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