THE CLIFT FAMILY

There were at least three generations of Joseph Clifts in Maryland and will be referred to as Joseph I, Joseph II (son of Joseph I), and Joseph III (son of Joseph II). Some research material states that Joseph I was the son of William Clift, born in England in 1666, and who came to Massachusetts as an indentured servant at an early age. William Clift married Lydia Wills in 1691 in Massachusetts. However, Mrs. Zela McBride, who researched the Clift family for many years and uncovered much of the research that is available today, stated that she had conclusive evidence that Joseph Clift I of Maryland was not the son of William Clift of Massachusetts.