Frasers of Philorth > Volume 1

THE FRASERS OF COWIE, DURRIS, AND PHILORTH. 157
quhilkis we haue directit to be kepit in vther places ; and thairefore it is
our will, and we desire zow that ze let to libertie and fredome Johnne Baty,
callit Johnne of the Corss, now being in zour cumpany and custody, that he
may depairt hame to his duelling place or freindis at his pleasour, quhairvnto
thir presentis sail serue zow for sufficient warrand. Sua we commit zow to
God. At Halyruidhous, the xx day of December 1575.
" Your assuirit freind,
"To our traist freind the Laird of Phillorth." 1
In 1583, Sir Alexander bought the third part of ^aithlie, near Tyrie, from f
Eobert Innes of Kinkell ; and he completed his grandfather's purchase of
Kindrocht and Denend by buying the remaining or shady halves of those
lands from George Gordon in the following year. 2
Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, who succeeded his father about 1576-7, when
a mere child, passed a somewhat wild and unruly minority, that gave little
promise of the good sense and estimable qualities which distinguished his
future career. In 1586 he ran away from King's College, in Aberdeen, where
his education was conducted, and went to Ireland, where, after a few months,
his uncle and guardian, Thomas Fraser of Knockie and Strichen, heard that
he was enjoying the hospitality of the Earl of Antrim. Strichen, apprehen-
sive that he might do something to injure the interests of his family, prevailed
upon him to execute, on the 15th of September 1587, an inhibition against
his doing, directly or indirectly, anything that should hurt or lessen his estate
or prejudice his heirs, without the consent and advice of certain curators
1 Philorth Charter-room.
- Antiquities of Aberdeenshire, vol. iv. pp. 649, 683.