A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Shuldham, Molyneux
SHULDHAM. (Retired Commander, 1843. f-p., 20; h-p., 34.)
Molyneux Shuldham is third son of the late Arthur Lemuel Shuldham, Esq., of Dunmanway, co. Cork, and of Pallis Green, co. Limerick, who resided for many years at Deerpark, Devon, and was Deputy-Lieutenant for that co., and Lieutenant-Colonel of the East Devon Yeomanry Cavalry, by his first wife, Maria, daughter of the late Sir Wm. Anderson, Bart., formerly of Kilnwick Percy, Yorkshire, and of Lea Hall, Lincolnshire. He is brother (with the present Edm. Wm. Shuldham, Esq., of Dunmanway, Major-General E.I.Co.’s service, for some years Quarter-Master General at Bombay) of the late Lieut. John Geo. Evelyn Shuldham, R.N., of Mr. Henry Geo. Shuldham, Midshipman, R.N., who was killed at the taking of Surinam, and of the late Lieut.-Colonel Arthur Shuldham, E.I.C.S.
This officer entered the Navy, 5 Jan. 1793, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Alarm, Capt. Lewis Robertson, attached to the force in the Channel. On removing with Capt. Robertson to the Veteran 64, commanded afterwards by Capt. Wm. Hancock Kelly, he took part, in 1794, in the attack made by Commodore Ford on the island of St. Domingo. He next, in the course of 1796-7, became Midshipman (a rating he had previously attained) of the Unité 36, Capt. Chas. Rowley, Braakel 54, Capt. Thos. Bertie, and Lord Mulgrave, all on the Home station; and on 15 April, 1799, about which period he suffered shipwreck on the coast of Ireland, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. His subsequent appointments were – 13 May, 1799, to the Seagull, Capts. Henry Wray and Thos. Lavie, stationed off Guernsey – 17 Jan. 1801, to the Edgar 74, Capts. Edw. Buller, Geo. Murray, and Robt. Waller Otway, under the second named of whom he fought at Copenhagen 2 April, 1801 – 5 April, 1803, and 15 March, 1804, to the Royal Sovereign 100 and Kent 74, Capts. Rich. Curry and Pulteney Malcolm, employed in the Channel and Mediterranean – 18 April, 1805, to the Royal William, Capt. John Wainwright, lying at Spithead – and, 6 March, 1806, to the command of the Adder gun-brig. The latter vessel being driven on shore and captured near Abreval 9 Dec following, he remained a prisoner of war in France from that period until April, 1814. He accepted the rank of Retired Commander on the Senior List 10 June, 1843.
In May, 1816, Commander Shuldham was presented with the gold Isis medal, and with the silver medal of the Society of Arts for his improved pullies and blocks, and his improvements in working a capstan; and in the session of 1817-18 he received another silver medal from the same Society for his ‘New Method of Ballasting Vessels.’ He married Fanny, daughter of the Rev. F. T. Maunton Orgill Leman, of Brampton Hall, Suffolk, and has a numerous family. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.