Frasers of Philorth > Volume 1

150 THE ERASERS OF COWIE, DURR1S, AND PHILORTH.
of Kirkton Tyrie, together with the superiorities of Ardlaw and Bodychell,
which last estates had been sold by his ancestor, Sir William Eraser, in
1418, and had by annexation formed a part of the barony of Borthwick, and
they were erected into a barony of New Muircroft by a royal charter in his
favour. 1 About 1552-3 he exchanged part of his lands of Coburty with
John Forbes of Pitsligo, for those of Pittalochy, 2 and bought the estate of
Meikle Crichie from George Crawford of Fedderat ; 3 and in 1560 he pur-
chased Tulykeraw, Blair Mormond, and Park of Crimond from William
Hay of Ury and Crimond, 4 and received from Gilbert Menzies sasine of
24 merks of annualrent out of the lands of Cowlie. 5
Upon the 12th October 1556, in consequence probably of some family
arrangements, he obtained, under the Great Seal of Queen Mary, a charter of
the lands of Kinglasser and Mill of Philorth, in favour of himself and his
wife, Katherine Menzies, which is only of importance as evidence of that
lady having been his wife down to that date. 6
The Laird of Philorth was one of an inquest that served a certain Bobert
Gordon heir to his " gudschir " John Gordon. It would seem that this
service was proved to be contrary to fact, and the Lords of Council found the
members of the inquest guilty of wilful error, and, according to the law in
such cases, decreed the escheat of their moveable goods to the Crown ; but he
was relieved from this penalty by the gift of the escheat to him under the
sign-manual of the Queen Begent, on the 13th January 1555. 7
His daughter, Christiana, having married William Crawford of Fedderat,
nephew and heir of the George Crawford from whom he had bought Meikle
Crichie, he settled that property upon the young couple in 1561.
In 1564 he had to mourn the death of his eldest son, Alexander, whose
marriage to Lady Beatrix de Keith has been already recorded, and who had
by her four sons —
Alexander, who succeeded his grandfather.
Walter, who obtained the lands of Bathhilloch. 8
1 Antiquities of Aberdeenshire, vol. iv. p. 6 Antiquities of Aberdeenshire, vol. iii. p.
646. 72.
" Ibid. p. 648. e Ibid. vol. iv. p. 645.
3 Ibid. p. 577. 7 Ibid. p. 100.
4 Ibid. p. 635. 8 See Appendix.