Ada F Kay
Encyclopedia
Ada F Kay, also known as A.J. Stewart, (born 1929) is a British writer with a particularly complex personal history. She grew up in Lancashire but lived much of her adult life in Scotland.
). She also went through a failed marriage.
In the 1960s she was planning to write a play about the life of King James IV of Scotland
. In the course of her research she planned to visit the site of the Battle of Flodden Field
where the king was killed in 1513. The night before her visit she experienced what she believed to be a traumatic flashback of being hacked to death by English spears during the battle, which led her to believe that she was a reincarnation of the king.
Around 1972 she published Falcon, an "autobiography" of the king under the name of "A.J. Stewart" (a combination of her married name and the king's). Although much of it reflected known historical facts about James IV, it also included some surprising new revelations about the events of the time e.g. that James III of Scotland
was a homosexual, and that James IV had built his warship the Michael
to sail it up the River Thames
and bombard the royal palaces in London.
This account received some attention in Scotland when it was published. Ada Kay appeared on BBC Scotland to discuss her claims; one historian who the BBC asked for his opionion said that the book repeated some popular misconceptions about the reign of James IV. Another historian has commented that "her 'autobiography' of the king is most safely read as a highly colourful and entertaining historical novel". The Scotsman
s reviewer concluded that, if it had not been for the bizarre circumstances in which it was written, then it might have gained recognition as a minor addition to the genre pioneered by Robert Graves
of works supposedly penned as a first-person account by an actual historical figure, but added that it was at its best where a woman's touch might be strongest. It has also been suggested that it may have been influenced by previously published accounts of the king's life, including Gentle Eagle by Christine Orr, R.L. Mackie's biography and Walter Scott's Marmion.
She later wrote an autobiography of her own 20th century life, King's Memory (originally published as Died 1513 - Born 1929). This did not receive much attention, and The Scotsmans reviewer concluded that unlike Falcon there was little here to interest the general reader.
, with Joan Ure
and Ena Lamont Stewart
.
Work
In her earlier life she wrote a number of plays. One of them, The Man From Thermopylae (1959), received some critical acclaim. (It was set in ancient Greece and the title refers to the sole survivor of the famous battleBattle of Thermopylae
The Battle of Thermopylae was fought between an alliance of Greek city-states, led by King Leonidas of Sparta, and the Persian Empire of Xerxes I over the course of three days, during the second Persian invasion of Greece. It took place simultaneously with the naval battle at Artemisium, in August...
). She also went through a failed marriage.
In the 1960s she was planning to write a play about the life of King James IV of Scotland
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
. In the course of her research she planned to visit the site of the Battle of Flodden Field
Battle of Flodden Field
The Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field or occasionally Battle of Branxton was fought in the county of Northumberland in northern England on 9 September 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey...
where the king was killed in 1513. The night before her visit she experienced what she believed to be a traumatic flashback of being hacked to death by English spears during the battle, which led her to believe that she was a reincarnation of the king.
Around 1972 she published Falcon, an "autobiography" of the king under the name of "A.J. Stewart" (a combination of her married name and the king's). Although much of it reflected known historical facts about James IV, it also included some surprising new revelations about the events of the time e.g. that James III of Scotland
James III of Scotland
James III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...
was a homosexual, and that James IV had built his warship the Michael
Michael (ship)
Michael was a carrack or great ship of the Royal Scottish Navy. She was too large to be built at any existing Scottish dockyard, so was built at the new dock at Newhaven, constructed in 1504 by order of King James IV of Scotland...
to sail it up the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
and bombard the royal palaces in London.
This account received some attention in Scotland when it was published. Ada Kay appeared on BBC Scotland to discuss her claims; one historian who the BBC asked for his opionion said that the book repeated some popular misconceptions about the reign of James IV. Another historian has commented that "her 'autobiography' of the king is most safely read as a highly colourful and entertaining historical novel". The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
s reviewer concluded that, if it had not been for the bizarre circumstances in which it was written, then it might have gained recognition as a minor addition to the genre pioneered by Robert Graves
Robert Graves
Robert von Ranke Graves 24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985 was an English poet, translator and novelist. During his long life he produced more than 140 works...
of works supposedly penned as a first-person account by an actual historical figure, but added that it was at its best where a woman's touch might be strongest. It has also been suggested that it may have been influenced by previously published accounts of the king's life, including Gentle Eagle by Christine Orr, R.L. Mackie's biography and Walter Scott's Marmion.
She later wrote an autobiography of her own 20th century life, King's Memory (originally published as Died 1513 - Born 1929). This did not receive much attention, and The Scotsmans reviewer concluded that unlike Falcon there was little here to interest the general reader.
Scottish Society of Playwrights
Ada Kay was one of the founders of the Scottish Society of PlaywrightsScottish Society of Playwrights
The Scottish Society of Playwrights is a professional member’s organisation representing theatre playwrights in Scotland. It is affiliated to the Scottish Trades Union Congress, and party to the Theatrical Management Association playwright’s agreement....
, with Joan Ure
Joan Ure
Joan Ure was the pen name of Elizabeth Thoms Clark , a Scottish poet and playwright. She was born Elizabeth Thomson Carswell on 22 June 1918 in Wallsend, Tyneside, of Scottish parents who moved to Glasgow. She had a daughter, Frances, by Jack Clark, a businessman...
and Ena Lamont Stewart
Ena Lamont Stewart
Ena Lamont Stewart was a Scottish playwright and the daughter of a Church of Scotland minister whose family was originally from Canada and had settled in Glasgow. She worked as the librarian of Baillie's Reference Library.Ena married the Scottish actor Jack Stewart and had a son, William...
.