Thomas Clifford, 1st Baron Clifford of Chudleigh (1 August 1630 – 17 October 1673) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

statesman who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

from 1660 to 1672 when he was created

Baron Clifford Baron Clifford is a title in the Peerage of England created by writ of summons on 17 February 1628 for Henry Clifford, Lord Clifford (so styled as heir to the Earldom of Cumberland). The title was believed to be held by Lord Clifford's father a ...

Background

Clifford was born in

Ugbrooke Ugbrooke House is a stately home in the parish of Chudleigh, Devon, England, situated in a valley between Exeter and Newton Abbot. The home of the Clifford family, the house and grounds are available for guided tours in summer and as an event ...

, the son of Hugh Clifford of Chudleigh,

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

, and his wife Mary Chudleigh, daughter of Sir George Chudleigh, 1st Baronet. He was baptised on 4 August 1630 at Ugbrooke. He matriculated at

Exeter College, Oxford (Let Exeter Flourish) , old_names = ''Stapeldon Hall'' , named_for = Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter , established = , sister_college = Emmanuel College, Cambridge , rector = Sir Richard Trainor ...

in 1647 and entered

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn ...

in 1648.History of Parliament Online- Thomas Clifford
/ref> His aunt, Sabina Clifford, married Matthew Hals (or (Halse) of Kenendon. Their daughter, Anne, married Rev John Tindal and was the mother of Dr

Matthew Tindal Matthew Tindal (1657 – 16 August 1733) was an eminent English deist author. His works, highly influential at the dawn of the Enlightenment, caused great controversy and challenged the Christian consensus of his time. Life Tindal was baptised ...

, the eminent deist and author of ''Christianity as Old as the Creation''.

Political and public life

In April 1660, Clifford was elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for

Totnes Totnes ( or ) is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England, within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about west of Paignton, about west-southwest of Torquay and abo ...

in the Convention Parliament. He was re-elected MP for Totnes in 1661 for the

Cavalier Parliament The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, and longer than any Great British or UK Parliament to date, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter-century reign of C ...

. He distinguished himself in naval battles, and was knighted. During the

Second Anglo-Dutch War The Second Anglo-Dutch War or the Second Dutch War (4 March 1665 – 31 July 1667; nl, Tweede Engelse Oorlog "Second English War") was a conflict between England and the Dutch Republic partly for control over the seas and trade routes, whe ...

, Clifford served as one of four Commissioners for taking Care of Sick and Wounded Seamen and for the Care and Treatment of Prisoners of War (the others were Sir William D'Oyly,

John Evelyn John Evelyn (31 October 162027 February 1706) was an English writer, landowner, gardener, courtier and minor government official, who is now best known as a diarist. He was a founding Fellow of the Royal Society. John Evelyn's diary, or ...

and Bullen Reymes). In August 1665, Clifford was named Ambassador Extraordinary to Sweden; he traveled to Denmark in October, before returning to Britain the following February. He became Comptroller of the Household in 1666 and a member of the Privy Council. At the end of the Dutch war in 1669 he intrigued against the peace treaty, preferring the French interests."Thomas Clifford, 1st Baron Clifford of Chudleigh", National Portrait Gallery
/ref> He was one of the five Counsellors who formed the

Cabal A cabal is a group of people who are united in some close design, usually to promote their private views or interests in an ideology, a state, or another community, often by intrigue and usually unbeknownst to those who are outside their group. T ...

, each of whom pursued their own interests. Clifford was known as 'the Bribe Master General'. Clifford was created the first Baron Clifford of Chudleigh on 22 April 1672 for his suggestion that the King supply himself with money by stopping, for one year, all payments out of the Exchequer. He was

Lord High Treasurer The post of Lord High Treasurer or Lord Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Acts of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third-highest-ranked Great Officer of State in ...

from 28 November 1672 to June 1673, when, as a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

, he found himself unable to comply with the

Test Act The Test Acts were a series of English penal laws that served as a religious test for public office and imposed various civil disabilities on Roman Catholics and nonconformists. The underlying principle was that only people taking communion in ...

and resigned. He died possibly by his own hand (perhaps "strangled with his

cravat Cravat, cravate or cravats may refer to: * Cravat (early), forerunner neckband of the modern necktie * Cravat, British name for what in American English is called an ascot tie * Cravat bandage, a triangular bandage * Cravat (horse) (1935–1954), a ...

t upon the bed-tester") a few months after his retirement.

Marriage and children

He married Elizabeth Martin, who died in 1709. She was the daughter of Richard (William) Martin of Lindridge House, Devon. *They had fifteen children, eight of which were daughters: #Elizabeth, born before 1655, died as infant. #Elizabeth, born 1655, died 1677, married in 1673 Henry Carew, 2nd Baronet Carew of Haccombe. They had no issue (?). #Mary, born 1658, died 9 October 1715, married in 1673 Sir Simon Leach of Cadeleigh. They had no issue (?). #Amy, born 1661, died 1693, married in October 1681 John Courtenay (d.1724) of

Molland Molland is a small village, civil parish, dual ecclesiastical parish with Knowstone, located in the foothills of Exmoor in Devon, England. It lies within the North Devon local government district. At the time of the 2001 Census, the village ...

, Devon. They had numerous issue, as the mural monument in Molland Church attests. No male grandsons resulted and Molland descended via their daughter Mary who married William Paston of Horton Court, Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire. #Anne, born 1662, died 1678. #Rhoda, born 1665, died 1689. #Isabel Clifford, born between 1665 and 1669, died as infant. #Catherine Clifford, born 1670, died 1708. And their sons were: #Thomas, born before 1652, died as infant. #Thomas, born before 1652, died as infant. #Thomas, born on 3 December 1652, died in 1671 in Florence, Italy. #George, born between 1653 and 1662, died as infant # Hugh, 2nd Baron Clifford of Chudleigh (1663–1730) #Simon, born 1666, died ?, acceded in 1686. #Charles, born 1671, baptized on 24 June 1671, died on 4 July 1691, buried in Ugbrooke.

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Clifford Of Chudleigh, Thomas Clifford, 1st Baron Clifford, Thomas Clifford, 1st Baron Clifford, Thomas Clifford, 1st Baron Clifford, Thomas Clifford, 1st Baron Clifford, Thomas Clifford, 1st Baron Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Totnes English MPs 1660 English MPs 1661–1679 Peers of England created by Charles II Converts to Roman Catholicism from Anglicanism English Roman Catholics Suicides by hanging in England British politicians who committed suicide British military personnel who committed suicide Treasurers of the Household Barons Clifford of Chudleigh