NATHANIEL WINCHCOMBE alias CLIFFORD
Nathaniel Winchcombe alias Clifford 1757-1817

Nathaniel was born in 1757 in either Frampton on Severn  or Painswick, both in Gloucestershire, the son of Nathaniel Winchcombe and Ann Bell. His mother died in the same year, shortly after his birth. Ann was the daughter of William Bell a descendant of Sir Thomas Bell.
He married Mary Packer (from the Packer family of clothiers in Painswick, Gloucestershire), the daughter and sole heiress of Daniel Packer, on the 28th May 1782.  Mary was born in 1761 and died on the 23rd June 1823. She brought with her a dowry of £12000 (with a mention of diamonds!)
He was the heir to his childless Uncle James, inheriting Stratford Park in Stroud, the textile business and his Uncle's house at Bownhams in Rodborough. He set about making himself a person of consequence selling the textile business, the Packer property in Painswick and, eventually Stratford Park once he had updated the house. What he spent all this money on is not quite clear although he bought property in Frampton-on-Severn, Gloucestershire in anticipation of his inheritance of Frampton Court. This property would come to him following the death of his Aunt
Elizabeth Phillips (his mother Ann Bell's sister).
Frampton Court had been bought in the seventeenth century by the de
Clifford family with whom Nathaniel could claim descent through the marriage of a Clifford to a Clutterbuck followed later by the marriage of a Clutterbuck to a Bell (Nathaniel's grandmother, Catherine Clutterbuck) and a Bell to a Winchcombe (Nathaniel's mother and father).  Nathaniel's great-uncle Richard Clutterbuck had completely rebuilt the house in 1731.
His expectations were justified and he took up residence at Frampton Court and changed his name to Clifford by Royal Sign Warrant in 1801.  He was also granted the right to use the de Clifford Coat of Arms.
He was a Trustee of the Bisley Blue Coat School, a Magistrate, the Deputy Lieutenant of Whitstone Hundred, was enrolled as a Burgess and Freeman of Gloucester in 1785 and appointed Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1804. He had evidently decided to live the life of a gentleman - no longer in trade or business.  Later years found him borrowing money from an Aunt and from his sister - money which was never repaid in his lifetime and not for a good few years after his death. He often complained about a 'lack of funds' when asked for money. Either he spent on living well or he was 'tight' with what he had! Correspondence stretched over years following the death of his brother-in-law, The
Reverend Henry Beavan trying to sort out the latter's debts before Nathaniel would, as a Trustee, release Bond money which he had set up for his sister and her children.  The children had a hard time getting their needs accounted for. It wasn't completed until after Nathaniel's death when his son and Executor came up with the necessary.

Nathaniel and Mary had 6 children - Catharine Elizabeth (8th July 1784), Henry Clifford (24th Dec 1787), George (1786), Maria(1789), Charlotte Ann(1791) and Rosamund(11th Nov 1793).
Of theses 6 chikdren:-
Maria Winchcombe k/a Clifford married Powell Colchester Guise, Rector of Craike, Co. Durham in October 1808
Charlotte Winchcombe k/a Clifford married Purnell Bransby Purnell (b.1786) of Stancombe Park, Gloucs. He was a Deputy Lieutenant for Gloucestershire. They had 3 children - Frances Ann(1817), John Bransby(1819) and Helen(1824)
Rosamund Winchcombe k/a Clifford died on the 25th Nov. 1865, unmarried.
Henry Clifford Winchcombe k/a Clifford(1785-1868) who found himself saddled with the name Henry Clifford Clifford due to his father's name change, married Elizabeth Wallington(1785-1868). Elizabeth was the daughter of John and Elizabeth Wallington of Peers Court, Gloucestershire. Another family connected with the textile industry.

Henry and Elizabeth had 11 children:-
Henry John Clifford born in 1810 married Marianne Phelps on the 19th July 1838. She was the daughter of James Phelps, the Rector at Brimpsfield in Gloucestershire. His descendants inherited Frampton Court and when the estate passed to a girl, Henry's  great granddaughter, her husband changed his name to Clifford by Royal Warrant in 1943
Edmund  Clifford born in 1821 married Sarah Matilda Audley Hall
Frederick Clifford born in 1823 married Anna Maria Smith Tiley
John Clifford born in 1824 married Georgina Frances Cripps
Walter Charles Clifford born in 1814.
The 5 daughters,
Elizabeth(1809), Mary Anne(1813), Charlotte(1819), Catherine*(1823) and Constance(1828) remained unmarried. Their beautiful flower pictures are immortalised in a book which was published in 1985 - "The Frampton Flora" by Richard Mabey.

.......And so the Winchcombe name in this branch of the family ended and Frampton Court remained to the Clifford name - as it had started……
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