Henry Clinton, 7th Earl of Lincoln

The Earl of Clinton by Godfrey Kneller.

The Earl of Lincoln (right), together with his brother-in-law, Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle.

Coat of arms of Henry Clinton, 7th Earl of Lincoln, KG, PC

Henry Clinton, 7th Earl of Lincoln, KG PC (1684 – 7 September 1728) was the son of Francis Clinton, 6th Earl of Lincoln and his second wife Susan Penniston, daughter of Anthony Penniston. Upon his father's death in 1693, he became the 7th Earl of Lincoln, a peerage he held until his death in 1728.

As the brother-in-law of a prominent politician (Newcastle), he served in several positions over his lifetime. In 1719 he was one of main subscribers in the Royal Academy of Music (1719), a corporation that produced baroque opera on stage. From 1715 to 1720, he was the Paymaster of the Forces. Three years later, he was named the Lord Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets and Constable of the Tower of London, a prestigious position. He was elected as a Bailiff to the board of the Bedford Level Corporation in 1724, a position he held until his death.

In 1725, the refusal of Lord Pulteney to follow Walpole's instructions led to Pulteney's dismissal as Cofferer of the Household. Clinton was appointed to replace him, resulting in him also being appointed ex officio to the Privy Council. He served in this position as an officer of state until his demise in 1728.

On 16 May 1717, he had married Lucy Pelham, a sister of Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle, and they had two children:

• George Clinton, 8th Earl of Lincoln (1718–1730), cousin of General Sir Henry Clinton of the American Revolutionary War.
• Henry Fiennes Pelham-Clinton, 2nd Duke of Newcastle and 9th Earl of Lincoln (1720–1794)

He was succeeded in turn by his sons George and Henry, the latter of which also inherited the title of 2nd Duke of Newcastle (-under-Lyme) from his uncle Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle (both -on-Tyne and -under-Lyme}.