Mosley baronets

There have been three baronetcies created for members of the Mosley family, one in the Baronetage of England and two in the Baronetage of Great Britain. Only one creation is extant. Since 1980, the title has been held jointly with Baron Ravensdale in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.[1]

History

First creation

The first Mosley baronetcy, of Rolleston, in the County of Stafford, was created in the Baronetage of England on 10 July 1640 for Edward Mosley, of Rolleston Hall, a grandson of Sir Nicholas Mosley of Hough End Hall (who acquired the Manor of Manchester in 1596 and was Lord Mayor of London in 1599), and nephew of the lawyer Sir Edward Mosley (the youngest son of Sir Nicholas and his first wife Marjorie, née Whitbroke). Sir Edward was a lawyer who had been knighted by King James I of England in 1614; appointed a justice of the peace and Attorney-General for the Duchy of Lancaster; and elected as a Member of Parliament for Preston in 1614, 1620–1622, and 1624–1625. It was Sir Edward who first acquired the properties of Rolleston Hall that became the family seat. Sir Edward (1569–1638) died unmarried and without issue, and his estates were inherited by his nephew—the Edward Mosley who was to become the 1st Baronet.

The 1st Baronet's father was Rowland Mosley (1558–1616), another son of the aforesaid Sir Nicholas and his wife Marjorie.

The second Baronet, also called Edward, sat as Member of Parliament for St Michael. The baronetcy became extinct on his death in 1665.

Second creation

The second Mosley baronetcy, of Rolleston, in the County of Stafford, was created in the Baronetage of Great Britain on 18 June 1720 for Oswald Mosley, a third cousin once removed of the second Baronet of the 1640 creation. The title became extinct on the death of the third Baronet in 1779.

Third creation

The third Mosley baronetcy, of Ancoats, in the County of Lancaster, was created in the Baronetage of Great Britain on 8 June 1781 for John Mosley, who was a second cousin of the second and third baronets of the 1720 creation.[a] His grandson, the second Baronet, represented several constituencies in the House of Commons. His grandson, the fourth Baronet, served as High Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1915.

The sixth Baronet, Sir Oswald Mosley, grandson of the fourth Baronet, gained notoriety as the founder of the British Union of Fascists. He married as his first wife Lady Cynthia Curzon, second daughter of George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston. Lady Cynthia and her two sisters were in special remainder to the barony of Ravensdale created for their father in 1911. After Lady Cynthia's early death in 1933, the sixth Baronet married, as his second wife, the Hon. Diana Mitford, former wife of the Hon. Bryan Guinness and one of the famous Mitford sisters.

In 1966, Mosley's son from his first marriage, author Nicholas Mosley, succeeded his mother's elder sister, Irene Curzon, 2nd Baroness Ravensdale, in the Ravensdale barony, but didn't use the title. On his father's death in 1980, he also inherited the baronetcy of Ancoats, and became the seventh Baronet. On his death in 2017, he was succeeded in both titles by his grandson, Daniel Mosley, who became the 4th Baron Ravensdale and the 8th Baronet.[b] He is an elected member of the House of Lords.

Tonman Mosley, 1st Baron Anslow, younger son of the third Baronet, was a politician. Max Mosley, second son in the second marriage of the sixth Baronet, was the long-serving President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.

The family seats were Rolleston Hall, near Rolleston on Dove, Staffordshire, and Ancoats Hall, near Manchester.

Mosley baronets, of Rolleston (1640)

• Sir Edward Mosley, 1st Baronet (1616–1657)
• Sir Edward Mosley, 2nd Baronet (c. 1637–1665)

Mosley baronets, of Rolleston (1720)

• Sir Oswald Mosley, 1st Baronet (1674–1751)
• Sir Oswald Mosley, 2nd Baronet (1705–1757)
• Sir John Mosley, 3rd Baronet (died 1779)

Mosley baronets, of Ancoats (1781)

• Sir John Parker Mosley, 1st Baronet (1732–1798) [a] 
  • Oswald Mosley (1761–1789)
• Sir Oswald Mosley, 2nd Baronet (1785–1871)
• Sir Tonman Mosley, 3rd Baronet (1813–1890)
• Sir Oswald Mosley, 4th Baronet (1848–1915)
• Sir Oswald Mosley, 5th Baronet (1873–1928)
• Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet (1896–1980)
• Nicholas Mosley, 3rd Baron Ravensdale, 7th Baronet (1923–2017); succeeded his maternal aunt Irene Curzon in the Ravensdale barony in 1966.[b]
  • Hon. Shaun Nicholas Mosley (1949–2009)
• Daniel Nicholas Mosley, 4th Baron Ravensdale, 8th Baronet (born 1982)

The heir apparent to both the barony and the baronetcy is the present holder's eldest son, the Hon. Alexander Lucas Mosley (born 2012).

Arms

The arms of the 2nd Baronet are blazoned: Quarterly—1st and 4th, sable a chevron between three battle axes argent; 2nd and 3rd, or a fesse between three eagles displayed sable. Crest—An eagle displayed ermine. Motto—Mos legem regit.[3]

Title succession chart

Title succession chart

Title succession chart, Mosley baronets (all creations). Edward Moseley died 1571 Sir Nicholas Mosley Lord Mayor of London 1527–1612 Anthony Moseley 1537–1607 Rowland Mosley died 1616 Oswald Mosley died 1616 1640 creation Sir Edward Mosley 1st Baronet 1616–1657 Nicholas Mosley 1611–1672 Sir Edward Mosley 2nd Baronet 1639–1665 Oswald Mosley 1639–1726 Nicholas Mosley died 1697 Baronetcy extinct 1720 creation Sir Oswald Mosley 1st Baronet 1674–1751 Nicholas Mosley c. 1693 – 1734/5 1781 creation Sir Oswald Mosley 2nd Baronet 1705–1757 Sir John Mosley 3rd Baronet a. 1705 – 1779 Sir John Mosley 1st Baronet [a]  1732–1798 Baronetcy extinct Oswald Mosley 1761–1789 Sir Oswald Mosley 2nd Baronet 1785–1871 Oswald Mosley 1804–1856 Sir Tonman Mosley 3rd Baronet 1813–1890 Sir Oswald Mosley 4th Baronet 1848–1915 Sir Oswald Mosley 5th Baronet 1873–1928 Sir Oswald Mosley 6th Baronet 1896–1980 Nicholas Mosley 3rd Baron Ravensdale 7th Baronet 1923–2017 Hon. Shaun Mosley 1949–2009 Daniel Mosley 4th Baron Ravensdale 8th Baronet born 1982 Hon. Alexander Mosley born 2012

See also

• Baron Ravensdale
• Baron Anslow
• Marquess Curzon of Kedleston

Notes

1. Sir John Mosley, 1st Baronet, of Ancoats, was adopted by Sir Oswald Mosley, 2nd Baronet (of the 1720 creation; 1705–1757),[2] his childless second cousin and godfather, after his father died in 1734/5.
2. The Mosley baronetcy of Ancoats effectively serves as a subsidiary title of the Ravensdale barony, but if the line of the 3rd Baron (author Nicholas Mosley) would fail, the titles would go separate ways. The baronetcy would continue in the Mosley family, but the barony would fall to a male-line descendant of Lady Alexandra Metcalfe, younger sister of Lady Cynthia Mosley, the 3rd Baron's mother. As of February 2024^[update], that descendant is entrepreneur Julian Metcalfe (born 1959), eldest son of David Metcalfe (1927–2012), only son of Lady Alexandra. If the line of David Metcalfe also fails, the barony becomes extinct.

References

1. Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107th ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. p. 3286. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
2. Family Memoirs, Sir Oswald Mosley, p. 42.
3. Edmund Lodge, The Genealogy of the Existing British Peerage and Baronetage: Containing the Family Histories of the Nobility. Hurst and Blackett, 1859.

Sources

• Mosley, Sir Oswald (2nd Baronet Ancoats). Family Memoirs. Printed for private circulation, 1849.
• Mosley Pedigree from Stirnet
• Bradshaw, L. D. (1985) Origins of Street Names in the City of Manchester. Radcliffe: Neil Richardson. ISBN 0-907511-87-2; pp. 32–34.