Bastard feudalism as well as recruiting local gentry into their affinities. By offering money instead of land, lords could afford to retain more followers. In return for becoming retainers, the gentry would expect to rely on their lord's influence in local and national politics. This practice was known as "maintenance". The retainer might wear his lord's livery badge or the grander form, a livery collar, which could be very useful in a courtroom. Under a weak king, such as Henry VI (reigned 1422–1461 and 1470–1471), the rivalries of magnates might spill over from the courtroom to armed confrontations, thereby perverting justice. Since
Gervase Clifton (died 1471) May 1471. Clifton married twice, leaving no sons, only two daughters and co-heiresses by his first wife, Isabel Herbert (died c. November 1457), widow of William Scott (died 5 February 1434) of Brabourne, Kent, and daughter of Vincent Herbert ("alias" Finche) of Netherfield, Sussex by his wife Isabel Cralle, daughter and coheiress of Robert Cralle. Their two daughters were: Clifton's second marriage, before 20 March 1463, was to Maud Stanhope (died 30 August 1497), widow firstly of Robert Willoughby, 6th Baron Willoughby de Eresby (died 1452), and secondly of Sir Thomas Neville (died 1460), second son of Richard Neville, 5th