the seat of his eldest brother, Thomas Hugh Clifford, to whom they had descended through the family of Lord Aston, into which Sir Ralph Sadler's granddaughter had married. Sir Walter Scott superintended the printing of the book, besides contributing the notes and a memoir of Sadler extending to thirty pages (republished in Scott's 'Miscellaneous Prose Works,' iv. 834). After publishing the Sadler Papers, Clifford made a diligent search at Tixall for the papers of Sir Walter (afterwards Lord) Aston [q. v.], ambassador in Spain under James I and Charles I. The Aston family had formerly resided at Tixall, and James, fifth lord Aston, was Clifford's grandfather. The Sadler MSS. had been originally found at Tixall 'in an old oaken box covered with variegated gilt leather, and ornamented with brass nails. Clifford's father had at one time made a bonfire of various old trunks and papers that had been accumulating in the house for two centuries, but the gilt leather box was rescued by the ladies of the family. Clifford now found that it contained all the state papers and letters of Sir Walter Aston carefully tied up in small bundles, and in his researches at Tixall he also discovered a number of letters and papers relating to the Aston family, some manuscript volumes of poetry, and an additional packet of letters belonging to Sir R. Sadler. The 'Gentleman's Magazine' for March 1811 announced that the State Papers and Letters of Sir W. Aston were then being printed uniform with the Sadler Papers. This work, however, never appeared, though in 1815 Clifford published 'Tixall Letters, or the Correspondence of the Aston Family and their Friends during the Seventeenth Century; with Notes and Illustrations,' 2 vols. London, 1815. 12mo. He had already published in 1813 the manuscript volumes of poetry found at Tixall, under the title of 'Tixall Poetry … with Notes and Illustrations,' Edinburgh, 1813, 4to. Sections i. and iv. of this book are headed: 1. 'Poems collected by the Hon. Herbert Aston,' 1658. 2. 'Poems by the Hon. Mrs. Henry Thimelby.' 3. 'Poems collected by Lady Aston.' Some 'of the poems are original, others are transcribed by the Astons from the works of different English writers. Clifford adds some verses of his own, including a 'Midnight Meditation among the Ruins of Tixall' (also published separately 1813? 4to). In 1817 he was staying at Paris with his eldest brother, and while in that city published 'Collectanea Cliffordiana,' in three parts, containing notices of the Clifford family and an historical tragedy on the battle of Towton; and 'A Topographical and Historical Description of the parish of Tixall in the county of Stafford. By Sir Thomas [Hugh] Clifford, Bart., and Arthur Clifford, Esq., Paris, 1817, 4to.
In his later years Clifford published some treatises on teaching:
- 'A Letter to … the Earl of Shrewsbury on a new Method of teaching and learning Languages,' &c., 2 pts. 1827, 8vo.
- 'An Introduction to the Latin Language in three parts,' Oxford (1828 ?), 8vo.
- 'Instructions to Parents and Teachers respecting the use of the elementary Books for the Latin Language,' &c., Oxford, 1829, 12mo.
He died at Winchester on 16 Jan. 1830, aged 52. He married on 15 June 1809 Eliza Matilda, second daughter of Donald Macdonald of Berwick-upon-Tweed. His wife died in August 1827. There seems to have been no issue of the marriage.
[Clifford's Works; Gent. Mag. 1830, vol. c. pt. i. p. 92, and Memoir, ib. 274, also given in Annual Register (1830), Ixxii. 247; Lockhart's Life of Scott (one vol. ed. 1845), pp. 159, 182, 183; Brit. Mus. Cat.]
CLIFFORD, Sir AUGUSTUS WILLIAM JAMES (1788–1877), usher of the black rod, was born 26 May 1788, and educated at Harrow. He entered the navy as a midshipman in May 1800, and was promoted to a lieutenancy in 1806. He served at the reduction of Ste. Lucie and Tobago in 1803, and throughout the operations in Egypt during 1807; was at the capture of a convoy in the Bay of Rosas in 1809 (for which he received a medal), and in the operations on the coast of Italy 1811–12. After this, as captain, he was for many years actively employed in naval duties, being several times mentioned in the ‘Gazette’ for his courage in cutting-out expeditions and on other occasions. For some time he was engaged in attendance on the lord high admiral, the Duke of Clarence, afterwards William IV, and in 1828 he took out Lord William Bentinck as governor-general to India. This was his last service afloat, and he was not actively employed after 1831. He obtained the rank of rear-admiral 1848, vice-admiral 1855, retired admiral 7 Nov. 1860, and admiral of the red 1864. He sat in parliament for Bandon Bridge 1818–20; for Dungarvan, 1820–2; and again for Bandon Bridge from 23 July 1831 to 3 Dec. 1832. He was nominated a C.B. 8 Dec. 1815, knighted by William IV at St. James's Palace 4 Aug. 1830, and created a baronet 4 Aug. 1838. The Duke of Devonshire, then lord chamberlain, appointed him on 25 July 1832 gentleman usher of the black rod, which office he held, much to his satisfaction, until his death. On various occasions between 1843 and 1866 he acted as deputy lord great chamberlain of
