Frasers of Philorth > Volume 1

THE ERASERS OF COWIE, DURRIS, AND PHILORTH. 159
George, sixth Earl of Himtly, who had received a commission to pursue
the rebel Earl of Bothwell on the 8th February 1591-2, took advantage of
the power thus conferred upon him to attack and burn the house of Doni-
bristle, and to murder (not without the suspected connivance of James vi.) the
"bonny" Earl of Moray, whose beauty and gallant bearing had been praised
by the queen, with somewhat imprudent earnestness, in her husband's hearing.
The Earl of Huntly afterwards surrendered himself, and was imprisoned
for a time, but was at length dismissed without trial Entering, however, into
treasonable correspondence with Spain, he was again required to surrender,
and, refusing to do so, was forfeited; 1 and upon the 9th of March 1592-3
a commission was issued to George, fifth Earl Marischal, constituting him
his Majesty's commissioner in the counties of Kincardine, Aberdeen, and
Banff, " to pas, searche, seek, and tak " George, Earl of Huntly, William,
Earl of Angus, Francis, Earl of Errol, and their accomplices, for the treason-
able fire-raising and burning of the place of Dynnibirsell, and murder of
umq 11 James, Earl of Moray. One of the persons named as " counsallouris
to the said Erll, be quhais advise, or any thrie of thame conjunctly, he and
his deputis sail proceed," was Alexander Fraser of Philorth.
Alexander Fraser is said to have been one of those that attended at the
baptism of Prince Henry on the 30th of August 1594, and to have received
the honour of knighthood from the king's hand on that occasion ; 2 and in
1596 Sir Alexander Fraser of Fraserburgh, as he was styled, and John Leslie
of Balquhain, were unanimously elected commissioners to Parliament for the
county of Aberdeen. 3
His eldest son and heir- apparent, Alexander, married Margaret, daughter
of George de Abernethy, seventh Lord Saltoun, in 1595, and Sir Alexander
settled the estate of Pittulie upon the young couple.
He received a more familiar and rather curious letter from the king in the
year 1596.
" Bight Traist Fkeind, — We greit zou hartlie wele. Heiring that
ze haue ane gyirfalcoun, quhilk is esteamit the best halk in all that
1 Pitcairn's Criminal Trials, vol. i. p. 284.
2 Orawfurrt, Lives of Officers of State, p. 2S3.
3 Aberdeen Sheriff-Court Records.