Richard Molesworth was born in Ireland in 1680, the younger son of Robert Molesworth, 1st Viscount, and Letitia née Coote, daughter of Lord Coloony. Richard studied law but gave it up to join the army with a commission in April 1702, in the Earl of Orkney’s Regiment (The Royal Scots). He commanded a company at Blenheim in 1704. At the Battle of Ramillies on 23 May 1706 he was ADC to the Duke of Marlborough and saved his life when the Duke was knocked off his horse.
The Duke was unhorsed and trampled on, and in danger of being killed or captured. Molesworth was the only person able to come to his aid. The Duke’s grey horse had bolted so Molesworth, with great difficulty, helped the almost senseless Duke onto his own horse. He put the reins into Marlborough’s hand and urged him to ride hard towards the British lines. Enemy cavalry soon came up, and seeing the Duke riding off chased after him, ignoring Molesworth who was now on foot. But this party of enemy cavalry were repulsed and on their way back swiped at Molesworth with their swords. However he was well protected, probably by a leather under-jacket so that he was badly bruised but not seriously injured. He made his way towards the lines where he found a soldier holding the Duke’s grey charger. He claimed the horse and paid the soldier a patacoon (Spanish coin worth 4 shillings and 8 pence). When he caught up with Marlborough he found him to be recovered and issuing orders. They swapped horses, during which a cannonball killed one of the Duke’s assistants.
Molesworth served as a captain in the Coldstream Guards in 1707 and was then put in command of Thomas Moore’s Foot in June 1710. He went with them to Spain in 1711 but the regiment was disbanded in 1713. In 1715 he commanded a regiment of dragoons that was with Carpenter’s force at the battle of Preston in which he behaved with great gallantry and was wounded. His dragoons were disbanded in 1718 but he had been appointed Lt-General of the Ordnance in Ireland in 1714. He was Colonel of the 27th Foot in March 1725, the 9th Dragoons in May 1732, and the 5th Royal Irish Dragoons in June 1837. He succeeded his elder brother to the title to be 3rd Viscount Molesworth in 1726. He was promoted to major-general in 1735 and lieutenant general on the Irish Establishment in 1739 (English Establishment in 1742). He was Master-General of the Ordnance in Ireland in 1740, General of the Horse in Ireland in 1747, and Commander-in-Chief in Ireland in September 1751. He was promoted to Field Marshal on 29 Nov 1757 and died on 12 Oct 1758.
Viscount Molesworth was married to Jane Lucas with whom he had three children. The youngest daughter, Mary, married Robert Rochfort, 1st Earl of Belvedere who achieved notoriety because of his ill-treatment of Mary. When Jane died, Molesworth married again, in 1744, to Mary Jenney Ussher. They had seven children, one boy and six girls. Wife Mary and two of the daughters died in a house fire in 1763.
The portrait is dated after 1747. The artist was Anthony Lee and it was engraved by John Brooks. Viscount Molesworth is dressed in his capacity as General of the Horse in Ireland. The dark blue lapels run the whole length of the coat which was a distinction of Regiments of Horse. He was never Colonel of such a regiment so has adopted the uniform as his own preference. In the background is a battle scene in which a mounted drummer is seen, on a grey horse.
