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

112
HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OP THE
' Vol. I. p. 224.
Edit. 1822.
» Ibid. Vol. II.
p. 109.
A. D. 1661.
y Pailiament 1503,
c 93, 93. c. 108,
128. Parliament
1509. c. 137. Pai-.
liament 1587. c.
46. 82. WaUace
on Feudal Tenures,
46. Robertson's
IndeXjNotes, XL.
» Memorabilia of
Inverness.
» MSS. of Erasers
in Adv. Lib. p. 389.
" Shaw's Moray,
127.
Immanuel (God with us) upon them, in very large golden characters. "
An officer of the garrison having fallen in a duel in this fort, the High-
landers commemorated the circumstance, by erecting a cairn upon the
spot where he was slain. "
The dismemberment of Ross from the shire of Inverness was now
finally accomplished. After a Sheriff had been ordered by Parliament,
in 1503, to be appointed over that district, it was not established into a
shire by itself till the year l66l. Before that period, Caithness, Suther-
land, and Ross, were parts of, and subject to the sheriffdom of Inver-
ness. ' Caithness was dissevered from the county of Inverness about
the year 1617 ; and Sutherland was erected into a county, in 1633, or,
at soonest, I6OI.
An age of ignorance presents lamentable errors. We read in the re-
cords of this latter year, of nine members of council of the town of In-
verness being ordered to meet the minister (the magistrates always being
present, when needful), to examine the Session Register, for delations
given in against witches, to take information of suspected persons, to
meet in the clerk's chamber, and to make their adjournment. *
* On the 24 th of May, 1662, the Magistrates of Inverness revived an
ancient custom of an annual horse-race. A prodigious concourse of
people attended. The race was run in the plain round the hill of Tom-
nahurich. The starting-post was set up to the west of the town end,
at the separation of the roads to Kinmylies and Urquhart. Although
the prizes were only a silver cup, valued at £7, and a saddle at £3, they
were thought worthy of the contention of noblemen. Lord Lovat, the
Lairds of Grant and Kilravock, and Captain Mann, from the garrison
of Fort- William, rode the first race, which was gained by Lovat. One
of the town's baUies carried off the prize the second day.
The bridge of Inverness, then built of wood, broke down on the 28th
September, 1664, and though more than 100 persons, who stood upon it,
fell into the'river, no lives were lost. ''
In February, 1665, Lord Lovat paid a visit to the King at London.
Sir Alexander Fraser of Philorth introduced him to his Majesty, as his