William Clifford (priest)

William Clifford (alias Mansell) (d. 30 April1670) was an English Roman Catholic theologian.

Life

After education and ordination at Douai, he went on the English mission. As vice-president, he helped the English College at Lisbon through difficult times, and became superior of Tournay College (Paris), assigned by Cardinal Richelieu to the English clergy.

He evaded being made bishop in 1660, declined in 1670 the presidency of Douai, and closed his life in the Hopital des Incurables in Paris.

Works

Clifford's works are:

*"Christian Rules proposed to a vertuous Soule" (Paris, 1615), dedicated to Mrs Ursula Clifford;
*"The Spirituall Combat", translated by R.R. (Paris, 1656), dedicated to Abbot Montague;
*"Little Manual of Poore Man's Dayly Devotion" (2nd edition, Paris, 1670), often reprinted;
*"Observations upon Kings' Reigns since the Conquest" (MS.);
*"Collections concerning Chief Points of Controversy" (MS.)

Family

He was the son of Henry Clifford, by his wife Elizabeth Thimelby. She as a widow joined the English Augustinian nuns at Louvain, and died, aged about seventy-seven, 3 September, 1642.

Clifford never asserted his right to the Barony of Cumberland.

References

*Little Manual, 5th ed., preface;
*Charles Dodd, Church History, III, 297;
*Joseph Gillow, Bibl. Dict. Eng. Catholics, I, 514, s.v.;
*____, Lisbon College, 9 and 189;
*Cooper in Dict. Of Nat. Biog., s.v.;
*Chronicle of St. Monica's, Louvain (Edinburgh, 1904), I, 127;
*Kirk, Biographies (London, 1908), s.v.