General Notes

Name Prefix:<NPFX> LADY
Note: aka Godgifu
Lady Godiva was an Anglo-Saxon Christian gentlewoman, a pat
ron of the Arts, equestrienne, and advocate for the poor. W
hen she protested her husband's heavy taxation policies, h
e made a deal, half in jest: if she would ride naked throug
h the town, he would reduce the taxes. To his surprise, sh
e did, covering her body with her hair. The event becam
e a celebration of God's perfect creation of the human body
. Lady Godiva was admired for having the guts to follow he
r convictions.
During her ride, the men were supposed to remain inside, bu
t Tom did not and became known as PEEPING TOM.
Since 1678, the town of Coventry has celebrated Lady Godiva
's famous ride in its annual fair.
Note: The famous lady Godiva who rode nude on her horse thr
ough Coventry. Godiva, died 1080, a Saxon lady, the wife o
f Leofric III., died 1057, Earl of Mercia, Lord of Coventry
, a great great grandson of Alfred the Great. She is report
ed in history as having ridden nude through the city street
s of Coventry, in order to protest the unfair taxation impo
sed by her husband. The Godiva procession was instituted Ma
y 31, 1678 as part of the Coventry Fair, was celebrated a
t intervals until 1826. Their son was Alfgar III who marrie
d (2) Elfgifu, daughter of King Ethelred II, and his wife
, Elfled. Their daughter Lucia de Mercia became the wife o
f Ivo de Tailbois and the mother of Lucia Tailbois, who wa
s the ancestress of several Magna Charta barons through he
r daughter Adeliza Meschines. Alfgar and Elfgifu were the p
arents of Ealgith (Edith or Agatha), who was married abou
t 1057 (1) Griffith, Prince of North Wales and had Nesta, b
orn 1058, who was married to Trahhaern of Arwyst le (son o
f Caradoc and grandson of Cynfyn and Queen Ankaret) and ha
d Llyarc h, Prince of North Wales, who married Dyddgu and h
ad Gladys, who was married to Owen Gwinedh, grandparents o
f Llewellyn the Great. Ealgith's second husband was Harol
d II, born 1022, crowned King of England January 6, 1066, s
lain in the battle of Hastings October 14, 1066.