Architect. Born in Trinidad, into a Scots-Irish family, Clifford and his siblings were brought to Glasgow by his mother after the death of his father. He trained with John Burnet (1814 - 1901) and studied at Glasgow School of Art. His mother's roots were in Campbeltown, and it was there he found his wife, Alice, who was twenty years his junior. He became responsible for designing several of the town's buildings, including the Christian Institute (1885), Victoria Hall (1886), Mission Hall (1887), Gaelic Free Church (1889), the Campbeltown and Kintyre District Combination Hospital (1903), three schools and several private houses. He also served as Burgh Architect for Pollokshields. His best-known buildings are Pollokshields Burgh Hall (1888-90) and Perth City Hall (1915). He also built golf clubhouses at Machrihanish and Troon.
He died in Reigate (Surrey) but was buried at Kilkerran Cemetery (Campbeltown).