Baron de Clifford

George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, 13th Baron de Clifford

Baron de Clifford is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1299 for Robert de Clifford. The title was created by writ, which means that it can descend through both male and female lines. The de Clifford family settled in England after the Norman conquest and were a notable family in late medieval England. The first Baron notably served as Earl Marshal of England but was killed at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. His great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson, the eleventh Baron, was created Earl of Cumberland in 1525. His grandson, the third Earl, was a noted naval commander. On his death in 1605 the earldom passed to his younger brother, the fourth Earl (see the Earl of Cumberland for later history of this title).

The barony of de Clifford was claimed in 1628 by his daughter and only child, Anne, but the House of Lords postponed the hearing. The barony remained dormant until 1678, when Nicholas Tufton, 3rd Earl of Thanet, was allowed to claim the peerage and became the fifteenth Baron de Clifford. He was the son of Lady Margaret Sackville, daughter of the aforementioned Anne. On the death in 1721 of the Earl's younger brother, the sixth Earl, the earldom and barony separated. The earldom was inherited by the late Earl's nephew, the seventh Earl (see the Earl of Thanet for further information on this title).

The barony fell into abeyance between the Earl's five daughters, Lady Katherine, Lady Anne, Lady Isabel, Lady Margaret and Lady Mary. It remained in abeyance until 1734 when the abeyance was terminated in favour of the third daughter, Margaret, who became the nineteenth Baroness. She was the wife of Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester. On her death in 1775 the title again fell into abeyance, this time between her sisters and their heirs. The abeyance was terminated only a year later in favour of Edward Southwell, the twentieth Baron. He was the grandson of Lady Catherine Tufton, eldest daughter of the sixth Earl of Thanet. He was succeeded by his son, the twenty-first Baron. He was childless and on his death in 1832 the barony fell into abeyance between his sisters Hon. Sophia and Hon. Elizabeth and the heirs of his deceased sister Hon. Catherine.

The peerage was called out of abeyance in 1833 in favour of Sophia, the twenty-second holder. She was the only surviving child of Hon. Catherine and her husband George Coussmaker. Lady de Clifford was the wife of John Russell, third son of Lord William Russell, third son of Francis Russell, Marquess of Tavistock, eldest son and heir of John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford. She was succeeded by her son, the twenty-third Baron. He represented Tavistock in Parliament as a Liberal. As of 2010^[update] the title is held by his great-great-grandson, the twenty-seventh Baron, who succeeded his father in 1982. As a descendant of the fourth Duke of Bedford he is also in remainder to this peerage and its subsidiary titles.

Other members of the family have been created barons as Baron Clifford and Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, and baronets as Baronet Clifford of Flaxbourne, New Zealand, Baronet Clifford of the Navy and Baronet Clifford-Constable of Tixall, Staffordshire

In Great Haywood, a village approximately two miles from Tixall, the main public house is called 'The Clifford Arms'

Barons de Clifford (1299)

• Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de Clifford (1274–1314)
• Roger de Clifford, 2nd Baron de Clifford (1299–1322)
• Robert de Clifford, 3rd Baron de Clifford (1305–1344)
• Robert de Clifford, 4th Baron de Clifford (1329–1344)
• Roger de Clifford, 5th Baron de Clifford (1333–1389)
• Thomas de Clifford, 6th Baron de Clifford (1363–1391)
• John Clifford, 7th Baron de Clifford (1388–1422)
• Thomas Clifford, 8th Baron de Clifford (1414–1455)
• John Clifford, 9th Baron de Clifford (1435–1461)
• Henry Clifford, 10th Baron de Clifford (1454–1524)
• Henry Clifford, 1st Earl of Cumberland, 11th Baron de Clifford (1493–1542)
• Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland, 12th Baron de Clifford (1517–1569)
• George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, 13th Baron de Clifford (1558–1605) (dormant until 1678)
• Anne Herbert, 14th Baroness de Clifford (1590–1676) (unsuccessfully claimed title in 1628; recognised in 1649)
• Nicholas Tufton, 3rd Earl of Thanet, 15th Baron de Clifford (1631–1679) (allowed to claim title in 1678)
• John Tufton, 4th Earl of Thanet, 16th Baron de Clifford (1638–1680)
• Richard Tufton, 5th Earl of Thanet, 17th Baron de Clifford (1640–1684)
• Thomas Tufton, 6th Earl of Thanet, 18th Baron de Clifford (1644–1721) (abeyant 1721)
• Margaret Coke, 19th Baroness de Clifford (1700–1775) (abeyance terminated 1734; abeyant 1775)
• Edward Southwell, 20th Baron de Clifford (1738–1777) (abeyance terminated 1776)
• Edward Southwell, 21st Baron de Clifford (1767–1832) (abeyant 1832)
• Sophia Coussmaker, 22nd Baroness de Clifford (1791–1874) (abeyance terminated 1833)
• Edward Southwell Russell, 23rd Baron de Clifford (1824–1877)
• Edward Southwell Russell, 24th Baron de Clifford (1855–1894)
• Jack Southwell Russell, 25th Baron de Clifford (1884–1909)
• Edward Southwell Russell, 26th Baron de Clifford (1907–1982)
• John Edward Southwell Russell, 27th Baron de Clifford (b. 1928)

The heir presumptive is the present holder's brother the Hon. William Southwell Russell (b. 1930)

The heir presumptive's heir apparent is his son, Miles Edward Southwell Russell (b. 1966)

The heir presumptive's heir apparent's heir apparent is his son Edward Southwell Russell (b. 1998)

See also

• Duke of Bedford
• Earl of Cumberland
• Earl of Thanet

Further reading

• Clifford, Hugh (13th Baron Clifford of Chudleigh). The House of Clifford from Before the Conquest. Phillimore & Co, 1987.
• Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis Weis; Lines 64–32, 82–32, 156–30, 161–29, 205–32.

References

• Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
• www.thepeerage.com