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Clifton of Leighton Bromswold, Baron (E, 1608)

Creation: writ sum. 9 Jul 1608

Family name: Clifton later Stuart later Hyde later Bligh

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Arms:

See Earl of Darnley

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Gervase [Clifton], 1st Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold

son of Sir John Clifton, of Barrington Court, co. Somerset, by his wife Hon Anne Stanley, 3rd dau. of Thomas [Stanley], 2nd Baron Monteagle

born

c.1569

mar.

25 Jun 1591 Katherine Darcy, only dau. and hrss. of Sir Henry Darcy MP, of Brimham, co. York, and Leighton Bromswold, co. Huntingdon, by his 2nd wife Katherine Pulteney, widow of Michael Pulteney and dau. of Sir John Fermor

died

s.p.m.s. Oct 1618

created

by summons 9 Jul 1608 Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold

suc. by

daughter

note

knighted bef. 1597;  Member of Parliament for Huntingdon 1597-98 and 1601

Hon Katherine Clifton later Stuart later Hamilton, suo jure Baroness Clifton of Leighton Bromswold

born

mar. (1)

1609 Esmé [Stuart], 3rd Duke of Lennox

mar. (2)

c.1632 James [Hamilton], 2nd Earl of Abercorn

died

17 Sep 1637

suc. by

son by first husband

note

on 28 Nov 1632 she was granted Letters Patent allowing her to retain the title, rank and precedency of Duchess of Lennox despite her second marriage

James [Stuart], 4th Duke of Lennox and 3rd Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold

note

suc. his father 30 Jul 1624 as 4th Duke of Lennox and his mother 17 Sep 1637 as 3rd Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold

The Barony of Clifton of Leighton Bromswold was held by the Dukes of Lennox from 17 Sep 1637 until 2 Nov 1649, when on the death without issue of Esmé [Stuart], 5th Duke of Lennox, 4th Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold, etc., the Dukedom of Lennox passed to his cousin, Charles Stuart, and the Barony of Clifton of Leighton Bromswold was inherited by his sister,

Lady Mary Stuart later Butler, suo jure Baroness Clifton of Leighton Bromswold

bapt.

10 Jul 1651

mar.

bef. 16 May 1666/7 Richard [Butler], 1st Earl of Arran

died

s.p. 4 Jul 1668

suc. by

cousin

Charles [Stuart], 6th Duke of Lennox and 6th Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold

only son of Lord George Stuart, Lord of Aubigny (by his wife Lady Catherine Howard, 1st dau. of Theophilus [Howard], 2nd Earl of Suffolk), 2nd son by her first husband of Hon Katherine Clifton, suo jure Baroness Clifton of Leighton Bromswold

born

7 Mar 1638/9

died

s.p.s.12 Dec 1672

suc. by

sister

note

suc. his cousin 2 Nov 1649 as 6th Duke of Lennox;  on his death all his peerages except the Barony of Clifton of Leighton Bromswold became extinct

Lady Katherine Stuart later O'Brien later Williamson, suo jure Baroness Clifton of Leighton Bromswold

bapt.

5 Dec 1640

mar. (1)

bef. 14 Dec 1661 Hon Henry O'Brien MP, styled Lord Ilbracken (dvp. 1 Sep 1678; bur. in Westminster Abbey), 1st son and heir app. of Henry [O'Brien], 6th Earl of Thomond, by his cousin and 1st wife Lady Anne O'Brien, 4th dau. and cohrss. of Henry [O'Brien], 4th Earl of Thomond

children by first husband

1. Hon Donough O'Brien, styled Lord O'Brien (bapt. 16 Sep 1663; dsp. 9 May 1682 in the wreck of the Gloucester while attending James, Duke of York, to Scotland), mar. 26 May 1679 Lady Sophia Osborne (mar. (2) as his third wife William [Fermor], 1st Baron Leominster; d. 8 Dec 1746; bur .at Eaton Neston, co. Northampton), 6th dau. of Thomas [Osborne], 1st Duke of Leeds, by his wife Lady Bridget Bertie, 2nd dau. by his first wife of Montagu [Bertie], 2nd Earl of Lindsey

2. Hon Henry O'Brien (bapt. 5 May 1665; bur. vp. 9 May 1665 at Great Billing, co. Northampton)

3. Hon Charles O'Brien (bapt. 8 Sep 1666; bur. vp. 24 Sep 1666 at Great Billing, co. Northampton)

4. Hon George O'Brien (dvp. an infant)

1. Hon Mary O'Brien (b. 7 May 1662; dsps. 24 Nov 1683; bur. in Westminster Abbey), mar. as his first wife John [FitzGerald], 18th Earl of Kildare, and had issue

2. Hon Katherine O'Brien, later suo jure Baroness Clifton of Leighton Bromsgrove

mar. (2)

12 Feb 1678/9 Sir Joseph Williamson, Principal Secretary of State 1674-79 (dsp. 3 Oct 1701; bur. in Westminster Abbey)

died

s.p.m.s. 2 Nov 1702 (bur. in Westminster Abbey)

suc. by

dau. by first husband

Hon Katherine O'Brien later Hyde, suo jure Baroness Clifton of Leighton Bromswold

born

29 Jan 1673

mar.

10 Jul 1688 Hon Edward Hyde, styled Viscount Cornbury (later 1709 3rd Earl of Clarendon;  d. 31 Mar 1723), son and heir app. of Henry [Hyde], 2nd Earl of Clarendon, by his first wife Hon Theodosia Capell, 3rd dau. of Arthur [Capell], 1st Baron Capell

died

11 Aug 1706

suc. by

son

Edward [Hyde], 9th Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold later styled Viscount Cornbury

bapt.

6 Oct 1691

died

v.p. 12 Feb 1712/3

suc. by

sister

Lady Theodosia Hyde later Bligh, suo jure Baroness Clifton of Leighton Bromswold

born

9 Nov 1695

mar.

24 Aug 1713 John [Bligh], 1st Earl of Darnley

died

30 Jul 1722

suc. by

son

Edward [Bligh], 11th Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold later 2nd Earl of Darnley

note

suc. his father 12 Sep 1728 as 2nd Earl of Darnley

The Barony of Clifton of Leighton Bromswold was held by the Earls of Darnley from 12 Sep 1728 until 31 Oct 1900, when on the death without male issue of Edward Henry Stuart [Bligh], 7th Earl of Darnley, 16th Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold, etc., the Earldom of Darnley passed to his brother, Hon Ivo Francis Walter Bligh, and the Barony of Clifton of Leighton Bromswold was inherited by his only child,

Lady Elizabeth Adeline Mary Bligh, suo jure Baroness Clifton of Leighton Bromswold

born

22 Jan 1900

died

5 Jul 1937

suc. by

cousin

Esmé Ivo [Bligh], 9th Earl of Darnley and 18th Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold

son and heir of Ivo Francis Walter [Bligh], 8th Earl of Darnley (by his wife Florence Rose Morphy, dau. of John Stephen Morphy, of Beechworth, Victoria, Australia), yr. brother of Edward Henry Stuart [Bligh], 7th Earl of Darnley, 16th Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold, etc.

note

suc. his father 10 Apr 1927 as 9th Earl of Darnley and his cousin 5 Jul 1937 as 18th Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold

The Barony of Clifton of Leighton Bromswold has been held by the Earls of Darnley since 5 Jul 1937.  It is interesting to note that in all its 402 year history the Barony of Clifton of Leighton Bromswold has only been on the Roll of the House of Lords for 23 years (10 years between 1608 and 1618, 7 years between 1706 and 1713, and 6 years between 1722 and 1728), and the rest of the time it was held either by females who at that time could not sit in the House of Lords or by peers of a higher rank.

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