Augustus Clifford
Admiral Sir Augustus William James Clifford, 1st Baronet, was a British Royal Navy officer, court official, and usher of the Black Rod.
Personal life
Clifford was born in France in 1788, the illegitimate son of William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire , and Lady Elizabeth Foster, daughter of Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol. Not long after his birth, his mother brought him to England, to be wet-nursed by Louisa Augusta Marshall, wife of the Rev John Marshall, curate at Clewer, near Windsor, Berkshire. Clifford was educated at Harrow School, 1796–99. His parents married in 1809, their respective spouses having died.He married, on 20 October 1813, Lady Elizabeth Frances Townshend, sister of John Townshend, 4th Marquess Townshend. Each of his sons, Capt William RN, Robert and Charles Clifford, 4th Baronet|Charles] succeeded their father in turn as the second, third and fourth baronets.
Clifford was a patron of the arts, and formed a unique collection of paintings, sculpture, etchings, engravings, and bijouterie. He died at his residence in the House of Lords in 1877.
Naval career
Clifford entered the Royal 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. He was at the capture of a convoy in the Bay of Rosas in 1809 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 London 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 of [the United Kingdom|William IV]. Clifford recommissioned on 27 May 1826 to carry the Duke of Devonshire on an embassy to Russia. In 1828, in another vessel, Clifford took Lord William Bentinck out to India as governor-general. This was his last service afloat; he was not actively employed after 1831.
He reached the rank of rear-admiral 23 March 1848, vice-admiral 27 September 1855, admiral of the blue 7 November 1860, and admiral of the red 1864, becoming retired admiral 31 March 1866.