(1590 – 1676)
Born at Skipton Castle and the only surviving child of George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, you’d think it was a safe bet that Anne would have inherited on her father’s passing. Unfortunately, life wasn’t that easy. George’s titles and estates passed to his brother Francis. Deprived of her inheritance, Anne fought a long and complex legal battle culminating in King James I, judging in favour of her Uncle Francis. When her Uncle’s son died without a male heir, Anne finally inherited the Clifford estates, covering some 90,000 acres across northern England. Careful what you wish for.
As a devout Christian, with her wealth she restored many churches and was a generous benefactor, taking her Estate Owner role seriously. She was deemed to be a creative person, with a passion for art, architecture and sculpture. Her own statue depicts her bare footed as a nod to her free spiritedness.
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