John H. Clifford | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 21st Governor of Massachusetts | |
| In office January 14, 1853 – January 12, 1854 | |
| Lieutenant | Elisha Huntington |
| Preceded by | George S. Boutwell |
| Succeeded by | Emory Washburn |
| 9th & 11th Massachusetts Attorney General | |
| In office 1849–1853 | |
| Governor | George N. Briggs George S. Boutwell |
| Preceded by | Office revived (abolished since 1843) |
| Succeeded by | Rufus Choate |
| In office 1854–1858 | |
| Governor | Emory Washburn Henry Gardner Nathaniel Prentice Banks |
| Preceded by | Rufus Choate |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Henry Phillips |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives | |
| In office 1835–1839 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Henry Clifford January 16, 1809 Providence, Rhode Island |
| Died | January 2, 1876 (aged 66) New Bedford, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Whig Republican |
| Spouse | Sarah Parker Allen |
| Profession | Lawyer, politician |
| Signature |  |
John Henry Clifford (January 16, 1809 – January 2, 1876) was an American lawyer and politician from New Bedford, Massachusetts. He served as the state's attorney general for much of the 1850s, retaining the office during administrations dominated by three different political parties. A Whig, he was elected the state's 21st governor, serving a single term from 1853 to 1854. He was the first governor of Massachusetts not born in the state.
As attorney general Clifford gained fame by leading the prosecution in one of the most sensational trials of the 19th century, the Parkman–Webster murder case. The case, where both victim and assailant were from the upper crust of Boston society, featured the first use of forensic dentistry to secure a conviction. During the American Civil War Clifford supported the Union cause, and was involved in unsuccessful maneuvers to prosecute Confederate President Jefferson Davis after the war. In his later years he served as president of the Boston and Providence Railroad.