Agnes Atherton, de Aintree

Agnes de Molyneux was the daughter of Sir Richard de Molyneux, Lord of Sefton, and his wife Emma Donne. She was born c. 1271 at Sefton, Lancashire, England. She married (1) Hugh Banester (also known as Hugo de Banester) of Forneby. She married (2) Henry de Aintree and had a daughter, Emma, known as Emma, Heiress of Aintree.

Aintree was a small village about two miles from Sefton. It was not listed in Domesday as a separate location. At the beginning of the 13th century it was held by the de Hollands of Downholland, who had granted most of it out to neighboring families, including the de Molyneux of Sefton. The de Molyneux share, "one oxgang," was granted in free marriage with Alice de Molyneux to the son of Richard Baret, and eventually ended in the hands of the Ridgate/Rudgate family. In 1490 it was sold back to Lawrence Molyneux.

The balance of the land, about seven oxgangs and including the manor, eventually came into the possession of a family that took the name de Aintree. In 1296 it was held by William de Aintree. The land and the lordship eventually passed down to Emma de Aintree, daughter of Agnes de Molyneux and husband Henry de Aintree. Emma married Henry de Atherton, son of Hugh de Atherton.

Emma was defendant in various suits begiining in 1301.

• Gilbert son of William de Aintree brought a writ of novel disseisin against her, but did not prosecute it. *Then Alice, widow of Henry de Aintree, claimed dower in certain lands held by Emma; Richard de Molyneux, her grandfather, Simon de Balderston, and Emma widow of William de Aintree being joined as defendants, the grandfather in his capacity of guardian to Emma, who was a minor. In one statement of defence it was alleged that William de Aintree held the parcel in dispute for life, by grant of Henry.
• In 1323 Henry, son of Hugh de Atherton, and Emma his wife complained that William de Molyneux of Sefton and others had disseised them of part of their tenement in Aintree. Two years later he proceeded against William the Demand of Netherton and others, for cutting his turf.
• John, son of William de Cowdrey, Otes de Halsall, and Alan, son of Alan de Cowdrey, were accused of taking Emma, widow of Henry de Atherton of Aintree, from Sefton church on 10 November, 1343; they were acquitted.
• There appears to have been a daughter and heir, Joan de Atherton, who married Robert de Nevill of Hornby. The latter in 1346 is found claiming various lands as the right of his wife, daughter of Henry, and granddaughter and heir of Hugh de Atherton of Hindley; De Banc.
• In 1356 Joan, widow of Adam de Aintree sought dower from Henry, son of Simon de Bickersteth and Agnes his wife.

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Parish History

Historically Sefton was a Parish in Lancashire, it is now in Merseyside which in current times is associated with Liverpool.

SEFTON (St. Helen), a parish, in the union and hundred of West Derby, S. division of Lancashire;containing, the townships of Aintree, Great and Little Crosby, Ince-Blundell, Litherland, Lunt, Netherton, Orrell with Ford, and Thornton. [1]

Sefton is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England.

See:https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Sefton,_Lancashire_Genealogy