Lady Damaris Cudworth Masham

Master’s Lodge, Christ’s College

History of the Master's Lodge, Christ's College

Damaris Cudworth Masham

This was the home of Damaris Cudworth, born 1658. Florence Ada Keynes writes about her at length in By-Ways of Cambridge History. She lived at Christs’s as daughter of the Master, Dr Cudworth who was Regius Professor of Hebrew. She knew a wide circle of intellectuals including the philosopher John Locke. She married in 1685, at the age of 27, Sir Francis Masham, widower with nine children.

A few years before she died, Locke had written of her:

The lady is so well versed in theological and philosophical studies, and of such an original mind, that you will not find many men to whom she is not superior in wealth of knowledge and ability to profit by it.