The Clifford family was a family of bankers, merchants, and regents of English descent who were active in Amsterdam during the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries. In the first half of the 18th century, the Clifford bank was second only to Pels, the greatest merchant bank in Europe at that time.[1] The family originated in northern England, although the surname originated in the village of Clifford, Herefordshire.[2] Northern England was the home of the noble Clifford family, since Roger Clifford was born in Cumberland and died at Brough Castle in Westmorland. There is no evidence that the Clifford banking family is descended from a nobleman named Clifford who fought for William I of England.[3]