Lasswade (childhood home)


Margaret Oliphant's first recollection of home was in the Scottish village of Lasswade. She moved to Glasgow at age six, but never forgot this happy home. The background of the story My Brother Frank describes Lasswade and her family as they were at that time.

The nearby cottage known as "the Hewan" held an almost magical place in Margaret Oliphant's memory, and appears in all but one of her stories of Lasswade. Even in the one story (Annie Orme) which has no scenes at the Hewan, she could not resist having a minor character casually mention its name. It appears on maps, sometimes as Hewing cottage, and seems to have been a local landmark - being at the top of the highest hill and affording wonderful views of Roslin Glen and Hawthornden Castle. People would stop by for tea made by the resident housekeeper.

There is a hand-tinted picture of the Hewan, from an old postcard, on the page for Who Was Lost and Is Found (below). It looks like a very small cottage; but actually it had three stories, the additional levels being at the back, descending down the hill, with a pleasant garden at the lowest level. Sadly the cottage was destroyed by a landslide in 1979.


Annie Orme
Short Fiction1852
The Laird of Norlaw, a Scottish Story
Novel1858
The Story of Valentine and his Brother
Novel1874
My Brother Frank
Short FictionWritten 1884-5
Who Was Lost and Is Found
Novel1894

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