William de Clinton, 1st Earl of Huntingdon (c.1304 – 31 October 1354) and Lord High Admiral, was the younger son of John de Clinton, 1st Baron Clinton (d.1312/13) of

Maxstoke Castle Maxstoke Castle is a privately owned moated castle dating from the 14th century, situated to the north of Maxstoke in Warwickshire, England. History Maxstoke Castle was built by Sir William de Clinton, 1st Earl of Huntingdon, in 1345 to a rect ...

, Warwickshire, and Ida de Odingsells, the granddaughter of Ida II Longespee. The surname Clinton came from the lordship of Clinton in Oxfordshire, given to them at the Conquest. Geoffrey de Clinton was

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Monarchy of the United Ki ...

and Treasurer of Henry I, while Roger de Clinton was

Bishop of Coventry The Bishop of Coventry is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Coventry in the Province of Canterbury. In the Middle Ages, the Bishop of Coventry was a title used by the bishops known today as the Bishop of Lichf ...

1127–1148. William de Clinton was a boyhood companion of

Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

, and one of the king's followers who secretly entered

Nottingham Castle Nottingham Castle is a Stuart Restoration-era ducal mansion in Nottingham, England, built on the site of a Normans, Norman castle built starting in 1068, and added to extensively through the medieval period, when it was an important royal fortr ...

and captured

Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March Roger Mortimer, 3rd Baron Mortimer of Wigmore, 1st Earl of March (25 April 1287 – 29 November 1330), was an English nobleman and powerful marcher lord who gained many estates in the Welsh Marches and Ireland following his advantageous marr ...

. The arrest and subsequent execution of Mortimer cleared the way for the adolescent Edward III to assume power. William de Clinton married Juliana de Leybourne, widow of John Hastings, 2nd Baron Hastings. From 6 September 1330 to 14 January 1337 he served in Parliament. In 1333, he was constituted Lord Admiral of the Seas. On 16 March 1337, Edward III created William de Clinton Earl of Huntingdon. William de Clinton died in 1354, leaving an only daughter, Elizabeth, whose legitimacy is doubtful.

Notes

1300s births 1354 deaths 14th-century English Navy personnel Earls of Huntingdon English admirals Clinton, William de, 1st Earl of Huntingdon 14th-century English nobility Peers created by Edward III {{England-earl-stub