Edward Southwell, 20th Baron de Clifford


Edward Southwell, 20th Baron de Clifford was a British politician.

Early life

Southwell was born on 6 June 1738. He was the only son and heir of Lady Catherine Watson and Edward Southwell Jr.. His father and grandfather had both served as the Principal Secretary of State for Ireland.
His paternal grandparents were Edward Southwell and Elizabeth Cromwell, 8th Baroness Cromwell. His maternal grandparents were Edward Watson, Viscount Sondes and Lady Katherine Tufton, eldest daughter and coheiress of Thomas Tufton, 6th Earl of Thanet and 18th Baron de Clifford. His uncle was Thomas Watson, 3rd Earl of Rockingham.
He was educated at Westminster School and Pembroke College, Cambridge. Upon the death of his father in 1755, he inherited the Kings Weston estate near Bristol.

Career

He was elected to the British House of Commons as Member of Parliament for Bridgwater on 28 March 1761, sitting until 1763. On 23 November 1763 he was returned for Gloucestershire, sitting until 1776. He also represented Kinsale in the Irish House of Commons from May 1761 to 1768.
On 17 April 1776, the abeyance of the Barony of Clifford was terminated in his favour, and he entered the British House of Lords as 20th Baron de Clifford. The Barony was previously held by Margaret Coke, Countess of Leicester, who died on 28 February 1775. He died one year later.

Personal life

On 29 August 1765, Edward Southwell had married Sophia Campbell, the daughter of Samuel Campbell of Mount Campbell in County Leitrim. Together they were the parents of one son and four daughters, including:
The Baron de Clifford died on 1 November 1777 and was buried at Henbury, Gloucestershire. After his death, his widow, the Lady de Clifford, was appointed Governess to Princess Charlotte, daughter of the future King George IV. His eldest son, who died unmarried with no issue, succeeded him upon as the 21st Baron de Clifford, and was himself, succeeded by the 20th Baron's granddaughter, Sophia Coussmaker, who became the 22nd Baroness de Clifford suo jure, after the death of her uncle in 1832.

Descendants

Through his eldest daughter Catherine, he was a grandfather of Sophia Coussmaker, who became the 22nd Baroness de Clifford. She married John Russell, third son of Lord William Russell, and was the mother of Edward Russell, 23rd Baron de Clifford, a Member of Parliament for Tavistock.
Through his daughter Sophia, he was a grandfather of one girl, the Hon. Sophia Mary Townshend, who married Lt. Col. Hon. Peregrine Francis Cust ; and Mary Elizabeth Townshend, who married George James Cholmondeley, Receiver-General of Excise, and secondly to Charles Marsham, 2nd Earl of Romney.
Through his daughter Elizabeth, he was a grandfather to eleven children, including: Augustus Keppel, 5th Earl of Albemarle; Lady Sophia Keppel, who married Sir James Macdonald, 2nd Baronet; George Keppel, 6th Earl of Albemarle (through whom is descended Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

Papers

Documents relating to Edward Southwell, including family papers, deeds, financial records and estate records, are held by Bristol Archives