Talk:Janet Kennedy

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A lot of the recent additions to this article are nonsense or dubious. The king's relationship with Margaret Drummond was before Janet, not after. Some accounts say that she was previously Angus's mistress, but others say his wife. Their relationship may have continued for a time after the king's marriage. Some points look like they were taken from a historical novel rather than a reliable source. PatGallacher 01:38, 25 December 2006 (UTC)

Can it be shown that Janet was suspected by a significant number of her contemporaries, or is this wild speculation by historical novelists, and has no place in an encyclopedia unless clearly labelled as such? PatGallacher 13:32, 29 December 2006 (UTC)

RESPONSE TO PAT GALLACHER:

First of all, it was not said that Janet killed Margaret with certainity. This information was merely mentioned in the article, but equally discounted / labelled in the encyclopedic account as a 'rumour' / legend, so that readers would treat this 'theory' with caution.

For argument's sake: Can it be proven that Janet was beyond reproach or suspicion? Can it be proven that Janet was not suspected by her contemporaries? Margaret Drummond may have died of accidental food poisoning, but she may quite well have been murdered. The motive for murder may have been James IV's plans to marry her (if he had no already done so). Present day historians have claimed that the pro-English faction at Court could have had a hand in her death. Margaret was one of James' mistresses at the time, the other being Janet Kennedy. Thus, Janet had a motive for murder, as the King's infatuation with (and to plans to marry) Margaret threatened her own position as a royal mistress.

Can you say for sure that fingers never pointed in Janet's direction following Margaret's death in 1502?

As to assertions that Janet was Archibald's wife, rather than his mistress - please provide any source that refers to her as the Countess of Angus or as Lady Douglas? It is specifically because I am unable to any reference to Janet Kennedy as Janet Douglas, Countess of Angus, that I am loath to believe that she was Archibald's wife, and not a mistress.

Response:-

My source about her marriage to Angus is the external link from this article.

What serious present day historians have claimed that the pro-English faction at court was involved in Margaret's death? Your chronology is all wrong, the relationship between Margaret and the king had ended a few years before she died, there is no evidence that he was planning to marry her. My sources are MacDougall and Mackie's biographies of James IV.

Can you prove that one of your family did not kill JFK? PatGallacher 14:04, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Response:

Can you prove that one of my family members DID kill JFK?

If Janet was indeed married to Archibald Douglas, explain why was she never referred to her by her married name and as Countess of Angus, instead of merely as Janet Kennedy? (unsigned anon)

It's not my job to explain everything. However the source I just quoted is worth taking seriously. It may be that not everybody from that time is referred to by historians by their strictly correct title e.g. his other mistresses Marion Boyd, Margaret Drummond, and Isabel Buchan. Not referring to her as Countess of Angus makes their relationship sound less dogdy, pinching another man's mistress instead of his wife. PatGallacher 00:07, 31 December 2006 (UTC)