Francis Clifton (1755 - 1811)

Born 1755 in St Kitts, West Indies

Ancestors

Husband of Rebecca Katherine (Bingham) Clifton — married 4 Nov 1783 in Holy Trinity, Gosport, Hampshire, England

Descendants

Died 5 Oct 1811 at about age 56 in Stoke, Alverstoke, Hampshire, England

Biography

Francis was baptised 8/11/1755 at St Christopher, St Kitts.

He was born in 1755 on St Kitts West Indies and when 9 or 10 years old was sent home to England to be educated. Francis received a sound education and graduated as an M.A. from King's College Aberdeen on 30th March 1775.

Francis was ordained Deacon on 21st December 1777 by the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry at the Church of St George, Bloomsbury, London. After his ordination as Deacon, Francis returned to St Kitts, where he spent two years in the service of the Church.

In 1779 He became a Royal Naval Chaplain and received two commissions to HMS Dublin from 3 Dec 1779 to 18 Jan 1783. However it appears that Francis spent only 11 months of this period at sea. During the remainder of the time he was a resident of Gosport.

In 1783 was appointed Curate of St Mary's at Alverstoke in Hampshire. He went on to hold the position for 26 years.

In the same year Francis married Rebekah Katherine Bingham; they became the parents of 2 sons and 8 daughters, three of the daughters dying in infancy.

In September 1789 he officated at a naval shipboard service on the "Magnificent" attended by King George III, the queen and three princesses. This was to celebrate Ban-yan Day. The event is depicted in a drawing by John Nixon known as "Ban-yan Day on board the Magnificent" or "Pease Porridge hot from the coppers".

Francis Clifton died at Alverstoke on 5th October 1811.

He was buried at St Mary's, Southampton.

His grandson named his home in Dandanup, Western Australia "Alverstoke" after the place where his grandfather was Curate.

Sources

http://www.john-attfield.com/paf_tree/attfield_current/fam3278.html

National Archives Record:
Reference: PROB 11/1534/102
Description: Will of Reverend Francis Clifton alias Fanning
Date: 06 June 1812
Held by: The National Archives, Kew

• Museum of Western Australia. Collection of Sophy Agnes Hassell. Item 15.2. https://museum.wa.gov.au/online-collections/content/H2013.437.1-27
• Ban-yan Day 1789. https://www.britishtars.com/2015/11/ban-yan-day-on-board-magnificent-1789.html
• Grandson's Obituary.
• Clifton Family Tree. http://brigittegastelancestry.com/royal/plantagenet/gervasecliftondesc+1588.htm