Constituency Dates
Lancashire 23 July 1771 – 1774
Family and Education
b. 11 Oct. 1748, o.s. of Hon. Thomas Joseph Molyneux of Croxteth Hall by Maria, da. of James Leverly of London, wid. of (1) Joseph Griffin of Beckmarsh, Warws. and (2) John Errington of Beaufront, Northumb., he was gd.-s. of William, 4th Visct. Molyneux [I]. educ. St. Omer. m. 3 Dec. 1768, Lady Isabella Stanhope, da. of William, 2nd Earl of Harrington, 1s. suc. fa. 1756; uncle as 8th Visct. 30 Mar. 1759; cr. Earl of Sefton [I] 30 Nov. 1771.
Address
Main residence: Croxteth Hall, Lancs.
biography text

Molyneux was educated as a Roman Catholic, but conformed to the Church of England in 1769. A little later he began to take part in politics; Sir William Meredith wrote to the Duke of Portland on 20 Oct. 1769:1Portland mss.

Lady Molyneux has taken the county captive, though they have some ground to recover that they lost by coming with Sir George and Lady Warren to Manchester. He seems pretty clear of Lord Strange, but attached to the Duke of Grafton.

About the same time North recommended him to the King for promotion in the Irish peerage.2Cal. Home Office Pprs. 1770-2, p. 35.

At the by-election of 1771 no member of the Stanley family was available to contest the county, and Molyneux was returned unopposed. He voted with Government over Wilkes, 26 Apr. 1773, and on the motion to make Grenville’s Act permanent, 25 Feb. 1774, but there is no record that he ever spoke in the House. In 1774, when Lord Stanley had come of age, Molyneux did not stand. He offered himself for the county in 1784, but withdrew.

Molyneux had a house at Twickenham where Horace Walpole was a frequent visitor, yet he is only mentioned occasionally in Walpole’s letters. He died 31 Jan. 1795.

Author
J.B.
Volume
Commons 1754-1790
Notes
  • 1. Portland mss.
  • 2. Cal. Home Office Pprs. 1770-2, p. 35.