• Manuscripts and Special Collections
• Collections and Catalogues
• Collections by Subject
  • Archdeaconry Resources
  • Family and Estate Resources
    • Collections at Nottingham
    • Chaworth-Musters of Annesley
    • Clifton of Clifton
      • Clifton Family history
      • Family Seats
      • Biographies
    • Denison of Ossington
    • Drury-Lowe of Locko Park
    • Eyre of Grove
    • Galway of Serlby Hall
    • Manvers of Thoresby and Holme Pierrepont
    • Mellish and Buchanan of Blyth and Hodsock
    • Middleton of Wollaton Hall
    • Newcastle of Clumber Park
    • Portland of Welbeck Abbey
    • Thoroton Hildyard of Screveton and Flintham
    • What they are used for
    • Who might use them
    • Points to consider
    • Record types
    • Searching the catalogues
    • Further reading
  • Health Resources
  • DH Lawrence Resources
  • University Archives
  • Water Resources
  • East Midlands Collection
  • Nonconformist Churches
  • Medieval Literary Manuscripts
  • Business Records
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • NameIndex
• Learning Resources
• Research Guidance
• Schools Resources
• Exhibitions and Gallery
• Visiting the Reading Room
• Tours and Talks
• Reprographic Services
• Heritage Digitisation
• Magazine
• About Us
• Contact Us

Biography of Sir Robert Juckes Clifton, 9th Baronet (1826-1869)

Robert was the only son of Sir Juckes Juckes-Clifton, 8th Baronet, and his second wife Marianne. He was educated at Eton and entered Christ Church College, Oxford, in 1844. He was fond of gambling and horse racing. He suceeded his father to the baronetcy in 1852. His debts forced him to spend a number of years living in France.

Sir Robert returned to Clifton in 1861 and stood as an Independent candidate at the parliamentary election at Nottingham against Lord Lincoln, son of the Duke of Newcastle. He won a resounding victory, and stood again in 1865. The election campaign was heated and occasionally violent, but Sir Robert was once again elected. Allegations of bribery against both successful candidates were later upheld, and another election was held in 1866, at which Sir Robert did not stand.

In 1867 coal was found on the Clifton estate, and the following year building work began on the Clifton Colliery at Wilford, opened in 1870. Sir Robert was also responsible for the construction of the Wilford toll bridge, also opened in 1870.

In November 1868 Sir Robert was once again elected as an Independent parliamentary candidate for Nottingham. He served until his premature death of typhoid fever on 30 May 1869. Over 20,000 people watched the funeral cortege, attesting to the popularity of Sir Robert and his wife, Lady Bruce, who was known for her charity work.

The baronetcy became extinct upon his death, and the Clifton estates passed to his cousin's son Henry Robert Markham.

Family

He married in 1863 Geraldine Isabella (d 1913), daughter of Colonel John O'Meara. They had no children.

Archive Collections

• Title deeds, settlements, estate and legal papers relating to Sir Robert Clifton's ownership of his estates are part of the Clifton collection held in Manuscripts and Special Collections at the University of Nottingham

Published Sources

• Anon, The hero of the people : life and times of the late Sir Robert Juckes Clifton, Bart. M.P. : with an historical sketch of the Clifton family. Reprinted from the Nottingham Journal, 1869 (Nottingham : printed at the Journal Office, 1869) [King’s Meadow Campus East Midlands Collection Not 4U.V38 CLI]
• A.C. Wood, 'Sir Robert Clifton, 1826-69', Transactions of the Thoroton Society, 57 (1953), 48-65