William de Clinton, 1st Earl of Huntingdon (1304–1354) and Lord High Admiral

Admiralty

The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...

, was the younger son of Baron John Clinton of Maxstoke (Warwickshire) and Ida De Odingsells, who was a great-great-granddaughter of Henry II

Henry II of England

Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...

. The Clintons were a great Norman

Normans

The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...

 family who had arrived with William the Conqueror in 1066. The surname Clinton came from the lordship of Clinton in Oxfordshire, given to them at the Conquest. Geoffrey de Clinton

Geoffrey de Clinton

Geoffrey de Clinton was an Anglo-Norman noble, chamberlain and treasurer to King Henry I of England. He was foremost amongst the men king Henry "raised from the dust". He married Lescelina.-Life:Clinton's family origins are a little obscure...

 was Lord Chamberlain

Lord Chamberlain

The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....

 and Treasurer of Henry I

Henry I of England

Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...

, while Roger de Clinton

Roger de Clinton

Roger de Clinton was a medieval Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. He was responsible for organising a new grid street plan for the town of Lichfield in the 12th century which survives to this day.-Life:...

 was Bishop of Coventry

Bishop of Coventry

The Bishop of Coventry is the Ordinary of the England Diocese of Coventry in the Province of Canterbury. In the Middle Ages, the Bishop of Coventry was a title used by the bishops known today as the Bishop of Lichfield....

 1127–1148.

William de Clinton was a boyhood companion of Edward III of England

Edward III of England

Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...

, and as one of the king's followers who secretly entered Nottingham Castle

Nottingham Castle

Nottingham Castle is a castle in Nottingham, England. It is located in a commanding position on a natural promontory known as "'Castle Rock'", with cliffs high to the south and west. In the Middle Ages it was a major royal fortress and occasional royal residence...

 and captured Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. The arrest and subsequent execution of Mortimer cleared the way for the adolescent Edward III to assume power. William de Clinton married Julian de Leybourne, widow of John, Lord Hastings of Bergavenny. From September 6, 1330 to January 14, 1337 he served in Parliament. In 1333 he was constituted Lord Admiral of the Seas. On March 16, 1337, Edward III created William de Clinton Earl of Huntingdon

Earl of Huntingdon

Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The title is associated with the ruling house of Scotland, and latterly with the Hastings family.-Early history:...

. William de Clinton died in 1354 leaving an only daughter Elizabeth.