Clifford family of the Trent Valley, England
I have traced my Clifford line back to Diseworth, Leicestershire, to the early 17th century.I have collected what authentic information I can about these Cliffords and it is clear that they were well established in the Diseworth, Kegworth and Breedon area in the late 15th and early 16th century, probably owning, or at least holding, quite substantial parcels of land.
Gaps in parish records mean that the fine details of family connections cannot easily be established but as these locations falll within an area of some three miles in diameter it is likley that they are connected.
There are also unequivocal connections to Shardlow about four miles away in Derbyshire and to Bunny and Ruddington in Nottinghamshire about eight miles away.
The definite connection to Shardlow suggests that the Cliffords of Aston-on-Trent might also be connected.
Working backwards, there are records of de Cliffords in Bunny and Ruddington, and in Nottingham itself, in the period ~1375 to 1425.In the period 1347 to 1365 a Richard de Clifford was chief forester in Sherwood and he must have been born no later than ~1325.
I would welcome contributions from anyone who has researched the early history of the Clifford family in this area and will be pleased to share my findings.
Mike Clifford