Historical account of the family of Frisel or Fraser, particularly Fraser of Lovat

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE
" Chart. Kelso,
No. 89.
' Chart. Soltre, 26.
'Caledonia, 1.555.
Chart. Newbottle,
No. 101-2.
* Robertson's In-
dex, 41-2.
" Chart. Melrose
xxxiii. and
Crawford's Lives
Officers of State,
269, Chart. Cold,
stream, 7.
' Annals of the
Frasers, 19.
» Chart Newbottle,
120-1.
' Annals of Frasers,
17.
■^ Chart of New-
bottle, No. 186.
Cnledonia, L 553.
"Foodera, t. l.p. 1.
-p. 131. Cran-ford's
Officers of State.
" Robertson's In-
de.i, 76.
vey.'^ King Alexander II. confii-ms both charters, Tims the daughter and
grand-daughter of Symon Fraser carried his blood into the families of
the Lorenses and Keiths. In the reignof Alexander III. John de Keith,,
Mareschallus, confirms to the hospital of Soltre' some lands in the dis-
trict of Johneston, near Keith, which had been granted to them by his
great grand-father Simon Fraser.
We have thus seen the name and possessions of the Frasers of Dru-
melzier and Keith carried into other channels. There yet remained a
stem, from whence the family sprung up with encreased lustre, in the
person of Bernard, grandson of Gilbert, '^ who flourished under Alexan-
der I. He was probably a brother of Simon.* His mother was a daughter
of Ness, who held the lands of Fortun in East Lothian. He claimed
and obtained the lands of North Hales, from his aunt Maria, daughter
of Gilbert, who married Ness. Intliis district of Hales, so long the seat
of theu' power, the Frasers were succeeded by the Gourlays, — and
they again by the Hepburns.^ Throughout the reign of Alexander II.,
Bernard appears as the chief of the famUy, and is a frequent witness to
that monarch's charters to the monks of Newbottle, and other religious
communities." He raised himself by his talents, from being vassal, to
be a tenant in chief to the King. By whatever means, — he acquii'ed the
territory of Oliver Castle ' — and transmitted the same to his posterity.
Besides an interest in Tweeddale, he held the lands of Hales in East
Lothian." He granted a mortification to the monks of Newbottle, for
the sa'ftty of his own soul and the souls of his predecessors, before these
witnesses, Domino Rege Alexandro, WUliam Bondington, Chancellor,
and others.' In 1'23-i, he was appointed Sheriff of Stiding, an honouV
long hereditary in Iris family." He was one of the barones or magnates
Scotia;, who swore to the peace agreed on between Alexander II. and
Henry III. of England, at York, anno 1237 — by the mediation of Otto
the Cardinal Legate." He witnessed a charter of Alexander 11. in \^¥]°
* The Annals of the Family of Fraser say positively he was so. P. 17, 19. He is
made a brother sccordingly in the Genealogical Tree.