Why was Lord John Grey sent to Ardsmuir Prison on Outlander?
What did Lord John Grey do to end up at Ardsmuir Prison on Outlander?
Lord John Grey’s becoming commander at Ardsmuir Prison was not a step up in the chain of command. During Outlander Season 3, Episode 3, it’s hinted that this is a punishment for something.
What exactly did Lord John Grey do to end up at such a prison? Sure, he was on the right side of the bars, but it was still a punishment that he had to take.
It’s never something the TV show delves that deeply into. In fact, the main book series doesn’t either. All we can do is think about what we know of Lord John Grey, and what we can understand from his conversations later. We can also look at the Lord John Grey novellas, especially Lord John and the Hellfire Club.
It was due to his “lifestyle choices”
During the 18th century, being gay was illegal. Punishment was either death or imprisonment. However, Lord John Grey came from a wealthy family. There was no way the family would want the scandal to get out.
On Outlander Season 3, Episode 3, Lord John describes how he had fallen in love with another soldier at Culloden. That soldier had died, and there is a deleted scene that shows a young William Grey crying over the body of the man he followed into battle.
This was not the reason Lord John was sent to Ardsmuir. That took place 10 years prior to him becoming the commander at the prison. However, it was for something similar.
There was a scandal involving a lover. The Grey family wanted to make sure that the scandal was covered up, so Lord John Grey was punished by being sent to Ardsmuir as the commander there. It was a better punishment than the alternative.
Next. 5 reasons a Lord John Grey miniseries is necessary. dark
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