Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally, was a French-Irish Jacobite and military general.
Personal History[]
Lally was born in southern France to a French mother and Irish Jacobite father. His father served with James II's forces in Ireland and was later created a Baronet. Lally entered the French army in 1721 at the age of 17, serving under both Louis XV and Charles Stuart. Like his father, Lally was a committed Jacobite. He escaped to France after the Battle of Culloden, but in 1761, he was captured as a prisoner of war while serving the French army in India.
Events of the Novels[]
Dragonfly in Amber[]
Though he is not mentioned in the text, Lally is present for the Battle of Falkirk and serves as one of Charles Stuart’s aides-de-camp. At some point, he meets Jamie Fraser, then also acting as a confidant and advisor to Charles Stuart, and comes to see him as a fellow comrade. Lally also may have met Claire Fraser during this time, or at least came to know her by reputation.
The Scottish Prisoner[]
Lally, still a prisoner of war, is recruited by Stephan von Namtzen to assist with the translation of the Wild Hunt poem. Lally is somewhat cheered to see an old friend, but by this point is in bad health. He tells Jamie that after his disastrous loss in India, the French have accused him of treason. Though still a prisoner of war, he is pressing his English captors to allow him to return to France to stand trial.
Lally assists in translating the poem, but colludes with Jamie to leave out a crucial reference to Jacobite involvement, changing "white roses" to simply "roses."[1]
Months later, Lally is still living in relative poverty in London. Despite his continued status as a prisoner, Lally is relatively informed and connected. He asks about Jamie's trip to Ireland with John Grey, and seems pleased that Jamie has kept back a few pieces of information from John Grey. However, he is shocked and discomfited when Jamie asks about the Druid king’s cup and asks for his help tracking down Tobias Quinn. He accuses Jamie of betraying the Jacobite side and turning Quinn in to the British, but Jamie demurs. Jamie tells Lally that he is sure this latest effort will fail and that Claire, as La Dame Blanche, foresaw the end of the Jacobite cause. He wishes only to save both Lally and Quinn from further peril. Lally ultimately appears to believe Jamie, but tells Jamie there is nothing left for him in England.[2]
Personality[]
In his earlier life, Lally was courageous and ambitious, but by the time of Scottish prisoner, he is dispirited and in poor health.
Physical Appearance[]
He has a prominent nose and chin. By the time of Scottish Prisoner, his face is hollow and weathered, and he appears undernourished.[3]
Trivia[]
- Though it's not mentioned in the text, Lally did return to France and was executed for alleged treason in 1766.
References[]
- ↑ The Scottish Prisoner, chapter 12
- ↑ The Scottish Prisoner, chapter 29
- ↑ The Scottish Prisoner, chapter 12