BAPTISED:

4th September 1791, at St. Elphin, Warrington

MARRIED: 3 times

First:

Mary of Warrington (died 1818)

Second:

Amy of Warrington (died 1841)

Third:

Mary of Warrington

KNOWN CHILDREN:

William (c1815)

Sally (c1818)

Whittle (c1821)

Boulton (c1822)

Thomas (c1822)

John (c1824)

Elizabeth (c1827)

Boulton (c1830)

All born in Warrington.

DIED:

6th May 1879 in Timperley, Cheshire.

Biography

Boulton Molineaux was born in Warrington to Thomas Molineaux and Alice Whittle. His father worked as a sawyer and was also from Warrington, being baptised on the 4th December 1763. Boulton was named after his father's older brother Boulton, baptised in Warrington on the 21st May 1756.

Boulton and his brother Thomas were two of the five founders of Molineaux & Webb.

When Molineaux & Webb started in the 1820s, Thomas moved to Manchester and stayed there, but Boulton continued to live in Warrington. He was active as a businessman in Warrington until approximately 1850, and his involvement in Molineaux & Webb may have been limited to providing finance. Along with William Maginnis, the Molineaux brothers appear to be the senior figures in the firm at the time of its birth.

Boulton's business interests are captured in an 1824 commercial directory of Warrington which lists him as a hat manufacturer, living on Horse Market Street, still one of the main commercial streets of Warrington today (view Google Map). Just a little further south down the road was the business of William Maginnis. Boulton may have passed this hat business to a William Molineaux, listed as a hat manufacturer on a subsequent directory, who we think was his brother.

Another of Boulton's businesses was dissolved in 1831:

Notice is hereby given, that Richard Borrows, Boulton Molineaux, and Thomas Hindley, of Warrington, in the County of Lancaster, Tallow-Chandlers, have dissolved Partnership by mutual consent this 29th day of July 1831.

And another partnership split in 1834, this time with Boulton retaining sole interest:

Notice is hereby given, that the Partnership lately subsisting between us the undersigned, Boulton Molineaux and Edward Malley, of Warrington, in the County of Lancaster, Glue Size-Manufacturers, was on the 17th day of July last dissolved by mutual consent; and that all debts due and owing to or by the said Partners are to be received and paid by the said Boulton Molineaux, by whom the said business will in future be carried on on his sole and separate account. Dated the 18th day of July 1834.

Great-Grandsons of Boulton

John and William

Boulton is listed as a "size manufacturer" on subsequent directories and it is likely that this was his main or sole business interest in the Warrington area from the mid 1830s.

A directory of railway investors from 1837 captures Boulton as an investor in (appropriately!) the Bolton & Preston railway. He had an investment of £1000 as did his brother Thomas. William Molineaux the hat manufacturer invested £500 in the same line. Boulton's brother Thomas had shares in many more rail lines.

Boulton's brother Thomas was very active politically and in the local community of Manchester. In the smaller world of Warrington, fewer examples have survived of Boulton's public interests. He is known to have served on an Anti Corn Law committee along with Thomas, who was a fervent Corn Law protester.

In Warrington, an article mentioning Boulton from 1841 has survived:

Great Total Abstinence Society Tea Party at Warrington.

On Monday evening the members and friends of this society celebrated their seventh anniversary, in the large room of the Lion Hotel, by a tea party. Boulton Molineaux, Esq. occupied the chair. The meeting, which was graced by the presence of a numerous body of ladies, was addressed by the Rev. R. Bishop, Mr. Smith, and others, in spirited and animated speeches. Mr. Smith gave a statistical account of the number of public houses, beer houses, distillers, quantity of intoxicating drink consumed, and amount of taxes contributed to the revenue by the use of ardent spirits within the borough of Warrington. We are happy to observe that this society is rapidly progressing, and that the number of members is now upwards of 1,900 including many females.

Back in Manchester, Boulton's interest in Molineaux & Webb continued until the 1st January 1848, when both he and Mary Ellis left the partnership. leaving it in the hands of his brother Thomas, and Thomas Webb. His brother Thomas died in 1851, and it is around this date that Boulton retired and moved to Cheshire. He continued to live in Cheshire for the rest of his life, settling in the Timperley area. His surviving sons had no further connection with the glass industry. One son, named Boulton, was in business as a corn and flour dealer for a time.

Boulton Molineaux died of old age in 1879. He left an estate of £18,000, which included shares in the Great Western Railway.

The Will of Boulton Molineaux late of Timperly in the County of Chester Gentleman who died 6 May 1879 at Timperly was proved at Chester by Thomas Molineaux of Woodland Bank Timperly the Son and Henry Hough of Altrincham in the County of Chester Gentleman two of the Executors.

The family gravestone survives in the grounds of St. Elphin, Warrington. Although Boulton's brother Thomas is not listed, this gravestone provides the proof that Boulton and Thomas were brothers. One of the names on the grave is John Molineaux. A newspaper clipping has been found dated to 1834, which records the death of John Molineaux. It reads: "... much respected by all who knew him, John, brother to Thomas Molineaux, Esq., glass manufacturer Manchester." The date of death given in the newspaper matches exactly the date on the Molineaux gravestone.

Molineaux gravestone, grounds of St. Elphin, Warrington

Front entrance to St. Elphin, Warrington

(Molineaux gravestone is front and right of the entrance)

Great-Great Grandchildren of Boulton

John and Gladys Molineaux

With thanks to Sylvie for the Molineaux family photographs

1841 CENSUS:

Job Title: Size manufacturer

Address: Dallum Lane, Warrington

Others: Living with four children and two servants. Two of his children, William and Whittle, are listed as glass engravers.

1851 CENSUS:

Job Title: Gentleman

Address: Rose Hill, Bowdon, Cheshire

Others: Living with wife, 3 children and a servant. (William has left glass engraving and is listed as a "share broker")

1861 CENSUS:

Job Title: Gentleman

Address: Woodland Bank, Stockport Road, Timperley, Cheshire

Others: Living with wife and one servant

1871 CENSUS:

Job Title: Retired glass manufacturer

Address: Woodland Bank, Timperley, Cheshire

Others: Living with wife and one servant