Sir Richard Molyneux, 1st Baronet (1560–1622) was a

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 o ...

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 Lancas ...

, Mayor of

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

and Receiver-General of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Life

Molyneux was the son of William Molyneux and his wife Bridget Caryll. His grandfather, Sir Richard Molyneux (1528–1568), was MP for Liverpool from 1562 to 1571. He was educated at

University College, Oxford University College (in full The College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford, colloquially referred to as "Univ") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It has a claim to being the oldest college of the unive ...

. In 1581, Molyneux was appointed by substitution MP of

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the 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 north-east and Warrington ...

, replacing Sir Edward Fitton and knighted in 1586. In 1588–89, he was

Mayor of Liverpool The mayor of Liverpool is the executive mayor of the city of Liverpool in England. The incumbent mayor is Joanne Anderson, who was elected in May 2021. The mayor of Liverpool was previously branded 'the most powerful politician in England outs ...

and in 1588 and 1596

High Sheriff of Lancashire The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales. The High Sheriff of Lanca ...

. He was

knight of the shire Knight of the shire ( la, milites comitatus) was the formal title for a member of parliament (MP) representing a county constituency in the British House of Commons, from its origins in the medieval Parliament of England until the Redistributio ...

(MP) for Lancashire in 1584, 1593 and 1604. He held the office of Receiver-General of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1607. He was created Baronet Molyneux in 1611. On his death, he was buried in Sefton parish church. His seats were Sefton Hall, Sefton and

Lytham Hall Lytham Hall is an 18th-century Georgian country house in Lytham, Lancashire, from the centre of the town, in of wooded parkland. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, the only one ...

, Fylde. He left his estates to his son Richard.

Family

Molyneux married firstly a daughter of Lord Strange and secondly, around 1590, 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 ...

and Anne Radcliffe, with whom he had 13 children (six sons and seven daughters), including Sir Richard Molyneux, 1st Viscount Molyneux and Sir

Vivian Molyneux Sir Vivian Molyneux ( – after 1642) was an English scholar and traveller, who supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War. Biography Molyneux was the son of Sir Richard Molyneux, 1st Baronet of Sefton and his wife Frances, the daught ...

. Alice Molyneux, their eldest daughter, married Sir William Dormer and their son, Robert, was created

Earl of Carnarvon Earl of Carnarvon is a title that has been created three times in British history. The current holder is George Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon. The town and county in Wales to which the title refers are historically spelled ''Caernarfon,'' hav ...

in 1628. A younger daughter Margaret married Edward Osbaldeston, of a prominent

family and had issue including Richard Osbaldston,

Attorney General for Ireland The Attorney-General for Ireland was an Irish and then (from the Act of Union 1800) United Kingdom government office-holder. He was senior in rank to the Solicitor-General for Ireland: both advised the Crown on Irish legal matters. With the ...

Life

Family

References

Further reading