Early Life
William de Clinton was the second son of
John de Clinton, 1st Lord Clinton and
Ida de Oddingseles. He must have been born before 1309 as was called to Parliament in 1330.
He was simultaneously the first and last Earl of Huntingdon.
From
Burke's Extinct Peerages1:
Sir William de Clinton, Knt, younger son of John de Clinton, Baron Clinton, m. 1330, Julian, dau. and heiress of Sir Thomas de Leyburne, Knt., and widow of John, Lord Hastings, of Bergavenny, by which alliance it is presumed that his subsequent advancement in life was considerably promoted; he was, however, himself a very eminent person, and fully entitled by his own deeds to the high honours he attained.
In the year ensuing his marriage, Sir William was made justice of Chester, and within less than two months afterwards constable of Dover Castle and warden of the Cinque Ports. Shortly after this being one of those who surprised the great Mortimer, at Nottingham Castle, he had summons to parliament as BARON CLINTON, 6 September, 1330, and from that period to 14 January, 1337. In three years subsequently his lordship was constituted Lord Admiral of the Seas, from the Thames westwards, and in that year he was engaged in the Scottish wars, as he was in the 9th and 10th of the same reign.
In the 11th Edward III., then enjoying the highest favour of the king, his lordship was created, by letters patent, dated 16 March, 1337, Earl of Huntingdon, having, at the same time, not only £20 per annum given him out of the issues of the county to be paid by the sheriff, but 1,3000 marks per annum in land, to hold to himself and his male heirs for ever. He subsequently participated in his gallant sovereign's wars, both in Scotland and France, and was frequently employed in foreign embassies of the first importance. He was a second time constitued lord admiral, and a second time appointed constable of Dover Castle, and lord warden of the Cinque Ports. His lordship d. in 1354, leaving, according to Banks, an only dau., Elizabeth, who m. Sir John Fitzwilliam, of Sprotborough, ancestor fo the present Earl Fitzwilliam.
Note that the daughter,
Elizabeth, seems not to have been legitimate (i.e. by Julian de Leyburne) or if she was, the name of her mother is not known. The 107
th edition of
Burke's Peerage is more explicit:
William de Clinton ... dspl 25 Aug 1354, when his titles expired, leaving a bastard dau (Elizabeth, m John Fitzwilliam
Footnotes
[1] A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire (New Edition), by Sir John Bernard Burke, London, 1866, p. 124
[2] Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, Clan Chiefs, Scottish Feudal Barons (107th Edition), ed. Charles Mosley, Wilmington (Delaware), 2003; Clinton, p823-827
Abt 1300 - 1354 (~ 54 years)