Frasers of Philorth > Volume 1

THE FRASEES OF COWIE, DUEEIS, AND PHILOETH. 125
of the earldom to her and the other heirs in that succession. 1 The design
of the Eegent may partly have been to reduce the power of one of the great
feudatories of the Crown ; but in these proceedings it is evident that while
he maintained to a certain extent the charter of 1370 from King David II.
to William, Earl of Boss, by which alone could Euphemia pretend to any
right in the subjects that she resigned, he sought to set aside the further
destinations contained in that charter, and to reverse them in favour of his
own sons.
Some success may have attended his designs ; but if so, it was only tem-
porary, for Margaret de Leslie was Countess of Eoss before her death in
1429, and was succeeded in the earldom by her son, Alexander, Lord of the
Isles, who, in 1449, was succeeded by his son, John, Lord of the Isles.
Sir William Eraser had two daughters ; Agnes, probably the elder,
married William de Forbes of Kinaldie, whose elder brother, Sir Alex-
ander, dominus de Forbes, was one of the most steadfast allies and inti-
mate friends of John Stewart, Earl of Buchan. Isabel, the other daughter,
married Gilbert Menzies.
In pursuance of the plans originated by the Eegent, the Earl of Buchau,
by virtue of the charter of 15th June 1415, and upon the retirement
of Euphemia without heirs of her body, ignored altogether the charters
of 1375 from Sir Walter de Leslie and his wife, the first Euphemia,
Countess of Eoss, to Sir Alexander Fraser and his spouse Johanna,
the sister of the Countess. He granted charters, of date 24th September 2
and 6 tli November 3 1423, in the latter of which he claimed, as superior
of the barony of Kinedwart, and upon the recital of a resignation of the
subjects by Sir William Fraser, to re-grant the lands of the lordship of
Philorth to William Fraser and Marjorie his wife, or the longer liver of
them, and to the heirs-male of the body of William Fraser ; whom failing, to
William de Forbes of Kinaldie, and Agnes his wife, daughter of William
Fraser, or the longer liver of them, and the heirs of the body of William de
Forbes ; whom failing, to Sir Alexander de Forbes, Lord of Forbes, and the
1 Original Charter in the Eothes Charter-chest.
2 Antiquities of Aberdeenshire, vol. iv. p. 86.
3 Forglen Charter-chest.