the daughter of Nicholas Butler, of Bewsey, in Lancashire. His children were Cuthbert and William; and now, for a few generations, we have two separate branches, the descendants of these gentlemen, which afterwards became united in the persons of their respective representatives:—
SENIOR BRANCH. JUNIOR BRANCH.
Cuthbert Clifton, = Alice, d. and co-heiress of William Clifton, = Isabel, d. of William
of Clifton, | Sir John Lawrence, of who inherited | Thornborough, of
died 1512. | Ashton-under-Lyne. Westby. | Hampsfield, in Furness.
| +++
| | | |
Sir R. Hesketh, = Elizabeth Clifton, = Sir W. Molyneux, Thos. Clifton, = Elinor, d. of Wm. Ellen.
of Rufford, died 1548. | of Sefton & Larbreck, | Sir A. Osbaldiston,
1st husband. | of Westby. 2nd husband. | of Osbaldiston, co.
++ | Lancashire, Knt.
| | | ++
| | William Molyneux, died young. | |-William
Thos. Molyneux, Ann Molyneux, = Hy. Halsall Cuthbert Clifton. = Catherine, d. of |-Ellen
unmarried heiress of | of Halsall. of Westby | Sir R. Houghton, |-Isabel
or without issue. her brother. | | of Houghton, Knt.
++ +++
| | |
Richard Halsall, = Ann, d. of Alex. Barlow. Thos. Clifton, = Mary, d. of Sir Ed. Seven other
| of Westby. | Norreys, of Speke, Knt. children.
+-+ ++
| |
Sir Cuthbert Halsall, = ( ) Sir Cuthbert Clifton,[1] = Ann, d. of Sir Thos. Tyldesley,
of Halsall and | of Westby & Lytham, | of Morley.
Clifton. | Knt. |
+-+ ++-+
| | |
Ann Halsall, = Thomas Clifton, Cuthbert Elizabeth.
daughter | of Westby Colonel in the army of Charles I.,
and | and Lytham, and slain at Manchester.
co-heiress. | died 1657.
++-++-+
| | | |
Cuthbert Clifton. Sir Thos. Clifton. John Clifton. = Widow of Ten other children.
| Geo. Parkinson,
| of Fairsnape.
|
Thos. Clifton,
of Clifton, etc.
This Thomas Clifton retained the Fairsnape estates, which he had inherited from his mother, during his lifetime, but on his decease they passed to his uncle. He marrried Eleanora Alathea, the daughter of Richard Walmsley, of Dunkenhalgh, in Lancashire. At his death he left a family of five daughters and two sons, the eldest of whom, Thomas Clifton, of Clifton, Westby, and Lytham, subsequently espoused Mary, the daughter of the fifth Viscount Molyneux. His heir, also Thomas, and born in 1728, rebuilt Lytham Hall, and allied himself to the noble house of Abingdon by marrying, as his third wife, Lady Jane Bertie,
[Footnote: 1 Sir Cuthbert Clifton espoused as his second wife, Dorothy, daughter of Sir Thomas Smyth, of Wotton Walwyns, in Warwickshire, and had three sons, Lawrence, Francis, and John, captains in the royal army, and slain in the civil war, besides seven other children. Sir Cuthbert purchased Little Marton and the monastic portion of Lytham from Sir John Holcroft in 1606. He was knighted by James I. at Lathom House.]
