Dr. Cliodna Wray (Clio)

DOB: 15.04.81

Born at Bridlington Hospital.

Shoulder length thick brown hair, blue eyes. Petit build 5’4” Not one for dressing up. Picks clothes for comfort and prefers jeans, trainers or boots, old t-shirts (usually with some significance i.e. bands seen live.)

Grew up in a pleasant Yorkshire village by the sea, Flamborough, surrounded by countryside and nature. Richard Wray was a primary school head teacher while her mother, Elaine was a housewife though from a wealthy and well connected family.

The Marton’s gave their name to a nearby village which lay within the historic estates of their family. Clio’s grandfather, Sir Harold Alfred Marton, lived in a Tudor manor house near Selwick’s Bay and Clio inherited her passion for history from him. The library at Selwick Manor is well regarded and frequently visited by academics and antiquarians. Clio grew up with an acute awareness of her lineage through the Marton line but also the Scottish connection through her father who was born in Peebles.

Her maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Honoria Margaret Wray died of cancer at the age of 58 in 1991 when Clio was 10. Her Aunt Veronica (Elaine’s younger sister) also died young of cancer (in 1996 at the age of 40). Clio was 15. Her mother had a cancer scare in 1988 when Clio was 7 but recovered.

Clio developed an interest in holistic medicine stemming from the risk of cancer in her family, her interest in history and the pre-history of medicine in particular. This developed into a hobbyist interest in Wicca and Pagan rituals. Though she became a respected academic she has always secretly half-believed that her Wicca practices have kept her safe from the cancer that has plagued the maternal line of her family.

Attended the University of Edinburgh to study History in September 1999 at the age of 18 and graduated June 2002 with a First with Honours at the age of 22. Undertook an MA in Scottish Medieval History at St Andrews in September 2003, graduating in June 2005 at the age of 25

Moved back home for six months from Dec 2005 May 2006 after the end of a three year relationship with Dominic Halter, a man ten years her senior, which ended following a miscarriage.

During this time she helped her grandfather on a project to map the genealogy of the Martons and wrote a non-fiction book on the history of the East Riding pre-Conquest. This book never saw publication but gave her a taste for writing and the idea she could do it for a living.

Moved to Joppa, Edinburgh in Dec 2006 and began to work as a Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh from Feb 2007 to November 2010 during which time she wrote six historical romance novels which were self published online during this period.

Began a relationship with Matt Copeland, a local artist and musician in March 2008. They were together for 3 years and enjoyed something of a bohemian life together. Matt was part of a folk music scene and both shared and helped deepen Clio’s spirituality with its pagan focus. Clio maintains that during a trip to the Shetland Isles for the Lerwick Fire Festival in March 2010 she knew she had conceived a child. She describes it as a deeply spiritual experience, of feeling the life within her. This was deepened by the fact that she had been diligent with birth control since her miscarriage, not wanting to risk it again. Despite precautions, Maia was conceived and this event cemented her beliefs.

The relationship with Matt ended shortly after Clio discovered she was pregnant. Matt did not want their lifestyle to change and was unwilling to commit to being a father. He left in June 2010.

Began a dPhil at at Edinburgh in September 2011 and obtained her doctorate in June 2016. Her thesis became a book published in November 2016 by the Edinburgh University Press. Between that date and the present day she has published 6 non fiction books in total for EUP, covering folklore, Celtic history, pre-medieval history of Fife, history of paganism in the British isles.

Father – Richard MacIntosh Wray – DOB – 18.2.50

Mother – Elaine Philomena Elizabeth Wray (nee Marton) - DOB – 21.12.53. Now deceased.

Daughter – Maia Elizabeth Wray - DOB - 06.12.10