FRASER
Caveat Emptor: There seems to be considerable confusion concerning the early
generations of the Fraser family. The tree given here is from
Gilbert obtained the lands of North Hailes,
Issue-
· II. Udard- alive in 1200
· 2III. SIMON-
Ref:
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
Issue-
· 3I. BERNARD- m. MARY OGILVIE
· II. ______- m. Nesius de Londres (d.c.1230)
Ref:
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
3I. BERNARD (GILBERT 1, SIMON 2)
m. ?MARY OGILVIE, daughter of Gilchrist, thane of Angus
The Annals of the Frasers and some of the manuscript histories states that Bernard married Mary Ogilvie, daughter of Gilchrist, Thane of Angus, however, no primary sources have been found for these statements. Crawfurd in his Lives of Officers of State also states that Simon Fraser was the son of Sir Bernard Fraser, however, again, no primary source is given.(7)
Bernard is found as a witness to a charter by Patrick, Earl of Dunbar and to another by Walter, the son of Alan the dapifer during the reign of William the Lion.(1)
Bernard Fraser was a witness to charters of the lands of Milnehalech of North Hales granted by Maria de Hales, daughter of Kylvert, to the monks of Newbottle. He also witnessed the confirmation of these charters by the Earl of Dunbar, however, he later laid claim to these same lands and succeeded in evicting Maria de Hales by virtue of his hereditary right to them which Maria acknowledged in the court of the overlord the Earl of Dunbar. It seems he took this step only for the purpose of regranting the lands to the monks of Newbottle in his own name. One of the witnesses was the Chancellor, William de Bondington, who did not receive that appointment from Alexander II until 1230 so the charter must be of a later date.(2)
He was lord of a considerable portion of Forton and Linton in
The
Isle of May
On 17 Aug. 1233 King Alexander II confirmed an agreement between the prior and monks of the Isle of May in the Firth of Forth and Bernard Fraser by which Bernard had granted the lands of Dremes-sheles to the prior.(4)
Bernard was a frequent witness to the charters of Alexander II and in 1234
he was made Sheriff of Stirling and acquired the
His name is found for the last time as a witness to a Royal Charter to the abbot and monks of Lindores in 1247.(6)
Issue-
· ? 4I. GILBERT-
· ?II. Fenella- m. Sir Colin Campbell of Lochaw
· ?III. Helen- a nun at Coldingham
Ref:
(1) Cart. Melrose- Nos. 73, 120
(2) Cart. Newbottle- Nos. 91, 92, 93, 94
(3) The Frasers of Philorth- Alexander Fraser,
(4) Cart. Isle of May (
(5) Rymer's Foedera- Vol. I, p. 376
(6) Robertson's Index- p. 76, No. 92
(7) The Frasers of Philorth- Alexander Fraser,
Edinburgh, 1879- Vol. I, pp. 23-4
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
4I. GILBERT (GILBERT 1, SIMON 2, BERNARD 3)
m. CHRISTIANA ______
d. before 1264
Sir Gilbert was Sheriff of Traquair during the reign of Alexander II &
III. In 1233 King Alexander II sent a precept to Gilbert Fraser, Vicecomes de
Traquair, ordering him to try a cause then pending between William, Bishop of
Glasgow, and Mariota, daughter of Samuel. He also witnessed in 1233 a
resignation of the lands of Stobhou by
Two other precepts from the king are found addressed to Gilbert Fraser, Vicecomes de Traquair, one from 1242 and the other probably issued prior to that year. One asks him to determine the boundaries of the pastures of Lenthanhope and report their extent and value to the king and the other orders him to imprison all excommunicated persons who the bishop of Glasgow should designate as having been for 40 days under the censure of the church.(2)
An inquiry by a court of assize composed of dominus Nes Freser, dominus Henricus de Candela, Willelmus de Malevill was held in 1259 concerning lands in Hopkelchoc. This was held in the court of Gilbertus Fraser, miles, Vicecomes de Peebles.(3)
Issue-
· I. John- m. Alicia de Cunigburg. Ancestor of the Frasers of Touch
· 5II. SIMON- m. MARY BISSET , d.c.1291
· 6III. ANDREW- d.c.1308
· IV. William- d. 13 Sept. 1297 Artiville,
Ref:
(1) Cart.
(2) Origines Prochiales- Vol. I, p. 216, 220; Cart. Newbottle-
No. 121
(3) Acta Parl. Scotiae- Vol. I, p. 88
The Frasers of Philorth- Alexander Fraser,
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880
5I. SIMON (GILBERT 1, SIMON 2, BERNARD 3, GILBERT 4)
m. MARY BISSET (m.2. Richard Siward)
d.c.1291
Neidpath
Castle- E.W. Haslehust 1920
Sir Simon possessed the lands of Oliver castle, Niedpath castle and other lands in Tweeddale. He was a witness to a charter by John de Landels in the reign of Alexander II and was designated as Dominus and Miles showing that he had received the honor of knighthood while a young man.(1) Supposedly Simon defeated Somherl, son of the great Somerled, King of the Isles who had raised an insurrection in Argyleshire. He accompanied Alexander II in a pilgrimage to Iona shortly before the King's death and the traditional histories state that he was with Alexander II when he died on the island of Bernera.(2) Simon was knighted by Alexander III and was made High Sheriff of Tweeddale which he held from 1263 until 1266.(3) In 1280 he witnessed a charter from Patrick Fraser to the monks of Coldingham and two charters of Roskelyn and Inverleith, from King Alexander III to William de Sancto Claro. The title "miles" is not applied to any of the witnesses so it is impossible to decide if this was Simon or his son, although the title "Dominus" implies the elder.(4) In 1279 he and his brother Andrew were sureties for their brother William, Dean of Glasgow and Chancellor of Scotland.(5) In 1285 he supported Margaret of Norway's claim to the throne and was at Brigham on 17 Mar. 1289/90 when the marriage of Margaret to Prince Edward was proposed.(7)
On 3 Feb. 1288/9 a court was held at Carham-on-Tweed by order of Edward I to
investigate the complaint of John de Massun, merchant of
He supported Baliol's claim to the throne after Margaret's death and was appointed an arbiter for determining the right of the competitors to the crown 5 June 1291. He swore allegience to Edward I at Norham 12 June 1291 and again on 23 July at Lindores monastery.
In Apr. 1294 Richard Siward received from Edward I a grant of the "maritagium" of Maria, widow of the late Simon Fraser, tenant in chief to the King of Scotland.(8) On 3 Sept. 1296 Mary petitioned King Edward for an allowance from the lands of her husband who was a State prisoner at the time, alleging that she had nine "infantes" to support of whom four were children of her present husband by a former wife and fiver were the children of her late husband Simon Fraser.(9)
Issue-
· 7I. SIMON- b. 1257
· II. Alexander-
Ref:
(1) Cart.
(2) Annals of the Frasers- pp. 35-6
(3) Cart. Soltre- No. 41; Chamberlain Rolls- Vol. I, p. 51; Cart.
Kelso- No. 190, Cart.
(4) Cart. Coldingham- No. 138; Cart. Newbottle- No. 5, 6
(5) Cart.
(6) Historical Documents of Scotland- Vol. I, p. 73
(7) Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland- Vol. I, p. 92
(8) Rotuli Scotiae- Vol. I, p. 20
(9) Historical Documents of Scotland- Vol. II, pp. 92-3, 96
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880
The Frasers of Philorth- Alexander Fraser, Edinburgh, 1879- Vol.
II, p. 74-7
7I. SIMON (GILBERT 1, SIMON 2, BERNARD 3, GILBERT 4, SIMON 5)
b. 1257
A charter confirming the lands of Kingildore along with the chapel of St. Cuthbert and the lands of Hopcartane was granted to the Monastery of Melrose by Sir Simon Fraser, son and heir of the late Dominus Simon Fraser who had originally made the donation. He added a right of way through his lands of Hesilyard and Haldeyhardsted which he acquired from another branch of the family in Tweeddale for he granted it: "Sicut in carta mea quam inde habeo de domino Laurencio Fraser, quondam Domino de Drumelliare plenius continetur". He also conferred a right of way through his lands of Hoprewe to the monks. These charters were witnessed by Sir Andrew Fraser who was either his grand uncle or his cousin.(1)
On 12 July 1292 Edward I issued a mandate for the delivery of his paternal lands to him upon the payment of 100 merks.(2) Simon's name is not found in the list of auditors appointed in 1291 to hear the pleadings of the competitors for the Crown. It's possible he may have been away at the time, or he probably had not attained sufficient status to be associated with that office with the four other Frasers on the list, his grand-uncle William, Bishop of St. Andrews, his father, and his cousins Richard and Andrew. By 1292 he was one of the witnessed to the homage of Baliol to King Edward with his name following those of his two cousins.
In 1296 Sir Simon was taken prisoner by Edward I and on 2 Jan. 1296/7 his wife Maria received an allowance o 50 merks for her support out of his lands which were declared to be worth 200 merks per year.(3) Evidently Sir Simon had received permission to pay a visit to Scotland upon giving their pledge to return and accompany Edward on his expedition to France. Simon entered into the agreement with the king on 28 May 1297 to serve the Edward in his war with France for the performance of which he pledged his wife, children, and all belonging to him with his cousin Sir Richard Fraser serving as his surety. Simon performed his obligation for there is a record of his wages as a Knight Banneret from 13 Sept. until 19 Nov. 1297 having been paid to him at Ghent on the 13 of Jan. 1297/8 amounting to £27/4 for 68 days at the rate of 4/ per day for himself, 2/ for the knight in his service and 1/ for each of their two squires for a total of 8/.(4) There is also a mandate for the restoration of his estates issued by Edward on 21 Sept. 1297 in which it is stated that he was then beyond the sea with the king serving under his command.(5) Although he returned to Scotland by 1298 he was still in the English service for in that year stores for resupplying the castle of Edinburgh and other fortresses were ordered to be shipped at Berwick and taken to Leith to be kept there by Sir Walter de Huntercombe: " so that when the said things shall be there, Sir Walter de Huntercombe and Sir Simon Fraser, each upon his own part, shall spy and watch the time and opportunity when the articles aforesaid can best be conveyed to the said places. And when they shall perceive and know that the time has arrived, then the said Walter de Huntercombe and Simon Fraser, or one of them, shall acquaint all the garrisons thereof, so that the whole affair may be accomplished according to the plan agreed upon by them when they were together."(6) At the same time he was associated with the Sheriffs of Roxburgh and Jedburgh to determine in what manner the English garrison of Berwick, consisting of sixty men-at-arms and a thousand foot-soldiers, of whom one hundred were to be crossbowmen, should receive the king's pay.(7)
Although Sir Simon appears to have been in the King of England's service he
was suspected of leanings in the opposite direction as is apparent from a
letter of 9 Aug. 1298 from John de Kingston, Constable of Edinburgh Castle to
Walter de Langton, Bishop of Chester, Lord Treasurer of
" Sire,—As to the news in our neighbourhood, I have told you that the Earl of Buchan, the Bishop of St . Andrews" [William de Lambyrton, successor to William Fraser, who had died the year before], "and other Earls and great Lords, who were on the other side of the Scottish sea, have come to this side, and were at Glasgow on the day on which this letter was made ; and by ... they intend to go towards the Borders, as is reported among them and their people who are in the forest. And whereas Sir Simon Freser comes to you in such haste, let me inform you, sire, that he has no need to be in such a great hurry, for there was not by any means such a great power of people who came into his jurisdiction, but what they might have been stopped by the garrisons, if Sir Simon had given them warning, and of this I warned him eight days before they came; and before they were entered into the forest it was reported to me that there was a treaty between them and Sir Simon, and that they had a conference together, and ate and drank and were on the best of terms. Wherefore, sire, it were well that you should be very cautious as to the advice which he shall give you.
" And let me tell you, sire, that this same Sir Simon sent me a letter (whereof I send you the copy) the day when he set out from his charge, or the next day, and he wished that I should come thither to him, to which 1 made such an answer as I send you in writing, but I do not know whether it reached him or not. And he sent me other letters some time before I came thither to him, on the day on which our enemies came suddenly before our castle, and on which Sir Thomas d'Arderne was taken; wherefore I fear that he is not of such good faith as he ought to be. Wherefore I beg of you, and the rest of the King's council, to beware."(8)
The letter must have followed Sir Simon, who had already set out, bearing with him another letter, of 31 July, from the Governor of Berwick, to be delivered by the Lord Treasurer to the king, in which his conduct is represented in a more favourable light:
" Sire,—Sir Simon Frezer is going to your service, who has prayed me much to ask you to hold him excused, because ... to your royal Lordship to consider that he has been good and loyal to you, and well and loyally has he carried himself towards you, and takes great pains . . . promise, and that you would have him excused as to his stay. This I witness to you, by the faith which I owe you, and also, that he has not failed in his residence . . . Lordship, and increase your honours. Written at Berwick, 31st July."(9)
He must have satisfied the higher English authorities as in September 1298,
he was one of the barons summoned to assemble at
In November and December 1298, he was actively engaged in support of John de
Kingston, Constable of Edinburgh Castle, who had been suspicious of him, in a
raid which he was ordered to make as far as
On 27 Mar. 1299 he received from Edward I a confirmation of the order to
restore his estates which had been granted 21 Sept. 1297.(12) On
16 July 1299 he was appointed part of the council to meet at York to deliberate
on the affairs of Scotland.(13) He was part of Edward's army
during the campaign of 1300 and in June was in the 3rd division of the English
army commanded by the king himself at the siege of Carlaverock Castle. Simon
was restored as Keeper of the
The exact cause of Simon renouncing his fealty to Edward is unclear but by
Sept. 1301 a letter from Robert de Tilliol, keeper of
Monument
to the
He joined Sir William Wallace and was his successor as Commander of the army while John Comyn of Badenoch was appointed Guardian of the Kingdom and was associated with Comyn in the leadership of the independent Scottish party.(16) In 1302 the English invaded Scotland and a truce was soon agreed to, but it was broken and Edward marched back into Scotland with three divisions in Feb. 1302/3 and was defeated by Sir Simon and Comyn 25 Feb. 1302/3 near Roslin. Each division was larger than the Scottish army, however, they lost probably because they were not near enough to support each other.(17) A romance by Robert de Brunne from the time describes an interview between Sir Simon and Sir Ralph de Manton, the Cofferer and seems to throw some light upon greivances that might have led to Simon's change of allegiance as nothing in those days would cause them to revolt more than defrauding them of their wages:
" Sir Ralf the Coffrers, that time was Treasurer,
He was one of the pers, his life was all in wehere,
He had great catelle, his life for to save,
Sir Simon the Freselle that ilk catelle suld have,
Simon was austere, to Ralf spake full grim,
That made thee Treasurer thou hast defeyed him,
And me, and many mo, from our wages zede quite;
Sir Ralf thou resceyned tho' by taile and by scrite,
Thou did us more travaile, ilk man thou reft his wage,
Now shall I with thee taile, and put thee in the arerage.
Of preist thou hast no mark, albe, nor no amite,
But laced in a hauberk, that is no clerk's habit,
For all those clerks of Rome, that sing in kirke, or read,
Thou shalt have thy doom, as thou servest indeed."
Robert de Brunne seems to have made a translation from an earlier metrical chronicle written by Pierre de Langtoft in Norman French:
Et Ralf ly Cofrers ke grant aver tendist
A symoned Frisel, ke la ne moresist,
Fresel ly regarde, Fresel ly redist
Tu as le roy trahy, ke tresorer le fist,
Et moi, et mulz des altres, dunt nes un est quit
Des gages ke tu doit par tayle et par escrit.
Or es-tu cy trove, sanz albe et sanz amyt,
En hauberke de fere, ke n'est pas habit
As clers de sainte eglise par kant se chant et lit,
Tu averas jugement solum toen merit.(18)
Site
of the
Although the battle of Roslin was a great victory for the Scots, it had
little effect upon the war and caused Edward to invade again in May and overraan
the country with a vast army of English, Irish, Welsh and Gascons and the Scots
took to the hills and castles. Comyn and many nobles submitted to the English
King in Feb. 1303/4 but Sir Simon did not and was therefore banished for three
years and was fined three years rent and prohibited from entering the
territories of the King of France.(19) Simon went to the north
until 1306 when he joined Robert the Bruce. He later saved the King's life
three times at the battle of Methven, 19 June 1306, after the king had been
thrice unhorsed. He escaped with the Bruce into Argyleshire and fought at the
battle of Dalry. Sir Simon and his brother Alexander aided the King when he
attacked
‘When Robert the Bruce saw this mischief, and gan to flee and hov’d
him, that men might not him find; but S. Simond Frisell pursued was so sore, so
that he turned again and abode bataille, for he was a worthy knight, and a
bolde of bodye, and the English pursued him sore on every side, and quelde the
steed that Sir Simon Frisell rode upon, and then toke him and led him to the
host. And
A ballad written at the time gives an account of the barbarous treatment by
the English king to a knight conspicuous among his contemporaries for his high deeds
of chivalry, as well as personal gallantry. After mentioning how Sir Simon was
brought into
‘Y-fettered were his legs under his horse’s wombe,
Both with iron and with steel manacled were his hond,
A garland of pervynk set upon his heved ;
Much was the power that him was bereved
In land,
So God me amend,
Little he ween’d
So to be brought in hand.
‘With fetters and with gives y-hot he was to draw
From the Tower of London, that many men might know,
In a kirtle of burel, a selcouth wise,
And a garland on his head of the new guise.
Through Cheape
Many men of
For to see Symond
Thitherward can leap.
‘Though he cam to the gallows first he was on hung,
All quick beheaded that him thought long;
Then he was y-opened, his bowels y-brend,
The heved to London-bridge was send
To shende.
So evermore mote I the,
Some while weened he
Thus little to stand.
‘Now standeth the heved above the tu-brigge
Fast by Wallace sooth for to segge;
After succour of Scotland long may he pry,
And after help of France what halt it to lie.
I ween,
Better him were in
With his axe in his hand
To play on the green,’ &c.(22)
Sir Simon was kept in chains while in the Tower and on the day of execution he was dragged through the streets as a traitor, hanged as a thief and beheaded as a murderer. His body after being exposed for 20 days to the derision of the mob was thrown across a wooden horse and burnt while his head was put on a lance and placed near Sir William Wallace's head on London Bridge.
Sir Simon has been depicted as a hero of Scottish independance, however, it
seems as though he spent most of his career in the service of the English and
only defected from that service after some personal injustice or was influenced
by ambition. When the power of
Issue-
·
· 8II. ______- m. PATRICK FLEMING
Ref:
(1) Liber de
(2) Rotuli Scotiae- Vol. I, p. 9
(3) Historical Documents of Scotland- Vol. II, p. 96
(4) Ibid- p. 139
(5) Ibid- p. 230
(6) Ibid- p. 293
(7) Ibid- p. 332
(8) Ibid- p. 302
(9) Ibid
(10) Rymer's Foedera- Vol. II, p. 829
(11) Historical Documents of Scotland- Vol. II, pp. 336, 341
(12) Ibid- p. 369
(13) Ibid- p. 380
(14) Palgrave- No. 122; Rymer's Foedera- Vol. II, p.
925; Wardrobe Rolls- 28, p. 198
(15) Historical Documents of Scotland- Vol. II, p. 431
(16) Gesta Annalia- Fordun- No. 107, 108
(17) Ibid; also Historical Documents of Scotland- Vol. II, p. 448
and Wyntoun- lib. VIII, cap. xvi
(18) Documents Illustrative of Sir William Wallace-
Maitland Club- p. 94
(19) Palgrave- pp. cxxviii, 276; also Rymer's Foedera-
Vol. II, pp. 969-70
(20) Foedera- Vol. II, p. 1014
(21) Harleian MSS- No. 266
(22) Peter de Langtoft- p. 335; Harleian MSS- No. 2253
The Frasers of Philorth- Alexander Fraser, Edinburgh, 1879-
Vol. II, p. 77ff
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880
"Scotiskronicon"- Fordun
6II. ANDREW (GILBERT 1, SIMON 2, BERNARD 3, GILBERT 4)
m. ?BEATRICE ______
? MARY le CHEN (10)
d. after 1297, before 1306
Alexander Fraser in his history is of the opinion that this Andrew Fraser was the son of Richard Fraser of Touch and not the son of Gilbert.(6)
When William Fraser was Dean of Glasgow in 1279 he entered into an obligation with the cathedral and named his brothers "Dominum Symonem Fraser, militem, et Andream Fraser" his sureties. Andrew was not a knight at that time, but was by 1308 as noted below.(5)
In 1280 Andrew, son of the late Sir Gilbert Fraser, with the consent of his wife, Beatrice, granted to the Monastery of Kelso a carucate of land in Gordon, Berwickshire, which he had purchased from William, son of John, son of John of Kirkland.(3) This land was the object of a dispute between the monks and Sir Adam de Gordon which was settled in 1308 and in the agreement the original grantor was called "Andree Fraser, militis" and was deceased by that time.(4)
In June 1291 Sir Andrew swore allegience to King Edward at Dunfermline and
was there when Baliol submitted to Edward 26 Dec. 1292 and again 23 June 1297
after Baliol's overthrow.(2) He was one of the barons taken
captive to
He owned the lands of Touch, Stirlingshire which were probably given to him when he was Sheriff.(7)
In 1293 Macduff, brother of Colban, Earl of Fife, was sentenced to forfeiture of his estates of Rareys and Crey by King John Baliol. Sir Andrew led an armed force against the house of Rareys and plundered it of arms, jewls, cattle and other property to the value of 200 merks.(8)
On 23 June 1297 Andrew entered into an agreement to attend King Edward I in
his expedition to
Sir Andrew does not appear in any record after 1297 so it is possible that
he was killed while serving King Edward in
Issue-
· I. Simon- killed at battle of Halidon Hill 22 July 1338
· 9II. ALEXANDER- m.c.1316 MARY BRUCE (m.1. Sir Niel Campbell of Lochaw), d. 12 Aug. 1332
· III. Andrew- killed at Halidon Hill 22 July 1338
· IV. James- m. Margaret, d. of Sir John Stewart of Frendraught, killed at Halidon Hill 22 July 1338
Ref:
(1)
(2) Documents and Records Illustrating the History of
Scotland- F. Palgrave,
(3) Cart. Kelso- No. 124
(4) Ibid- No. 125, 472
(5) Cart.
(6) The Frasers of Philorth- Alexander Fraser,
(7) Cart. Newbottle- No. 175
(8) Rotuli Scotiae- Vol. I, p. 10
(9) Ibid- p. 35
(10) Antiquities of Aberdeenshire- Spalding Club- Vol. IV, p. 611
(11) Rotuli Scotiae- Vol. I, p. 42
The Frasers of Philorth- Alexander Fraser, Edinburgh, 1879-
Vol. II, p. 77ff
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880
9II. ALEXANDER (GILBERT 1, SIMON 2, BERNARD 3, GILBERT 4, ANDREW 5)
m.c.1316 MARY BRUCE (m.1. Sir Neil Campbell
of Lochaw(d.c.1315), d. before 22 Sept. 1323)
d. 12 Aug. 1332
There is great confusion concerning Alexander Fraser as there were three of that name living at the same time period, one who was a knight in 1268 and died by 1295, another who was a baron and knight in 1296 and our Alexander who was not knighted before 1309 and probably not prior to 1312 who was the brother-in-law of King Robert the Bruce and who had a brother, Simon, killed at Halidon.
Alexander's future wife, Mary Bruce, was made a captive in 1306 by the Earl
of Ross when accompanying the Queen in her flight from Kildrummie. She was
sentenced to imprisonment in
It is ordered and commanded, by letters under the Privy Seal, to the
Chamberlain of Scotland, or his Lieutenant at Berwick-on-Tweed, that in one of
the towers within the castle there, in whatever place he shall find most
convenient, he shall cause to be made a cage of strong latice of . . . , and
barred, and well secured by a lock, in which he shall place the Countess of
Buchan, and that he shall cause her to be so well and so securely guarded in
the cage that she cannot get out of it in any way. And that he shall assign one
woman, or two, of the said town of Berwick, English, who is not, or are not,
under any suspicion, . . . understands, or understand, how to serve the said
Countess with food and drink, and other things necessary to her in ...
residence; and that he cause her to be so well and strictly kept in that cage
that she shall speak to none, neither man nor woman, of the Scottish nation,
nor any other ... to her, except only the woman, or women, assigned to serve
her, and those who have the custody of her.
And that the cage shall be so made that the Countess shall there have the convenience of a private closet, but that it shall be so very securely arranged that she has no speech but in presence of the guard of the said Countess. And that he who shall have the custody of her be responsible for her, body for body, and that he have the allowance " des custagis."
In the same manner it is ordered that Marie, sister to Robert de Bruce, late Earl of Carrick, be sent to Roxburgh, to be kept ... in the castle in a cage.(9)
After suffering this for four years she was exchanged on 4 July 1310 for nine nobles.(10)
He was at the coronation of Robert the Bruce in March 1306 but, was probably not the Alexander Fraser captured at the battle of Methven 19 June 1306. Alexander and his brother Simon continued to fight for Bruce and marched northward:
And he thocht wele that he would far
Out our the Month with his menyhe,
To luk quha that his frend wald be.
Into Schir Alexander the Fraser
He trastit, for tha frendis war,
And in his brother Symon, tha twa,
He had mistere wele of ma.(3)
And Barbour continues with his saga:
And turn we to the nobill King
That with the folk of his leding
Toward the Month has tane the way
Richt stoutly and into good array,
Quhar Alexander Fraser him met.
And als his brothir Symon hecht
With all the folk tha with tham had:
The King gud countenans tham mad
That was richt blyth of thar cumyn.
Tha tald the King all the covyn
Of Johnne Cumyn the Erl of Bouchane,
That till help him had with him tane
Schir Johne Mobra and othir ma,
Schir David the Brechyn alsua,
With all the folk of thar leding
'And yharnis mar than ony thing
Vengeans on yhou, schir King, to tak
For Schir Johne the Cumynis sak
That quhilorn in Dumfries was slane.'(4)
Alexander and Simon fought in many of the battles with Robert the Bruce. In
1309 Alexander attempted to draw Thomas de Grey, the English Governor of
Another tyme Alexander Fresile, a Scotte, frend to Robert Bruce, was sette within a little of Couper Castel, with an embuschment, and caused certen of his to pille a village thereby, so supposing to bring Thomas Gray into a trappe; the which, hearing the cry, went to horse to see what it was. The embuschment, seeing that, rode of force to the very castel gates. Thomas, seeing this, returned his horse, and cam fair and softly through the toun of Cuper, and then laying spurres to his horse, and rode through them, and got within the barres of the castel, wher he found his owne meny arruning out to help hym.(5)
Alexander attended the Parliament at St. Andrews on 16 Mar. 1309 where they declared Robert the Bruce to be the rightful King of Scotland and thanked the French king, Philip, for his expressions of goodwill to bring about a peace between Scotland and England.(6)
Because of his service to the king, he received royal grants in 1309 to Panbryde, Garvocks, Strachan, Essintuly, Ballebrochy, Auchincross, Aboyne and Culpressache.(7)
Alexander was granted a charter from the monks of Arbroath in 1312 to the lands of Turry in the parish of Nigg. He is called "Alexander Fraser, filius quondam Domini Andree Fraser, militis".(8)
Alexander Fraser and Robert Keith witnessed a charter 12 Apr. 1316 in which
Robert the Bruce granted the annual rents from the farms of
In 1318 Alexander was one of the barons at the Parliament who enacted the order of succession to the Crown, declaring that in case of the heir succeeding while a minor, the Earl of Moray, or failing him, the Good Sir James Douglas, should be Regent.(11)
He also witnessed a charter from 1 Mar. 1326 in whick King Robert confirmed
donations to Scone Abbey.(2) Alexander received charters from the
King in Kincardine, Stirling,
On 22 Sept. 1323 at Kinross, the King gave a charter to six acres in Auchincarnie, near the royal manor of Kincardine to his beloved and faithful Sir Alexander Fraser, to be held by him and his heirs legitimately procreated between him and the late Mary de Bruce, the King's sister.(14)
No record of his obtaining the barony of
On 6 Apr. 1327 the King granted a charter to his beloved and faithful Sir Alexander Fraser, and John, his son, the King's nephew, of the forest of Craigie, in the thanage of Cowie in the Sheriffdom of Kincardine in which the King was causing an enclosed park to be made containing 1500 particaes of land in exchange for keeping up the park for the king.(16)
Alexander was killed at the Battle of Dupplin in 1332. They made the best resistance they could, however, they had only 300 against the well organized English army and the rest of the Scottish army was disorganized and panic stricken and easily overwhelmed.
Issue-
· 10I. JOHN-
Ref:
(1) Charters of the Perth Blackfriars- Vol. X, p. 8
(2) Scone Charters- 129, p. 95
(3) Barbour's The Bruce- p. 187
(4) Ibid- p. 192
(5) Leland's Collectanea- Vol. II, p. 545
(6) Acta Parl. Scotiae- Vol. I, p. 99
(7) Robertson's Index- p. 1, Nos. 7, 14, 15, 18; Reg. Episc.
Aberdeen- Vol. I, pp. 157, 159
(8) Antiquities of Aberdeenshire- Vol. I, p. 258
(9) Rymer's Foedera- Vol. II, p. 1014
(10) Rotuli Scotiae- Vol. I, p. 86
(11) Acta Parl. Scotiae- Vol. I, p. 105
(12) Acta Parl. Scotiae- Vol. I, p. 114
(13) Rymer's Foedera- Vol. II, p. 1025
(14) Robertson's Index- p. 17, No. 51
(15) Antiquities of Aberdeenshire- Vol. III, pp. 116-7
(16) Robertson's Index- p. 17, Nos. 55, 61
The Frasers of Philorth- Alexander Fraser,
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880
10I. JOHN (GILBERT 1, SIMON 2, BERNARD 3, GILBERT 4, ANDREW 5, ALEXANDER 6)
Sir Alexander's sons were not old enough to take a prominent part in the early years of the second struggle for freedom, although John may have been present at the battles of Dupplin and Halidon Hill.
In 1348 there is an entry in the Chamberlain Rolls where the heirs of Robert
de Keith and Alexander Fraser of Ewynsedale are said to have usurped the office
of Sheriff of Aberdeen for several years prior to 1346. Perhaps John Fraser's
successful leadership of the people of
In 1351 William de Keith with consent of his wife, Margaret Fraser, granted a charter. As Margaret was styled heir to her grandfather instead of to John it appears that he may have died before he could assume any title to his hereditary possessions.(2)
Issue-
· 11I. MARGARET- m. WILLIAM KEITH
Ref:
(1) Chamberlain Rolls- Vol. I, p. 287
(2) Antiquities of Aberdeenshire- Vol. II, p.72
The Frasers of Philorth- Alexander Fraser,
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880
1. SIMON
m. MARGARET, heir of the Earl of Caithness
d. 19 July 1333 Halidon Hill
Lovat, Inverness-shire was granted to Hugh by James I. By his marriage to Margaret he acquired a large estate in the north. He supposedly was a branch of the Frasers of Oliver castle in Peebles as his son had possessions in that county.
Issue-
· 2I. ALEXANDER- m. _______ MORAY
Ref:
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
2I. ALEXANDER (SIMON 1)
m. ______ MORAY
Issue-
· 3I. HUGH-
Ref:
The Frasers of Philorth- Alexander Fraser, Edinburgh, 1879- Vol. II, p. 166ff
3I. HUGH (SIMON 1, ALEXANDER 2)
In 1367 Hugh de Fraser witnessed a charter by Sir Walter de Leslie to Euphame de St. Clair at Inverness and on 12 Sept. of that year Hugh Fraser "dominus de Lowet et portionarius terrarum de Ard" paid homage at Elgin to Alexander, Bishop of Moray for his part of the land of Kyntallergy and Esse and for fishing rights in the river Beauly at Forn.(1) In 1384 and agreement was made between these same people by which Hugh paid arrears to the Bishop and was to recover what was due to him from these lands held by William de Fentoun.(2)
At the coronation of King Robert II in 1371 Hugh swore fealty and paid homage to the new king and was among the barons listed who had not attained the rank of knight.(4)
In 1377 Hugh Fraser, dominus de Lowet, resigned the lands of Fayrelehope in the barony of Linton and Sheriffdom of Peebles to James de Douglas, Lord of Dalkeith and Linton, who granted them to Adam Forster to be held for homage and service as Hugh had held them prior to his resignation.(3)
In 1390 Hugh Fraser, dominus de Kinnell, gave a charter of the lands of Kinnell, Forfarshire to Walter Tulloch and at another time (no date) he granted land in the same barony to William de Camera.(5)
In 1407 Hugh gave a charter of the lands of Easter Breky in the barony of Kinnell to his cousin Peter de Stryveline and his son John. He is termed the late Hugh Fraser of Lowet in the confirmation of this charter by Robert, Duke of Albany in 1410.(6)
Issue-
· I. Alexander- m. Elizabeth de Keith, d.s.p. 1430
· 4II. HUGH- m. 1416 JANET de FENTOUN
· III. John-
· IV. son
Ref:
(1) Antiquities of Aberdeenshire- Vol. II, p.
384; Reg. Episc. Morav.- No. 286
(2) Reg. Episc. Morav.- No. 166
(3) Reg. Hon. de Morton- Vol. II, No. 157
(4) Acta Parl. Scotiae- Vol. I, p. 181
(5) History of the Carnegies, Earls of Southesk-
William Fraser- pp. 497-8
(6) Robertson's Index- p. 165, No. 2; Reg. Mag. Sig.- Roll 12,
No. 2
The Frasers of Philorth- Alexander Fraser, Edinburgh, 1879-
Vol. II, p. 170ff
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880
4II. HUGH (SIMON 1, ALEXANDER 2, HUGH 3)
m. 1416 JANET de FENTOUN
Hugh was one of the hostages for James I upon his return to
On 8 Jan. 1436/7 Hugh granted a charter of a third part of the lands of Glenelg to Alexander, Lord of the Isles and Earl of Ross.(1)
Hugh must have died by 20 July 1440 when Thomas Fraser, Dominus de Lovet, was a witness to a charter from the Lord of the Isles to Hugh de Rose of Kilravock.(2)
Issue-
· Thomas- d.s.p. before 22 Sept. 1456
· 5I. HUGH- m. VIOLETTA
Ref:
(1) Family of Innes- Cosmo Innes- p. 97
(2) Family of Rose of Kilravock- Cosmo Innes- p. 131
The Frasers of Philorth- Alexander Fraser, Edinburgh, 1879-
Vol. II, p. 170ff
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880
5I. HUGH (SIMON 1, ALEXANDER 2, HUGH 3 HUGH 4)
m. VIOLETTA, d. of Lord Glamis d. 1501
By his marriage to the daughter of Lord Glamis and the fact that he had become a tenant of the Crown along with the large extent of his possessions, led to his being made a Peer of Parliament between 1456 and 1464.
Issue-
· 5II. AGNES- m. KENNETH MacKENZIE
· III. Alexander-
Ref:
The Frasers of Philorth- Alexander Fraser, Edinburgh, 1879-
Vol. II, p. 170ff
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co.,
Edinburgh, 1880
d. before 1190
In the Reign of David I, Sir Simon possessed half the territory of Keith in East Lothian called Keith Simon and to the monks of Kelso he granted them the church of Keith near Haddington in 1160.(1)
In 1184 Simon as a witness to a perambulation of the boundaries of the lands of Mordwheit or Morthwayt made by order of William the Lion who gave them to Newbottle Abbey.(2)
Issue-
Ref:
(1) Kelso Charters- Vol. I, 85 & 98, pp. 62, 72
(2) Cart. Newbottle- No. 20
Keith
Chapel
"Hugo Lorens et Eda uxor eia filia et heres Symonis Fraser" confirmed a donation of the church at Keith made to the monastery of Kelso by Simon Fraser, charted dated 1190.(1) Hugh and Eda's daughter, also named Eda, who married Philip, the King's Marischal and the two districts of Keith were united in the possession of their son Hervey, the Marischal, by whom, and by his son John de Keith, also Marischal, the grant of Simon Fraser to the monks of Kelso was confirmed.(2)
Issue-
Ref:
(1) Kelso Charters- Vol. I, 86, p. 62
(2) Ibid- Nos. 87, 88, 89
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880