The Clan Fraser in Canada Part 4

SIR GILBERT FRASER, IX. SIR SIMON FRASER, X. SIR SIMON FRASER, XI. SIR ANDREW FRASER.

THE CLAN IN THE HIGHLANDS.--The family extended northward by the marriage of Sir Andrew to a Caithness heiress, through which he acquired large estates in that country. His was a notable family of sons. The eldest, named Simon, gave the family its patronymic of "Mac-s.h.i.+mi"

(p.r.o.nounced Mac-Kimmie). He (Simon) married the daughter of the Earl of Orkney and Caithness, and it is believed by the family historians that this marriage brought the first Lovat property to the family. It would appear that the Countess of Orkney and Caithness, namely, Simon Fraser's mother-in-law, was the daughter of Graham of Lovat, and that her right in the Lovat property descended to her daughter, Simon's wife, in whose right he took possession. Thus, we see how the names Fraser and Lovat, now for so long a time almost synonymous, were first brought together, and how the Frasers obtained a footing on territory which has become indissolubly linked with their name.

Sir Andrew Fraser's other sons were Sir Alexander, Andrew and James; the first named, a powerful baron and statesman, who attained to the office of Chamberlain of Scotland, held previously, as we have seen, by his uncle, Bishop Fraser. In consideration of distinguished services, he was given in marriage Mary, sister of King Robert Bruce, and widow of Sir Nigel Campbell, of Lochow. He possessed lands in Kincardine, of which county he was sheriff. He was killed at the battle of Dupplin. Andrew and James, his brothers, with their brother, Simon of Lovat, were slain at the battle of Halidon Hill, July 22nd, 1333, and all four were in the front rank of the soldiers of their time.

The chiefs of the Clan Fraser date from:

I. SIMON, Sir Andrew's eldest son. He had three sons--Simon and Hugh, who both succeeded him in honors and estates, and James, who was knighted on the occasion of the coronation of Robert III.

II. SIMON succeeded his father, when still very young, and gave proof, in the field, that the military genius of the family was inherited by him. He died unmarried, after a brief but brilliant career, and his estates and the chiefs.h.i.+p went to his brother,

III. HUGH, styled "Dominus de Lovat." And, now, I shall keep briefly to the line of chiefs, and shall not burden you with many personal incidents that have come down to us, with respect to any of them, until we come to Lord Simon, who suffered death on Tower Hill. Hugh was succeeded by his two sons, first by ALEXANDER, the eldest, then by Hugh, the second son. From his third son, John, sprang the Frasers of Knock, in Ayrs.h.i.+re; and from Duncan, his fourth son, the Frasers of Morays.h.i.+re.

IV. ALEXANDER is described as a "pattern of primitive piety and sanct.i.ty to all around him." He died unmarried. An illegitimate son, named Robert, was the progenitor of "Sliochd Rob, Mhic a Mhanaich."

V. HUGH, his brother, who succeeded, acquired lands from the Fentons and Bissets, by marriage with the heiress of Fenton of Beaufort. The names of these lands, it will be interesting to note, forming as they do an important part of the estates long held by the Frasers. They are: Guisachan, now the property of Lord Tweedmouth; Comar, Kirkton, Mauld, Wester Eskadale and Uchterach. This Hugh, the fifth chief, was the first to a.s.sume the t.i.tle of Lord Lovat. He had three sons, Thomas, Alexander, who died unmarried, and Hugh. The first Lord Lovat was succeeded by his son,

VI. THOMAS, whose a.s.sumption of the t.i.tle is not mentioned by the family historians, but of whose accession there is good doc.u.mentary proof. The silence of the historians, however, has led to an error in the designation of his successors. For instance, his brother,

VII. HUGH, who succeeded him, is called Hugh, second Lord Lovat, instead of Hugh, third Lord Lovat. This Lord Lovat had two sons, Thomas and Hugh, the former of whom was Prior of Beauly, and died young and unmarried. He was succeeded by his son,

VIII. HUGH, fourth Lord Lovat, who had a decisive brush with the Macdonalds, under the Lord of the Isles, when the latter besieged the Castle of Inverness in 1429. He was a peer of Parliament, and is supposed to have been the first Lord Lovat to have attained to that dignity, with the t.i.tle, Lord Fraser of the Lovat. He had four sons, who deserve mention: Thomas, who succeeded; Hugh, a brave soldier and accomplished courtier, who was slain at Flodden; Alexander, from whom sprang the old cadets of Farraline, Leadclune, etc.; and John, the historian of Henry VIII., the learned Franciscan and astute amba.s.sador.

There were also two illegitimate sons--Thomas and Hugh, the latter, progenitor of the Frasers of Foyers, and of many other Fraser families, known as "Sliochd Huistein Fhrangaich."

IX. THOMAS, fifth Lord Lovat, added the lands of Phopachy, Englishton, Bunchrew and Culburnie, the last-named place from Henry Douglas, to the family estates, which were a.s.suming very large proportions. He had a large family. The eldest son, named Hugh, succeeded to the estates. From the second son, William, sprang the Frasers of Belladrum, Culbokie, Little Struy, etc.; from James, the Frasers of Foyness; from Robert, the Frasers of Brakie, Fifes.h.i.+re; from Andrew, "Sliochd Anndra Ruadh a Chnuic" (Kirkhill); from Thomas, "Sliochd Ian 'Ic Thomais"; John married a daughter of Grant of Grant, with issue; and from Hugh Ban of Reelick (an illegitimate son), came the Frasers of Reelick and Moniack.

X. HUGH, sixth Lord Lovat, was the chief of the Clan at the time of the disastrous fight with the Macdonalds at Kinlochlochy, of which I shall read a short description later on.[2] At this affray Lord Hugh and his eldest son, Simon, were slain. His second son, Alexander, succeeded, and his third son, William, was ancestor of the Frasers of Struy. His fourth son, Hugh, died young and unmarried.

XI. ALEXANDER, seventh Lord Lovat, a man of literary tastes, lived in comparative retirement. His three sons were: Hugh, his successor; Thomas, first of Knockie and Strichen, from whom the present chief, whose family in 1815 succeeded to the Fraser estates, sprang, and James, ancestor of the Frasers of Ardachie, the Memoir and Correspondence of a scion of which, General James Stuart Fraser, of the Madras Army, was a few years ago, given to the world, as the distinguished record of a soldier, a scholar and a statesman.

XII. HUGH, the eighth Lord Lovat, succeeded at the age of fourteen. He was noted for his proficiency in archery, wrestling, and the athletics of the day; he greatly encouraged the practice of manly exercises on his estates. He was a staunch supporter of Regent Murray, and at the Reformation secured possession of the Priory of Beauly and the church lands pertaining to it, including the town lands of Beauly, and some of the best tacks on the low-lying part of the present estates, in the parishes of Kilmorack and Kiltarlity, the mere names indicating the value of the grant: Fanblair, Easter Glenconvinth, Culmill, Urchany, Farley, Craigscorry, Platchaig, Teafrish, Annat, Groam, Inchrorie, Rhindouin, Teachnuic, Ruilick, Ardnagrask, Greyfield, the Mains of Beauly, as well as valuable river fis.h.i.+ngs. Mr. Chisholm Batten's book on Beauly Priory contains many interesting facts regarding the acquisition of these fertile and extensive lands, for which his Lords.h.i.+p paid a certain sum of money. He married a daughter of the Earl of Athol, and had two sons, Simon and Thomas, and a natural son, named Alexander, who married Janet, daughter of Fraser of Moniack. Thomas died in his ninth year. Lord Hugh died at Towie, in Mar, on his way home from Edinburgh. It was suspected that he had been poisoned.

XIII. SIMON, ninth Lord Lovat, succeeded at the tender age of five.

Thomas of Knockie became tutor for the young chief, an office of power and responsibility. He was married three times. By his first wife, Catherine Mackenzie, he had issue, a son and daughter, Hugh, his successor, and Elizabeth. By his second wife, the daughter of James Stuart, Lord Doune, he had two sons and three daughters: Sir Simon of Inverallochy, Sir James of Brea, Anne, Margaret and Jean. His third wife was Catherine Rose of Kilravock.

XIV. HUGH, tenth Lord Lovat, had already a large family when he succeeded to the estates. Three years after his accession his wife died, leaving him with nine children, six sons and three daughters. Her death cast a gloom over his life, and, practically retiring from business, the management of the estates for a time fell on his son Simon, Master of Lovat, a young man of the brightest promise, whose untimely death was a second severe blow to his father. His dying address is a remarkable production. His next elder brother, Hugh, became Master of Lovat, and Sir James Fraser, of Brea, became tutor. The Master of Lovat married Lady Anne Leslie, and died a year afterwards, during his father's lifetime, leaving a son, Hugh, who succeeded to the t.i.tles and estates.

Hugh the tenth Lord Lovat's issue were: Simon and Hugh, to whom reference has just been made; Alexander, who became tutor; Thomas of Beaufort, father of the celebrated Simon; William, who died young; James, who died without issue, and Mary, Anne and Catherine.

XV. HUGH, grandson of the tenth Lord Lovat, succeeded as eleventh Lord Lovat, when only three years old. At sixteen he was, to use the words of the chronicler, "decoyed into a match" with Anne, sister of Sir George Mackenzie of Tarbat, the famous lawyer, the lady being at the time of the marriage, about thirty years of age. There were born to them a son, named Hugh, who, from a black spot on his upper lip, was nick-named "Mac-s.h.i.+mi, Ball Dubh," "Black-spotted Mackimmie;" and three daughters.

XVI. Hugh, "The Black-spotted," succeeded as twelfth Lord Lovat. He married a daughter of Murray, Marquis of Athole, a connection in which the pretensions of the Murrays, thwarted by Simon of Beaufort, find their source. This chief left four daughters, but no son, and having had no brothers or uncles on the father's side, the succession went to Thomas of Beaufort, surviving son of Hugh, the tenth Lord Lovat, and grand-uncle of Hugh, "The Black-spotted."

XVII. Thomas of Beaufort a.s.sumed the t.i.tle as thirteenth Lord Lovat, and would probably have been left in undisputed possession but for the marriage contract made by the twelfth Lord, at the instance of the Athols, settling the estates on his eldest daughter, failing male heirs of his body. It is true that afterwards he revoked this settlement in favor of the nearest male heir, viz., Thomas of Beaufort, but the validity of the later doc.u.ment was contested, and it was only after a long and extraordinary struggle, in which plot, intrigue and violence played a part, as well as protracted litigation, that his son's t.i.tle to the estates was confirmed.

XVIII. SIMON of Beaufort succeeded his father, as fourteenth Lord Lovat, after, as has been stated, many years of fierce contest concerning his rights. He had an elder brother, named Alexander, who, according to report then current, died young in Wales, and without issue. His younger brothers were named Hugh, John, Thomas, and James. The cause of Alexander's flight to Wales forms one of the best known legends of the family. There are various versions of it, but I shall give that most commonly related by old people in the district of the Aird: Alexander arrived, somewhat late, at a wedding at Teawig, near Beauly. His appearance was the signal for the piper to strike up the tune, "Tha Biodag air MacThomais," some of the lines of which run:

Tha biodag air Mac Thomais, Tha biodag fhada, mhor, air; Tha biodag air Mac Thomais, Ach's math a dh' fhoghnadh sgian da.

Tha biodag anns a chliobadaich, Air mac a bhodaich leibidich; Tha biodag anns a chliobadaich, Air mac a bhodaich romaich.

Tha bhiodag deanadh gliogadaich, 'Si ceann'lt ri bann na briogais aig'; Tha bucallan 'n a bhrogan, Ged 's math a dh' fhoghnadh ial daibh.

It was whispered to Alexander that the piper selected this tune to cause merriment at his expense, and the youth, to turn the jest against the piper, determined to rip open the bag of the pipes, with his dirk. But in doing so, his foot slipped, and he fell heavily towards the piper with the naked dirk in his outstretched arm. The piper was fatally wounded, and Alexander, who had been an extreme partizan of the Jacobites, believed that were he tried for the murder of the piper, the hostility of Sir George Mackenzie, of Tarbat, would inevitably secure a sentence of death against him. He fled to Wales, where he was befriended by Earl Powis, under whose protection, it is said, he lived on, married, and had issue, while his next younger brother, Simon, enjoyed the t.i.tle and estates. Mr. John Fraser, of Mount Pleasant, Carnarvon, not long ago, laid claim to the chiefs.h.i.+p, t.i.tle and estates, on the ground that he is a lineal descendant of this Alexander, and although he lost his case in one trial, he is still gathering evidence, with the view of having it re-opened and further pus.h.i.+ng his claim.

For his share in the Jacobite rising of 1745, Simon, fourteenth Lord Lovat, was beheaded on Tower Hill, April 9th, 1747. Lord Simon's faults were not few, but he has been a much maligned man; his vices have been flaunted before the world, his virtues have been obscured. In extreme old age he gave up his life on the scaffold; and his fate, believed by some to be richly deserved, by others has been characterized as martyrdom. He left three sons, Simon, Alexander and Archibald Campbell Fraser.

XIX. SIMON succeeded to the chiefs.h.i.+p, but that honor was unaccompanied by the estates and t.i.tle, which had been forfeited to the crown. For his services as commandant of Fraser's Highlanders in the service of the House of Hanover, he was specially thanked by Parliament, and the paternal estates restored to him. I have been informed by the Grand Master Mason of Ontario that this Colonel Simon (afterwards General Simon Fraser of Lovat) was the first Provincial Master Mason in Upper Canada, the order having been established there at the time of the stirring events in which Fraser's Highlanders partic.i.p.ated while in Quebec. General Simon married, but without issue, and his brother Alexander having predeceased him without issue, he was succeeded in possession of the estates by his half-brother,

XX. COLONEL ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL FRASER of Lovat. The t.i.tle was still held in abeyance. Colonel Archibald was a man of erratic habits, but a kind-hearted Highlander, and a man of no mean ability. An account of his honors and public services he embodied in an inscription on his tombstone, but while the production is typical of his well-known eccentricity, as a matter of fact, not a little of the praise which he takes to himself for services to his country and his county, was well deserved. He had five sons, all of whom predeceased him. His eldest son was named Simon Frederick. He became member of Parliament for Inverness-s.h.i.+re. He died in 1803, unmarried, but left one son, Archibald Thomas Frederick Fraser, well-known in our own day as "Abertarf," from having resided there. None of the other sons of Colonel Archibald left legitimate issue, and at his death, in 1815, the succession reverted to the Frasers of Strichen, descended, as already observed, from Thomas Fraser of Knockie and Strichen, second son of Alexander, the sixth Lord Lovat, represented, at the time of Colonel Archibald's death, by

XXI. THOMAS ALEXANDER FRASER, of Strichen, who succeeded to the estates, and was created Lord Lovat by Act of Parliament, in 1837; and, in 1857, succeeded in having the old t.i.tle restored to him. The succession of the Strichen family created a strong hostile feeling among the Clansmen and the old tenants generally, many of them believing that other aspirants who appeared had stronger claims. The Frasers of Strichen, however, were able to satisfy the courts as to the validity of their claim, and they were confirmed in the possession of the estates. A curious incident of the time may be briefly related, to ill.u.s.trate both the feeling then prevailing concerning the succession, and the religious beliefs which were held then in the Highlands. It was, and to some extent yet is, believed that the Divine purpose, with respect to every-day events, may be disclosed in appropriate portions of Scripture which impress themselves intensely on the mind of the devout believer. Two tenant-farmers, whose names, if given, would at once be a guarantee of their good faith, and of their respectability, went from the vicinity of Belladrum to the neighborhood of Redcastle, to a man whose piety gave him an eminent place among The Men of Ross-s.h.i.+re. They went to confer with him about the Lovat estates, and to find out whether he had any "indication" of the "mind of the Lord" as to whether the Frasers of Strichen would be established in their tenure of the estates against all comers. They were hospitably welcomed, and, their errand having been made known, their host replied that he had had no such indication. They remained that night, the next day and the night following, but during all this time did not see their host. On the morning of the third day he joined them at the frugal breakfast, after which he led them to a window overlooking the Beauly Firth and said: "Since your arrival I have pled hard for light at the Throne. If G.o.d ever did reveal His Will to me by His Word, He did so last night. You see a fis.h.i.+ng-smack before you on the firth; as sure as you do observe her there, with her sail spread, catching the wind, so sure will, in G.o.d's good time, the Strichens pa.s.s away from the possession of the Lovat estates, and the rightful heir, will come to his own. My warrant, given to me in my wrestling with G.o.d, is this prophetic pa.s.sage: 'And thou, profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord G.o.d: Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.' (Ezek. XXI., 25-27) G.o.d's purpose thus revealed will not be fulfilled in our day, nor likely in the day of our children, but our grandchildren will likely see it accomplished." The old man's words made a deep impression; but only a few friends were informed of them, not only because they were held as a sacred message, but also because of the "power of the estate office."

Whatever may be thought of beliefs thus formed, no one who knew the devout, simple-hearted Highlander of the generation just gone, will fail to appreciate the humility and sincerity with which such beliefs were entertained.

But to return to the fortunes of the House of Lovat. Thomas Alexander, fifteenth Lord Lovat, married a daughter of Sir George Jerningham, afterwards Baron Stafford, and had male issue, Simon, Allister Edward, George Edward Stafford (b. 1834, d. 1854), and Henry Thomas. His second son, Allister Edward, rose to the rank of Colonel in the army; was married, with issue, one son. Hon. Henry Thomas attained to the rank of Colonel of the 1st battalion Scots Guards. Lord Lovat died in 1885, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

XXII. SIMON, sixteenth Lord Lovat, who, born in 1828, and married to the daughter of Thomas Weld Blundell, was already a man of mature years at the time of his accession. He was known in song as "Fear Donn an Fheilidh." He was noted for his generous qualities and his kindness to the poor. He was a keen sportsman, expert with rod, gun and rifle, a marksman of repute. He did much to encourage the militia movement, and commanded the Inverness-s.h.i.+re regiment for many years. The circ.u.mstances of his sad and sudden death, from an affection of the heart, while grouse-shooting on the Moy Hall moors, in 1887, are fresh in our minds.

An extract from a newspaper article, written on the occasion of his death, may be taken as a fair estimate of his character: "By this sudden and painful blow a n.o.bleman has been taken away who filled a conspicuous place in this vicinity, and who was held in the highest respect. Having succeeded to his father in 1875, he has enjoyed the t.i.tle and estates for only twelve years (1887). But as Master of Lovat he was known for many years before that time as a worthy and popular representative of a great and ancient Highland house. No county gathering seemed to be complete without his presence. . . . Homely in his manner, he was never difficult to approach, and his kindness of spirit showed itself in many ways. Conscientious and sober in judgment, he steadily endeavored to do his duty; and his lamented death caused a blank which cannot easily be filled." He left a family of nine, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

XXIII. SIMON JOSEPH, seventeenth Lord Lovat, to whose health, as our chief, we have drained our gla.s.ses this evening. That he may have a long and happy life is our fervent prayer; and may G.o.d grant him wisdom and grace that he may be a useful and a prosperous chief; that he may add new l.u.s.tre to the distinguished name he bears, and prove worthy of the ancestry of which he is the proud representative.

We have now traced the long line of chiefs from the beginning down to the present day, and I must thank you for the wonderful patience with which you have listened to the dry bones of genealogy; in what remains[3] I hope I shall prove less tedious than in that which I have concluded.

The speaker then referred briefly to the Aberdeens.h.i.+re Frasers, and to some of the princ.i.p.al Cadet families of the Clan. He gave an explanation of the coat of arms, related a number of interesting Clan incidents, including forays, Clan feuds, and anecdotes of a local character. At some length he described the Home of the Clan, pointing out its extent on a map of Inverness-s.h.i.+re, colored to show the gradual increase and decrease of territory, which kept pace with the varying fortunes of the Clan; expatiating on the great variety and beauty of its scenery, tributes to which he quoted from Christopher North, David Macrae, Robert Carruthers and Evan MacColl.

[Footnote 2: See account by Rev. Allan Sinclair, A. M., in Celtic Magazine.]

[Footnote 3: This part of the speech, being of a general character, has been omitted for consideration of s.p.a.ce.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MR. ROBERT LOVAT FRASER, 1st Vice-Chairman.]

MR. ROBERT LOVAT FRASER, Vice-chairman, replied to the toast. He said: My duty, through the kindness of the committee, is certainly not so arduous in replying to the toast of the evening, as that which has been imposed upon the Chairman in proposing it. The length of his address, the facts regarding the origin and the outlines of the history of the Clan which he gave, make it unnecessary for me to dwell at length on this interesting topic. Indeed, I found on listening to the Chairman, that I had a great deal to learn about our Clan, and I am sure that I express not only my own thanks, but yours to him, in placing before us, so clearly and minutely, the leading facts regarding our ancestry and kindred. All my life long I have been an ardent admirer of some of the more prominent Frasers who have figured in our Clan history. My own connection with the Clan in the Highlands is somewhat remote, the last of my forefathers who resided there having had to leave his home and friends, on account of the part which he took with his Clan in the uprising of '45. But although we have been cut off from that close connection which is thought necessary to keep alive a sentimental interest in such things, I can a.s.sure you that no clansman born within the shadow of Castle Downie can boast with greater truth of possessing more enthusiasm and interest than I in all that pertains to the Clan Fraser. The Clan has a history which we as clansmen should so study as to become perfectly familiar with it. Its record has been written in the events of the times as well as on the page of history, and no more inspiring or patriotic duty lies to our hand than the study of that record. I firmly believe that the influence of the clan feeling was a good influence, and that the idea of kins.h.i.+p and responsibility to each other for good behavior, as to kinsmen, had much to do in bringing about the high moral tone which distinguishes the Highland clans. It did much also to prepare the minds of those people for the enlightenment and love which Christianity brought with it, and which are so strikingly exemplified in the Highland character. I would say therefore to the young men, 'employ part of your evenings in the reading of the Clan history,' and to the older people, 'devote a little of the time of your remaining years to a like purpose.' I do not think it necessary, after what we have just heard, to enter into historic details; neither is it necessary to defend the honor of the Clan where there are no a.s.sailants.

The Clan has taken its place honorably among its contemporaries and neighbors. It invariably performed its duty in a manner highly creditable to the public spirit of its members and to their high standard of justice. There were it is true at times in the Clan, as in every other body of people, men whose names have been perpetuated because of evil rather than good. These, however, have been singularly few in the Clan Fraser, and even where statements are found to their discredit, the malice of interested foes not infrequently lends a heightened color to charges which might to some extent have been founded on fact. This I believe to be true in the case of Simon Lord Lovat, who had the misfortune to be the subject of biographical sketches by his enemies, but of whom a juster view now prevails. Happily the prominent clansmen, whose characteristics needed no defence, but called forth admiration and emulation, were many. To name them would be but to recite a long and distinguished list. Their characteristics were such as to challenge public commendation. With them as examples no clansman need feel ashamed of the name. But what I should like to impress most of all upon our Clan throughout the country is the necessity for a sentiment of loyalty to the Clan name and its traditions. Seeing that we have such a history let us prize it. Let every clansman feel proud of it, and let him see to it that his conduct and ambition are in every way in keeping with the record of the past, and in this way prove himself not only a good citizen, a good neighbor and a good friend, but a good clansman, and hand down the character of the Clan unsullied to posterity. This would be a most laudable ambition and one which I feel sure every Fraser worthy of the name will strive earnestly to attain.

Two gentlemen, Frasers all but in name, had been invited as guests. They were Mr. B. Homer Dixon, Consul General for the Netherlands, and Mr.

Hugh Miller, J. P., both of Toronto. Their health was proposed by the chairman, who paid a high compliment to Mr. Homer Dixon, who, he said, had taken the warmest interest in matters relating to the Clan, and who was a living encyclopedia of information regarding its history and affairs. Mr. Dixon's connection was derived from his maternal side, and not a few Clan relics were in his possession. His absence from the gathering was on account of indifferent health, and it was regretted very much by those present. In coupling Mr. Miller's name with the toast, the Chairman referred to that gentleman's long connection with the business interests of the city of Toronto. Mr. Hugh Miller was a relative of his namesake, the famous geologist, and his name was as well known in Ontario business and national circles, as was that of his distinguished namesake in the field of literature and science. Mr.

Miller rightly claimed to be of Fraser stock--he certainly had the Fraser spirit. He sat with them as an honored guest, but none the less an honored clansman.

MR. MILLER, in reply, expressed the great satisfaction with which he had received an invitation to be present at what he might truly describe as a gathering of his own clansmen. It was well known that in Scotland, as in other countries, men were often named after the occupations which they followed, and it was not a mere tradition but a fact within the knowledge of his immediate forebears that they were of pure Fraser stock. They had worn the Fraser tartan, and had always taken a deep interest in whatever pertained to the affairs of the Clan. When the Chairman, in giving the toast of the Clan, had referred to the places a.s.sociated with the name, he was brought back in memory over a long period of time. At his age, the sweep of memory to boyhood's days was a long one, and he could well recall the events in the Highlands of Scotland over sixty years ago. He had a loving and familiar recollection of scenes, than which there were none more beautiful under the sun, and of people who had animated these fair surroundings. The Fraser estates were among the finest in Britain, affording examples of beauty calculated to leave a very vivid impression on the youthful mind, and during his long life his early impressions had ever remained fresh and green. He remembered the time when the succession to the chiefs.h.i.+p and estates was in hot dispute, and he knew how deeply the clansmen were moved by that contest. Down to that day the feeling of the clans was as strong as of old, and doubtless if occasion arose, it would prove to be strong still. At that time there were various claimants for the honors and possessions of the ancient house of Lovat, and as a boy he saw a good deal of those who were prominently concerned in the case. The Frasers were very anxious that the true heir by blood should succeed, and much was privately as well as openly done on behalf of the various contestants, according as the clansmen believed in the various claims put forward. As to the main object of their re-union that evening, he could do nothing but express his sincere hope that a strong a.s.sociation of the Frasers would be formed. There was no reason whatever why such an organization should not flourish in Canada, where those bearing the name could be numbered by thousands. He had the good fortune to know not a few Frasers in Canada, and he could honestly say that none of them, so far as he knew, ever did anything that in any way tarnished the good name of the Clan. He had great hopes of the success of the movement from the enthusiasm of the gathering, and from the fact that those who had taken the matter in hand were men of energy and capacity. He could now only thank them for having honored the toast in such a hospitable manner, and wish them all success in the projected organization.

"THE CLAN IN CANADA."

MR. R. LOVAT FRASER, Vice-chairman, in proposing the toast of "The Clan in Canada," said: The Clan in Canada is not, of course, as important as the Clan at large, but it has an importance altogether its own, and has a record not unworthy the parent stem. It is a branch of a goodly tree, and bears fruit of the finest quality. No clan has done more, if as much, for Canada as the Clan Fraser. Coming with the famous Seventy-Eighth regiment they did their duty at Louisburg and Quebec, and stamped the Clan name indelibly on the history of Canada, from ocean to ocean. Not only did they render services in the east, but in pioneer work helped to open up the west by travel, trade and commerce. A distinguished clansman and a relation of my friend on the right (Fraserfield) was the discoverer of the Fraser River. To those of us who highly prize the integrity of the British Empire it must be a source of pride to know that the part taken by the Seventy-Eighth in Lower Canada helped very much to keep the American continent for the British Crown.

The history of that time clearly proves that had the fortunes of war been adverse in Canada to the British arms, the French would have been in a position to overrun and seize the whole of North America. This is a fact which is sometimes lost sight of, but is one of much satisfaction to us as clansmen. To those whose names have been coupled with this interesting toast, I must leave the duty of dealing at length with it, and I rejoice that both of them are gentlemen thoroughly familiar with the subject and of recognized ability as speakers. I refer to Mr. E. A.

Fraser, barrister of Detroit, and our worthy friend, Mr. G. B. Fraser, of Toronto.