Regency Personalities Series
In my attempts to provide us with the details of the Regency, today I continue with one of the many period notables.
Maria Molyneux Countess of Sefton
26 April 1769 – 1 January 1851
Maria Margaret Craven
Born Maria Margaret Craven, she was the daughter of William Craven, 6th Baron Graven and Hampsted Marshall and Lady Elizabeth Berkley on April 26, 1769. Her mother was the daughter of the 4th Earl of Berkley.
On Jan. 1, 1792, Maria married William Philip Molyneux, Viscount Sefton, the son of Charles William Molyneux, 1st Earl of Sefton, and Isabella Stanhope (daughter of the 2nd Earl of Harrington).
Little is known of Lady Sefton outside of her presence as a patroness of Almacks and being Lord Sefton;s wife. As a patroness her reputation is that of being good-natured. That she left blackballing to the other patronesses. The same with the revoking of vouchers of erring members. Lord Sefton was a very active member of society so it was natural that Maria become a patroness, especially as Lord Sefton’s mother was a founding member of Almacks. The couple had at least five children, and possibly more. Maria was a patroness at least by 1812 and may at that time have been the oldest patroness of the group. The couple lived in Arlington Street and she would have been very busy managing that household and her family. There were also residences at Stokes Farm in Berkshire and Croxteth Hall near Liverpool.
In 1814 Lord Sefton fell out with Prinny over trying to exclude the Prince Regent from the White’s Club Ball, which was cancelled. This may have caused Lady Sefton to be excluded from court functions as it did Lord Sefton. However her activity as Patroness of Almacks did not decline for another ten years. William IV restored Lord Sefton to court life as William was an admirer of Sefton. Maria survived her husband by more than a decade dying January 1 of 1851.
The Things That Catch My Eye 