Maud, Countess of Huntingdon

Maud of Northumbria (1074–1130), Countess of the Honour of Huntingdon and Northampton, was the daughter of Waltheof II, Earl of Northumbria and Judith of Lens, the last of the major Anglo-Saxon earls to remain powerful after the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

Biography

Maud was married to Simon of Senlis [St Lyz] in about 1090. Before the end of the year 1090, he received the earldom of Huntingdon (Northampton included) from William Rufus, probably in right of his wife.

She had three known children with him:

1. Matilda of St Liz (Maud), married Robert FitzRichard of Tonbridge.
2. Simon II de St Liz, 4th Earl of Huntingdon and Northampton.
3. Saint Walteof de St Liz (1100 – bt 1159–1160).

Her first husband died in 1109 and Maud next married King David I of Scotland in 1113. From this marriage she had:

1. Malcolm of Scotland (born c. 1113, date of death unknown)
2. Henry of Scotland, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon
3. Claricia of Scotland (c. 1115 – c. 1130)
4. Hodierna of Scotland (c. 1117 – c. 1140)

The Scottish House of Dunkeld produced the remaining Earls of Huntingdon of the first creation of the title. She was succeeded to the Earldom of Huntingdon by her son Henry.

Depictions in fiction

Maud of Huntingdon appears as a character in Elizabeth Chadwick's novel The Winter Mantle (2003), as well as Alan Moore's novel "Voices of the Fire" (1995) and Nigel Tranter's novel David the Prince (1980).

Sources

• Matthew Strickland, ‘Senlis, Simon (I) de, earl of Northampton and earl of Huntingdon (d. 1111x13)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004.
• G. W. S. Barrow, ‘David I (c. 1085–1153)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2006 ; Maud (d. 1131): doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/49353.

External links

• Matilda of Huntingdon (alternate name?) at Find a Grave