Capt. John Clifford, of Salem & Lynn

HISTORY OF LYNN, ALONZO LEWIS AND JAMES R. NEWHALL. 1865 pg. 299-300 (unreliable source)

Dr John Caspar Richter van Crowninscheldt bought of Elizabeth Allen wife of Jacob Allen of Salem 20 June twenty acres of land neer a certain pond called the Spring Pond with all the houses buildings waters fishings &c The land appears to have previously belonged to John Clifford
The oldest grave stone in the burying ground near the west end of Lynn Common bears this inscription Here lyeth ye body of John Clifford Died June ye 17 1698 in ye 68 year of his age It is on the west of the foot path leading from the front entrance and unlike the other old stones faces the east The 9 in the date has been altered in a rough way so as to resemble a 2 and hence some have been deceived into the belief that there was a burial here as early as 1628. Mr Lewis declared the alteration to have been made in 1806 by a pupil at Lynn Academy
This John Clifford appears to have been the same individual who owned lands in the vicinity of Mineral Spring He was made a freeman in 1678 and is sometimes called of Salem which would be natural enough if he lived any where about Spring Pond. He died on 17 Jun 1698 in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts.
I think he married Elizabeth Richardson perhaps as a second wife 28 September 16 1688 he being then some fifty eight years of age ...

The New England Historical and Genealogical Register The Society, 1913 - New England Oct 1913 pg. 365

John Clifford and wife Elizabeth were at Salem Mass as early as 1658 He resided at the lower end of Essex St and had a large estate in Lynn where he died in 1698 His only daughter married Capt Jacob Allen of Salem and of Charleston S C and was the ancestress of the Hilliard and Crowninshield families the name Clifford handed down as a given name in the latter family.