JOHN MOLESWORTH, Esq.
[Commander.]
Second son of the late Richard Molesworth, Esq. many years Accountant in the Army Pay Office, by Catherine, daughter of Francis Cobb, Esq., of Twickenham, and brother to the present Viscount Molesworth.
This officer is descended from Sir Walter De Molesworth, one of the Knights of the Cross who accompanied King Edward I. into the Holy Land. One of his ancestors. Anthony Molesworth, married a rich heiress, and fixed his residence at Fotheringay, co. Northampton; but from liberal habits, and the expenses incurred by entertaining Queen Elizabeth at his seat, he became so much involved, that he disposed of the greater part of his landed possessions to discharge the incumbrances. His great grandson, Robert, several years ambassador at the court of Denmark, was advanced to the Irish peerage in 1716. The present peer succeeded to the title on the demise of his cousin, William John, sixth viscount, (great-grandson of the first), a major-general in the army, and lieutenant-colonel of the ninth regiment of foot, who perished with his lady, on board the Arniston transport, near the Cape of Good Hope, May 31st, 1815.
Mr. John Molesworth was born at Peckham, co. Surrey, in July, 1789; and first went to sea in the Plover sloop. Captain Edward Galwey, in April 1800 He afterwards served in the Culloden 74; and was a midshipman on board the Canopus 80, flag-ship of the late Sir Thomas Louis, at the battle of St. Domingo, Feb. 6th, 1806; at the capture of the French frigate Presidente, Sept. 27th, in the same year; and in the expedition against Constantinople under Sir John T. Duckworth, in Feb. 1807[1]. We subsequently find him in the Malta 84 and Ocean 98, the latter ship bearing the flag of Lord Collingwood, by whom, we believe, he was made lieutenant into the Imperieuse frigate, Captain Lord Cochrane, on the
