Généalogie and Heritage

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The first of the Scottish family of Fraser appeared in the Borders during the 12th century. Their origins before this have been disputed, but not their power, for they held the most extensive lands in Peebleshire, their names appear regularly on the rolls of the royal councils, and they became regular benefactors of the religious foundations at Kelso, Newbattle and Coldingham. Their continued possession of lands outside Tweeddale is shown in the register of Kelso Abbey by the 1160 donation of Simon Fraser of a church on his lands at Keith near Haddington to the church of St Mary in Kelso, but their first major stronghold was Oliver Castle on the River Tweed, perhaps named for Oliver Fraser, whose gift of lands to Newbattle Abbey is noted in its register together with a gift from Adam Fraser, the son of his sister's marriage to Udard Fraser. (Simon died before 1190, leaving a daughter and heiress Eda who married Hugh Lorens and left a daughter who married Philip de Keith, Marischal of Scotland.) The lines of descent from Oliver and Adam are uncertain, but the power of the Frasers exerted from Oliver Castle was continued through Sir Bernard Fraser and Sir Gilbert Fraser, who held in their turn the hereditary office of Sheriff of Tweeddale. Bernard and Gilbert were probably Adam's brothers, sons of Udard. Bernard was Sheriff of Stirling in 1234 and thereafter is designated in charters as Dominus Bernardus Fraser miles. He married a sister of Nesius de London and died about 1250. Laurence, the only known child of his probable brother Adam, was his heir, but as no children of Laurence are recorded as such, this line, also, disappears. The third brother, Gilbert, had four sons, and although from this point the line of descent becomes clearer, the period until Hugh Fraser of Lovat was created Lord Fraser of Lovat in 1464 remains to some extent speculative. Ancestry: Udard Fraser, shown in the charters of Newbattle Abbey to be living in the second half of the 12th century, married a sister of Oliver Fraser of Oliver Castle, the son of Kylvert Fraser, and had issue: ..A1 Bernard Fraser, Knight, Sheriff of Stirling in 1234 and thereafter designated in charters as Dominus Bernardus Fraser miles, married a sister of Nesius de London and died about 1250 without known issue. ..A2 Adam Fraser, succeeded his maternal uncle in his lands of Hales and by his wife Constantia left issue a son: ....B1 Laurence Fraser, at some time Dominus de Drumelliare (Drumelzier), received the lands of his uncle, Sir Bernard, in North Hales and sold them. He had no known issue, but in November 1326 Sir William Fraser of Drumelzier, whose unknown relationship to Laurence was probably either that of son or nephew, resigned Drumelzier into the hands of King Robert I. ..A3 Gilbert Fraser of Olivercastle, direct ancestor of the Frasers of Muchalls and the Frasers of Philorth, and deemed the direct ancestor of the Frasers of Lovat, of Strichen, of Inverallochy, et al. [see below]

The first of the Scottish family of Fraser appeared in the Borders during the 12th century. Their origins before this have been disputed, but not their power, for they held the most extensive lands in Peebleshire, their names appear regularly on the rolls of the royal councils, and they became regular benefactors of the religious foundations at Kelso, Newbattle and Coldingham. Their continued possession of lands outside Tweeddale is shown in the register of Kelso Abbey by the 1160 donation of Simon Fraser of a church on his lands at Keith near Haddington to the church of St Mary in Kelso, but their first major stronghold was Oliver Castle on the River Tweed, perhaps named for Oliver Fraser, whose gift of lands to Newbattle Abbey is noted in its register together with a gift from Adam Fraser, the son of his sister's marriage to Udard Fraser. (Simon died before 1190, leaving a daughter and heiress Eda who married Hugh Lorens and left a daughter who married Philip de Keith, Marischal of Scotland.)

The lines of descent from Oliver and Adam are uncertain, but the power of the Frasers exerted from Oliver Castle was continued through Sir Bernard Fraser and Sir Gilbert Fraser, who held in their turn the hereditary office of Sheriff of Tweeddale. Bernard and Gilbert were probably Adam's brothers, sons of Udard. Bernard was Sheriff of Stirling in 1234 and thereafter is designated in charters as Dominus Bernardus Fraser miles. He married a sister of Nesius de London and died about 1250. Laurence, the only known child of his probable brother Adam, was his heir, but as no children of Laurence are recorded as such, this line, also, disappears. The third brother, Gilbert, had four sons, and although from this point the line of descent becomes clearer, the period until Hugh Fraser of Lovat was created Lord Fraser of Lovat in 1464 remains to some extent speculative.

Ancestry: Udard Fraser, shown in the charters of Newbattle Abbey to be living in the second half of the 12th century, married a sister of Oliver Fraser of Oliver Castle, the son of Kylvert Fraser, and had issue:
..A1 Bernard Fraser, Knight, Sheriff of Stirling in 1234 and thereafter designated in charters as Dominus Bernardus Fraser miles, married a sister of Nesius de London and died about 1250 without known issue.
..A2 Adam Fraser, succeeded his maternal uncle in his lands of Hales and by his wife Constantia left issue a son:
....B1 Laurence Fraser, at some time Dominus de Drumelliare (Drumelzier), received the lands of his uncle, Sir Bernard, in North Hales and sold them. He had no known issue, but in November 1326 Sir William Fraser of Drumelzier, whose unknown relationship to Laurence was probably either that of son or nephew, resigned Drumelzier into the hands of King Robert I.
..A3 Gilbert Fraser of Olivercastle, direct ancestor of the Frasers of Muchalls and the Frasers of Philorth, and deemed the direct ancestor of the Frasers of Lovat, of Strichen, of Inverallochy, et al. [see below]