Further evidence re. Maud, lst wife of Roger de Clifford
Douglas Richardson
Roger de Clifford (died 1286), of Tenbury, co. Worcester, Justiciar of
Wales, Justice of the Forest South of Trent, is in the ancestry of an
enormous number of colonial immigrants. He was born about 1221, being
the son and heir of an earlier Roger de Clifford, of Tenbury, by his
wife, Sibyl, daughter and heiress of Robert de Ewyas, of Ewyas Harold.
Many authorities state that Roger de Clifford's first wife (and mother
of his son and heir) was Hawise, widow of John Botreaux, whose
marriage was acquired for his use by his father in 1230. However,
Hawise instead married before 1231 Nicholas de Moels, by whom she had
issue.
Dugdale gives a long biography of Roger de Clifford's useful career
but gives no hint as to his first wife's identity. Recently, however,
David J.H. Clifford published an article entitled "The Mapledurham
Connection", in the Genealogists' Magazine in September 1990 (vol.23,
no 7), in which he identified Roger de Clifford's first wife as Maud,
widow of Hugh de Gournay, of Mapledurham, co. Oxford and Wendover, co.
Buckingham. While the evidence for Roger's marriage to Maud de
Gournay provided in this article was slight, it was certainly
convincing.
Interestingly, this past month I encountered an abstract of a lawsuit
which provides concrete evidence to prove the given name of Roger de
Clifford's wife, Maud. The abstract of this lawsuit is found in Curia
Regis Rolls, vol. 18 (1999), pp. 79, 217, a copy of which reads as
follows:
Trinity Term, 27 Henry III (1242).
418. Northampton.
Rogerus de Clifford' et Matillis uxor ejus per attornatum ipsius
Matillidis per breve domini regis nunc optulerunt se quarto die versus
Cristianam Ledet de placito averiorum Rogeri et Matillidis captorum et
injuste detentorum etc.; et Cristiana non venit etc., et habuit diem
per essoniatorem suum ad hunc diem. Judicium. Attachietur quod sit
in octabis sancti Michaelis, quia alium diem etc.
27-28 Henry III (1243-1244).
1050. Northampton. Rogerus de Cliford' et Matillis uxor ejus per
attornatum suum optulerunt se iiij. die versus Cristianam Leydet de
placito averiorum ipsius Rogeri et Matillidis captorum et injuste
detentorum etc.; et Cristiana non venit etc., et plures fecit defaltas
etc. Et ideo preceptum est vicecomiti quod distringat eam per terras
etc., ita quod habeat corpus ejus in octabis sancte Trinitatis etc.
I'm uncertain why Roger de Clifford and his wife, Maud, were suing
Christian Ledet in Northamptonshire. Perhaps someone can provide a
translation of the Latin text for the newsgroup. Without checking a
Latin dictionary, I'm uncertain what a plea of "averiorum" is.
A list of colonial immigrants descended from Roger and Maud de
Clifford is provided below.
Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah
E-mail: royala...@msn.com
- - - - - - - - -
List of colonial immigrants descended from Roger de Clifford (c.
1221-1286) and his lst wife, Maud, widow of Hugh de Gournay:
l. Robert Abell.
2. William Asfordby.
3. Anne Baynton.
4. Richard & William Bernard.
5. Essex Beville.
6. William Bladen.
7. George & Nehemiah Blakiston.
8. Joseph Bolles.
9. Elizabeth Bosvile.
10. George, Giles & Robert Brent.
11. Stephen Bull.
12. Charles Calvert.
13. Edward Carleton.
14. Kenelm Cheseldine.
15. Grace Chetwode.
16. Jeremy Clarke.
17. St.Leger Codd.
18. Henry Corbin.
19. Humphrey Davie.
20. Edward Digges.
21. Francis Dade.
22. Edward Digges.
23. Thomas Dudley.
24. John Fenwick.
25. John Fisher.
26. Henry Fleete.
27. Elizabeth & John Harleston.
28. Jane Haviland.
29. Warham Horsmanden.
30. Anne Humphrey.
31. Mary Launce.
32. Samuel Levis.
33. Henry, Jane & Nicholas Lowe.
34. Thomas Lunsford.
35. Agnes Mackworth.
36. Anne Mauleverer.
37. Joseph Need.
38. John Nelson.
39. Philip & Thomas Nelson.
40. Ellen Newton.
41. John Oxenbridge.
42. Herbert Pelham.
43. Robert Peyton.
44. William Poole.
45. Henry & William Randolph.
46. George Reade.
47. William Rodney.
48. Katherine Saint Leger.
49. Richard Saltonstall.
50. William Skepper.
51. Diana & Grey Skipwith.
52. Maria Johanna Somerset.
53. John Stockman.
54. Olive Welby.
55. John West.
56. Thomas Wingfield.
57. Hawte Wyatt.
Kevan L. Barton
The next quesion has to be, "Then who were Maud's parents?" I don't have
them. Anyone will ing to share?
Cheers,
Kevan
Robert S Baxter
> Rogerus de Clifford' et Matillis uxor ejus per attornatum ipsius
> Matillidis per breve domini regis nunc optulerunt se quarto die versus
> Cristianam Ledet de placito averiorum Rogeri et Matillidis captorum et
> injuste detentorum etc.; et Cristiana non venit etc., et habuit diem
> per essoniatorem suum ad hunc diem. Judicium. Attachietur quod sit
> in octabis sancti Michaelis, quia alium diem etc.
>
> 27-28 Henry III (1243-1244).
> 1050. Northampton. Rogerus de Cliford' et Matillis uxor ejus per
> attornatum suum optulerunt se iiij. die versus Cristianam Leydet de
> placito averiorum ipsius Rogeri et Matillidis captorum et injuste
> detentorum etc.; et Cristiana non venit etc., et plures fecit defaltas
> etc. Et ideo preceptum est vicecomiti quod distringat eam per terras
> etc., ita quod habeat corpus ejus in octabis sancte Trinitatis etc.
>
> I'm uncertain why Roger de Clifford and his wife, Maud, were suing
> Christian Ledet in Northamptonshire. Perhaps someone can provide a
> translation of the Latin text for the newsgroup. Without checking a
> Latin dictionary, I'm uncertain what a plea of "averiorum" is.
>
Dear Douglas,
About "averiorum", I wonder if that "i" should be an "s" giving us
"aversorum",
meaning something like "a plea(charge?) of embezzlements... This
looks like medieval legal boilerplate.
Regards,
Bob
Robert S Baxter
> 418. Northampton.
> Rogerus de Clifford' et Matillis uxor ejus per attornatum ipsius
> Matillidis per breve domini regis nunc optulerunt se quarto die versus
> Cristianam Ledet de placito averiorum Rogeri et Matillidis captorum et
> injuste detentorum etc.; et Cristiana non venit etc., et habuit diem
> per essoniatorem suum ad hunc diem. Judicium. Attachietur quod sit
> in octabis sancti Michaelis, quia alium diem etc.
>
> 27-28 Henry III (1243-1244).
> 1050. Northampton. Rogerus de Cliford' et Matillis uxor ejus per
> attornatum suum optulerunt se iiij. die versus Cristianam Leydet de
> placito averiorum ipsius Rogeri et Matillidis captorum et injuste
> detentorum etc.; et Cristiana non venit etc., et plures fecit defaltas
> etc. Et ideo preceptum est vicecomiti quod distringat eam per terras
> etc., ita quod habeat corpus ejus in octabis sancte Trinitatis etc.
>
> I'm uncertain why Roger de Clifford and his wife, Maud, were suing
> Christian Ledet in Northamptonshire. Perhaps someone can provide a
> translation of the Latin text for the newsgroup. Without checking a
> Latin dictionary, I'm uncertain what a plea of "averiorum" is.
>
I was wrong. The word means "beasts" and appears in Bracton. So we
have
something like this:
Roger of Clifford and his wife Matilda through their attorney bring
this fourth
day a charge against Christiana Ledet of having taken and unjustly
seized the animals of Roger and Matilda, etc. Christiana did not show
up, etc. She defaulted many times, etc. And the law therefore is
that the sheriff distrain her through land, etc. so that she presents
herself on the octave of Holy Trinity, etc.
In the first passage, which I did not translate the message is
essentially the same. Judgement (for the plaintiff). Let it be
attached that it be on the octave of St Michael because another day,
etc.
Hope this helps.
Bob
Douglas Richardson
> Folks,
>
> The next quesion has to be, "Then who were Maud's parents?" I don't have
> them. Anyone will ing to share?
>
>
> Cheers,
> Kevan
Dear Kevan:
You've asked a good question. I have no idea of Maud de Clifford's
parentage. But, at least now we have concrete evidence that her given
name was Maud. This in turn supports Mr. Clifford's identification
of her as Maud, widow of Hugh de Gournay.
We may have one clue to her identity. Her involvement in the suit in
Northamptonshire suggests she held land there, either in dower or as
an heiress. Hopefully someone on the newsgroup knows how to contact
Mr. Clifford. Perhaps he has some suggestions.
I believe Maud's identity can be found.