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Clan of the Month - The Ferocious Frasers
There are two branches of the Fraser clan, the Frasers and the Frasers of Lovat. The latter is a powerful Highland clan with a different chief to the Frasers, but both branches have the same origins and ancestry.
What’s in a name?
There’s some debate around the origins of the name Fraser, but there’s little doubt that the clan originally came from the former province of Anjou in France, now broadly corresponding to the region of Maine-et-Loire.
The earliest spellings of the name in France are ‘de Fresel’, ‘de Friselle’ and ‘de Freseliere’, and the name ‘Frézelière’ is still common in what was once the Anjou region. There’s further evidence to support the connection to this location in an 18th-century document called La Dictionnaire de la Noblesse. This document states that a Simon Frezel was born into the noble Frezel family from Anjou. This same Simon Frezel, according to the text, established himself in Scotland at some point after 1030, and that his descendants became known as Fraser rather than Frezel.
The name could come from the French surname Fresel, which meant ‘ribbon’ or ‘braid’ in Old French.
Another possibility is that it comes The from fraise which means ‘strawberry’ in French. One particularly enjoyable story is that the forefather of the clan was a Frenchman named Julius de Berry. He gifted strawberries to Charles Simplex, the king of France, who loved them so much that he granted de Berry with a coat of arms featuring three strawberry flowers and commanded him to change his name to Fraise. Today, the Fraser coat of arms still features three strawberry flowers.
Frasers in Scotland
As per the French manuscript La Dictionnaire de la Noblesse, the first Fraser recorded in Scotland was indeed a Simon Fraser. He seems to have arrived in Scotland around 1160 and held lands at Keith in East Lothian. This Simon Fraser may have come to Scotland as part of a mass immigration of families from in and around Normandy during the reign of William the Lion between roughly 1165 and 1214. Thomas Grey, an English knight who also penned the Scalacronica, which documented the history of Britain, listed several Norman families including Ramsay, Boys and Fraser, who took up land during William’s reign.
From East Lothian, the Frasers moved into Tweeddale in the 12th and 13th centuries before heading north to Stirling, Angus, Inverness and Aberdeen. Historically, the Frasers of Lovat have been extremely prominent in the local politics and military of Inverness-shire. The name Fraser is still common in the area. Overall, it’s the 23rd most common surname in Scotland, but the 6th most common in the Inverness region.
The Fraser fighting spirit
Clan Fraser has been present at almost every major battle in Scotland.
There were many Simon Frasers throughout the year, but one Sir Simon Fraser of Oliver and Neidpath was a prominent player in the Wars of Scottish Independence. Also known by the nickname ‘the Patriot’, Sir Simon was first on the side of the Red Comyn, before fighting for William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Sir Simon was one of the commanders who led the Scots to victory at the Battle of Roslin in 1303 with a small army.
He also led troops at the Battle of Methven in 1306 alongside Robert the Bruce, and it’s said that Sir Fraser saved Bruce’s life at three separate points during this battle. It’s said that the three crowns which appear in the coat of arms of the Frasers of Lovat were awarded to Sir Simon for his bravery in saving Bruce’s life.
Later in 1306, Sir Simon was captured by the English and was hung, drawn, and quartered for his participation in the Wars of Independence.
Sir Alexander Fraser of Touchfraser and Cowie, a cousin of Sir Simon, was also heavily involved in the Wars of Independence. He fought at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, and married Mary Bruce, Robert the Bruce’s sister. He was also awarded the title of Chamberlain of Scotland, a role which was ranked as the third great Officer of State. The current Chief of the Clan Fraser and head of the Frasers of Philorth is a descendant of Sir Alexander.
The Frasers were also involved in several clan wars, particularly against the Macdonalds and the Mackenzies. Several accounts note that the Frasers of Lovat supported Clan Munro against Clan Mackenzie at the Battle of Bealach nam Broig in roughly 1452, which was a battle between Scottish clans for the lands of north-west Ross-shire.
In 1544, the Frasers fought at the Battle of the Shirts against Clan Macdonald over the chiefship of Clan Ranald, a sept of Clan Macdonald. The Frasers, led by Hugh Fraser the chief of Clan Fraser of Lovat, supported his nephew Ranald Galda as the rightful chief. The Frasers joined forces with the Gordons to attack the Macdonalds and make Ranald the clan chief. The expedition was cut short, however, and the Frasers and Gordons decided to split their men for the return journey - a big mistake. The Macdonalds ambushed the Frasers, with their 500 men far outnumbering the Frasers’ 300. The battle was a bloody one, with only 8 survivors on the Macdonald side and just 5 on the Fraser side. Hugh Fraser and his son were amongst the many Fraser casualties.
In 1562, the Frasers of Lovat fought for Mary Queen of Scots at the Siege of Inverness after she was refused entry to Inverness Castle by the Gordons. According to an account written by George Buchanan “a great number of the ancient Scots, partly by persuasion and partly of their own accord, flocked around her, particularly the Frasers and Monros, the bravest of these tribes.” These two clans won the castle for the queen, and Alexander Gordon was hanged for treason, with his head displayed on the castle as a warning.
The Frasers were prominent supporters of the Jacobite uprising and were on the front lines at the Battle of Falkirk and Battle of Culloden, both in 1746. Charles Fraser of Inverallochy led the Frasers into battle at Culloden and was mortally wounded during the battle. Another
Seats of the clan
As one of Scotland’s most prominent clans, it’s no surprise that the Frasers held many castles over the years.
Castle Dounie came into the Frasers’ possession in the late 13th century but was besieged by English forces in 1303. In the 1650s it was once again the target of English forces, captured and burned by the forces of Oliver Cromwell during their invasion of Scotland. The castle was inherited by Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat in 1699, and had commissioned a new castle to be built at Dounie but he was captured and executed after the Battle of Culloden, leaving the estate to be destroyed. The estate was later returned to his son, another Simon, and the castle was rebuilt as Beaufort Castle in 1882. It was sold in 1994.
Cherry Island is the only island in Loch Ness. At one point, it held a castle owned by the Frasers - and legend has it that a brownie lived there, a household spirit from Scottish folklore that supposedly came out at night to perform a variety of chores for the homeowner.
Other castles held by the Frasers included Dalcross Castle in Inverness-shire and Erchless and Moniack Castles, both near Beauly in inverness-shire. Reelig House, also near Beauly, has been one of the seats of the Frasers since the 17th century, and the Frasers of Reelig still live there today.
Clan Fraser insignia
Harking back to one of the origin stories of Clan Fraser, the clan crest features strawberry plants, along with the motto “All my hope is in God”.
The crest of the Frasers of Lovat is different, featuring a buck’s head with the motto Je suis prest, which translates as “I am ready”.
Fraser tartans
There are multiple Clan Fraser tartans to choose from, all featuring red of various hues (other than the Fraser Hunting and Fraser Weathered which featured muted, camouflage shades):
Clan Chiefs
Two separate clans, with two chiefs, but an intertwined history. The current chief of the Frasers is Marjorie Flora Fraser, 21st Lady Saltoun. The chief of the Frasers of Lovat is Simon Fraser, the 16th Lord Lovat and 26th clan chief.
There you go: that’s the story of the fierce and proud Clan Fraser. Are you part of the global diaspora of Frasers, who can be found in every corner of the globe, from Turkey to Canada, and from South Africa to New Zealand. Stay tuned for more from this famous clan this month!
