Frasers of Philorth > Volume 2

144 APPENDIX OF CADET FAMILIES.
The family of Fraser of Durris continued down to 1615-16, when Alex-
ander Fraser, then Laird, bought the lands of Cairnbulg, etc., from Sir
Alexander Fraser, eighth of Philorth ; but, shortly after this, he appears to
have got into difficulties, and sold those possessions, in contravention of the
conditions under which he had acquired them, to Fraser of Muchalls, and
before the middle of the seventeenth century his patrimonial estate of Durris
had also passed into the hands of the representative of that family, 1 who had
become Lord Fraser. A few years later Sir Alexander Fraser, physician to
Charles II., purchased the lands of Durris. He may have been a cadet of the
old race, but his connection with it cannot be traced. He had two sons, one
by his first wife Elizabeth Dochty, Charles Fraser, who had no male issue,
the other by his second wife Dame Mary Carey, Sir Peter Fraser, to whom
he left the estate ; and as Sir Peter had no heirs-male, it passed through his
heir-female into the possession of the famous Earl of Peterborough.
In Laing's Scottish Seals, the seal of Sir Peter Fraser is described, and
he is said to have been " the last of the direct line of Sir Alexander Fraser,
Great Chamberlain of Scotland, a.d. 1396." 2 Whether this statement origi-
nated with Sir Peter Fraser himself, or is the invention of Mr. Laing's
correspondent, it is both inaccurate and audacious, for there was no
Chamberlain of Scotland of the Fraser name later than 1326 ; and if Sir
Peter Fraser could have established his connection with the old Durris
line, it would only have proved him a member of an illegitimate branch of
that of Philorth.
The Frasers of Findrack claim descent from " John, fourth son of Thomas
Fraser of Durris, son of Alexander Fraser, younger of Durris, slain at the
battle of Pinkie."
1 Castle Fraser Charters. 2 Laing's Scottish Seals, vol. ii. p. 67, No. 395.