Clifford Clifton facts for kids

Sir Clifford Clifton (born 1626, died 1670) was an important English person who lived a long time ago. He owned a lot of land and was also a politician. This means he helped make laws for England as a member of the House of Commons, which is like a parliament.

Early Life and Family

Clifford Clifton was born in 1626. His father was Sir Gervase Clifton, a very important landowner from Nottinghamshire. His mother was Lady Frances Clifford. When he was older, in 1647, he went to study law at a famous place called Gray's Inn.

A Career in Politics

Sir Clifford Clifton became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1659. An MP is someone chosen by people to represent them and help make laws for the country. He represented the area of East Retford in the English Parliament.

He was also involved in local government. In 1660, he became a Justice of the Peace (JP) for Nottinghamshire. A JP helps keep the peace and deals with minor legal matters in their local area. He continued in this role until he died.

In 1661, he was elected as an MP for East Retford again. That same year, he was made a knight, which meant he was given the title "Sir." He also became a Deputy Lieutenant for Nottinghamshire. This role involved helping with the military and keeping order in the county. He helped manage taxes too, as a commissioner for assessment.

When his father passed away in 1666, Sir Clifford inherited the family's large estate. In 1667, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected group of scientists and thinkers.

His Family Life

Sir Clifford Clifton married Frances Finch in 1650. Her father, Sir Heneage Finch, had also been a very important person in the House of Commons.

Sir Clifford and Frances had seven children together, but sadly, only three of them lived to become adults. Their surviving children were:

• Sir William Clifton (1663–1686), who later inherited a special family title called a baronetcy.
• Katherine Clifton, who married Sir John Parsons.
• Arabella Clifton (died 1720), who married a famous navy officer, Admiral Sir Francis Wheeler.

Sir Clifford Clifton passed away in June 1670, when he was about 43 years old. He was buried in Clifton.