THE LADY IN GREY

NEWBATTLE ABBEY, our Sottish base for the Saunière Society is a genuine old Cistercian abbey with parts dating back to the 13^th Century. As with all old buildings in Scotland, and there a re plenty of them, Newbattle has its legends, mythology and of course, its GHOST.

We have never said anything about the Ghost - the Grey Lady - because the Saunière Society

has more than its fair share of university graduates, scientists, PhD=s and exceedingly level-headed and rational members. It also boasts at least an equal number of Asensitive@, psychics, dowsers, and highly gifted individuals with a variety of unusual talents and abilities.

Our rationale was that if there really was anything strange in the beautiful old abbey then surely those gifted with supernatural powers would surely find it; and if it were valid then those of our number with a more rational and scientific approach would perhaps confirm it?

To date, no one has mentioned the Newbattle Abbey Grey Lady to us.

The story concerns Sir John Herris who was Baron of Gilmerton at the time when King David II reigned.. Gilmerton is now a small town close to Newbattle. Sir John=s pride and joy was his beautiful daughter Margaret. Margaret loved the old abbey and its beautiful grounds and used to while away her leisure hours wandering round the gardens or sitting on the banks of the Esk river on a mild or warm day. Inevitably she met a handsome young monk and soon the two fell in love. It was not long before Sir John got to hear of his daughter=s infatuation. He was furious that his beautiful and clever daughter for whom he had great plans should waste her time on a sterile young monk, whose looks and charm were significantly less appealing to the Baron. He called Margaret before him and angrily threatened to kill her if she did not cease her unholy liaison.

It was not too long before Sir John received word that the Lady Margaret together with her nurse and chaperone had been seen entering a cottage on the Melville Estates with two monks from the abbey. Blind with rage he raced to the cottage as fast as his horse would carry him and set ablaze the dry thatched roof. Whether or not Sir John really preferred his daughter dead rather than disgraced we cannot tell. Thatched timber framed houses caught fire quickly and easily and she together with her nurse and both monks perished in the blaze.

There were plenty of witnesses that Sir John had deliberately caused the blaze and was guilty of murder. The Abbey having lost two monks had the muscle to ensure that he was indicted for his crime and so it was that he fled to France. In time and after matters had cooled down his friend Sir Walter Somerville pleader successfully on his behalf for a Pardon. But as a concommitment he was constrained to make over that part of his land where the murders took place to Newbattle Abbey where it is said, Grey Lady still wanders around the grounds and ancient hallways. Could it be Lady Margaret still searching for her lost love?

Many visitors including the writer, and highly intelligent members of the university staff have experience of Margaret=s continuing presence. We were very surprised to find that the overwhelming number of Asightings@ were by non-psychic Aordinary@ people who visited the Abbey for a variety of reasons, such as the Wagner Society of Scotland. But then, there are no greater Romantics than the enthusiasts for one of the greatest Romantic composers of all time - Richard Wagner - who wrote of little else but the search for a long lost love.