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Sir Gervase Clifton, 1st Baronet,K.B. (25 November 1587 – 28 June 1666) was an English politician who sat in theHouse of Commons at various times between 1614 and 1666. He supported theRoyalist cause in theEnglish Civil War. He was educated atSt John's College, Cambridge.[1]
In 1603, at the English coronation of KingJames I, Clifton was made a Knight of theOrder of the Bath. He became aJustice of the Peace for Nottinghamshire in 1609, remaining until 1646. In 1611, he was third on the list of creations for the new order ofbaronet.[2][3] He was active in local Nottinghamshire and national politics in both the reign of James I andCharles I. He wasHigh Sheriff of Nottinghamshire in 1610 and High Steward of East Retford from 1616 to 1647.[2] During the reign of King James he was electedMember of Parliament forNottinghamshire in 1614, 1621, 1624 and 1625.[4] He was County Treasurer from 1625 to 1626, andDeputy Lieutenant from 1626 to 1642.[2] In 1626, he was elected MP forNottingham and in 1628, he was re-elected MP for Nottinghamshire in 1628. He sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years.[4]
In November 1640, Clifton was elected MP forEast Retford in theLong Parliament.[4] He took up arms in the King's cause in the Civil War and was commissioned asColonel of a regiment ofNottinghamshire Trained Bands defendingNewark-on-Trent.[5] He was a Commissioner for the King at Newark and Oxford, and a Commissioner of Array for Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire in 1642. When King Charles called for members of the Long Parliament loyal to him to meet insession Oxford Clifton did so[2] and was disabled from sitting in parliament at Westminster. With the defeat of the Royalist cause in 1646 and the capture of the King, Clifton lost his political influence both nationally and locally. He was declared a "delinquent" and fined £7,625 (equivalent to £1,567,092 in 2023)[6]. By the time sequestration of his estates was ended in 1650 he had paid off about half of the money. He was not active in politics again until after therestoration of the monarchy in 1660.[2]
After the Restoration he regained his influence in Nottinghamshire and, from 1660, served Justice of the Peace for Nottinghamshire, High Steward of East Retford and Deputy Lieutenant.[2] He was re-elected MP for Nottinghamshire in 1661 for theCavalier Parliament.[7] He held all these positions until his death, aged 78, in 1666.[2]
Clifton was born to his mother Lady Winifred Thorold three months after the death of his father Sir George Clifton, in 1587. The next year, with the death of his grandfather, Sir Gervase Clifton, he inherited the Clifton estates in Nottinghamshire.[2] His guardians were his uncle, William Thorold, and Lord Burghley,[2] although his early care fell to his maternal grandmother Lady Anne Thorold.[3] Later he was educated atSt John's College, Cambridge, and at theInner Temple.[1]
Clifton was married seven times and had thirteen children.[2][3]
He marriedLady Penelope Rich (died 26 October 1613), daughter ofCharles Blount (while her mother was married toRobert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick), andLady Penelope Devereux. This marriage produced one son:
He marriedLady Frances Clifford (died 1627), daughter ofFrancis Clifford, 4th Earl of Cumberland, and Grisold Hughes. This marriage produced six children
He marriedMary Egioke (died 1630), daughter of John Egioke of Egioke Manor,Inkberrow, Worcestershire, by his wife Anne, daughter of Nicholas Huband, ofIpsley, Warwickshire.[8]
He marriedIsobel Meek (died 1637).
He marriedAnne South (died 1639), daughter of Sir Francis South ofKelstern, Lincolnshire.
He marriedJane Eyre (died 1655), daughter of Anthony Eyre ofLaughton-en-le-Morthen, Nottinghamshire, andRampton, Nottinghamshire. This marriage produced four children:
Lastly, he marriedLady Alice Hastings, daughter ofHenry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon, andLady Elizabeth Stanley, on 17 December 1656 atSt Andrew Undershaft, London.
| Parliament of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forNottinghamshire 1614–1625 With:Sir John Holles 1614 George Chaworth 1621 Robert Sutton 1624 Sir Henry Stanhope 1625 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forNottingham 1626 With:John Byron | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forNottinghamshire 1628–1629 With:John Byron | Parliament suspended until 1640 |
| Vacant | Member of Parliament forEast Retford 1640–1644 With:Francis Pierrepont 1644 Charles Cavendish, Viscount Mansfield 1640–1644 | Succeeded by |
| Baronetage of England | ||
| New creation | Baronet (of Clifton) 1611–1666 | Succeeded by |