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When the ancestors of the Cliftoun family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Lancashire despite the fact that there are numerous places so named throughout Britain. The reason for the popularity of the place name is drawn from the fact that Clifton means "farmstead on or near a cliff or bank," from the Old English words "clif" + "tun." 1 The Bedfordshire local seems to be the oldest as it was recorded as Cliftune in 944.
Many are listed in the Domesday Book with various spellings including Clistone (Avon), Cliftone (Bedfordshire + Nottinghamshire + Buckinghamshire), Cliftune (Derbyshire), Cliftune (Staffordshire), Cliptone (Warwickshire) and so on. 1
The surname Cliftoun was first found in Lancashire where the surname was first found at Kirkham, where William de Clifton held ten carucates of land in the 42nd year of Henry III. He was Collector of Aids for the county. His son Gilbert, Lord of Clifton, died in the seventeenth of Edward II. 2
Westby with Plumptons in Lancashire was an ancient home to the family. "Westbi and Plunton are mentioned in the Domesday Survey, and as early as Edward I.'s reign were held by the family of Clifton, of whom William de Clifton had a charter for free warren in Clifton and Westby from Edward II." 3
In Nottinghamshire, "Gervase de Clifton, living in the fifth of John, is the patriarch of this honourable family, who took their name from the manor of Clifton, which was the inheritance of Sir Gervase Clifton, in the ninth of Edward II." 2 "Westbi [(Wesby)] and Plunton are mentioned in the Domesday survey, and as early as Edward I.'s reign were held by the family of Clifton, of whom William de Clifton had a charter for free warren in Clifton and Westby from Edward II." 3
Clifton Hall is a country house that dates back to the 11th century and was held by the Clifton family until the mid 20th century. In 2008, the new millionaire owner, Anwar Rashid, and his family left the house and stopped paying the mortgage because they believed it was haunted. The property was then repossessed by the bank and at the time of writing is still up for sale.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cliftoun research. Another 233 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1257, 1278, 1368, 1414, 1587, 1612, 1614, 1626, 1659, 1663, 1666, 1670, 1675, 1683 and 1686 are included under the topic Early Cliftoun History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Cliftoun have been found, including Clifton, Clyfton, Clyftoun, Cliffton, Cliffeton, Clifftown, Cliffetown, Cliftown, Cliftoun, Clifftoun, Clifftone and many more.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Gervase Clifton, 1st Baronet (1587-1666), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1614 and 1666, supporter of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War; Sir Clifford Clifton (1626-1670)...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cliftoun Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Cliftoun were among those contributors: were the Cliftons who settled in Austin, Rhode Island, about the year 1636. Dr. John Clifton, of London, England, settled in Maine in 1709; and many more..