 
remains of the North Staffordshire Coal-field ;” this Report extended 
over two years and appears in the 34th and 385th volumes of the 
Association for 1864-65. In this latter year he also became a 
member of the British Association, and regularly attended its 
annual gatherings as long as he remained in England. 
In 1867 Mr. Molyneux communicated a short paper to the 
GrotocicaL MaGazing, ‘*‘ On the Gravel Beds of Trentham Park,” 
Vol. IV. p. 173. On leaving Stafford he next (through the kind 
assistance of Mr. Darling) was engaged as resident agent to the 
late Marquis of Anglesea, at Burton-on-Trent. In 1869 he pub- 
lished an important work on “ Burton-upon-Trent; its History, its 
Waters, and its Breweries”’! (the preparation of which had occupied 
his spare time for three years). ‘The work gives the rise of Burton 
and the development of the brewing trade, together with the 
geology of the district and the origin of its water-supply, on which 
the staple article of its wealth depends. Mr. Molyneux also pub- 
lished a pamphlet on “The Old River Courses and the Recent Floods 
of the Trent Valley at Burton-on-Trent”; suggesting means for the 
prevention of these disastrous inundations. It was about this time 
that his attention was more particularly directed to the promotion of 
Coal-mining in connection with the opening up of the Cannock 
Chase Collieries, being successful in the promotion of two companies, 
to one of which he acted, ad interim, as Secretary. The unpre- 
cedented success of the coal and iron industries about this time and 
the enhanced value of mining stock gave him then a cheering 
prospect of worldly success and prosperity ; but unfortunately he 
did not realize his shares, and later on their value became depreciated 
by heavy calls, which he was unable to meet, and his chance of 
good fortune seems never to have returned. 
Early in 1880 he left England, to assist Mr. ¥. North, who had 
just been appointed by the Government of Natal to make a survey 
of the coal-fields of that Colony, but the engagement came pre- 
maturely to an end through some misunderstanding soon after they 
landed. 
Fortunately at this juncture he was engaged by the Corporation 
of Durban to examine and report on the Durban Borough lands, 
and to ascertain their nature, extent and resources, and the geo- 
logical deposits composing them. He also reported on the water 
supply of the Borough of Durban. He was subsequently engaged, 
through the influence of Sir Bartle Frere, Bart., G.C.B., F.B.8., by the 
Government of the Cape of Good Hope, to Survey and Report on 
1 London: Tribner & Co., 1869. 
