Clifton Family

CHAPTER 9

The Clifton family

1752 – 1813

 

The Lords of the Manors of Clifton, Westby, Little Marton, and Lytham, and the estates of Fairsnape and Todderstaffe

 

Landowner

 

Thomas Clifton bought Todderstaffe in 1752 but 60 years later it was sold to brothers Joseph and William Hornby by his son John and grandson Thomas Joseph. Todderstaffe was part of the Clifton estate for only a short time in its history but I have included a brief history of the family in this chapter because they became the most important landowners in the Fylde and, incredibly, held the Lordship of Clifton for about 700 years. They were an integral part of the web of alliances through business and marriage of the Catholic families of northwest Lancashire and their name appears in several family trees already listed in previous chapters.

 

Matthew Roe continued as the tenant after Thomas bought Todderstaffe. He also happened to be my fifth great-grandfather from whom my grandfather Thomas Smith was descended.

 

A Brief History of the Clifton Family

 

The family originates from the village of Clifton lies between Lytham and Preston. Family records can be traced back to Walter, son of Osbert, who, in 1160, was the first Clifton to be recorded by charter.

 

Several Cliftons were appointed to the highest office in the county, the High Sheriff of Lancaster. From about 1217 to 1400 five successive generations were knighted, whose duties included military service to the king: in 1415 Thomas de Clifton accompanied Henry V to the Battle of Agincourt and was knighted for his service. He married Agnes, daughter of Sir Richard Molyneux, Knight of Sefton (later the Earls of Sefton) in about 1399. This marriage cemented a long and amicable alliance of the two Lancashire families, one north of the River Ribble in the Fylde and the other south of the River Ribble in southwest Lancashire. Their wives included Aline de Singleton, and Margaret Sherburne of Stonyhurst, whose families are part of this story already. (see chapter 5)

 

In 1427, Thomas’ son, Sir Richard de Clifton, married Alice Butler, daughter of John Butler of Rawcliffe, an ancestor of the Alexander Butler who married Dorothy Singleton and lived at Todderstaffe in the late 1600’s – early 1700’s.

The family remained faithful to Catholicism after the Reformation, a decision with far-reaching consequences on the family fortunes, just as it had with the Allens, Heskeths and the Worthingtons. (see Chapter 5) They were registered as recusants in 1577 although they managed to escape the heavy fines inflicted on other Catholics living outside Lancashire. Their practical policy was to keep a low profile, avoid contact with London and show no ostentation. In general, Protestant families had no interest in the prosecution of their Catholic neighbours. After all, they were often bound by both marriage and business ties. Approximately 100 years after the Reformation the family was decimated by the Civil War and their loyalty to the Stuarts. It seemed logical to start their history in more with Cuthbert who bought the Manor of Lytham and moved the family there after he built the first Lytham Hall.

 

Generation 1: The Move to Lytham

Sir Cuthbert Clifton (1581-1634) came into his inheritance when he was 3 years old and was made a ward of the Crown, as was customary, under the guardianship of William Norreys (Norris) of Speke Hall, another Catholic family bound by ties of marriage to the Cliftons.

 

Cuthbert grew up to be a very prosperous young man with an eye for business. He purchased the lands, 5,500 acres, and manorial rights of Manor of Lytham in 1606 from Sir Richard Molyneux, a relative, for £4,300. As part of the agreement between the two families the Molyneux lands in the Fylde went to Cuthbert and he traded his lands south of the Ribble to Richard, a very satisfactory arrangement to both parties. He promptly pulled down the old house and built a new one in the Jacobean style, incorporating some of the priory buildings into his new residence, which then became the family seat. Cuthbert increased the family’s fortune, consolidated its holdings, made the land more profitable and produced a large family: the epitomy of a successful 17^th century landowner.

 

The plan of the Cuthbert’s house was similar to other Catholic houses such as Speke Hall (Norreys) on the River Mersey, southeast of Liverpool and Astley Hall (Brooke) near Chorley in which there was a long gallery on the second floor. This room was used to hold Mass for the family and their tenants, hidden from prying eyes. The house also contained a priest’s hiding hole off one of the bedrooms, a common feature in the homes of wealthy Catholic families.

 

Originally, the small Lytham Priory was a cell of the Benedictine priory at Durham and the monks enjoyed full manorial rights at Lytham, a far cry from their strict Benedictine Rule. The Priory was founded between 1189-1199 and dissolved in 1555, when it became Crown property. The Molyneux family purchased the Manor in the 1570’s from the Crown.

 

Cuthbert first married Ann Tyldesley, daughter of Thomas Tyldesley of Myerscough in about 1605, by whom he had three surviving children. He then married Dorothy Smyth (Smith), between 1612 and 1616 by whom he had another ten children. Five of his daughters married into local Catholic families and two became nuns. We shall see that in subsequent generations a large number of Clifton daughters chose to become nuns, living in exile in Catholic convents founded by well-born Englishwomen, funded by their dowries, and further supplemented by their fathers. His second son also took up a religious life to become a Catholic priest, a member of the Society of Jesus.

 

His children were: (1) by Ann Tyldesley b. 1590

1. Thomas 1606-1657 m. 1624 Anne Halsall (1603-1675
2. Fr. Cuthbert 1611-1675 SJ
3. Elizabeth b. 1610 m. Sir William Gerard of Bryn 1612-1681(3^rd Baronet)
4. Charles b. 1612 died young

(2) by Dorothy Smyth (Smith) b 1599 dau George Smyth, Westby

5. Gervase b.1616 m. Dorothy Mascy of Rixton Hall
6. Lawrence b. 1618 killed in action in Civil War
7. Francis b.1620 killed in action in Civil War
8. John b. 1622 killed in action in Civil War
9. Ann b.1624 m. Richard Norris of Speke
10. Alice b. 1626 m. Richard Massey
11. Jane b. 1628 m. Thomas Ecclestone

Anne Ecclestone 1662-1730, aged 69 (Sr. Anne Teresa)          Professed at OSF, (Order of St. Francis) Bruges, Belgium in   1679 aged 17, choir nun, held office of Vicaress from 1705-1708

12. Dorothy b.1620-1697 aged 77 (Sr. Dorothy) Professed at OSA (Order of St. Augustine), Paris in 1637, choir nun, held office of sub-prioress
13. Catherine b.1624-1671 aged 47 (Sr. Thecla of St. Paul) Professed in                                  1641 at ODC (Order of *Discalced Carmelites), Antwerp aged 17, choir nun
14. Mary b. 1634 m. William Latham

 

* dicalced meant that the nuns went barefoot or wore sandals.

 

Cuthbert 1616

He trotted up to the front door with his steward after meeting with his Lytham tenants. It had been a very satisfactory morning. In the end they had all agreed that he could “enclose” the Lytham Hawes. This large piece of land could now be divided into fields, fenced and ditched, providing much-needed drainage. Eventually he planned to add a number of farms. Not all of his tenants were enthusiastic about this enclosure plan, a progressive view of farming. However, they did understand that this would increase yields making the land more profitable, something they could definitely agree with. He had seen other landowners enclose a part of their lands and it always increased profits and incidentally employment. Labour was needed to produce crops, much more than grazing animals on the common ground, the ancient way of using poor land. He shook hands with his steward, wheeling his horse around to go to the stable.

 

He looked at his new manor house, built in the latest style, with a great deal of pleasure. He loved the tall chimneys, reaching to the sky from the gables and the mullioned windows on either side of the imposing front entrance. His two eldest children, Thomas and Cuthbert, ran out of the house calling to him. He dismounted, laughing, as they clamoured for a ride. He swung the two of them onto his saddle, telling them to hang on tight and walked the horse to the stable. They went off happily with his groom while he walked back to the house to see Dorothy and their infant son Gervase. His first wife Ann had given him two healthy sons and his lovely daughter Elizabeth. She had been all he hoped for in a wife, but childbirth had been difficult and she died with her infant son Charles. He still felt a sharp pang of grief when he thought about her.

 

He had known that he must marry again, and soon – his children needed a mother and he needed a wife. Dorothy had readily agreed to marriage with a widower with three children. She seemed sturdier than Ann and had delivered Gervase without undue hardship. This was a blessing indeed. He ran up the stairs and was happy to hear a loud wail from his youngest son: he must be hungry. Dorothy smiled as he came into the room and a sudden quiet descended as Gervase began to nurse. He was anxious to share the news with Dorothy as she was interested in what was happening on the estate and sometimes had useful insights – he thought that was rather surprising in a woman.

 

One year later 1617

Cuthbert thought about his recent knighthood as he was riding home from Lathom. King James had broken his journey at Lathom House, the home of the Earl of Derby, on his way to Scotland. He had knelt on the knighting stool before the King, his heart pounding, in the Great Hall at Lathom. The King lightly touched first his right shoulder and then his left. He stood and waited for the King to pin on his insignia, bowed and backed away. He sighed with relief as he did not stumble or otherwise embarrass himself. He was now a Knight of the Realm. He had been one of several Lancashire gentlemen to receive knighthoods that day. It was common knowledge that the King was chronically short of money so knighthoods and other titles were used to raise revenue for the Crown. He had been happy to oblige. Of course in these modern times it did not include military duties, but it did confer distinction on the family. Dorothy had not been able to go with him as she was in the family way again. She was very disappointed that she could not be a witness to the honour conferred upon her husband, besides, it was unlikely that she would have another chance to see the King as they never went to London. The Stanleys and the Cliftons were ancient families, coming over with William the Conqueror. The Stanleys had always been more political and were now the pre-eminent family in Lancashire with an earldom. The Cliftons, on the other hand, except for some ancient knighthoods, had never bothered much with politics: they preferred to stay at home and manage their estates and so remained untitled. As he splashed across the Ribble, he thought about Dorothy and hoped she had kept well in his absence. He was hoping for another safe confinement and, secretly, another son.

 

Elizabeth: 1641

She had just received a long awaited letter from her younger sister Catherine who had written to say she just taken her vows to become a nun at the convent of the Discalced Carmelites in Antwerp. Her sister Dorothy had also chosen the cloistered life, taking vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, but had chosen the Augustinian convent in Paris. It was a hard time for Catholics with fines, the threat of prison and confiscation of lands for those kept the old faith and refused to go to church. Her father paid his fines of course and had not attended church, even occasionally, as other Catholic families had to avoid the fines. Four of her six sisters were married to suitable husbands with Dorothy and Catherine choosing to become nuns. She thought that Dorothy always seemed more devout, much like their mother, but Catherine’s choice was a surprise. Of course their brother Cuthbert was a Jesuit priest, something she admired – he had given himself to God and pledged to keep the old faith alive in England. She prayed for his safety daily: he led a dangerous life. Her father had died when Mary, her youngest sister, was a baby so it was Thomas, their eldest brother, who was responsible for arranging the marriages of his younger sisters. She knew their dowries had been much reduced and wondered if that had any bearing on her sisters’ decision to become nuns. She could not imagine living in another country, away from the family and never being allowed to see them again. Her arranged marriage to William Gerard was far preferable, even though he was too reserved in her estimation, often keeping his own counsel. She often wished that he would take her into his confidence more often. However he was even-tempered and all the family considered it to be a good marriage.

 

Generation 2: Ancestral lands Reunited

Sir Thomas Clifton (1606-1657) married Anne Halsall (1603-1675), a distant cousin, in 1624. Anne was her father’s co-heiress inheriting the ancient lands of Clifton. Generations earlier the Clifton estate had been split between two brothers and she brought to the marriage the Manor of Clifton which belonged to her father Sir Cuthbert Halsall of Halsall near Ormskirk. The estate was now whole again and had been enlarged by the purchase of the manor of Lytham, where they lived and other lands bought by his father. Thomas and Anne had thirteen children and four of their seven daughters became nuns.

Their children were:

Dorothy 1624-1677 aged 53

(Sr. Dorothy Francis) Professed in 1643 at Poor Clares, Gravelines, aged 18, choir nun,held offices of portress, novice mistress and chantress

Cuthbert b. 1625 m. Mary Ireland, Colonel in the Civil War, died in      gaol in 1644

Thomas b. 1628 m. 1) Bridget Heneage, 2) Bridget Hussey

John b. 1630 m. Isobel Blackburne, widow of George Parkinson

William b. 1632

Richard b. 1634

James b. 1636 m. Ann Brent, emigrated to USA, returned to England

8. Margaret 1639-1702 aged 63

(Sr. Mary of Nazareth) Professed in 1661 at Poor Clares, Gravelines aged 23, choir nun

9. Elizabeth 1640-1712

Order of St. Clare, Gravelines, Professed in 1676 left to found Order of St. Benedict, Dunkirk in 1654, choir nun

10. Alice b. 1644 m. Alexander Rigby Esq.
11. Bridget b. 1646 m. Thomas Westby Esq
12. Frances b.1648
13. Anne 1648-1722 aged 74

(Sr. Clare Mary Ann) Professed in 1663 at Poor Clares, Gravelines, choir nun, held office of jubilarian

 

In common with many local wealthy landowners Thomas and Anne were recusants and lived with many restrictions on their activities. It was Thomas who, with other loyal Lancashire Catholics, petitioned Charles I in 1642 to rescind a law that prevented Catholics from bearing arms. They argued that they needed to defend their families during the Civil War. Three of Thomas’ brothers, Laurence, Francis and John were killed in action and Thomas’ eldest son, Colonel Cuthbert, died in prison. He was captured by Parliamentary forces in 1644 when the Royalist forces attempted to secure Liverpool and died in Manchester prison a just few months afterwards.

 

Thomas 1656

He warmed himself in front of the fire before putting on his cloak to go out to the stables. His favourite mare had just foaled, producing a good-looking colt and he wanted to see how it was doing. He thought about his eldest son, Cuthbert, now dead, who would have been as interested in the foal as he was for he had been a great horseman. He liked nothing better than good day’s hunting. The War had been a disaster for the family. Thankfully his father died before three of his sons died fighting for the King, Francis had been a Captain and was killed along with young Thomas Singleton from Staining, another Captain, at the first Battle of Newbury in 1644. Then Laurence and John had been killed too. He had not thought that it would last so long but the King was ill prepared to wage a war. It was all so haphazard. He made the Earl of Derby his commander in Lancashire and Cheshire but Lord Derby was not a tactician nor had any professional army experience: loyalty just was not enough. He had been horrified to hear of the King’s execution and then the Queen suffered the same fate. God would surely punish those who carried out such wicked deeds. He had realised that his estates would be confiscated in the near future – he had seen it happen all around Lancashire and being a Catholic made it a greater hardship. The war had ended with the attempt of Charles II to regain the throne. Now there was this miserable Commonwealth under that Puritan, Oliver Cromwell. He prayed daily that this too would end, the King’s son would be restored to the throne and his own estates restored.

 

Thomas’ brother Cuthbert entered the Society of Jesus (commonly known as Jesuits) in 1630 and served God faithfully until he died in 1675 aged 65 years. He served as a chaplain in the English Army in Ghent (Belgium) and later returned to Lancashire as a missionary until his death. It seems he was the priest responsible for the reconciling the Earl of Derby to the old faith in 1651, on the way to his execution in Bolton.

 

The Clifton estates were confiscated and put up for sale. However, they were “compounded for” in part, which meant that the family paid a fine and were allowed to keep a part of their estate. The Parliamentary Commissioners handed over their property to a Protestant, John Fleetwood, and others. It seems that Fleetwood and Thomas came to a tacit understanding that the estate would be protected until it returned to its rightful owners. By the mid-1650’s tenants were given leases by Fleetwood on the instructions of Thomas. This seemingly unusual turn of events happened all over England. Sadly, Thomas did not live to see the restoration of his estates: they were returned to his son Thomas.

 

Generation 3: Loyalty Rewarded, Accusation and Acquittal

Thomas Clifton (1628-1694) was created a baronet after the Restoration of Charles II in 1661, “in recognition of his family’s services and loyalty to the Royalist cause”.

 

Thomas first married Bridget, daughter of Sir George Heneage, of Hanton Hall, Co. Lincoln producing four sons and four daughters. Tragically all his children died young except Mary, who made a very good marriage to the 6^th Lord Petre. Like many of his contemporaries Thomas had his own chaplain at Lytham, who was in fact his bother-in-law, Fr. Augustus Heneage, a Jesuit priest. He came to Lytham in 1655 to live with the Cliftons and stayed until about1664.

 

His second wife was Bridget, daughter of Sir Edward Hussey, who bore him a daughter Bridget and a son, Thomas, the joy of his parents, but young Thomas died, aged 20. Thomas produced five sons but left no male heir so the estate descended to his nephew Thomas of Fairsnape, the son of his brother John.

 

In 1688 the Catholic James II was deposed by Parliament. Once again hostilities against Catholics erupted, suspicious that they may make attempts to restore James II to the throne. Catholics had been appointed magistrates again, including Thomas, during the brief reign of James II. In 1689, one such false accusation involved a group of Lancashire gentlemen including Thomas Clifton, Sir William Gerard of Bryn and Lord Molyneux, both related by marriage to Thomas. Justice was served: all the gentlemen were acquitted.

 

Incredibly, further misery was in store for the hapless Thomas. In 1694, he was again accused with other Lancashire gentlemen of plotting to overthrow William III, a treasonable offence. This was based on information from a man named Lunt. Thomas was imprisoned in Chester and the Tower of London. The trial was a disaster for the Government: Lunt had fabricated the entire plot! There were many witnesses with reliable evidence that Thomas and the other gentlemen could not have been involved as accused. They were all acquitted but the sufferings Thomas incurred in prison caused his death, aged 66, later that year.

 

Thomas 1694

He sat in the chair, warmed by the fire. The maid brought in a jug of the best October ale and his nephew Thomas came over smiling as he handed him a mug. He savoured the taste and sighed with pleasure, immeasurably thankful to be home after the horrors of prison. He had been a magistrate under James II faithfully discharging his duties. It had been shameful to find himself once again on the other side of the law, through no fault of his own. How could anyone even think he would plot against the king – he was a loyal citizen and a peaceable man! He pondered on the evil that was Lunt, who caused misery to so many. Now was reaping the wickedness he sowed. He would surely rot in hell.

He was still having nightmares, waking up sweating in the night, hearing the screams of other prisoners as they were being tortured. Sometimes he felt he could still smell the stench of prison. He had been luckier than some: his gaoler did not seem to be a religious fanatic and was often disposed to tell him the latest prison gossip. This trumped-up charge – just because he was a recusant – was an endurance test, both physical and mental. He had prayed to God for his acquittal and his prayers had been answered.

His brother John and nephew Thomas, with a few stalwart servants, had come to London to take him home. Travelling could be a dangerous undertaking and the roads so poor. They had spent some time at an inn near the Tower. It had seemed like Paradise with good food and ale and a comfortable bed. John had insisted he saw by a doctor. He needed something to ease his persistent cough and treat the sores all over his body – not to mention the flea bites. Finall, he was able to get warm again. It took him a while to gain enough strength to make the journey home: he was as weak as a cat. They had been more than three weeks on the road. His heart lifted as they crossed the Ribble and as he rode up the drive tears came unbidden to his eyes. He gave thanks to God daily for the return to his beloved home. The sweet, wind-blown air of Lytham had already done much to soothe his spirit. The time in prison had taken its toll and he knew he had not much time left.

 

He watched young Thomas put another log on the fire and thought that he would be a good squire of the estates he would soon inherit. John had just told him with much satisfaction that Thomas was betrothed to Eleanora Walmsley. The two brothers agreed that this was a good marriage and she had a respectable dowry,. Young Thomas nodded and smiled, adding that she was bonny too.

 

Generation 4: Rebellion and Flight to France

Thomas (1656-1734) inherited the Fairsnape estate through his father John who gained the estate through his wife, Isobel Blackburne, widow of George Parkinson of Fairsnape, now called Higher Fairsnape Farm. In 1694 Thomas married Eleanora Alathea, the daughter of Richard Walmsley of Dunkenhalgh. There was a connection with Staining here as George Parkinson’s father married Anne Singleton of Staining Hall.

Their eldest son Thomas was born in 1696 and they had a further seven children. Of their six daughters, two married and the remaining four became nuns in the Order of St. Clare, better known as the “Poor Clares”.

Thomas 1696-1734 married Mary 1708-1752 daughter of Richard, 5^th Viscount Molyneux

Mary b. 1697 married George Mostyn

Alathea 1698-1753 aged 55

Professed at OSB, Paris, choir nun

Isabel 1699-1775 aged 76

(Sr. Mary Magdelan) Professed in 1716 at Poor Clares, Gravelines aged 16, valued singer, held office of jubilarian

Elizabeth b. 1703 married Sir William Gerard, 6^th Baronet of Bryn

Cuthbert b. 1706

Julia 1710-1756 aged 47

(Sr. Clementina Clare) Professed in 1727 at Poor Clares, Gravelines aged 17, choir nun

Ann 1703-1721 aged 18

(Sr. Clare Bernadine) Professed in 1719 at Poor Clares, Gravelines aged 17, choir nun  

 

The Cliftons, father and son, were involved in the 1715 Jacobite Uprising, an attempt to restore the son of James II (the Old Pretender) to the throne. Government agents were posted in Lancashire to watch Catholics who automatically aroused suspicion. In 1716 one such agent reported that Thomas must have been deeply engaged in the late rebellion and his eldest son, another Thomas, had fled to France. The agent felt that with sufficient bribery the locals would provide evidence against the Cliftons. However, their servants, tenants and neighbours remained extremely loyal and no-one could be bribed. The general feeling was that they deserved loyalty and no one likes a tattle-tale.

 

Eleanora

The handsome lady in the silken dress paced up and down the room, her heart pounding, waiting for her husband to come and tell her the news. She was so nervous she hardly knew what she was doing. What if one of the tenants or neighbours gave evidence against them. Her husband and young Thomas had been involved in the late rebellion and if accused and found guilty they would be executed. Young Thomas was only 19 years old and hot headed, as though the cloak and dagger work was just an exciting game. The government agent had been asking questions in the village and had even been to their neighbours. Father and son had enthusiastically supported the Rebellion but, although she was Catholic, she could not agree. It was too dangerous. Just look what happened to Uncle Thomas after James II was deposed and that was false. In any case, she did not believe that the Stuarts would ever be restored to the throne, Parliament would see to that, despite what Thomas and Edward Tyldesley believed. Edward was just such another one as her Thomas, hot headed and idealistic. She could not believe that he had been acquitted: he must have made a good impression on the jury. Another local hothead, Richard Butler of Rawcliffe Hall was being tried for High Treason. She shuddered, feeling quite sick, for if he was convicted would face the ultimate gruesome penalty of being hung, drawn and quartered. Richard and his father Henry had taken part in the Battle of Preston, and only Henry had escaped to France.

Her husband came swiftly into the room and said “ He is safely away, thanks be to God. The Captain of the ship assured me the weather was set to be fair and they would have a swift passage.” She promptly burst into tears of relief. Thomas came over and held her, “Remember he will be with friends in France and the Captain seemed to know what he was about. When this dies down, as it will, he will return home” She sniffed as she dried her tears, praying to God for his safe passage to France. She hoped that someday she would be reunited with her eldest son.

 

Generation 5

Thomas (1696-1734) eventually returned home after his precipitous flight to France in the aftermath of the 1715 Uprising and married Mary born in 1708, the daughter of Richard, 5^th Viscount Molyneux.

Their children were Thomas b. 1728, Mary born in 1730, Isabel born in 1732, Juliana born in 1733 and Eleanora born in 1734. Rather unusually, Thomas and his sisters were baptized both in the parish church of St. Cuthbert and the Catholic Church, suggesting a diminution of Catholic devotion or a practical attitude towards the difficulties of being part of the Catholic minority. He was registered as a Papist in 1717, then a requirement of the law, in which his estate was described in great detail. Mary was 12 years younger than Thomas and was widowed at 26 years of age when her fifth child, Eleanora was an infant. She appears to have been a devoted mother, determined that her son should be educated in the Catholic faith, which was forbidden in England.

 

Generation 6: The Rebuilding of Lytham Hall

Thomas (1728-1783) inherited the estate when he was only 6 years old. Mary sent young Thomas to the English College at Douai in 1743 when he was 15 years old. Very fortunately Thomas was in France during the 1745 Jacobite Uprising, which, again, gave rise to intense anti-Catholic feeling in the country. So much so that the door to the chapel at Lytham Hall was locked before their chaplain, Fr. John Talbot, alias Mansell said Mass. Mary, a devout Catholic, would have made sure that Mass was celebrated weekly. In a report to his superiors in 1750 Fr. Mansell’s communicants numbered 230, indicating that Lytham was a centre of worship in the area. Wealthy Catholic families had their own chaplain and private chapel serving not only their tenants and servants, but also near neighbours.

 

By all accounts, Thomas was a typical country gentleman, very interested in managing his estates, socializing with his neighbours and taking part in country pursuits. He was a fine horseman, kept a pack of hounds and a stud of hunters. Records of the Blindhurst and Fairsnape estates contain leases made by Thomas to in 1710 and again in 1713 to Robert Parkinson of Blindhurst .

Thomas had three wives, the first two died young with no surviving children.

1) Catherine Eyre bap 1722 m. in 1750 daughter of Thomas Eyre of Hassop co derbydied childless

2) Ann Haggerston, born in 1723, the daughter of Sir Carnaby Haggerston of Haggerston Castle, Berwick on Tweed, Northumberland, Ann bore Thomas three daughters Mary (1756), Elizabeth (1757) and Ann (1758) but all three died young and Ann herself died in February of 1760.

3) Lady Jane Bertie (1730-1791), daughter of the Earl of Abingdon, Rycote House, Oxfordshire. Thomas and Lady Jane were married in London at the Parish Church of Camden, St. George the Martyr by special license from the Archbishop of Canterbury in September 1760. The baptismal records of Thomas’ children were found in the registers of the Catholic Church of St. Peters of Lytham. Lady Jane bore him nine children with four surviving: John, Eleanora, Catherine and Sophia. John was born in 1764, the year that the new Lytham Hall was finished: a banner year for the Cliftons. It is interesting to note that none of their daughters became nuns: Eleanora and Catherine married but Sophia remained single and lived in “in a neat cottage on the beach at Lytham”. By this time anti-Catholic sentiment was minimal and Catholics expected the Penal Laws to be repealed.

 

The Purchase of Todderstaffe: a Marriage Settlement

 

Thomas bought Todderstaffe in August 1752 from Robert Parker, which, with Fairsnape, became the marriage settlement for his second wife Ann.

 

Marriage settlements were an essential part of any marriage contract for a family who owned property: a betrothal did not take place without a settlement. The terms of the settlement negotiated by her father or other relative were designed to ensure that this daughter, soon to be a wife, did not become destitute if her husband died first or if he abandoned her. Fathers, naturally, wished to protect their daughters and safeguard their future. A woman had no separate legal identity after marriage until 1882 when the Married Woman’s Property Act was made law.

 

Ann

She looked out of the window and saw her father on the steps shaking hands with Thomas before he climbed into his travelling carriage to leave. Her father and Thomas had just negotiated her marriage settlement to her father’s satisfaction. Papa told her of the two estates she would receive on her marriage and they both had such peculiar names – Todderstaffe and Fairsnape. Papa had been very pleased to receive such a suitable offer for her hand but she had been surprised when Thomas approached her father. She liked Thomas well enough, although she had only met him a few times, but she really did not want to move so far away from home: it meant moving across England to the other coast. She accepted his proposal with some trepidation but she thought that Papa must know best. He had urged her to accept if she felt she could be happy with Thomas. Thomas was young but already a widower without children and he was a wealthy landowner from an ancient and well-respected family in Lancashire. Her geography was somewhat hazy but she thought Lytham Hall was somewhere near Preston, by the sea. Papa thought it a good marriage even though Thomas had no title and, of course, they were both Catholic, which her parents thought to be very important. Both families had much in common, having suffered from fines through their recusancy. Her mother thought that Thomas would be a good husband and had given her some sound advice on how to keep one’s husband happy. She just hoped she would remember her mother’s well-chosen words. She sighed and thought how she would miss her. But looking ahead, she thought how wonderful it would be when she presented Thomas with a son or even two sons.

 

Lady Jane

Thomas saw her at a window and called to her to come outside. She joined him on the lawn in front of the house and critically eyed the just-finished façade. She broke into a smile and was justifiably pleased with what she saw. Their house was one of the most important in the north, a fine, modern design. It was much lighter with larger windows than the old Jacobean house, parts of which they kept at the rear of the new house. Fortunately Thomas and Mr. Kerr had worked well together, both interested in every detail. She especially liked the family coat of arms emblazoned on the pediment over the front door. Thomas had insisted on the best so master craftsmen had been hired to do the decorative plasterwork and carpentry in the downstairs rooms. Thomas had brought in some of their own estate workers to help speed up the process, including one of Matthew Roe’s lads at Todderstaffe who had worked as a carpenter for some time. She took an interest in any doings concerning Todderstaffe as that was part of her marriage settlement. Thomas said the lad was hard-working and talented and was happy to employ him, particularly as Matthew was an excellent tenant. She thought the interior was well-proportioned with elegant rooms, but not too ostentatious. The branched staircase with its hand-carved bannisters in the Chippendale style was magnificent. Above, in the centre of the ceiling, an Italian artist, Guiseppe Cortese, had worked on his back on scaffolding, to carve a plaster image of Jupiter. It had been an amazing experience to watch him work so delicately and carefully. She had been delighted when Thomas suggested that their portraits be added to the ceiling in the corners of the drawing room. They had gone to Gillows in Lancaster for the furnishings and she had a delightful time choosing furniture and fabrics, especially the gorgeous sideboard in the dining room. She knew that the quality of their furniture rivaled that of the better-known furniture makers in London, such as Chippendale and Hepplewhite.

 

The building of the house had been a slow process as the construction began in 1757 before they were married, but it had been well worth the wait. It was very satisfying to know they had the most exquisite and up to date house in the whole county!

 

She was very pleased with her marriage and so was her Papa when he negotiated the marriage settlement. Thomas had been twice widowed at a young age but she had no hesitation in accepting his offer. The Cliftons were not only wealthy but also well-thought of, even though they were not titled. Papa said a title was not the major thing to consider when contemplating marriage, even though he himself was an earl. He was an astute man and knew that while Thomas was a minor his estates had been managed well and that his guardian had been able to hand them over in excellent shape when he was 21 years of age. The young Thomas had not played ducks and drakes with his inheritance: she knew that he fully intended to consolidate and expand the family fortunes and had built a new home as befitted his position in the county.

 

Her hand went to her belly as the baby kicked. She desperately hoped she would have another son for Thomas. She had lost her first two sons, both had died as infants to their great sorrow. Thomas certainly deserved a son after all he had been through. Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard his voice when he turned and gently shepherded her towards the house, saying that she mustn’t catch cold by standing outside too long.

 

The new Lytham Hall

Lytham Hall is considered to be the finest Grade I listed Georgian house in Lancashire. Thomas commissioned John Carr of York to design and build the house, incorporating parts of the older Jacobean house including the upstairs gallery or long hall. Construction started in 1757 but it was completed in 1764. The hall and ceiling feature intricate and detailed plasterwork. The dining room, with its plaster decorations, is in the Adams style and the drawing room walls were painted by hand.