Introduction to Scotland and the Fraser Clan

Introduction

I was born in Edinburgh but my father took a job in Australia when I was only a year old so I had never really seen Scotland until I saw the movie "Braveheart" with him. I found it tremendously moving to see the lives of people who must have been my ancestors. It's all the more significant to me now as my father and, later, my mother died not so long ago.  (There's a link in the sidebar to read more about them)

The address given is no longer in the family but that was the family home for many years and that was the last place the extended family was together.  Over time member of the family has formed a clan of his or her own but all look back on that house as the home we shared.

I've been most of the way around the world now but my journey won't be complete until I go back to Scotland. I'm not so far away from Scotland now and I hope before too much more time passes to go there.

Alan Fraser


Scotland

The grand history of Scotland is a huge fascination to me, in part to help me understand the origins of my family.  With Frasers on one side and Sopers / Clarks on the other, my heritage is almost entirely Scottish and it has fascinated me to learn more of what has been home to all of those families for generations.

The Celtic times are mystical in many ways and the enigmas of that era are hugely interesting in their own right. With a mythology that stretches back thousands of years, the sources and inspiration of the tales is most intriguing.


History of the Fraser Clan

Brian Fraser wrote an extensive description of the history of the Frasers from a possible origin in France as the 'bearers of strawberries' up through the more notable events in recent history.


Alex and Anne Fraser

My parents traveled much of the world and wound up in America but Scotland was always home and their blog, external to this one, tells that story:  Alex Fraser, Geneticist and Painter.  The link is also in the blog sidebar.

Royalty

The summary timeline of Scottish history is fairly continuous back to 800 B.C.  The history is fairly comprehensive but there is always more that can be said.  The objective is to provide a summary timeline rather than to provide the definitive reference source.  The easiest way to find it is to click the INDEX tab at a the top of the blog to link directly to it.


Faeries

The faeries and other creatures of Scottish / Celtic mythology are many and highly diverse. The sheer number of them is impressive and the variety is incredible.  There are multiple ways to find any particular name:

• Click the INDEX tab at the top of the blog to show an index into the articles about faeries.
• Look at the Titles in the blog Archive as that will provide an index into the articles as well.
• Scroll through the blog, clicking on the names of faeries as you see them and that will take you from one article to another.

Bibliography

These are books I have found very useful in learning more about Scotland.


Links

Click the LINKS tab at the top of the blog for links for finding products made in Scotland and / or learning more about Scotland.

Scottish Mythology - Abbey Lubber / Awd Goggie

Abbey Lubber

The monks of the Middle Ages were not always the pious individuals that one might hope and Abbey Lubbers caused many problems.  Some say they just wanted to share in the ill-gotten gains of the monks and others believe they were trying to expose the corruption of crooked monasteries.  The Buttery Spirits, sometimes known as the Traveler's Torch, behaved the same way with inns and taverns.


Aiken Drum

Dressed only in clothing comprised of food, Aiken Drum must have presented something of a strange appearance to those who encountered him.  According to the nursery rhyme, he lived in the Moon.  The modern version of the nursery rhyme took out the part about Willy Wood eating Aiken Drum's food.

Ainsel

Little boys who ignore their mothers and stay up too late may meet Ainsel coming down the chimney onto the hearth of the fireplace.


Apple-Tree Man

The oldest apple tree in an orchard is the Apple Tree Man and he guards over the other trees.  It's good to feed him apple cider and leave a little something for the robins in his branches.


Aughisky

The Irish water horse rose from the sea to gallop across land and anyone who could catch one would have a marvelous animal.  However, if it ever again heard or saw the sea, it would kill its rider as it galloped back into the water.  The Aughisky is very similar to the Each Uisge of Scotland.


Awd Goggie

This is a type of Bogie who is a caterpillar large enough to eat the children who ignore their mother's order to stay away from forests, orchards, and particularly berry bushes.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Banshee / Bwbachod

Banshee

The prophet of death is a beautiful woman who died young.  If many banshees are seen at once, then something terrible is about to happen.


Barguest

Like the Banshee, it once appeared when someone important was going to die.  It is also like the Hedley Kow in that it can change its shape.  It is generally unlucky to see it.


Bauchan

Sometimes helpful and sometimes playful, the Bauchan might associate itself with a specific individual.


Bean-nighe

Like the Irish banshees, in the Highlands of Scotland these are prophets of death.


Bendith y Mamau

These are very ugly fairies who like to steal mortal children and leave their Changelings in place of them.


Billy Blind

He is a helpful Hobgoblin who is very loyal and helpful to his chosen family.


Black Annis

She was a real charmer in that she was hideously ugly, cannibalistic, and her howls could be heard for miles.


Black Dogs

Stories of black dogs are quite common and most of them are bad.  Some black dogs will protect travelers against thieves.


Blue Burches

He was a hobgoblin who played harmless pranks until he was chased into a pond by a parson.  He may have become an Each Uisge after that.


Blue-Cap

This is one of the many varieties of mine Brownies but is friendly and a very hard worker.


Blue Men of the Minch

Their colors came from their tattoos and they like to swim out to passing ships to sink them.


Bockles

See Knockers.


Bodach

This is the Brownie found in the Highlands of Scotland.


Bogan

See also Bauchan


Boggart

This is a brownie who has turned to mischief, possibly because he has been teased by the family he has chosen.


Bogies

Delighting in tormenting mortals, bogies can be very dangerous.

See also Unseelie Court.


Bogles

In Scotland, a bogie is generally only dangerous to evil-doers.


Brag

Like the Hedley Kow or the Dunnie, the Brag can change its shape.  It generally prefers to appear as a horse as it seems to be able to do the most mischief this way.


Brown Man of the Muirs

He is a dwarf who guards the animals of the forests and is capable of killing a mortal who harms one of 'his' creatures.


Brownie

Brownies are quite willing to work for a family during the night so long as they receive a good meal for their services.  However, they may leave if they are criticized.

See also Pixies.


Bucca

He sometimes helped fishermen if he was given a fish and some ale.  Mothers also used to warn children about him so there were clearly good ones and bad ones.


Buggane

Pending


Buttery Spirits

Since they cannot eat quality food, Buttery Spirits live only in places where innkeepers are watering the wine and serving sub-standard food.  They were very bad news for crooked innkeepers and they were would sometimes leave them in the stable with a feedbag over the head.


Bwbachod

These are the Brownies of Wales.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Cabyll-Ushtey / Cu Sith

Cabyll-Ushtey

The water-horse of the Isle of Man.

See also the Each Uisge of Scotland and the Aughisky of Ireland.


Cailleach Bheur

She is the spirit of winter and she tends to the forest animals during that season.

See also the Brown Man of the Muirs.


Capelthwaite

He could take any shape he liked but generally appeared as a black dog who liked to help the farmers bring their sheep and cattle in from the fields.


Cauld Lad of Hilton

Half brownie and half ghost, he haunted the Hilton Castle by making a great racket while he cleaned anything that was left dirty over-night in the kitchen.


Changelings

Fairies sometimes stole mortal babies and left changelings in their place.


Clap-Cans

He really doesn't do anything other than clapping his cans and making a great racket.


Cluricane

He was a solitary fairy who was said to hide in a cask so he could move along with the home-owner.


Coblynau

These are the mine goblins of Wales.  A miner could follow their sound to be best ore in the mine.

See also the Knockers.


Coleman Gray

An old chap found a small Pixie who was cold, hungry and lost.  The fellow nurse the pixie back to health but one day a voice called out to Coleman Gray.  With that, the pixie dashed away to his father and never returned.


Crodh Mara

These are the water-cattle of the Highlands of Scotland and will lead an entire herd of mortal cows into a fairy hill if not watched very closely.  While not as dangerous, they resemble the Each Uisge.


Cu Sith

A dark-green fairy dog with feet as large as a man's, they were generally used as protection of the fairy house.  If released, they could be extremely dangerous.

See also the Black Dogs.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Dando and his Dogs / Dwarfs

Dando and His Dogs

Dando was a corrupt priest who is said to rise up from Hell to ride with his dogs on stormy nights.


Daoine Sidhe

The fairy people of Ireland were once the size of men but got smaller over time.


Devil's Dandy Dogs

Lonely travelers in Cornwall might fall prey to the Wild Hunt.  The only defense is to stop running and pray.


Dobby

He is a Hobgoblin who is kind to old men.


Dooinney-Oie

He warns of storms by shouting or blowing a horn.


Doonie

The Doonies are something like the Dunnies of Northumberland but the stories about Doonies all tell of rescue.


Dragons

English dragons are flightless but have poisonous breath.  St George's dragon has the wings of a bat and can breathe fire.


Duergar

The evil dwarfs of northern England, hate men and are a great danger to travelers.


Dunnie

He liked to play tricks on people by appearing as a donkey and then disappearing at an amusing moment.  It has been more than a century since he was last seen.


Dunters

Some say that Dunters are spirits of creatures sacrificed by the Picts.  If the haunting sound made by the Dunters gets louder, it becomes an omen of death.

See also Redcaps.


Dwarfs

The dwarfs of the British Isles generally had specific names (e.g. Knockers)


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Each Uisge / Elves

Each Uisge

The Highland water-horse is more dangerous than the Aughisky or the Cabyll-ushtey.

See also Kelpies.


Ellyllon

The elves of Wales are tiny, elegant and helpful to mortals in distress.


Elves

In Scotland, Elves are of human size but the English elves are small fairy people.  In either case, one has to be careful with them as they will avenge themselves of any wrongdoing.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Fairies / Foul-Weather

Fairies on the Eastern Green

Smugglers took some time to watch a fairy dance but found themselves under an attack due to this insult.  Bad luck followed them for the rest of their lives.


Fairy Animals

As with animals known to humans, fairy animals are wild and domestic.

See also the Each Uisge, the Kelpie and the Cabyll-Ushtey.


Fairy Brides

When a mortal takes a fairy bride, they can only find happiness if she takes him back to Fairyland with her.


Fenodoree

He was banished from Fairyland for dancing with a mortal girl.  Nevertheless, he continues to love mortals and he applies his tremendous strength to working in the fields of Manx.

See also Brownie


Ferrishyn

These are the fairy people of Manx.


Finvarra

He is the Fairy King of Ulster and is sometimes called the King of the Dead.


Foul-Weather

A king was building a cathedral and he made a deal with a goblin to complete the work.  If the goblin could complete the work before the king could guess his name, then the goblin would take his heart; otherwise he would do it for free.  The king guessed the name just as the goblin was putting the last touches on the cathedral.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Gabriel Hounds / Green Children

Gabriel Hounds

See the Devil's Dandy Dogs.


Gathorns

See also Knockers.


Giants

The largest of the Giants were kindly and helpful to mortals.


Goblins

They are small, evil, quite ugly, and malicious toward mortals.  On the other hand, the Hobgoblin can be mischievous but rarely hurtful.


Green Children

These children were somehow detached from their parents and had quite a difficult time getting accustomed to human ways.  The boy wasted away but the girl lost the green pallor in her skin and took on human ways.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Habetrot / Hobgoblins

Habetrot

The patron fairy of spinners in the Border Country.


Hedley Kow

While not dangerous, he was a bogey-beast who was not above pulling outrageous practical jokes.


Henkies

To 'henk' is to limp and the Henkies were ugly little Trows of the Shetlands who limped when they walked.


Hobgoblins

Although hobmen like practical jokes as much as anyone in Fairyland, they are very helpful to mortals and behave much the same as Brownies.

See also Goblins.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Imps

Imps

There is nothing good to say about Imps as they are regarded as offshoots from Satan.

See also Goblins and Bogies.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Kelpies / Knockers

Kelpies

Much like Each Uisge, the Kelpie preferred running water while the Each Uisge preferred the ocean or a loch.


Knockers

Cornish mine spirits made a great deal of noise in their working but it was generally very unlucky to watch them and it was particularly unlucky to make a deal with them and then cheat on it.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Lady of the Lake / Lepracauns

Lady of the Lake

Possibly the most enigmatic 'creature' in all of Fairyland, the Lady of the Lake was first regarded as a water fairy who simply rose storms at sea.  She later became entwined in the stories of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, particularly Sir Lancelot.


Lambton Worm

Worms (i.e. flightless dragons) wrapped themselves several times around a wormhill.  The story tells us more about what happens to boys who skip church on Sundays than it does about dragons.

See also Dragons.


Lepracaun

Lepracauns are Irish fairies who are said to have amassed great wealth even though they live solitary lives as shoemakers.  If one can be caught, he may be forced to yield his riches but, of course, it is very, very difficult to catch one.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Mermaids / Muryans

Mermaids

Mermaids looked like beautiful women from the waist up but had the body of a fish from the waist down.  The could cause storms and were generally quite dangerous but some were known to be gentle and helpful to mortals.


Merrows

The Mermaids of Ireland were more gentle than those of England and sometimes married mortals.


Mumpoker

See Nursery Bogies.


Muryans

This is the Cornish word for ant.  It was believed that fairies became smaller and smaller each time they changed shape until they finally became ants and then disappeared.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Nuckelavee / Nursery Bogies

Nuckelavee

This one is a really nasty bit of work.  An Orkney sea monster, he looked something like a horribly deformed centaur.  He had poisonous breath and would rampage around the countryside killing anything he encountered.  The only protection was that he could not cross fresh water or a running stream.


Nursery Bogies

There are many bogies who are specialize in frightening children who do not listen to their mothers.

See also the Awd Goggie.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Oisin / Old Man of Cury

Oisin

The last of the Fianna warriors in Ireland, Oisin was a marvelous poet and singer who was also skilled and courageous in battle. St Patrick tried to convert Oisin to Christianity but he wanted no part of a Heaven in which there was no fighting or hunting.


Old Man of Cury

He saved the life of a stranded Mermaid and she granted him three wishes in return. He was a wise old man who never accepted her offer of visiting her underwater.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Pechs / Puck

Pechs

See also Picts.



Picts

They lived in the Lowlands of Scotland and were said to be about three feet tall. They could build a castle overnight simply by passing the stones from one to the other.



Peg O'Nell

She is a water spirit who claims a new life every seven years because she was sent out on a dark night to fetch some water and fell to her death.



Peg Powler

She is a water demon who inhabits the River Tees.

See also Nursery Bogies.



People of Peace

Like the Daoine Sidhe of Ireland, these are trooping fairies who live under green hills in Middle Earth.



Phouka

If Phouka is treated well, he will remember you and your family for years. If not, he will be more than happy to bestow an unlimited supply of practical jokes.



Piskies

See also Pixies.



Pixies

They are mischievous fairies in Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. They are generally very small, very helpful and behave much like Brownies. Also known as Piskies.

See also Seelie Court.


Puck

Puck loves a good joke but is not one to make it hurtful. In this earlier days, Puck is said to have been in-league with the Devil but he became more fun as the years went by.

See also Phouka.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Redcaps / Robin Goodfellow

Redcaps

These are wicked fairies who live in the Border country between England and Scotland. He will dye his cap red with the blood of his victims but he cannot attack if a cross is held up to him.


Roane

These are seals, fairy people who use seal-skins to travel about underwater. They never avenged themselves, even when mortals killed their people.

See also the Selkies and the Merrows.


Robin Goodfellow

The most famous of the Hobgoblins, he was the son of Oberon, King of the Fairies, and a beautiful mortal.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Seelie Court / Spriggans

Seelie Court

The 'blessed' fairies were in the Seelie Court and traveled in troops, doing good where it was needed and playing jokes on those who deserved them.

See also Unseelie Court.


Selkies

These are the seal-people of Orkney and Scotland. A mortal might marry a Selkie woman if he could hide her seal-skin. See also the Roane.


Shock

This is a bogie-beast who will appear as a horse, a donkey, a large dog or a calf. They are frightening as well as dangerous.


Silky

Brownies are mostly males but Silkies behave just like them and are all females.


Skillywidden

He was a very young fairy who was found by a farmer when he was working in the fields. He resolved to keep him so he could find the entrance to Fairyland but his children helped him to escape. The farmer did not punish his children because he knew it was best for the fairy family to be reunited.


Spriggans

Bodyguards to the fairies, these Bogies were ugly and they were fierce fighters. It is said that they are the ghosts of the Giants who were killed when England was first invaded.

See also the Fairies on the Eastern Green.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Tankerabogus / Twlweth Teg

Tankerabogus

See Knockers.


Trows

These are like the trolls of Scandinavia but they aren't as malicious. They share a fear of the sun and must hide if trapped above-ground during daylight hours.


Tylweth Teg

These are the fairy people of Wales. Mortals might visit Fairyland and even take a fairy bride but time passes on a different scale there and one might emerge to find that centuries have passed.

See also Bendith y Mamau.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Unseelie Court / Urisks

Unseelie Court

This is the Scottish name for the fairies who torment and and hurt mortals. See Seelie Court for the good fairies of Scotland. See also Duergars, Nuckelavee, and Redcaps.

Urisks

They are Scottish brownies who look much like satyrs and live generally solitary lives. They sometimes get lonesome for company and will follow travelers but they mean no harm.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Wild Edric

Wild Edric

He lived during the time of William the Conqueror and he took a fairy bride. When she agreed to marry him, she said that he must never grudge her time spent with her sisters. He honored that request for many years but one day slipped when he couldn't find her after a hunt. As a result, she disappeared, just as she said she would but it is said that they joined again after he died and that they still ride through the forests on the Welsh border.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

History of the Royal Lineage in Scotland

The History of the Royal Lineage of Scotland

-800	Ancients			Celts move into England Contrary to the traditional idea that Britain originally possessed a 'Celtic' uniformity which first Roman, then Saxon and other invaders disrupted, in reality Britain has always been home to multiple peoples; and while its population has shown strong biological continuity over millennia, the identities the islanders have chosen to adopt have undergone some remarkable changes, due to contacts and conflicts across the seas, not least as the result of episodic, but often very modest, arrivals of newcomers. (BBC)
60	Iceni Revolt		60-61	Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni, revolts After her husband died, the Romans not only took his property but raped his daughters. Queen Boudicca led a revolt that burned multiple towns including London. Her forces were massacred by the Romans and she is said to have taken poison rather than die at their hands.
400	Early History		383-436	Romans leave England The Roman conquest, which started in AD 43, illustrates the profound cultural and political impact that small numbers of people can have, for the Romans did not colonise the island to any significant degree. To a population of around three million, their army, administration, and carpet-baggers added only a few per cent. The future Scotland remained beyond Roman government, although the nearby presence of the empire had major effects. (BBC)
			400-600	Angles, Saxons, Jutes invade from Germany As the Roman hold on Britain got progressively weaker, England was subject to a fresh influx of settlers from the area of modern Germany. These settlers, tribes of Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and Frisians, may have first come to England as mercenaries in the Roman army.
			400-613	Celts pushed into Scotland and Wales When the Romans left Britain, there was a renaissance of Celtic culture. The most famous of the Celtic princes was Vortigern, who ruled over eastern Britain. To fight against the Pictish invasions, he sent across the channel to get help from the Saxons, a Germanic tribe that had begun emigrating into western Europe in the fifth century. The Saxon mercenaries, however, grew in number as more and more Saxons came to Britain. Whether or not the story of Vortigern is true, Britain fell prey to the same Germanic emigrations and invasions that spread across Gaul, Spain, and Italy. The Saxon emigration began in eastern England until they spread entirely across lowland England. The mountainous areas to the west (Wales) and the north (Scotland), however, remained Celtic, as did Ireland. By the end of the fifth century AD, only Wales, Scotland, and Ireland remained of the great Celtic tribal kingdoms that had dominated the face of Europe.
			626	Edwin of Northumbria founds Edinburgh Saint Edwin (alternately Eadwine or Aeduini) (c. 586 to October 12, 632/633) was the King of Deira and Bernicia - which would later become known as Northumbria - from about 616 until his death. He converted to Christianity and was baptised in 627; after he fell at the Battle of Hatfield Chase, he was venerated as a saint.
560	The Four Kingdoms			The Four Kingdoms of Scotland were: West - Dalriada (Scots from Ireland) North - Pictish kingdom Southwest - Strathclyde East - Bernicia (Lothian) See Kenneth MacAlpin for more information. In 685, in the Battle of Nechtansmere, the Picts defeat the Northumbrians. The Battle of Nechtansmere took place in Dunnichen, a small village located near the town of Forfar, Angus on May 20th, 685 AD. The participants were the Angles and the Picts in what was a simple battle over territory. The consequences, however, would be much more dramatic, and effect the history of England and Scotland to a great degree over the next millennia and a half.
574	Aidanus	Son of Gabran		Father of King Arthur of Camelot Crowned King of Dalraida by Saint Columba on Iona in 574, he died in 606.
607	Cinead Cerr			King of Dalraida Killed in battle.
608	Arthurius	Son of Aidanus		King Arthur of Camelot His legends may well have been written in more different ways than any ruler in history. He is thought to have died in battle in 632.
632	Domnall Breac			King of Dalraida Killed in battle at Strathcarron in 642.
646	Fearchar Fada			Chief of the clan Baedan
664	Malduinus
684	Eugenius			King of the Strathclyde Scots He killed Domnall Breac in battle in 642.
697	Ainbhceallach	Son of Fearchar Fada		Killed by Sealbhach, his brother, in 724
732	Muredach			May have been King of Dalraida for a time
767	Sealbhach	Son of Fearchar Fada		Killed his brother, Ainbhceallach, in 724.
			787	First Viking raids begin The three kingdoms of Mercia, Northumbria and Wessex, not only were competing between themselves, but they were also under sustained attack from Viking raids. The Viking incursions culminated with a "Great Army" landing in East Anglia in 865 AD. It made wide territorial gains, and by 875 the kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria had succumbed. Only Wessex remained as Anglo Saxon. The Vikings attacked Wessex in 878, and the Saxon king, Alfred, had to flee to the Somerset marshes. However he was able to regroup and counter attack. His efforts and those later of his son and grandsons, gradually pushed the Vikings northwards and eventually into the sea.
			843	Scots defeat Picts Militarily, the Picts appear well organized and equipped. They outnumbered the Scots by more than nine to one and with such organization it is baffling how they could have been defeated in four centuries.
843	Kenneth MacAlpin			The first King of Scotland There is some dispute as to whether Kenneth MacAlpin was ever actually a King of Scotland. His place in history comes from uniting the Scots and the Picts and this came after defeating the Picts in battle in 843. The key point is that there were no further battles after that. However, given that the Pictish culture quickly disappeared after the unification, it's arguable that the battle didn't so much unify Scotland as it reserved Scotland exclusively for the Scots. Scotland's Past: Kenneth Mac Alpin Mac Alpin's Treason: The End of the Picts (The second reference is fairly heavily-laden with hyperbole but it is true that the Pictish culture disappeared in this period and a case is made that Kenneth MacAlpin was the reason for that.)
859	Donald I	Brother of Kenneth
863	Constantine I	Son of Kenneth	877	Constantine I is killed in a battle with the Danes.
877	Aedh	Son of Kenneth
878	Eocha	Grandson of Kenneth
889	Donald II	Son of Constantine I		Donald II took the throne of Scotland in battle as an act of revenge. King Giric of Scotland (who ruled jointly with Donald II's predecessor, Eochaid) had murdered Donald II's uncle, Aedh, in 878. Upon Giric's death, Donald II expelled Eochaid from the country, thereby taking rulership of Scotland for himself.
900	Constantine II	Son of Aedh		His reign is the third longest in Scottish history, exceeded only by James VI and William the Lion. The Battle of Brunanbuh takes place in 937. Constantine II and the Danes are defeated by Aethelstan of England.
943	Malcolm I	Son of Donald II	950	Malcolm I, the son of Donald II of Scotland, became the King of Scotland in 943 after his cousin King Constantine II of Scotland abdicated and became a monk. Malcolm I was a prince of great abilities and prudence, and Edmund I of England (939–946) courted his alliance by ceding Cumbria, then consisting of Cumberland and part of Westmorland, to him in the year 945, on condition that he would defend that northern county, and become an ally of Edmund I. This required Scotland to send military support if England was attacked by either the Danes of Northumbria or the Norwegians of Ireland. The alliance between England and Scotland remained after the death of both Kings.
954	Indulf	Son of Constantine II	959	Indulf left one lasting contribution beyond his battles with the Norsemen. His father, Constantine II, fleeing before Athelstan, had abandoned the Lothians to the English. In a decisive victory over Northumbria, Indulf recaptured the fortress in Edinburgh, Dun Eden.
962	Dubh (Duff)	Son of Malcolm I	967	Dubh is murdered.
967	Cuilean	Son of Indulf
971	Kenneth II	Son of Dubh	979	Little is known of Kenneth II but it is said he was killed by some act of treachery.
995	Constantine III	Son of Cuilean	997	Constantine III is murdered
997	Kenneth III	Son of Dubh	1005	Kenneth III is killed in a civil war.
1005	Malcolm II	Son of Kenneth II	1013	The Danes control England The Battle of Carham, in which Malcolm II is victorious against a large army of English and Vikings, united Scotland and Lothian. Shortly after that, Strathclyde joined.
			1018	The Unification of Scotland is complete
1034	Duncan I	Grandson of Malcolm II	1040	Duncan I invades England but accomplishes nothing and is killed in civil strife shortly afterward.
1040	Macbeth	Cousin of Duncan I	1050	The Normans penetrate England
			1057	Macbeth is killed in the Battle of Lumphanan by Malcolm, son of Duncan I. As king, Malcolm becomes Malcolm III.
1057	Malcolm III	Son of Duncan I	1070	William the Conqueror (crowned William I in 1066) invades Scotland, compelling Malcolm III to swear allegiance.
			1093	Malcolm invades England but loses the battle and his life.
1093	Donald II (Donald Bane)	Son of Duncan I	1094	Donald Bane is first driven out by Duncan. Duncan is killed shortly later and Donald Bane returns. Donald Bane is driven out again by Edgar.
1094	Duncan II	Son of Malcolm III	1094	Duncan II is killed a few months after driving out Donald Bane.
1094	Donald II (Donald Bane)	Son of Duncan I	1096	The First Crusade begins
1097	Edgar	Half-brother of Duncan II	1099	Crusaders take Jerusalem
1107	Alexander I	Brother of Edgar
1124	David I	Brother of Alexander I	1138	David I invades England but is defeated. This period is interesting because it saw strong Norman families moving into Scotland. Robert the Bruce (de Brus) will play a prominent role in the future history of Scotland.
			1145	The Second Crusade begins.
			1147	The Second Crusade fails in Asia Minor.
1154	Malcolm IV	Grandson of David I
1165	William the Lyon	Brother of Malcolm IV	1173	After being defeated and captured in battle, William the Lyon yields the independence of Scotland.
			1189	Richard I of England restores the independence of Scotland in exchange for cash to support the Third Crusade.
			1189	The Third Crusade begins
			1202	The Fourth Crusade begins
			1209	John invades Scotland
			1212	The Children's Crusade begins
1214	Alexander II	Son of William the Lyon	1228	The Sixth Crusade begins
			1240	Border fixed between Scotland and England
			1248	The Seventh Crusade begins
1249	Alexander III	Son of Alexander II	1274	Edward I of England
1286	Margaret	Granddaughter of Alexander III		Margeret or the Maid of Norway is only four when she rises to the throne but dies soon after.
1292	John Balliol	Great-great-great-grandson of David I		The background story is that John Balliol was chosen as King of Scotland by Edward of England. Edward was given the right to choose because the lords of Scotland could not decide among themselves. Balliol was a weak ruler who did whatever Edward wanted until requested to help in an invasion of France. Balliol instead signed a treaty with France. Edward invaded Scotland shortly thereafter and took over control.
			1295	Scotland signs a treaty with France, beginning the "Auld Alliance."
			1296	Edward I of England defeats Balliol. He presented little resistance to the English as he was not able to unite his people and England won easily. Scottish nobles were divided in their loyalties because of their land ownership in Scotland and England. Balliol's reign ended in disgrace when he submitted himself as a vassal to a representative of Edward 1 of England. Edward took to London the Stone of Scone or Stone of Destiny, on which Scottish Kings were crowned, and it remains there to this day. Edward also made those who had land in Scotland sign a list of names to show that they recognized him as their king. If they refused their lands were confiscated. This list of names is called "The Ragman's Roll" and still exists. It has about two thousand names one of which is Robert Bruce.
			1297	The Scots under William Wallace defeat the English at Stirling Bridge Any notion Edward I may have had regarding subjugation of the Scots disappeared quickly as resistance from Wallace began almost as soon as Edward returned to England.
			1298	William Wallace is defeated at Falkirk
			1300	Edward I invades Scotland
			1305	William Wallace captured and executed
1306	Robert I			Robert I (Robert the Bruce) is at first driven into hiding because Scotland is still occupied by Edward's forces. The Stuart Kings were direct descendants of King Robert the Bruce. So is the present Royal Family, who are descended from the daughter of King James V1 of Scotland (James 1 of England).
			1307	The drive to force the English out of Scotland culminates in the siege of Stirling Castle. The Scots route the English army at the Battle of Bannockburn.
			1328	The English recognize Scottish independence through the Treaty of Edinburgh.
1329	David II	Son of Robert I
1332	Edward Balliol		1332	Edward Balliol, son of John Balliol, invades Scotland and deposes David II.
			1334	David II returns to reclaim the crown.
1341	David II	Son of Robert I	1346	David II assists France against the English but is captured and taken to the Tower of London.
			1355	In 1355, the Scots defeat the English at Nesbit
1371	Robert II	Nephew of David II	1385	The Anglo-Scot war is renewed
			1388	The Scots defeat the English at the Battle of Otterburn.
1390	Robert III	Son of Robert II		Robert III dies when he is told his son, James I, has been captured by pirates between France and Scotland.
1406	James I	Son of Robert III	1406	James I imprisoned by English and learns of his succession while confined in the Tower of London. It will be eighteen years before he is released.
			1424	The English release James I to return to Scotland.
			1436	The Scots defeat the English near Berwick.
			1437	James I is assassinated.
1437	James II	Son of James I	1438	Nine years truce with England
			1448	The Anglo-Scot war is renewed.
			1460	James II is killed when a cannon explodes.
1460	James III	Son of James II	1464	Peace between Scotland and England
1488	James IV	Son of James III	1491	The Truce of Coldstream between Scotland and England
			1496	James IV invades Northumberland
			1503	James IV marries Margaret, daughter of Henry VII
1513	James V	Infant son of James IV		James V is only an infant when he rises to the throne and it will be fifteen years before he can rule for himself.
1542	Mary, Queen of Scots	Daughter of James V	1548	Mary is betrothed to Dauphin
			1558	Mary, Queen of Scots, marries the Dauphin
			1578	Mary, Queen of Scots, is imprisoned by Elizabeth I
1578	James VI	Son of Mary	1586	The focus of a long series of Roman Catholic plots against Elizabeth, culminating in the Babington Plot to assassinate the English queen, led to Elizabeth's ministers demanding Mary's execution: 'so long as there is life in her, there is hope; so as they live in hope, we live in fear'. Mary was finally executed at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire on 8 February 1587, at the age of 44.   She was buried in Peterborough Cathedral.
1603	James VI	Son of Mary		Succeeds Elizabeth I as James I of England, Scotland and Ireland.
			1612	James VI had Mary's body exhumed and placed in the vault of King Henry VII's Chapel in Westminster Abbey.
1625	Charles I	Son of James VI	1633	Charles I crowned King of Scotland
1649	Charles II	Son of Charles I	1649	England declared a Commonwealth

History of the Fraser Clan in Scotland by Brian Fraser

History of the Fraser Clan in Scotland

This is the history of the Fraser Clan in Scotland as told by Brian Fraser. This isn't so much a genealogy as a history of the clan and, in many ways, it parallels the rise of Scotland. As you will see, the Fraser history in Scotland goes back quite a considerable time. You might also want to learn about the Fraser tartans as it came as quite a surprise to me that there is a great variety of them. Tracing the history of the tartans could quite likely be as revealing as the history of the members of the family. - Alan Fraser

A Fraser, Frazer, Fraiser, Frasier, Frazier,Frizel, Frizell, by any other name would still be a Fraser

by Brian Fraser, 1/22/97











There are lots of interesting stories on the origin of the name "Fraser".

It is generally well accepted that the "Frasers" originated in France, probably from the area of Anjou.

One story has it that in 794 Charlemagne sent a Pierre 'Fraser' to Achaius, King of Scotland, where he married a girl named Euphemia, daughter of Rahan, thus giving rise to the Fraser Clan.

Another story has it that a Frenchman, named Julius de Berry, who lived at Auver near Bourbon, in the spring of 916 pleased "Charles Simplex, king of France and Emperor" and the Papal Nuncio, with dishes of ripe strawberries. He was forthwith royally commanded to change his name to "Fraise" and to adopt three stalked strawberries for his family arms. Whether stalked or not, objects resembling strawberries have appeared on the armorial shields of Frasers since 1281. Whether there is any truth to the Julius de Berry story or the earlier story is anybody's guess.

The more commonly accepted viewpoint is that the Frasers first appeared in southern Scotland in the mid-1100's under the name of "de Freseliere, or de Frisselle, or de Fresel", which was later altered to "Fraissier" meaning "strawberry bearer". Since not many people were literate in those days and for several centuries after, it's easy to understand how various spellings of the name arose and why some of those spellings still exist today. Over the centuries, it appears that the most common version has settled on Fraser, and occasionally Frazer, with some variations which again can probably be explained by migration and various pronunciation in different localities.

Apparently, in 1160 there were 3 de Freselieres in Scotland, although there relationship is unclear. These were Simon, Udard and Gilbert. In fact, the first record of a Fraser landholder in Scotland was Simon who gave a large tract of land to the monks of Kelso in 1160. There were also de Freselieres living in England at the time, and one of them by the name of Ralph de Freseliere was a knight of Richard I in 1189, or thereabouts.

Although there is evidence of a Simon Fraser in 1160, and another Sir Simon Fraser who fought with William Wallace (Braveheart) and was brutally executed in 1306 in the same manner as William Wallace, the two main branches of the Fraser Clan appear to descend from two brothers; Sir Alexander Fraser and another Sir Simon Fraser.

Sir Alexander Fraser, the Lord Chamberlain and friend of Robert the Bruce, married Robert the Bruce's sister, Lady Mary, and then he was subsequently killed in battle in 1332. He and their two sons are considered to be the ancestors of the Frasers of Philorth, who eventually became Lords Saltoun.

Sir Alexander Fraser's younger brother Sir Simon Fraser was slain in battle at Halidon Hill in 1333. This Simon Fraser is considered to be the father or grandfather of a Hugh Fraser who is documented as owning the lands of Lovat and the Aird in 1367. From this Hugh Fraser descended the Frasers of Lovat, and sometime between 1456-1464 another Hugh Fraser who was a direct descendent of the first Hugh Fraser became the first Lord Fraser of Lovat.

The Frasers of Lovat acquired most of their landholdings by marrying into the Bisset family from 1360-1425, and were given other lands as gifts from various sources. However, because Sir Simon Fraser, the 11th Lord Lovat, sided with Bonnie Prince Charlie in the Battle of Culloden, he was the last Lord to be executed by England in 1747 at the age of 80 and his title and estates were declared forfeit to England. His body lies in the Chapel of the Tower of London.

In order to make amends for their part in the Battle of Culloden, Sir Simon's son, another Simon Fraser, raised the 78th Fraser Highlanders, who were instrumental in assisting General Wolfe defeat General Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec, Canada in 1759. It is said that General Wolfe died in the arms of a Fraser during that battle. It is also said that this same General Wolfe was the same person who disobeyed an order to execute the wounded Charles Fraser, the leader of the Frasers at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. This regiment was disbanded in 1763, and some of them remained in Canada. Simon Fraser continued his military career, and became a General. In 1774 he received back the forfeited Lovat estates. In 1775 he raised the 71st Fraser Highlanders which served in the USA until it was disbanded in 1783.

It is interesting to note that in times past the various Lord Lovats were also referred to as MacShimi, and sometimes MacImmie, and other various versions, which is Gaelic for "Simon's son". This explains why people with the name MacSimon, Sim, Simpson, Sime, Symon, and others are considered to be connected to the Clan Fraser of Lovat.

There is apparently a third branch of the Fraser Clan, that being the Frasers of Ledclune. Unfortunately, I do not as yet know anything about this particular group.

I hope this little bit of history has given you a little bit of enlightenment about the Frasers, regardless of which name you go by. There is an old Scottish proverb that says that the human race is divided into two divisions; those who are Scots, and those who would like to be Scots. I would change this to be those who are "Frasers" and those who would like to be "Frasers".

Je Suis Prest.

Brian