Up for auction the "Usher of the Black Rod" Augustus Clifford Signed Free Frank Dated 1833. This item is certified authentic by Todd Mueller Autographs and comes with
their Certificate of Authenticity.
ES-5555E
Sir
Augustus William James Clifford, 1st Baronet, CB (26 May
1788 – 8 February 1877) was a British Royal Navy officer, court official, and usher of
the Black Rod. Clifford was born in France in 1788, the illegitimate
son of William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire (and 7th Baron
Clifford) (1748–1811), and Lady Elizabeth
Foster (1759–1824), daughter of Frederick
Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol. Not long after his birth, his mother
brought him to England, to be wet-nursed by Louisa Augusta Marshall, wife of the Rev
John Marshall, curate at Clewer, near Windsor, Berkshire.
Clifford was educated at Harrow School, 1796–99. His parents married in 1809, their
respective spouses having died. He married, on 20 October 1813, Lady Elizabeth
Frances Townshend (2 August 1789 – 10 April 1862 Nice),
sister of John
Townshend, 4th Marquess Townshend. Each of his sons, Capt William RN, Robert and Charles succeeded
their father in turn as the second, third and fourth (and final) baronets. Clifford
was a patron of the arts, and formed a unique collection of paintings,
sculpture, etchings, engravings, and bijouterie. He died at his residence in the House of Lords in 1877. Clifford entered the Royal Navy as a midshipman in May 1800, and was promoted
to a lieutenancy in 1806. He served at the reduction of Ste. Lucie and Tobago
in 1803, and throughout the operations in Egypt during 1807. He was at the
capture of a convoy in the Bay of Rosas in 1809 (for which he received a medal)
and in the operations on the coast of Italy 1811–12. After this, as captain, he was for many years actively employed in
naval duties, being several times mentioned in the London Gazette for his courage in cutting-out
expeditions and on other occasions. For some time he was engaged in attendance
on the Lord High Admiral, the Duke of Clarence, afterwards William IV.
Clifford recommissioned HMS Herald on 27 May 1826 to carry the Duke
of Devonshire on an embassy to Russia. In 1828, in another vessel, Clifford
took Lord William Bentinck out
to India as governor-general. This was his last service afloat; he was not
actively employed after 1831. He reached the rank of rear-admiral 23 March
1848, vice-admiral 27 September 1855, Admiral of the Blue 7
November 1860, and Admiral of the Red 1864,
becoming retired admiral 31 March 1866. He was Member of Parliament for Bandon 1818–20;
for Dungarvan,
1820–2; and again for Bandon from 23 July 1831 to 3 Dec. 1832. He was nominated
a Commander of the Order of
the Bath on 8 December 1815, knighted on 4 August 1830, and created a baronet on 4
August 1838. His half-brother, the 6th Duke
of Devonshire (then Lord Chamberlain), appointed him on 25 July 1832 Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, which office he held, much
to his satisfaction, until his death. On various occasions between 1843 and
1866 he acted as deputy lord great chamberlain of England, in the absence
of Lord Willoughby d'Eresby.