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 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'