General Notes

REFN: 8048AN
DNB makes Alexander Fraser son of Andrew Fraser and grandson of Richard Fr
aser, however, every historical document related to the Fraser family cal
ls Andrew son of Gilbert and Richard, Alexander's cousin. Therefore, docum
entation seems to support the parentage of Andrew being Gilbert and Christ
ian.
Owing to the failure, in this manner, of the direct male line, the male re
presentationship of the Frasers went of course to the next collateral mal
e, Sir Andrew Fraser, who will be immediately proved to have been a young
er son of Sir Gilbert Fraser, Sheriff of Traquair, formerly mentioned, t
he common ancestor, and the father and grandfather, respectively, of the t
wo Simons whose history and exploits have been narrated.
This Sir Andrew, consequently the younger brother of Sir Simon 'pater', w
as a distinguished character in his day, and is often mentioned in the ann
als of the period. The first notice we have of him is in June 1291, wh
en he swore allegiance to Edward I at Dunfermline, being designed as nobl
is vir Dominus Andreas Fraser. (Remarks on Ragman's Roll, 13 Prynne, II
I. 510) Baliol nominated Sir Andrew one of the umpires to decide the conte
st for the Crown, 5th June 1291; he was present when that pusillanimous pr
ince did homage to Edward on the 26th December 1292. He was sheriff of Sti
rling in 1291 and 1293, and dominus de Touch in the same county. By a mand
ate of Edward I on 3d September 1296, Andrew Fraser's lands in Fife, whi
ch he held of Ada de Valoynes, were ordered to be restored to him. On t
he 25th of June 1297, the same Prince bestowed upon him the manor of Ughtr
ethrestrother (hodierne Struthers) in Fife.
Animated with the ardent zeall which distinguished the Scottish nobles, S
ir Andrew Fraser and his son are deservdly eulogised for their valorour ex
ploits, in defending against and cruel and vindictive enemy the liberti
es of their native country. Sir Andrew soes not appear to have long surviv
ed Sir Simon, his gallant nephew. We learn from the Chartulary of Kelso, t
hat he executed a mortification, with consent of Beatrix his wife, to th
at religious house, under the appellation of Andreas Fraser, filius quond
am Gilberti Fraser militis, of a caracute of land in Wester Gordon. Both C
halmers and Crawford explicitly state, that Sir Andrew was the son of Gilb
ert Fraser, who was vicecomes of Traquair: But the previous authority is c
onclusive of the fact; because there was no other Gilbert, except the Sher
iff who figured at the time. Sir Andrew, obviously as a relative, is a wit
ness also to the deeds by Sir Simon, the grandson of Gilbert. AS, in subse
quent document to the above, in the cartulary of Kelso, and relative to i
t, in 1308, Sir Andrew is styled 'of good memory, now deceased,' he may ha
ve died about the latter period.
The latest writer on the subject seems to have had Andrew in view, wh
en he says that he was the father of Simon, who obtained the lands of Lova
t; but, by a chronological error, he calls him Adam, and says, he was a do
nator to the Abbey of Kelso. This will be pretty evident, when we consid
er that no Adam Fraser ever appears as a benefactor of that institution.
Though those fables, which migle with genealogical enquiry, when fram
ed in opposition to fact, we occasionally catch climpses of the truth. Th
us in a MS of the Saltoun family, the son of the preceding Andrew Fras
er of Touch is allowed to have laid the foundation of the noble fami
ly of Lovat, by marrying a great heiress, though the writer, by a stran
ge and unaccountable anachronism, has made the estate descend from Sir Ale
xander the son, to Sir Andrew the father. The perusal of what follows, wi
ll clearly expose a misrepresentation so gross as to assume a man, de
ad in 1308, to be the successor of another, whose career did not termina
te till 1322 and who did not marry, moreover, till 1316.
Equally to be reprehended is the looseness of e