Maud Franklin (1857 - 1939)

The mistress of world-famous artist James McNeill Whistler was born and bred in Bicester!

Maud Franklin was born on 9th January 1857 - one of the six children of Charles Franklin (an upholsterer and cabinet maker) and his wife Mary Franklin (née Clifton).

By the late 1870's, Maud was working as a model for Whistler, and the two quickly became an item. Maud had two children, both sired by Whistler. Although Maud referred to herself as 'Mrs Whistler', she and James never actually married.

It would seem that Maud's lover treated her rather badly at times... In January 1879, he abandoned Maud (who was pregnant at the time) in a London hotel without warning, under the pretense of needing to go to Paris, although he apparently never actually left London!

Following Whistler's bankruptcy later that same year, Maud accompanied him to Venice, but she was sadly not accepted into society; not only were the couple not married, but Maud was also of a lower social status.

Maud was actually a very good artist in her own right, and had no doubt picked up a few tips from her lover; during the 1880's, she exhibited her own work under the pseudonym 'Clifton Lin' (taking parts of her mother's maiden name and father's surname) at the Grosvenor Gallery, and at the Society of British Artists.

In 1888, James married Beatrice Goodwin, who was far more suitable for a man of his standing. Poor Maud must have been devastated! She moved to Paris with her children, then emigrated to New York, where she married a man named John Little. When John died in 1904, she married again, this time to Richard Abbott. They lived in Cannes until Maud's death in 1939, aged 82.

Her two illegitimate daughters, both sired by Whistler, were:

Ione McNeill Whistler Franklin, born 1877.

Maud McNeill Whistler Franklin, born 1879.

Whistler reportedly sent Maud regularly, in order to provide for their children.

The image below shows Whistler's painting, 'Arrangement in White and Black', painted in 1876. Maud was the model he used. (Image courtesy of Wikipedia).