![Coatoarm](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Coatoarm.png)
Molyneux (;
Old French
Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...
: ''De Molines'' or ''De Moulins'') is a
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
surname
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
. The surname has been linked primarily to a large
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
family that settled in
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
, England. By the 14th century the Molyneux family had split into three main branches; the Lancashire line, who became the
Earls of Sefton
Earl of Sefton was a title in the Peerage of Ireland created in 1771 for the 8th Viscount Molyneux. The Earls of Sefton held the subsidiary titles Viscount Molyneux, of Maryborough in the Queen's County (created 1628), in the Peerage of Ire ...
, the
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
line, and the
Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...
line, from those remaining in France. There was also a branch of the family who were
Irish baronets.
Etymology and history
The ancestors of the Molyneaux family arrived in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in medieval times. The name "de Molines" or "de Moulins",
Old French
Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...
in origin, meaning "Mill", and eventually changed into "Molyneux". The early historical background of the family is sparse, coming from scattered genealogical, historical, and archaeological sources, composed of a mixture of
legend
A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...
, romanticized literary invention, and fact. Some historians deduce the ''de Moulins'' came from
Moulineaux-sur-Seine, near
Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...
, in
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
.
Other sources claim the family originally came from
Moulins, France in the region of
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA; ; frp, Ôvèrgne-Rôno-Ârpes; oc, Auvèrnhe Ròse Aups; it, Alvernia-Rodano-Alpi) is a region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Au ...
. Wherever their origin, Robert de Moulins' son, William, settled in
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
. He had two sons, William and Vivian de Moulins. William was granted large tracts of land in Lancashire, in what was then called ''inter Mersam et Ripam'', that is, "between the
Mersey
The River Mersey () is in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed part ...
and the
Ribble", and the manors of Septon (
Sefton),
Thornton,
Cuerden
Cuerden is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, in Lancashire, England. It is situated between Bamber Bridge and Leyland, and had a population of 77 in 2001.carucate
The carucate or carrucate ( lat-med, carrūcāta or ) was a medieval unit of land area approximating the land a plough team of eight oxen could till in a single annual season. It was known by different regional names and fell under different forms ...
s and a half of land, at the service of half a knight's fee. William Molyneux made Septon his chief seat and was succeeded by Vivian de Molyneux.
They also held the manor of
Little Crosby
Little Crosby is a small village in Merseyside, North West England. Despite being a suburb within 8 miles of Liverpool it has retained its rural character by, for example, opting not to have street lights.
As part of Lancashire the village was a ...
, later
Ince Blundell Hall
Ince Blundell Hall is a former country house near the village of Ince Blundell, in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. It was built between 1720 and 1750 for Robert Blundell, the lord of the manor, and was designed by Hen ...
, which had been held by one Uctred until 1066. By 1212 it was owned by Richard de Molyneux of Sefton before being turned over to the Blundell family. The Molyneuxs later owned most of the districts of
Speke
Speke () is a suburb of Liverpool. It is southeast of the city centre. Located near the widest part of the River Mersey, it is bordered by the suburbs of Garston and Hunts Cross, and nearby to Halewood, Hale Village, and Widnes. The rural are ...
and
Rainhill
Rainhill is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. The population of the civil parish taken at the 2011 census was 10,853.
Historically part of Lancashire, Rainhill was formerly a townsh ...
. The Royalist
gentry
Gentry (from Old French ''genterie'', from ''gentil'', "high-born, noble") are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past.
Word similar to gentle imple and decentfamilies
''Gentry'', in its widest ...
family held a large moated manor, a corn mill on the
River Alt
The River Alt is an urban river that flows across Merseyside in England. The river has suffered from heavy pollution from industry and sewage upstream and run-off from farmland in its lower reaches. It empties into the River Mersey, near to wher ...
, and the
advowson
Advowson () or patronage is the right in English law of a patron (avowee) to present to the diocesan bishop (or in some cases the ordinary if not the same person) a nominee for appointment to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, ...
of
St. Helen's Church at Sefton without interruption from about 1100 to 1700. Their successors, by then Earls, moved to
Croxteth Hall
Croxteth Hall is a country estate and Grade II* listed building in the West Derby suburb of Liverpool, England. It is the former country estate and ancestral home of the Molyneux family, the Earls of Sefton. After the death of the seventh ...
. Of the Sefton Molyneux family, crusaders Richard (d. 1290) and William Molyneux (d. 1320) are entombed within the church, and are its oldest inhabitants. Their effigies now lie beneath an arch moulding set into the wall in the Molyneux chapel, which is outside the 14th-century church walls.
In 1436 the office of Hereditary Steward of the
Wapentake of Salfordshire was granted to Sir Robert Molyneux of Sefton. The office was held by Sir Robert's successors (descendants of his brother Richard), the Earls of Sefton until 1972. It was the Lancashire line of the family that became the
Viscounts Molyneux and later the
Earls of Sefton
Earl of Sefton was a title in the Peerage of Ireland created in 1771 for the 8th Viscount Molyneux. The Earls of Sefton held the subsidiary titles Viscount Molyneux, of Maryborough in the Queen's County (created 1628), in the Peerage of Ire ...
, while there were also branches seated at
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
and
Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...
.
![CroxtethHall2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/CroxtethHall2010.JPG)
The senior branch of the Sefton 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 may refer to:
* James II of Avesnes (died c. 1205), knight of the Fourth Crusade
* James II of Majorca (died 1311), Lord of Montpellier
* James II of Aragon (1267–1327), King of Sicily
* James II, Count of La Marche (1370–1438), King C ...
, 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 plot. William, the 7th Viscount, was a Jesuit, and there were in his time not less than seven Molyneux in the
Society of Jesus
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
alone.
Variations
Variations of the surname include "Mullinax", "Mullenax", "Molinex", "Mullinix", "Mullenneix", "Mullennix", "Mullineaux", "Molinieux", "Molinaux", "Molineaux", "Mollineaux", "Molineux", "Mulleneux" among others.
Notable people with the name
Molyneux
*
David Molyneux
David Hurst Molyneux CMG (born 1943) is a British parasitologist who served as the Director of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (1991–2000), where, as of 2018, he is an emeritus professor. He previously held the Chair of Biological ...
(born 1943), British parasitologist, professor and former director of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
*
Echlin Molyneux (c. 1800–1886), Irish barrister and professor of English Law, Dublin
*
Edward Molyneux
Edward Henry Molyneux () (5 September 1891 – 23 March 1974) was a leading British fashion designer whose salon in Paris was in operation from 1919 until 1950. He was characterised as a modernist designer who played with the refinements of co ...
(1891–1974), British fashion designer working in Paris
*
Emery Molyneux
Emery Molyneux ( ; died June 1598) was an English Elizabethan maker of globes, mathematical instruments and ordnance. His terrestrial and celestial globes, first published in 1592, were the first to be made in England and the first to be made by ...
(died 1598), English Elizabethan maker of globes, mathematical instruments and ordnance
*
Irene Molyneux (1923–2019), English lawn bowls competitor
*
Isabella Molyneux, Countess of Sefton
Isabella Molyneux, Countess of Sefton, formerly Viscountess Molyneux, (née Lady Isabella Stanhope; c. 1748 – 29 January 1819) was a British peeress and society figure.
Biography
Lady Isabella Stanhope was the second child of William Stanho ...
(c. 1748–1819), wife of the 1st Earl of Sefton
*
John Molyneux (VC)
John Molyneux VC (22 November 1890 – 25 March 1972) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Ea ...
(1890–1972), British soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross
*
John Molyneux (disambiguation), several people
*
Joyce Molyneux (born 1932), British chef
*
Maxine Molyneux
Maxine Deirdre Molyneux (born 24 May 1948 in Karachi, Pakistan) is a British sociologist whose work focuses on the women's movement.
That women's interests and gender interests are different categories is the discovery for which Maxine Molyneux ...
(born 1948), British sociologist and feminist
*
Paul Molyneux (1906–1980), English cricketer
*
Peter Molyneux
Peter Douglas Molyneux (; born 5 May 1959) is an English video game designer and programmer. He created the god games '' Populous'', ''Dungeon Keeper'', and '' Black & White'', as well as ''Theme Park'', the ''Fable'' series, '' Curiosity: W ...
(born 1959), British computer game designer
*
Robert Molyneux (1738–1808), English-American priest, president of Georgetown University
*
Samuel Molyneux
Samuel Molyneux FRS (16 July 1689 – 13 April 1728) was an amateur astronomer and politician who sat in the British House of Commons between 1715 and 1728 and in the Irish House of Commons from 1727 to 1728. His work with James Bradley attempt ...
(1689–1728), British astronomer and Member of Parliament (son of William)
*
Stefan Molyneux (born 1966), Canadian right-wing activist
*
Stephen Molyneux
Stephen Molyneux (born 24 February 1955) is a British educational technologist whose work as Microsoft Professor of Advanced Learning Technology and Apple Distinguished Educator has led to him influencing the use of technologies across the Briti ...
(born 1955), British educational technologist
*
Thomas Molyneux (statesman) (1531–1597), French-born statesman in Ireland
*
Sir Thomas Molyneux, 1st Baronet
Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Molyneux, 1st Baronet FRS (14 April 1661 – 19 October 1733) was an Irish physician.
Life
Molyneux was the youngest son of Samuel Molyneux of Castle Dillon, County Armagh, Master Gunner of Ireland and his wife Ma ...
(1661–1733), Irish physician, great-grandson of the earlier Sir Thomas, and brother of William
*
Tim Molyneux (born 1969), American actor, singer, writer, director and producer
*
Tom Molyneux (1890–1955), Canadian ice hockey player
*
William Molyneux
William Molyneux FRS (; 17 April 1656 – 11 October 1698) was an Irish writer on science, politics and natural philosophy.
He is noted as a close friend of fellow philosopher John Locke, and for proposing Molyneux's Problem, a thought exper ...
(1656–1698), Irish natural philosopher, and father of Samuel
Viscount Molyneux
For ''Viscount Molyneux'' see
Earl of Sefton
Earl of Sefton was a title in the Peerage of Ireland created in 1771 for the 8th Viscount Molyneux. The Earls of Sefton held the subsidiary titles Viscount Molyneux, of Maryborough in the Queen's County (created 1628), in the Peerage of Ire ...
, and in particular:
*
Richard Molyneux, 1st Viscount Molyneux
Richard Molyneux, 1st Viscount Molyneux (1594–1636) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1614 and 1629.
Biography
Molyneux was the son of Sir Richard Molyneux, 1st Baronet of Sefton and his wife Fr ...
(1594–1636)
*
Richard Molyneux, 2nd Viscount Molyneux
Richard Molyneux, 2nd Viscount Molyneux of Maryborough, (about 1617–1654) was a Royalist officer in the English Civil War
Biography
Richard Molyneux was the son of Richard Molyneux, 1st Viscount Molyneux and Mary, daughter of Sir Thomas Caryll o ...
(1620–1654)
*
Caryll Molyneux, 3rd Viscount Molyneux
Caryll Molyneux, 3rd Viscount Molyneux (1623/24 – 1700) was an English peer.
Life
He was the younger son of Richard Molyneux, 1st Viscount Molyneux and Mary Caryll, daughter of Sir Thomas Caryll of Bentone in Sussex. He inherited the title f ...
(1624–1699)
*
William Molyneux, 7th Viscount Molyneux
William Molyneux, 7th Viscount Molyneux (1685 – 30 March 1759) 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 ...
(1685–1759)
*
Charles William Molyneux, 1st Earl of Sefton
Charles William Molyneux, 1st Earl of Sefton (11 October 1748 – 31 January 1795) 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 (née Leverly) Molyneu ...
(1748–1794), previously 8th Viscount Molyneux
*
William Philip Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton
William Philip Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton (18 September 1772 – 20 November 1838), also known as Lord Dashalong, was a sportsman, gambler and a friend of the Prince Regent.
Personal life
Born in 1772, Lord Sefton was the only son of Charles M ...
(1772–1838)
*
Charles William Molyneux, 3rd Earl of Sefton
Charles William Molyneux, 3rd Earl of Sefton (10 July 1796 – 2 August 1855), styled Lord Molyneux (or Viscount Molyneux until 1838), was a British Whig (British political faction), Whig politician.
Background
Sefton was the eldest son o ...
(1796–1855)
*
William Philip Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton (1835–1897)
*
Charles Molyneux, 5th Earl of Sefton
Charles William Hylton Molyneux, 5th Earl of Sefton, (25 June 1867 – 2 December 1901) was a British peer.
Biography
Molyneux was the eldest son of William Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton (1835–1897) by his wife Hon. Cecil Emily Hylton-Jolliffe, ...
(1867–1901)
*
Osbert Molyneux, 6th Earl of Sefton
Osbert Cecil Molyneux, 6th Earl of Sefton, (21 February 1871 – 16 June 1930), styled The Honourable Osbert Molyneux until 1901, was a British courtier and Liberal politician. He served as Master of the Horse under Sir Henry Campbell-Banne ...
(1871–1930)
*
Hugh William Osbert Molyneux, 7th Earl of Sefton (1898–1972)
Molyneaux
''Molyneaux'' is a rare Irish spelling variant.
People with this spelling variant include:
*
James Molyneaux
James Henry Molyneaux, Baron Molyneaux of Killead, KBE, PC (27 August 1920 – 9 March 2015) was a Northern Irish unionist politician who served as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 1979 to 1995, and as the Member of Parliament ...
(1920–2015), Baron Molyneaux of Killead, Ulster politician
*
Jerry Molyneaux (born 1958), athlete who represented the British Virgin Islands at the 1984 Olympics
*
Jerry Molyneaux (sports administrator)
Jerry Molyneaux (October 1955 – 26 July 2016) was an Irish Gaelic games administrator. His career included almost every role in Gaelic football and hurling, including player, coach, manager, selector, chairman, secretary, PRO, and referee.
Hono ...
(1955–2016), Irish Gaelic games player and administrator
*
Joseph W. Molyneaux, American federal judge
*
Lee Molyneaux
Lee Alexander Molyneaux (born 16 January 1983) is an English association football, footballer who plays as a Defender (association football), defender for Locks Heath F.C., Locks Heath. He is the former manager of Gosport Borough F.C., Gosport ...
, English footballer
*
Vince Molyneaux, American baseball player
Molineaux
*
Tom Molineaux
Thomas Molineaux (23 March 1784 – 4 August 1818), sometimes spelled Molyneaux or Molyneux, was an American bare-knuckle boxer and possibly a former slave. He spent much of his career in Great Britain and Ireland, where he had some notable ...
(1784–1818), African-American bare-knuckle boxer
*
Othello Molineaux
Othello Molineaux (born 1939) is a jazz steelpan player who spent much of his early career with Jaco Pastorius. He was among the earliest musicians to adapt the steelpan to jazz. He has worked with Monty Alexander, Chicago, and David Johansen.
Ca ...
(born 1939), Trinidadian jazz steelpan player
Molineux
*
Thomas Molineux (luthier) (c.1700–1757), Irish luthier
*
Thomas Molineux (stenographer) (1759–1850), English stenographer
*
William Molineux (1717–1774), American participant in the
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was an American political and mercantile protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773. The target was the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, which allowed the British East India Company to sell tea ...
*
Sophie Molineux
Sophie Grace Molineux (born 17 January 1998) is an Australian cricketer from Bairnsdale, Victoria. A left-arm orthodox bowling all-rounder, Molineux has been a member of the national women's team since 2018. At domestic level, she currently pl ...
(born 1998), Australian cricketer
Mollineux
*
Mary Mollineux
Mary Mollineux (born Mary Southworth, 1651–1696) was a Quaker poet who differed from many of her Quaker contemporaries because of an early education in Latin, Greek, science, and arithmetic. Probably the daughter of Catholic parents who conver ...
(1651–1696), English Quaker poet
Mullinix
*
Tadd Mullinix, American musician performing as Dabrye
*
Henry M. Mullinnix
Henry Maston Mullinnix (July 4, 1892 – November 24, 1943) was a United States Navy aviator and admiral who served in World War I and was killed in action commanding a Navy escort carrier division and task force group in the Gilbert Islands ...
, aviator and Admiral of the United States Navy during World War II
*
Siri Mullinix
Siri Lynn Mullinix (born May 22, 1978) is an American retired soccer goalkeeper. As keeper for the 2000 U.S. women's Olympic soccer team, she recorded two shutouts helping the team win the silver medal. In 2010, Mullinix was inducted into the N ...
, American soccer goalkeeper
Mullinax
*
Trey Mullinax
Trey Mullinax (born June 29, 1992) is an American professional golfer.
Mullinax was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He attended and played golf at Gardendale High School. He played college golf at the University of Alabama where he won two tournam ...
, American professional golfer
Others
Other persons bearing the name Molyneux :
*
Lord Henry Howard-Molyneux-Howard
Lord Henry Thomas Howard-Molyneux-Howard (7 October 1766 – 17 June 1824), known as Henry Howard until 1812, and as Henry Molyneux-Howard until 1817, was a British gentleman who served as Deputy Earl Marshal in the latter part of the reign of Ge ...
, brother of 12th Duke of Norfolk
*
Molyneux Shuldham
Admiral Molyneux Shuldham, 1st Baron Shuldham ( – 30 September 1798) was an officer of the British Royal Navy. He served for a time as colonial governor of Newfoundland.
Family and early life
Molyneux Shuldham was born in Ireland c. 1717, a ...
, 1st Baron Shuldham (c. 1717 – 1798), British naval officer and colonial governor of Newfoundland
See also
*
Molyneux Baronets
There have been three baronetcies created for descendants of the ancient Norman family of Molyneux who were granted extensive estates in Lancashire after the Norman Conquest.
The baronetcy of Molyneux of Sefton was created in the Baronetage of ...
*
Molineux (disambiguation)
*
Moulineaux
Moulineaux () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
History
During the Franco-Prussian War of December 1870 - January 1871 it's garrison fought off a siege by 20,000 Prussians lead by Edwin vo ...
*"
My Kinsman, Major Molineux
"My Kinsman, Major Molineux" is a short story written by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1831. It first appeared in the 1832 edition of ''The Token and Atlantic Souvenir'', published by Samuel Goodrich. It later appeared in ''The Snow-Imag ...
", short story by American author
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion.
He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associated with that t ...
References
{{surname, Molyneux
Surnames of French origin
Surnames of Norman origin
French-language surnames
Toponymic surnames
Occupational surnames