Richard Molyneux, 1st Viscount Molyneux (1594–1636) was an English politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

at various times between 1614 and 1629.

Biography

Molyneux was the son of

Sir Richard Molyneux, 1st Baronet Sir Richard Molyneux, 1st Baronet (1560–1622) was a member of parliament for Lancashire, Mayor of Liverpool and Receiver-General of the Duchy of Lancaster. Life Molyneux was the son of William Molyneux and his wife Bridget Caryll. His grandfath ...

of Sefton and his wife Frances Gerard, the daughter of

Sir Gilbert Gerard Sir Gilbert Gerard (died 4 February 1593) was a prominent lawyer, politician, and landowner of the Tudor period. He was returned six times as a member of the English parliament for four different constituencies. He was Attorney-General for more t ...

and Anne Ratcliffe. He matriculated at

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the mi ...

on 24 November 1609, at the age of 15. He was knighted on 27 March 1613. In 1614, he was elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas, Lancashire, River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the nor ...

. He held the office of

Receiver-General of the Duchy of Lancaster The Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to the King/Queen (or Financial Secretary to the King/Queen) is responsible for the financial management of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The officeholder is assisted by th ...

from 1616. He succeeded to the Molyneux baronetcy as the 2nd Baronet on the death of his father on 8 February 1622. In 1625 and 1628 Molyneux was elected MP for

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 ...

. On 22 December 1628 he was created

Viscount Molyneux A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

by King Charles I (taking his seat in the

Irish House of Lords The Irish House of Lords was the upper house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from medieval times until 1800. It was also the final court of appeal of the Kingdom of Ireland. It was modelled on the House of Lords of England, with membe ...

on 4 November 1634). In the same year, he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire but noted as a

recusant Recusancy (from la, recusare, translation=to refuse) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation. The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign ...

and non communicant. According to

Gerald Aylmer Gerald Edward Aylmer, (30 April 1926, Greete, Shropshire – 17 December 2000, Oxford) was an English historian of 17th century England. Gerald Aylmer was the only child of Edward Arthur Aylmer, from an Anglo-Irish naval family, and Phoebe ...

, Molyneux was one of only two Royalist gentry in the county of Lancashire who held an important office of state during the period 1625–1642 (?) to 1636.

G. E. Aylmer Gerald Edward Aylmer, (30 April 1926, Greete, Shropshire – 17 December 2000, Oxford) was an English historian of 17th century England. Gerald Aylmer was the only child of Edward Arthur Aylmer, from an Anglo-Irish naval family, and Phoebe ...

, ''The King's Servants: The Civil Service of Charles I, 1625–1642'' (Columbia University Press, 1961), pp 357.

Family

Molyneux married Mary (1596 – before 21 June 1639), daughter of Sir Thomas Caryll of Bentons,

Shipley, West Sussex Shipley is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies just off the A272 road north-east of Storrington. The parish includes the village of Coolham and the hamlets of Dragon's Green, Brooks Green and B ...

, in about 1618. His widow remarried, to Raphael Tarterau, Carver to the Queen Consort (he survived her). Molyneux was succeeded by his son Richard Molyneux, 2nd Viscount Molyneux. His daughter Charlotte married Sir William Stanley, Bt, of Hooton and his daughter Mary became the wife of Sir John Gage, Bt, of

Firle Firle (; Sussex dialect: ''Furrel'' ) is a village and civil parish in the Lewes district of East Sussex, England. Firle refers to an old-English/Anglo-Saxon word ''fierol'' meaning overgrown with oak. Although the original division of East ...

, Sussex. Molyneux's brother, Sir Vivian Molyneux, was a scholar, traveller and Royalist agent in the 1640s, and an uncle of

Robert Dormer, 1st Earl of Carnarvon Sir Robert Dormer of Wing, 2nd Baronet, 1st Earl of Carnarvon, 1st Viscount Ascott, 2nd Baron Dormer of Wing r Wenge'' (c. 1610 – 20 September 1643) was an English peer. He was the son of Sir William Dormer, and thus a grandson of Robert Dorm ...

Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire There has been a Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire almost continuously since the position was created by King Henry VIII in 1535. The only exception to this was the English Civil War and English Interregnum between 1643 and 1660 when there wa ...

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Molyneux, Richard Molyneux, 1st Viscount 1594 births 1636 deaths Viscounts in the Peerage of Ireland Peers of Ireland created by Charles I Deputy Lieutenants of Lancashire English MPs 1614 English MPs 1625 English MPs 1628–1629 Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Lancashire