General Notes

Source: Frederick Lewis Weis, Magna Charta Sureties, 4th Edition, (1968),107-4.

From   --- Michael Altschul, *A Baronial Family in Medieval England: TheClares, 1217-1314*, Baltimore MD (Johns Hopkins Press) 1965. p 36-37.

"Maud de Lacy, widow of Richard, earl of Gloucester, outlived her husbandby more than a quarter of a century, dying in March 1289.  From 1262until her death she held one-third of the Clare inheritance in dower,although her son Earl Gilbert the Red did successfully challenge theoriginal composition of her dower portion, which was readjusted in 1267.

Maud did not remarry, preferring to spend her long widowhood living offthe revenues of her estates, contributing handsomely to ecclesiasticalfoundations, and helping to promote her children.  She attempted, withless success, to present her son Bogo to the church of Adlingfleet inYorkshire.  Her gifts to religious houses were numerous.  In 1248 EarlRichard founded Clare Priory, the first house of Austin Friars inEngland, and after his death the countess continued his generosity withseveral grants of land to the priory.  In addition, a scheme to found anAugustinian nunnery attracted her.

In 1284 she refounded the priory of Canonsleigh in Devon.  Canonsleighwas originally established for seven Augustinian canons by Walter deClavill, a mesne tenant of the honor of Gloucester, but in 1284 Maudprovided an annual gift of L200 for the support of an abbess and 40canonesses of that order.  She had originally had the idea of doing thisfor Sandleford Priory in Berkshire, but for some reason the plan fellthrough in 1274, and a decade later she refounded Canonsleigh instead.By 1286 the new nunnery was in existence, and the dispossessed canonswere under royal protection."