Who were the Nuns?

A Prosopographical study of the English Convents in exile 1600-1800

Jump to menu


Wildcards
? : any single character   * : any characters

Details

Elizabeth Clifford, in religion Elizabeth.
Born: in Lincs.
Died: 3 Sep 1642 in Louvain, aged 78.
Convert.

father: John Thimelby Esq Cath of Irnham, Lincs
mother: Mary St Paul convert of Snarford, Lincs

Augustinians, Louvain white nun.
She was a widow

She professed 11 Oct 1615, aged 50.

She was the aunt of Frances Thimelby, Mary Thimelby.
She was the great aunt of Catherine Aston.

husband: Henry Clifford of Braceborough, Lincs

Sources: Louvain MS Chronicle: 152-5, 480; Hamilton: Pedigrees.

Notes:

Her nephew, Henry, was married to Mary Thimelby, who entered the same convent after her husband's death.

Had 9 children: one of these was William Clifford (d1670), who after education and ordination at Douai,went on the English mission. Attached to the English College, Lisbon, and became superior of Tournay College (Paris), assigned by Cardinal Richelieu to the English clergy. Writer and theologian.

Her father was converted when she was 14 years old. She was brought up by her Protestant grandmother after the death of her mother. Like her father's religion better, but 'her husband being a Protestant she remained so likewise'. On his death she brought up her children Catholic. She travelled abroad with her son 'that he might come to learning through Catholick teaching'. She was attracted to the religious life in Bruges and decided to enter the convent having been a widow some 16 or 17 years: see Chronicle pp 153-5.

Portrait of a nun at Bramall Hall near Stockport probably of Elizabeth Clifford.