Earl of Sefton
Encyclopedia
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
in
1771 for the 8th Viscount Molyneux
Charles Molyneux, 1st Earl of Sefton
Charles William Molyneux, 1st Earl of Sefton was a Member of the British Parliament and a member of the peerage of Ireland.He was born on 11 October 1748, the son of Thomas and Mary Molyneux...
. The Earls of Sefton held the subsidiary titles Viscount Molyneux, of Maryborough in the Queen's County
County Laois
County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
(created 1628), in the Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
, and (from the 2nd Earl
William Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton
William Philip Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton , also known as Lord Dashalong, was a sportsman, gambler and a friend of the Prince Regent.-Personal life:...
onwards) Baron Sefton, of Croxteth in the County Palatine of Lancaster
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
(created 1831), in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
.
The Molyneux's powerful allegiances led to an acquisition of lands and wealth throughout the period 1100–1700 when the family were Lords of the manor at Sefton.
All three titles became extinct upon the death of the 7th Earl in 1972. The seat of the Earls of Sefton was Croxteth Hall
Croxteth Hall
Croxteth Hall is the former country estate and ancestral home of the Molyneux family, the Earls of Sefton. After the death of the 7th and last Earl in 1972 the estate passed to Liverpool City Council, which now manages the remainder of the estate, following the sale of approximately half of the...
near (now in) Liverpool. It was bequeathed to the City of Liverpool by the 7th and last Earl of Sefton and his wife, the former Josephine Gwynne, née Armstrong (1903–1980), who was the last member of the Molyneux family to live at Croxteth. The American-born Countess of Sefton, nicknamed "Foxy" and formerly a fashion model of great beauty, was a life-long friend of the Duchess of Windsor.
Another seat of the Earls of Sefton was the Abbeystead estate in Lancashire, which is currently owned by the Duke of Westminster. Abbeystead was mainly used as a hunting and recreational estate by the Earls of Sefton.
Despite being part of the Peerage of Ireland, the earldom referred to Sefton
Sefton, Sefton
Sefton is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. Located to the south west of Maghull and to the north east of Great Crosby, it is on the flood plain of the River Alt. The village is bisected by the B5422, Brickwall Lane, which cuts also through the...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. Arms: azure, a cross moline, or.
Molyneux family history
The ancestors of the Molyneaux family who arrived in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
around the time of the Norman Conquest of 1066
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
bore the name "de Molines". They came from Molineaux-sur-Seine
Moulineaux
Moulineaux is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A village of light industry and forestry situated by the banks of the river Seine, some southwest of Rouen at the junction of the D3, D64 and the D67 roads...
, near Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. They settled in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...
in 1066. They can be shown to have held the manor of Sefton without interruption from about 1100.
The senior branch of the family had been staunch Catholics and Royalists (notably in the 17th and 18th centuries) through the worst times until Charles Molyneux, 8th Viscount Molyneux, was rewarded for converting to the Protestant faith. The relatively youthful second and third Viscounts fought on the Royalist side both politically and militarily. Although Liverpool Castle had been partly dismantled in 1660-1678, Caryll Molyneux, the 3rd Viscount, had used it for storing arms. During the reign of King James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
, he was outlawed by Parliament for supporting the deposed king in 1688 to 1689. Control of the Castle finally passed out of Molyneux hands after Caryll had again been suspected of participation in a Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
plot. William, the 7th Viscount, was a Jesuit, and there were in his time not less than seven Molyneux in the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
alone.
Over the centuries, several deviations of the name Molyneaux have emerged. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names as they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name include Molinex, Mullinix, Mullenneix, Mullineaux, Molinieux, Molinaux, Molineaux, Mollineaux, Molineux, and several others. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names as they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. Laterly, many variations were due to misspellings in American
Immigration to the United States
Immigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants,...
or other country's immigration services. Although Anglo-Norman surnames like Molyneaux are characterized by many spelling variations, the name Molyneux has prevailed with the modern trend towards standardisation.
Molyneux Baronets, of Sefton (1611)
- Sir Richard Molyneux, 1st Baronet (1560–1622) Member of Parliament for LancashireLancashire (UK Parliament constituency)Lancashire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1290, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
- Sir Richard Molyneux, 2nd Baronet (1594–1636) (created Viscount Molyneux in 1628)
Viscounts Molyneux (1628)
- Richard Molyneux, 1st Viscount MolyneuxRichard Molyneux, 1st Viscount MolyneuxRichard Molyneux, 1st Viscount Molyneux was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1614 and 1628 when he was created a peer....
(1594–1636) - Richard Molyneux, 2nd Viscount MolyneuxRichard Molyneux, 2nd Viscount MolyneuxRichard Molyneux, 2nd Viscount Molyneux of Maryborough, was the son of Richard Molyneux, 1st Viscount Molyneux and inherited his title on his father's death in 1636. He married Frances Seymour, daughter of William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset and Lady Frances Devereux, at Essex House on 28...
(1620?–1654) - Caryll Molyneux, 3rd Viscount Molyneux (1622–1699)
- William Molyneux, 4th Viscount Molyneux (1655–1717)
- Richard Molyneux, 5th Viscount Molyneux (1679–1738)
- Caryll Molyneux, 6th Viscount Molyneux (1683–1745)
- William Molyneux, 7th Viscount MolyneuxWilliam Molyneux, 7th Viscount MolyneuxWilliam Molyneux, 7th Viscount Molyneux was a Jesuit priest and member of the peerage of Ireland.He was the third of four sons of William Molyneux, 4th Viscount Molyneux. Following the death of their father in 1717 the title was initially held by the eldest brother, Richard, until he died without...
(1685–1759) - Charles William Molyneux, 8th Viscount MolyneuxCharles Molyneux, 1st Earl of SeftonCharles William Molyneux, 1st Earl of Sefton was a Member of the British Parliament and a member of the peerage of Ireland.He was born on 11 October 1748, the son of Thomas and Mary Molyneux...
(1748–1794) (created Earl of Sefton on 30 November 1771)
Earls of Sefton (1771)
- Charles William Molyneux, 1st Earl of SeftonCharles Molyneux, 1st Earl of SeftonCharles William Molyneux, 1st Earl of Sefton was a Member of the British Parliament and a member of the peerage of Ireland.He was born on 11 October 1748, the son of Thomas and Mary Molyneux...
(1748–1794) - William Philip Molyneux, 2nd Earl of SeftonWilliam Molyneux, 2nd Earl of SeftonWilliam Philip Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton , also known as Lord Dashalong, was a sportsman, gambler and a friend of the Prince Regent.-Personal life:...
(1772–1838) (created Baron Sefton on 20 June 1831) - Charles William Molyneux, 3rd Earl of SeftonCharles Molyneux, 3rd Earl of SeftonCharles William Molyneux, 3rd Earl of Sefton , styled Lord Molyneux , was a British Whig politician.-Background:...
(1796–1855) - William Philip Molyneux, 4th Earl of SeftonWilliam Molyneux, 4th Earl of SeftonWilliam Philip Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton, KG was a British peer.Born Viscount Molyneux, he was the eldest son of Charles Molyneux, 3rd Earl of Sefton and his wife, Mary. He was educated at Eton College, Berks. In 1854, Molyneux became an ensign in the Grenadier Guards and inherited his father's...
(1835–1897) - William Hylton Molyneux, 5th Earl of SeftonCharles Molyneux, 5th Earl of SeftonCharles William Hylton Molyneux, 5th Earl of Sefton, was the eldest son of William Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton and known as "Mull" within the family.He was ADC to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1889-1892....
(1867–1901) - Osbert Cecil Molyneux, 6th Earl of SeftonOsbert Molyneux, 6th Earl of SeftonOsbert Cecil Molyneux, 6th Earl of Sefton GCVO, PC, DL , styled The Honourable Osbert Molyneux until 1901, was a British courtier and Liberal politician...
(1871–1930) - Hugh William Osbert Molyneux, 7th Earl of Sefton (1898–1972)
See also
- Molyneux Baronets of TeversallMolyneux BaronetsThere have been several Baronetcies created for descendants of the ancient Norman family of Molyneux who were granted extensive estates in Lancashire after the Norman Conquest...
- Molyneux of Castle Dillon, County ArmaghMolyneux BaronetsThere have been several Baronetcies created for descendants of the ancient Norman family of Molyneux who were granted extensive estates in Lancashire after the Norman Conquest...