ANNE CLIFFORD was born about 1495/96 and died before before 1546
She married SIR GERVASE CLIFTON
She married RALPH MELFORD
Children of ANN CLIFFORD and SIR GERVASE CLIFTON
I. DOROTHY CLIFTON
II. GERVASE CLIFTON
Children of ANNE CLIFFORD and RALPH MELFORD
I GEORGE MELFORD
II. THOMAS MELFORD
III.MARY MELFORD MERINGE
IV. AGNES MELFORD
V. ANTONY MELFORD
VI. WENEFRIDE MELFORD
ANNE CLIFFORD , daughter by the first marriage, married by 1515 [based on son’s age] ROBERT CLIFTON of Clifton, Nottinghamshire.11 He had houses and
estates at Hodsock, Blyth Parish, and at Clifton, near Nottingham. He died 9 September 1517, leaving her a widow with a daughter, Dorothy, and a son, Gervase, not yet two years old.12
About two years after her first husband’s death, Anne married secondly RALPH MELFORD , esquire.14 This has been determined from an analysis of the wills of Ralph Melford and of her son Gervase Clifton, along with published visitation records of co. Nottingham. In his will, dated 6 January 1546 [sic ] and proved 7 October 1546, Ralf Melford describes himself as “Rauf Milford of Arnehall [Arnold] within the countie of Nottingeham esquier.” He asks to be buried in the church of Arnold. He bequeaths to his son George Melford his gold ring with the seal of his arms and all his lands
and tenements in co. Devon, which were his by right of inheritance; to his son Thomas Melforde his house and lands within “the lordeship of Arnehall,” along with implements and furnishings; to his daughter Mary Meringe a gold ring; to his daughter Agnes three marks; to his son Antony Melford four marks; to his daughter Wenefride items of clothing, his “seconde crosse of golde” and twenty marks. He arranges for a priest at the church of Southetoton [South Tawton], co. Devon, “where my living lieth,” to “singe for my soule and my wifes soule.” He appoints “the righte worshipfull Sr Gerves Clifton knighte” as supervisor, and appoints his sons George and Thomas Melford his executors.15 He was buried at Arnold 22 April 154[6].16
This appointment by Ralph Melford of Sir Gerves [Gervase] Clifton as supervisor, led to my examination of his will, which established the connection of the Melfords to the Cliftons. Sir Gervis Clifton of Clifton, co. Nottingham, Knight, dated his will 15 October 1587, which was proved 13 March 1587[/8]. Among other bequests, he gives “to my brother Thomas Melford £20 and to my [sic ] George Melford £10.” To his nephews John and Gervase Wastnes, he grants £20 apiece.17 Thomas Melford, named as a son in Ralph Melford’s will, would have been a half-brother of Sir Gervase Clifton through his mother, as was George Melford. John and Gervase Wastneys are listed as living 1575, in the published record of the visitation of co. Nottingham. They are shown there as sons of George Wastnes of Hedon and his wife, Mary Melfford [sic ].18 Mary Melford, called Mary Meringe in her father’s will, would have married secondly George Wastneys. Based on her sons being called nephews by Sir Gervase, it is evident that she was his halfsister. The only published record located that mentioned Anne (Clifford) Clifton’s second marriage to a Melford was an article on the Cliftons in Betham’s Baronetage , where it is stated that after Robert Clifton’s death, she was married to Robert [sic ] Melford