A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



John Molyneux was one of the eight Lancashire 

 gentlemen and yeoman recusants who at the begin- 

 ning of the Elizabethan persecution in 1568 were 

 singled out by the royal commissioners in the hope 

 of terrorizing the rest. John Molyneux stated that 

 he had attended service at Melling chapel 'divers 

 times ' within the year, and once received the com- 

 munion there. He had, however, entertained various 

 persecuted priests at his house Vaux, Murren, 

 Marshall, Peel, and Ashbrook ; also Foster, an Oxford 

 scholar, and Allen, afterwards cardinal. He was thus 

 one of the numerous class who put in an occasional 

 attendance at the new services to escape the heavy 

 fines. By the report of his neighbour Edmund 

 Hulme of Maghull it appears that he had more re- 

 cently repented of this degree of compliance and had 

 * taken a corporal oath on a book ' to acknowledge the 

 pope's supremacy. Though he appears to have been 

 dismissed with a warning and injunction, ' he was 

 afterwards committed to custody and is said to have 

 died in prison. His death took place on 21 July, 

 1582, Edmund Molyneux his son and heir being 

 thirty years of age. 1 



Edmund Molyneux adhered to the religion of his 

 ancestors, though like his father he saved his estate 

 by occasional conformity. In I 584 he was returned 

 by an informer as a recusant and in 1590 was 'in 

 general note of evil affection in religion and non- 

 communicant." He died 13 July 1605, Robert his 

 son and heir being twenty-five years of age. 3 By his 

 will he left his lands to this son and 300 to his 

 daughter Ellen. 4 For a time Robert appears to have 

 avoided conviction for recusancy, but two-thirds of 

 his estate was under sequestration for this offence 

 in 1631 when he compounded for knighthood.* 

 When the Civil War broke out he joined the royal 

 standard and was killed at the first battle of New- 

 bury, 20 September, 164.3. Two of his sons, Robert 

 and John, fought on the same side at the second 

 battle there (October, 1644), and the former is said 

 to have been killed or mortally wounded in it. 6 



It was inevitable that the property should be seized 

 by the Parliament. The last-mentioned Robert had 



left a son about four years old, whose guardian, Cuth- 

 bert Ogle, compounded for him in 1650.' The peti- 

 tion presented on behalf of the heir, desiring to 

 compound for certain lands ' then lately come to him 

 by the death of his grandfather and father,' stated that 

 they ' were never sequestered, but he feared they 

 might be liable for some delinquency of his father.' 

 The Lancashire commissioners, however, stated that 

 the estates had been sequestered for the delinquency of 

 Robert the grandfather before the death of Robert the 

 father this latter being a 'papist delinquent' and 

 never in actual possession and that Robert the peti- 

 tioner, then about twelve years of age, was being 

 educated in popery. 8 The reply sent in for the peti- 

 tioner alleged that ' his grandfather and father so far 

 from being " convict " had both lived and died Pro- 

 testants, and were never till this questioned for popery, 

 and petitioner was being brought up under a known 

 Protestant his guardian.' An allowance was requested 

 for himself and his brothers and sisters (four in 

 number). 9 



In spite of this reply which appears to be quite 

 untrue Robert Molyneux was brought up in the 

 proscribed faith. He married Frances, daughter and 

 heiress of William Lathom of Mossborough in Rain- 

 ford, a zealous adherent of the same religion. 10 They 

 had two sons, Robert and William ; the former died 

 without issue in or before 1728, the latter in 1744, 

 leaving an only child Frances, who married (about 

 1753) Edward Blount of Sodington, who succeeded 

 to the baronetcy in 1758. They sold their Lancashire 

 possessions, and as they had no children the families 

 of Molyneux of Melling and Lathom of Mossborough 

 became extinct. The Hall of the Wood became the 

 property of the earl of Derby, but much of their land 

 in Melling was sold to Thomas Bootle of Melling and 

 Lathom. 



The Booties of Melling, ancestors of Lord Lathom, 

 are traceable from about 1300. Roger son of 

 Dobbe de Melling in 1317 quitclaimed to Henry 

 de Bootle certain lands of which he had enfeoffed 

 him. 11 A few years later (1324-5) Adam son of 

 Richard de Bootle granted to Adam son of Richard 



