The Lady of Lawers...again
I've had a closer look at the (pre-Charles) Lady of Lawers legend. The bolding throughout is mine.
This section is based almost verbatum upon the book 'In Famed Breadalbane' written by the Rev Gillies of Kenmore as to re-tell the story in the modern idiom would spoil the feeling of the tale.
The Lady of Lawers, whose sayings are often quoted in the Highlands of Perthshire, is said to have been a Stewart of Appin, Argyll, and to have been the wife of one of the lairds of Lawers. This tradition, however, conflicts with the known records of these families; and although diligent search has been made among old records and genealogies no reference so far has been found to such a person. On the other hand the traditions about the Lady of Lawers are so strong and definite that there can be no doubt as to the existence at some period in the past, of a woman who was gifted with a wonderful measure of wisdom and shrewdness, and who was closely related to the lairds of Lawers. Tradition asserts that a family of Stewarts, known on Lochtayside as Na Combaich, "The Companions," first came to Lawers from Appin in Argyll, as an escort with the Lady, and references to these Stewarts in the Kirk Session records of Kenmore of two hundred years ago confirm the tradition as to their district of origin being " Appin of Stewart." Some of the Lady's prophecies refer to the old church of Lawers, now a ruined building beside her house. A stone over the doorway of this church bears the date 1669, which would suggest that she lived about the middle of the seventeenth century.
It is possible that she was the wife of a younger brother of Sir James Campbell, the sixth laird, and that she resided in the house rebuilt after 1645, by which time Sir James and his family had removed to Strathearn.
http://www.incallander.co.uk/oldlwrs.htm
So according to Gillies neither the Stewarts nor the Campbells have any proof that the Lady was a member of their families, in which case it seems rather odd of him to suggest that she may have married a younger brother of Sir James Campbell. I assume that this gentleman was the Sir James Campbell of Lawers who died in 1645 and whom Charles would have us believe was the Lady's
father. More about this anon.
Burke's Peerage records that Sir James had two younger brothers, Archibald - for whom no wife is mentioned - and Colin, who married an unknown member of the Colville family and died in 1618.
Debt had driven Sir James Campbell of Lawers to his estate in Strathearn, leaving his
younger brother as laird of his Lochtayside lands. He is said to have married
a daughter of Stewart of Appin, who became known as The Lady of Lawers.
http://www.scotlandmag.com/magazine/issue26/12006761.html
This account seems to have been taken from Gillies.
Name given to a woman of the Breadalbane family of Scotland (
possibly a Stewart of Appin), who was
married to Campbell of Lawers north shore of Loch Tay, ca. 1650). This woman was believed to be gifted with prophetic powers; her prophecies, said to be written in a book shaped like a barrel and kept in the charter room of Taymouth Castle, were known as "The Red Book of Balloch."
http://www.answers.com/topic/lady-of-lawers
"Campbell of Lawers" c. 1650? Could be Sir James or a close relative. We can rule out Sir James himself as we know he was married to Jean Colville.
The two storied house, the ruins of which are still visible, was reputed to be Tigh Ban-tigheaona Larbhuir, the House of the Lady of Lawers,
who was said to have been a Stewart of Appin, and the wife of one of the lairds of Lawers. The Lady was evidently a woman gifted with a wonderful measure of wisdom and shrewdness. Among the predictions attributed to her is one connected with the building of the church, which was probably built by Sir James Campbell, the sixth laird.
http://windhillorigins.co.uk/familyhistory_files/mcdougall/lawers.htm
Well, that's pretty vague.
Lady of Lawers
Location: Lawers - General area of the ruined village, on banks of Loch Tay
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: 2006
Further Comments: This long deserted village is home to the phantom white lady of Lawers. Workers at a nearby hotel report the feeling of being watched in the area.
http://www.paranormaldatabase.com/lowlands/pertdata.php
This is a fascinating example of how folklore evolves. The soothsayer has now become a stereotypical phantom "white lady". And hotel workers, you're probably being watched by your supervisors. Cut down on those cigarette breaks!
Webster's Online Dictionary quotes the old Wikipedia article:
http://www.websters-online-dictiona...RID:9&ie=UTF-8&q=Lady+of+Lawers&sa=Search#922
This TV programme also identifies the lady as a Stewart of Appin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCBnLkrJgyo
Presenter Tom Weir was the younger brother of actress Molly Weir. You learn something new every day, don't you?
Has anyone been misled by Charles' Wikipedia edit? I could only find this Korean Facebook page:
http://ko-kr.connect.facebook.com/pages/Lady-of-Lawers/139659292719705?sk=info
I get the distinct feeling that a generic "soothsayer" legend has attached itself to obscure members of well-known families. Is the story of the Lady of Lawers genuinely old? I've been unable to establish when it was first recorded.
When Charles rewrote the legend he created a major problem for himself by making the Lady a daughter of Sir James Campbell. Although Sir James was little known, his son became one of the most famous men in Scotland - Sir John Campbell, who later became the 1st Earl of Loudon, was made Lord Chancellor of Scotland in 1641 and was for ten years the leading negotiator between King Charles I and the covenanters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Campbell,_1st_Earl_of_Loudoun
Are we expected to believe that Sir John was the
brother of the Lady of Lawers and that nobody has ever noticed the connection?
FSM) and would it kill you to quote or paraphrase some of those certain to be dog eared by now sections of the book with the sex scenes. 
)
