About William Cliffton
Lived 1772 – 1799 (aged 26–27). William Cliffton was a poet.
William Cliffton (1771 – December 1799) was a Philadelphian poet and pamphleteer. He is the only identified member of the Anchor Club. He is considered part of the "transitive state" of American poetry.
Born the son of a wealthy Quaker, Cliffton suffered form a blood clot at the age of nineteen, and from then until his death, aged twenty-seven, pursued an almost exclusively literary life, though he took an interest in field sports.
Cliffton was a supporter of William Cobbett. He died in December 1799 from consumption.
Works A Poetical Rhapsody of the Times.. (as Dick Retort) (1796) A Flight of Fancy (1800)
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Important facts
People in William Cliffton's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped William Cliffton's
Frequently asked questions
Who was William Cliffton?
American poet and pamphleteer
When was William Cliffton born?
William Cliffton was born in 1772 in United States.
When did William Cliffton die?
William Cliffton died in 1799.
What was William Cliffton's occupation?
William Cliffton was a poet.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Cliffton. https://biography.guide/william-cliffton/
MLA: "William Cliffton." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-cliffton/.
Chicago: "William Cliffton." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-cliffton/.
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