Family de Clare | Occupation Baroness de Welles | |
Father Thomas de Clare, Lord of Thomond Mother Juliana FitzGerald of Offaly Died 4 May 1327, Badlesmere, United Kingdom Spouses Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de Clifford, Robert de Welles, 2nd Baron Welles Parents Thomas de Clare, Lord of Thomond, Juliana FitzGerald, Lady of Thomond Grandparents Richard de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford Cousins Eleanor de Clare, Elizabeth de Clare, Gilbert de Clare - 8th Earl of Gl, Margaret de Clare, Isabelle de Clare Similar Margaret de Clare - Baroness, Gilbert de Clare - 7th Earl of Gl, Elizabeth de Clare, Eleanor de Clare | ||
Maud de Clare, Baroness de Welles was the eldest daughter of Thomas de Clare, Lord of Inchiquin and Youghal, Lord of Thomond, Lord of Bunratty Castle (1245-1287) and Juliana FitzGerald (1236-1290). She married two times. Her first marriage was to Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de Clifford, 1st Lord of Skipton (1274-1314) on 3 November 1295 by which she had four children. Her second marriage was to Sir Robert de Welles, 2nd Baron Welles, Constable of Pendragon Castle (1297–1326) on 16 Nov 1315. They had no children. She was born in 1276 in Tewkesbury, Tewkesbury Hundred, Gloucestershire, England and moved to Badlesmere to be near her sister, Margaret de Clare, Baroness Badlesmere. She died in Badlesmere in 1327 twice a widow.
Life
Maud de Clare had an unfortunate life full of drama and controversy. In 1314 at the Battle of bannockburn both her husband Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de Clifford and her nephew Gilbert de Clare, 8th Earl of Gloucester, 7th Earl of Hertford, 10th Lord of Clare, 5th Lord of Glamorgan (1291-1314) were both killed in battle. Her second marriage to Robert de Welles, 2nd Baron Welles was done without royal licence and this angered the King of England. She was initially the co-heiress to her nephew's estates along with her sister, Margaret de Clare, Baroness Badlesmere, before the King issued the estates to Lord de Clare's three sisters. Some say this is due to the fact that she married Lord de Welles without royal licence. Maud de Clare and her Sister Margaret were the next heirs of their father's estate which included the Stewardship of the Forest of Essex, the town and castle at Thomond and numerous other properties in Ireland.