 His first wife Frances had died in 1733 and he married on 16 October 1739, Hannah Lombe daughter of Sir Thomas Lombe, Alderman and Sheriff of London and his wife Elizabeth Turner.In a contest for East Retford at the 1741 British general election, he came bottom of the poll, despite large bribes paid by his mother-in-law, Lady Lombe, to potential voters.According to Lord Egmont, Clifton separated from his wife and took up with his mother-in-law, both of them behaving so extravagantly that in 1746 he was imprisoned for debt.