William Hugh Joseph Clifford

William Hugh Joseph Clifford (24 December 1823 – 14 August 1893) was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Clifton from 1857 to 1893.

Life He was born in Irnham, Lincolnshire on 24 December 1823, the son of Hugh Clifford, 7th Baron Clifford of Chudleigh and Mary Lucy Weld, daughter of Cardinal Thomas Weld. He had schooling at Hodder Place, and attended Prior Park College, run by Augustine Baines. He then went to the Accademia dei Nobili Ecclesiastici in Rome.

Priest Clifford was ordained to the priesthood on 25 August 1850, at the Pro-Cathedral of the Holy Apostles, by Joseph William Hendren. In 1851 he travelled to Rome with Herbert Vaughan and William Maskell. From 1852 Clifford was also head of the mission at Stonehouse, Plymouth. The formal process involved the Westminster Chapter submitting a terna (list of three candidates, alphabetical, as suggestions with no binding effect) to the Pope. As the Chapter met, it was told by John Morris of advice from Rome not to nominate George Errington; Errington had clashed with Wiseman in the later 1850s, causing Wiseman to ask for his removal from office, and had been in retirement from 1860. In the event, the Chapter nominated Clifford, Errington and Thomas Grant. Further, Clifford and Grant wrote to say that they did not wish to be considered.

The Pope took these proceedings very badly. In the end Manning became the new Archbishop. He made his views known on clerical discipline, and a catechism. He spoke against papal infallibility as the Council would define it.

In 1887 Clifford helped the nuns of Syon Abbey to create a new monastery in his family town, Chudleigh Abbey. He died in office on 14 August 1893, aged 69.