George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland
George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland KG (born August 8, 1558 in Brougham Castle , Westmorland , England , † October 30, 1605 in The Savoy, Middlesex , England) was an English naval commander and courtier to Queen Elizabeth I.
He was an orphan after the death of his father, Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland , in 1570 . His education took Francis Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford , the young Clifford in 1577 with his daughter Margaret married.
Clifford became a recognized joiner and became the Queen's second master after the retirement of Sir Henry Lee. The Queen made him Knight of the Order of the Garter and he peered in the trial of Mary Queen of Scots .
He later commanded a ship in the Anglo-Spanish War of 1585 . He later received recognition for his naval battles against the Spanish fleet and in particular against the Spanish ships in the Caribbean . He gained fame in 1598 with the temporary conquest of La Fortaleza , the fortress of San Juan . He reached Puerto Rico on June 15, but by November that year, Clifford and his men fled the island in the face of fierce resistance from the locals.
As a pirate he made a lot of money, but apparently he lost so much in jousting and horse racing that he eventually had to sell his inherited property. He had only one child, his daughter Anne , to whom he bequeathed £ 15,000 on his death . His brother Francis Clifford inherited the title of Earl of Cumberland , while the title of Baron de Clifford , which was also transferable in the female line, went to the daughter.
Web links
- George Clifford - biography at tudorplace.com
predecessor | Office | successor |
---|---|---|
Henry Clifford |
Earl of Cumberland 1570-1605 |
Francis Clifford |
Henry Clifford |
Baron de Clifford 1570-1605 |
Anne Clifford |
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Clifford, George, 3rd Earl of Cumberland |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Clifford, George |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English nobleman and pirate |
DATE OF BIRTH | August 8, 1558 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Brougham Castle , Westmorland , England |
DATE OF DEATH | October 30, 1605 |
Place of death | The Savoy, Middlesex , England |