Born in 1860 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Daughter of Benjamin Deringer and Amelia Cartwright.   Benjamin is the second son of Henry Deringer, Jr., the master firearms craftsman who perfected the single shot pistol.  Benjamin’s older brother, Henry Deringer III, died in infancy.  Benjamin inherited his father’s business, and left a substantial share to Maude, his only child.

Married Ethan Daniels in 1880 and moved with him to Arkham, Massachusetts, a University town near Boston.  Ethan is a younger brother to Jack Daniels, founder of the whiskey named for him.  Jack never married but was very close to his brother Ethan.  Ethan became the major distributor for his brother’s whiskey in the Eastern United States.  Jack died in 1911 of an infection.  Ethan was a major beneficiary of Jack’s business.  Ethan died in 1912 in the Titanic disaster, leaving his substantial fortune to his wife, Maude.  Their only children died in infancy.

While Maude has no formal education following finishing school in Philadelphia, she is an avid reader and is interested in politics, philosophy and science.  She is also quite knowledgeable about both her father’s and husband’s businesses.

Maude was active in the suffrage movement and campaigns for equal rights for Negroes.  She puts her money and actions where her mouth is.

Maude is haunted by the fact that one of her grandfather’s pistols was used to assassinate President Lincoln.   She is also disturbed by the misery and death that is associated with the businesses that have made her wealthy.   She is fascinated by attempts to communicate with the dead, and has spent more of her time and money in seeking out information and methods to accomplish this.