Editing Robert Clive (section)

==Marriage and return to England==

On 18 February 1753 in Madras, Clive married [[Margaret Maskelyne]] (1735–1817),<ref name="DNB">{{Cite DNB|wstitle=Clive, Robert|volume=11}}</ref> sister of the Rev. Dr [[Nevil Maskelyne]], fifth [[Astronomer Royal]]. They had nine children:<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lodge |first1=John |last2=Archdall |first2=Mervyn |title=The Peerage Of Ireland: Or, A Genealogical History Of The Present Nobility Of That Kingdom |date=1789 |publisher=Moore |page=82 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X9k9AAAAcAAJ&pg=RA1-PA82 |access-date=11 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Lodge |first1=Edmund |title=The Peerage of the British Empire: With the Arms of the Peers |date=1838 |publisher=Saunders |page=400 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mV0f5z8oaL8C&pg=PA400 |access-date=11 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis]] (1754–1839), succeeded his father
* Richard Clive (4 March 1755 – bur. 19 October 1755), died young
* Jane Clive (15 June 1756 – September 1759), died young
* Robert Clive (13 October 1759 – June 1760), died young
* Hon. Rebecca Clive (15 September 1760 – December 1795), married in 1780 to Lt.-Gen. [[John Robinson (Bishop's Castle MP)|John Robinson]], MP
* Hon. Charlotte Clive (19 January 1762 – 20 October 1795), died unmarried
* Hon. Margaretta Clive (15 August 1763 – August 1814), married 11 April 1780 Lt.-Col. Lambert Theodore Walpole (killed in 1798 [[Wexford Rebellion]]), great-nephew of [[Robert Walpole]]
* Hon. Elizabeth Clive (30 October 1764 – bur. 18 December 1764), died young
* Lt-Col. Hon. Robert Henry Clive (14 August 1769 – 28 July 1833), died unmarried

Margaret Maskelyne set out to find Clive, who reportedly had fallen in love with her portrait. When she arrived, Clive was a national hero. They were married at [[St. Mary's Church, Chennai|St. Mary's Church]] in (then) [[Madras]] on 18 February 1753.<ref name=maggy>{{Cite ODNB|title=Clive [née Maskelyne], Margaret, Lady Clive of Plassey (1735–1817), society figure|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-63502|access-date=2021-01-20|year=2004|language=en|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/63502|last1=Bowen|first1=H. V.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Peggy, the other Clive|url=https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2020/08/13/peggy-the-other-clive.html|access-date=2021-01-20|website=The Week|language=en}}</ref> They then returned to England.<ref name=maggy/>

Clive was then offered command of British forces in [[North America]], but he declined.<ref>Harvey p.160</ref> 

From [[1754 British general election|1754]] to 1755, Clive briefly sat as [[Member of Parliament]] for the “[[rotten borough]]” of [[Mitchell (UK Parliament constituency)|St Michael's]] in [[Cornwall]], which then returned two Members.<ref name="compeerage">{{Cite book |editor-last=Gibbs |editor-first=Vicary |title=The Complete Peerage, Volume III |publisher=St Catherine's Press |year=1912 |page=325}}</ref> He and his colleague [[John Stephenson (MP died 1794)|John Stephenson]] were later unseated by petition of their defeated opponents, Richard Hussey and [[Simon Luttrell, 1st Earl of Carhampton|Simon Luttrell]].<ref name="HOP">{{Cite web |title=CLIVE, Robert (1725–74), of Styche Hall, nr. Market Drayton, Salop; subsequently of Walcot Park, Salop; Claremont, Surr.; and Oakley Park, Salop |url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/member/clive-robert-1725-74 |access-date=8 September 2017 |publisher=History of Parliament Online}}</ref>