Lady Maud de Clifford - The Noble Lady

The life of a Noble Lady

Noble women in medieval society are often seen as simply pawns in some great dynastic game. This could of course be true, but there were many examples of women who became great powers in their own rights.

It was also considered the natural state of affairs for the lady to manage her own household and this ranged from controlling servants to dealing with the day to day finances and organising all the goings on and tooings and froeings of a great house.

Lady Maud's story...

Maud came to the manor of Cosmeston four years ago, following the death of her husband.

She is cousin to Lady Isabel de Caversham and has been taken in by the De Caversham family since her own father will not allow her back to the family home in Northamptonshire.

This is because she married a Welshman, and a retained archer at that! rather than an English lord as arranged. Thus does the course of true love run rocky.

Maud has three children, two of them are very young, one less than a year old which raised many eyebrows as her husband died four years ago! There have been many comments about who has enjoyed her favours!

She spends much of her time in the village with Charlotte and Bess as she likes to gossip and keep up with the village goings on. She also considers herself a charitable person and considers that it is of benefit to the community to discuss such things with the women of the manor. They will of course benefit from being allowed to pass the time of day with a lady.

Maud is also great friends with mistress Eleanor and has become quite knowledgeable in remedies and medicines. By doing this she of course risks the wrath of Father Edwin, she is already in his bad books for so many things that one more seems not to matter.

She also enjoys spinning and weaving with Charlotte. All of this does of course give her the chance to keep an eye on all the villagers and she diligently reports back to Sir William any miscreant goings on.

She is always on the lookout for a new husband or even a 'close friend' and is very much the merry widow of Cosmeston!