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[Illustration:
ARMORIAL BEARINGS OF THE CLAN FRASER,
With the Maple Leaf Entwined for Canada.]
THE
CLAN FRASER
IN CANADA
Souvenir
of the
First Annual Gathering
Toronto, May 5th, 1894.
BY
ALEXANDER FRASER
(MAC-FHIONNLAIDH)
TORONTO:
Mail Job Printing Co.
1895.
PREFATORY NOTE
The chief object aimed at by the publication of this little volume is to
furnish, in a concise and inexpensive form, information regarding the
Clan Fraser not readily accessible to clansmen in Canada. It is also
hoped a perusal of the contents will strengthen the clan sentiment, and
deepen the interest in the ancient clan bond and in the long and
illustrious history of the Clan. But the book being essentially an
account of the first Annual Gathering held by the Clan in the Province
of Ontario, it will be an interesting souvenir of that pleasant event;
and probably the hope may not be too sanguine that its appearance will
mark an onward step in the record of the Clan in the Dominion.
The publication has been undertaken under the auspices of the
newly-formed Clan Fraser in Canada, and the thanks of the editor are due
to Professor W. H. Fraser, of Toronto University, and to Mr. Alexander
Fraser (of Fraserfield, Glengarry), the Printing Committee of the Clan;
also to Mr. J. Lewis Browne, for the music to which the "Fraser Drinking
Song," written by Mrs. Georgina Fraser-Newhall, has been set.
A. F.
Toronto, February, 1895.
Contents.
PAGE.
Introduction 9
Fraser's Highlanders 11
Seventy-First Regiment 15
Fraser De Berry's Organization 16
Formation of the Clan Fraser in Canada 21
First Annual Clan Dinner 22
Toast of "The Clan," containing references to:--
Origin of the Clan, Change of Surnames 31
Origin of the Name "Fraser"--The Norman-French Theory 37
Mr. Skene's Position Criticised 39
The Bond between Lord Lovat and the Marquis de la Frezeliere 40
Scottish Origin of the Name 42
Mr. Homer Dixon's Argument 43
The Frasers in the Lowlands 45
The Clan Fraser Established in the Highlands 49
Succession of the Chiefs 50
Alexander of Beaufort 56
Succession of the Strichen Family 58
A Curious Prediction 59
Reply to the Toast 62
A Guest Honored 65
Toast of "The Clan in Canada." 67
" "Distinguished Clansmen" 73
In Art 74
In Science 76
In Literature 81
In Theology 87
In War 88
In Politics 90
Organization of the Clan 92
Georgina Fraser-Newhall 93
Fraser's Drinking Song 96
Simon Fraser, Discoverer of the Fraser River 98
Simon Lord Lovat, Beheaded on Tower Hill 103
Brigadier Simon Fraser 104
Second Annual Dinner 107
Constitution and By-laws of the Clan 109
List of Officers 112
Illustrations:
Frontispiece--Armorial Bearings of the Clan
Menu and Toast List Card 23
Alexander Fraser (MacFhionnlaidh) 33
Robert Lovat Fraser 63
Ex-Mayor John Fraser 75
William A. Fraser 79
Georgina Fraser-Newhall 94
Simon, Fourteenth Lord Lovat 102
Brigadier Simon Fraser 105
INTRODUCTORY
The Gael has proved himself not less a pioneer of civilization, and
adaptable to changing conditions of living, than a lover of the
traditions of his race, holding tenaciously by ancient usages and
manners, and stirred profoundly by racial sentiment. As a pioneer he has
reached "the ends of the earth," possessing the unoccupied parts of the
world. As a patriot he has established not a few of his cherished
customs in the land of his adoption. His love of kindred is probably his
most notable characteristic; it found embodiment in the clan system,
under which his race achieved its greatest triumphs and enjoyed its
greatest glories, and the bond of clanship, with its inspiring memories,
the true clansman will never disregard. While the clan system, as such,
would be impracticable in the British colonies under present-day
conditions, even more so than in its old home in the Highlands of
Scotland, its spirit lives, leavening the system of government and
exercising no small influence in the fusion of heterogeneous elements
into new and distinct peoples.
These observations are applicable in a peculiar degree to Canada, where
a very large number of clansmen have found a second Highland home. Many
of the forests which rang with the clash of the claymore in the struggle
for British supremacy, fell afterwards to the axe of the Gaelic settler.
His trail lies across the continent, from ocean to ocean. His energy and
intelligence have been honorably felt in every walk of life, and his
enterprise and skill have done much to develop and upbuild the Dominion.
No body of people occupies a more distinguished place in this respect
than the Frasers; indeed, even among the clans, no name is more closely
identified than that of "Fraser" with the early days of Canada. To tell
of their services on the field, in government, in commerce, in the
professions, would occupy a large volume, as would a similar story of
other clans, and an attempt to do so, in an introductory chapter, would
be altogether out of place, but there are a few events of importance to
the country in which the Frasers figured to which it will be well to
allude with fitting brevity.
Those who hold the Norman theory believe the first of the name of
"Fraser" in Scotland, "came over with William the Conqueror," and they
ask no better proof of the antiquity of the name. If the early
connection of the Clan with Canada be any satisfaction to clansmen
there, then it may be stated with truth that the first settlers of the
name "came over with Wolfe the Conqueror," and their services were as
conspicuous in the military operations conducted by the intrepid young
General, who gave his life for his country on the Plains of Abraham, as
were those performed by any brave knight, whose name may be found on the
roll of Battle Abbey.
The story of Fraser's Highlanders forms one of the most romantic
chapters in the annals of the clans, and should the time come when it
is fairly and fully given to the world, it will prove a valuable
addition to the history of Highland life and of early Canada.
For the part taken by the Clan in the uprising of 1745, Lord Simon was
beheaded on Tower Hill and the Fraser estates were forfeited to the
Crown. The Master of Lovat appeared at the head of the Clan on the
Stuart side; but, as he was young at the time and had acted by his
father's command, he was pardoned, and in 1757, in accordance with the
wise, conciliatory policy of Mr. Pitt, he was commissioned to raise a
regiment of his clansmen, of which he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel
commanding. In General Stewart's Sketches a brief but interesting
account of this, the old Seventy-Eighth Regiment, is given, an extract
from which will show the strength of the clan ties then existing, and
the high character of the men who were raised on the Lovat territory.
General Stewart says: "Without estate, money or influence, beyond that
influence which flowed from attachment to his family, person and name,
this gentleman (the Master of Lovat), in a few weeks found himself at
the head of 800 men, recruited by himself. The gentlemen of the country
and the officers of the regiment added more than 700, and thus a
battalion was formed of 13 companies of 105 rank and file each, making
in all 1,460 men, including 65 sergeants and 30 pipers and drummers."
All accounts concur in describing this regiment as a superior body of
men; their character and actions raised the military reputation and gave
a favorable impression of the moral virtues of the sons of the
mountains. The uniform was the full Highland dress, with musket and
broadsword, dirk and sporran of badger's or otter's skin. The bonnet was
raised or cocked on one side, with a slight bend inclining down to the
right ear, over which were suspended two or more black feathers.
The regiment embarked at Greenock, and landed at Halifax in June, 1757,
and followed the fortunes of the war for six years. "On all occasions,"
says Stewart, "this brave body of men sustained a uniform character for
unshaken firmness, incorruptible probity and a strict regard both to
military and moral duties." Their chaplain was a man of note as of
stature. His name was Robert Macpherson, but he was known in the
regiment as _An Caipeal Mor_, being of large physique. He exercised the
traditional authority of a Highland minister, and we are told that the
men were always anxious to conceal their misdemeanors from him.
The cold climate, it was feared, would prove too severe to the Frasers,
who wore the kilt, and an attempt, kindly conceived, no doubt, was made
to change the "garb of old Gaul" for the trews. The proposal aroused
strenuous opposition; officers and men opposed the change and finally
were successful. The strength of feeling awakened may be judged from the
words of one of the soldiers in the regiment: "Thanks to our generous
chief, we were allowed to wear the garb of our fathers, and, in the
course of six winters, showed the doctors that they did not understand
our constitution; for in the coldest winters our men were more healthy
than those regiments that wore breeches and warm clothing." A somewhat
amusing anecdote is related of how the Nuns of the Ursuline Convent,
where the Frasers were quartered in 1759-60, endeavored to induce
Governor Murray to be allowed to provide sufficient raiment for the
kilted soldiers, but, of course, without success.
At Louisburg, Montmorenci, Ste. Foye and on the Plains of Abraham, the
Frasers distinguished themselves greatly. One of the most eloquent
tributes to their prowess was spoken by the Hon. P. J. O. Chauveau, the
French-Canadian, at the inauguration in 1855 of the Statue of Bellona
sent by Prince Napoleon for the monument erected on the famous
battlefield. The French-Canadian historian Garneau, and other writers in
whose veins courses the blood of the vanquished at Quebec, have borne
generous testimony to their military bearing and good conduct. Garneau
writes of the battle of Carillon, 1758: "It was the right of the trench
works that was longest and most obstinately assailed; in that quarter
the combat was most sanguinary. The British Grenadiers and Highlanders
there persevered in the attack for three hours, without flinching or
breaking rank. The Highlanders above all, under Lord John Murray,
covered themselves with glory. They formed the troops confronting the
Canadians, their light and picturesque costumes distinguishing them from
all other soldiers amid the flames and smoke. The corps lost the half of
its men, and twenty-five of its officers were killed or severely
wounded;" and the genial Le Moine, half Highland and half French, says:
"The Frasers of 1759 and of 1775 readily courted danger or death in that
great duel which was to graft progress and liberty on that loved emblem
of Canada, the pride of its forests--the Maple Tree. If at times one
feels pained at the ferocity which marked the conflict and which won for
Fraser's Highlanders at Quebec, the name _Les Sauvages d'Ecosse_,[1] one
feels relieved, seeing that the meeting was inevitable, that the sturdy
sons of Caledonia, in Levis' heroic Grenadiers, did find a foe worthy
of their steel. Scotchmen, on the field of Ste. Foye, in deadly
encounter with France's impetuous warriors, doubtless acknowledged that
the latter were not unworthy descendants of those whom they had helped
to rout England's soldiery on the fields of Brange, Crevant and
Verneuil."
[Footnote 1: It is but fair to state that Fraser's Highlanders showed no
more ferocity than the usages of war justified. There were barbarous
atrocities committed, undoubtedly, but for these, the Highlanders were
not responsible.--A.F.]
At the close of the war many of the officers and men settled in the
Provinces of Quebec and Nova Scotia, having obtained their discharge and
grants of land in the New World. It was not long ago computed that the
descendants of these Highlanders in the Province of Quebec numbered
3,000, but merged in the French-Canadian peasantry to such an extent
that even the names have lost their original form. In Nova Scotia the
name Fraser flourishes in every township of every county. There have
been many accessions to the Clan since the days of the Seventy-Eighth
and the Battle of the Plains, but at least four-fifths of those bearing
the Clan name in Canada to-day, trace their descent from the victorious
clansmen of Cape Breton and Quebec.
On the outbreak of the American War the Royal Highland Emigrants were
embodied, and in that regiment, commanded by the gallant Lieut.-Colonel
Allan MacLean (son of Torloisk), 300 men who had belonged to Fraser's
regiment enlisted. In the interval between the cession of Canada and the
American War, the Lovat estates were restored to the Master of Lovat,
for his eminent services (the title was kept in abeyance), and he was
asked to raise a regiment, the Seventy-First, of two battalions. This he
speedily accomplished and soon found himself at the head of a double
regiment numbering 2,340 officers and men. They behaved with the highest
distinction throughout the war and earned flattering encomiums from the
commanding officers. General Stewart, than whom no more competent
authority has written of Highland regiments, and but few who have
understood Highland character better, whose Sketches have furnished
facts to all subsequent writers on the subject, speaks of the
Seventy-First, Fraser's Highlanders, thus: "Their moral conduct was in
every way equal to their military character. Disgraceful punishments
were unknown. Among men religious, brave, moral and humane, disgraceful
punishments are unnecessary. Such being the acknowledged general
character of these men, their loyalty was put to the test and proved to
be genuine. When prisoners, and solicited by the Americans to join their
standard and settle among them, not one individual violated the oath he
had taken, or forgot his fidelity or allegiance, a virtue not generally
observed on that occasion, for many soldiers of other corps joined the
Americans, and sometimes, indeed, entered their service in a body." The
Seventy-First did not leave many behind as settlers, and the reference
to it here is only permissible as illustrating the high character of the
Clan, of which the Seventy-Eighth, which left its quota of settlers
behind, formed an important part. General Simon Fraser's intimate
connection with Canada, as commanding officer of Fraser's Highlanders
(1757), and in other interesting respects, may suffice as a reason why a
good anecdote of him may be here related. When the Seventy-First
mustered at Glasgow, Lochiel was absent, being ill at London. His
absence had not, evidently, been explained to his company, for they
demurred to embark without their chief; they feared some misfortune had
befallen him. General Fraser had a command of eloquent speech and he
succeeded in persuading them to embark with their comrades. It is
related that while he was speaking in Gaelic to the men, an old
Highlander, who had accompanied his son to Glasgow, was leaning on his
staff gazing at the General with great earnestness. When he had
finished, the old man walked up to him and, with that easy familiar
intercourse, which in those days subsisted between the Highlanders and
their superiors, shook him by the hand, exclaiming "Simon, you are a
good soldier, and speak like a man; so long as you live, Simon of Lovat
will never die;" alluding to the General's address and manner, which was
said to resemble much that of his father, Lord Lovat, whom the old
Highlanders knew perfectly.
THE DE BERRY ORGANIZATION.
We have now seen the origin of the Frasers in Canada; they came in war,
but the swords were readily turned into ploughshares, and the arts of
peace cultivated with a constancy and success that equalled their
intrepidity and valor on the battlefield. Years rolled on, the Clan
multiplied and prospered, and, in the course of time, a project was
entered upon for the formation of a new Clan Fraser on Canadian soil.
The leading spirit of the movement was the Hon. John Fraser de Berry, a
member for the Legislative Council of the Province of Quebec. A meeting
of Frasers was held in response to the following public advertisement:
FRASER CLAN.
THE FRASERS of the Province of Quebec are respectfully requested to
meet at the office of Messrs. THOMAS FRASER & CO., at the Lower
Town, Quebec, on SATURDAY, the twenty-fifth day of January, 1868,
at TEN o'clock A.M., to take into consideration the advisability of
organizing the "CLAN" for the Dominion of Canada.
JOHN FRASER DE BERRY, A. FRASER,
A. FRASER, SR., A. FRASER, JR.,
J. R. FRASER, FRED. FRASER,
JANUARY 21, 1868. JOHN FRASER, J. FRASER.
At this meeting preliminary steps were taken to further the object in
view, and another meeting was held on February 8th, 1868, of which the
following report has been taken from the _Quebec Mercury_:
At a meeting of the "Frasers" of the Province of Quebec, held at Mrs.
Brown's City Hotel, on the 8th February, 1868, Alexander Fraser, Esq.,
notary, ex-Member for the County of Kamouraska, now resident in Quebec,
in the chair; Mr. Omer Fraser, of St. Croix, acting as Secretary.
1. It was unanimously resolved:
That it is desirable that the family of "Frasers" do organize themselves
into a clan with a purely and benevolent social object, and, with that
view, they do now proceed to such organization by recommending the
choice of
A Chief for the Dominion of Canada;
A Chief for each province;
A Chief for each electoral division;
A Chief for each county;
A Chief for each locality and township.
2. That the Chief of the Dominion of Canada be named "The Fraser," and
that he be chosen at a general meeting of the Frasers of all the
provinces; the said meeting to be held on the second Thursday in the
month of May next, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, in such place in the
City of Ottawa as will then be designated.
3. That it is desirable that the Chief of the Province of Quebec and the
Chiefs of the electoral divisions represented at said meeting be chosen
forthwith; and that the Chief elected for this province be authorized
and empowered to name the Chiefs for such divisions as are not
represented at present, the said selection shall, however, be subject to
the approbation of the Frasers of the division interested, who will
make the same known at a meeting to be called without delay, by the
Chief of the Province of Quebec, with the view to proceed to the
nomination of the Chiefs of counties comprehended in the said division.
4. That Chiefs of counties be obliged to convene also without delay, a
meeting by which shall be chosen all the Chiefs of parishes or
townships.
5. That it shall be the duty of the Chief chosen for a parish or
township to report to the Chief of his county as early as possible, the
number of Frasers residing in his parish or township; and of the Chief
of the county in his town, to report to the Chief of his electoral
division, who will transmit it, together with his own report, to the
Chief of his province; the said report to contain the number of Frasers
in his division, in order that the force of the Clan in each province
may be ascertained on the 14th of May next, at the meeting at Ottawa.
6. That it is advisable that the meeting at Ottawa, representing all the
Clan, be composed of all its divers Chiefs from the Chiefs of provinces,
even to the Chiefs of parishes or townships inclusively, and any other
Frasers who may desire to attend at the same.
7. That the above resolutions and the nominations, which are to take
place this day, or which may be made hereafter by the Chief of the
province, shall be considered as preliminary and temporary, as they are
made with the sole object of organizing the Clan, and not to bind in any
manner whatever the Frasers, who will be at perfect liberty to
reorganize themselves completely anew at the Ottawa meeting.
8. That the Clan shall not be considered to exist until and after the
next anniversary or Dominion Day, the first of July next, under such
rules and regulations as will be adopted at the meeting at Ottawa; the
Frasers of this meeting protest energetically against any intention,
which might be attributed to them, of dictating their will to their
namesakes of this province; they are simply attempting to organize and
with a benevolent object, to adopt temporarily the above resolutions the
better to attain that end.
9. That the sister provinces of Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
be respectfully requested to organize themselves, and to send delegates
to the meeting at Ottawa, on the fourteenth of May next, that time
having been selected because in all probability the parliament will
still be in session, and the members may attend the session before
dispersing.
10. That all proceedings be respectfully submitted to the "Fraser"
family, which is one of the most ancient, one of the most noble, one of
the most influential, and one of the most numerous families of the
Dominion of Canada.
11. That all the newspapers throughout the Dominion of Canada, who have
subscribers of the name of Fraser, are requested to publish the
proceedings of this meeting.
After which the meeting proceeded to the nomination of the following
officers, who were unanimously elected:
I. To be the Chief of the Province of Quebec:
The Honorable JOHN FRASER DE BERRY, Esquire, one of the members of the
Legislative Council of the said Province, etc., being the fifty-eighth
descendant of Jules de Berry, a rich and powerful lord (seigneur) who
feasted sumptuously the Emperor Charlemagne, and his numerous suite, at
his castle in Normandy, in the eighth century.
II. For the following electoral divisions:
_Lauzon_,--THOMAS FRASER, Esquire, farmer, of Pointe Levis.
_Kennebec_,--SIMON FRASER, Esquire, of St. Croix.
_De la Durantaye_,--ALEXANDER FRASER, Esquire, farmer, of St. Vallier.
_Les Laurentides_,--WILLIAM FRASER, Esquire, of Lake St. John,
Chicoutimi.
_Grandville_,--JEAN ETIENNE FRASER, Esquire, Notary.
_Green Island Stadacona_,--ALEXANDER FRASER, Esquire, Notary, St. Roch,
Quebec.
The meeting having voted thanks to the President and Secretary, then
adjourned.
ALEX. FRASER,
_President_.
OMER FRASER,
_Secretary_.
There was a good response to the call for the general meeting, letters
having been sent broadcast over the Dominion. As chief of the Frasers of
British North America, the Hon. James Fraser de Ferraline, in the
Province of Nova Scotia, was elected. He was a scion of the Ferraline
and Gorthlic families of the Clan. One hundred and eleven subordinate
chieftains of provinces and districts were elected and Mr. John Fraser
de Berry was appointed Secretary to the "New Clan Fraser," as it was
called. For various reasons, chief among them being, probably, its
elaborate constitution and the intangible purposes for which it was
called into existence, the organization did not make satisfactory
headway and in the course of not many years it failed to attract any
public attention whatever, and ceased to exist. In its brief career it
gathered some interesting information about the clansmen. In a report
drawn up by the Secretary, De Berry, whose exertions on its behalf were
unwearying, it is stated that there were then over 12,000 persons, men,
women and children of the name Fraser, some speaking French, not one of
whom was a day laborer, or "earning daily wages," but all in comfortable
circumstances, many in positions of honour and trust.
FORMATION OF THE CLAN FRASER IN CANADA
Although Mr. John Fraser de Berry's scheme failed it was believed that
there was room for a less pretentious and more practicable clan
organization in Canada. There was little diminution of the clan feeling;
the desire of those having the same origin and name, the same glorious
clan history, in common, to enjoy a friendly intercourse, was natural
and reasonable, and at length it assumed a practical form. Early in the
spring of 1894 a meeting was held in the office of the _Toronto Daily
Mail_, at which there were present: Messrs. George B. Fraser, commission
agent; Robert Lovat Fraser, barrister; Alexander R. Fraser, druggist;
Dr. J. B. Fraser, physician; Alexander Fraser (of Fraserfield,
Glengarry), Secretary to the Boiler Inspection Company; W. H. Fraser,
Professor of Languages at the Toronto University; W. A. Fraser, civil
engineer and contractor; W. P. Fraser, clerk, Dominion Bank; Andrew
Fraser, commercial traveller; and Alexander Fraser, of the editorial
staff of the _Daily Mail_. The last named, descended from the Clan Mhic
Fhionnlaidh sept of the Struy Frasers, was appointed chairman of the
meeting and Mr. W. A. Fraser, also descended from good Strathglass
stock, was appointed Secretary. All agreed that a clan organization
ought to be formed and as a first step it was thought well to test the
feeling of the clansmen at a family dinner, which it was decided should
be held on May 5th, 1894. Those present formed themselves into a
committee to make arrangements for holding the dinner and the chairman
and secretary of the meeting were appointed chairman and secretary of
the committee. Invitations were sent to every member of the Clan in
Ontario, Montreal, New York, Buffalo and Detroit, whose name the
committee was able to procure, and about three hundred replies were
received, in which, without exception, an earnest hope for the success
of the proposed organization was expressed. The dinner took place as had
been decided upon, on May 5th, 1894, at Webb's Restaurant, Toronto, and
an account of the proceedings will now be given.
[Illustration of Menu cover:
"MOR FHAICH"
CLAN FRASER
IN
CANADA,
FIRST
ANNUAL DINNER
MAY 5th
1894]
_A chuirm sgaoilte; chuaias an ceol
Ard sholas a'n talia nan triath._--OISEAN.
Menu
Soup.
Scotch Broth.
Fish.
Boiled Sea Salmon from the Cruives of Lovat.
Sgadan beag Poll-a-Roid. Pomme Natural, Anchovy Sauce.
Bread and Butter Rolled.
Entrees.
HAGGIS
PUNCH A LA ROMAIN.
Joints.
Roast Beef. Spring Lamb.
Vegetables.
Mashed Potatoes. Asparagus. French Peas.
Entremets.
Fraser Pudding.
Curds and Cream. Oat Cakes. Assorted Fine Cakes.
Shortbread. Cheese. Biscuits. Radishes.
Neapolitan Ice Cream. Nuts. Figs. Dates.
FRUITS. COFFEE.
"_Smeorach Stratharaigeig; uiseag an urlair._"--SEAN-FHOCAI.
Toast List
1. The Queen.
"She wrought her people lasting good."
2. The Chief.
"Tostamaid ar ceann a cinnidh;
Mac-Shimi mor na Morfhaich."
"Master, go on, and I will follow thee
To the last gasp, with truth and loyalty."
Bagpipe Music--"Morar Sim."
3. The Clan.
"I tell you a thing sickerly,
That yon men will win or die;
For doubt of deid they sall not flee."
"'N uair 'thig an cinneadh Frisealach,
Tha fios gur daoine borb iad."
Bagpipe Music--"Caisteal Dunaidh."
4. Our Guests.
"Sir, you are very welcome to our house."
Bagpipe Music--"Aird Mhic-Shimi."
"Highland Fling," by Master Norman Fraser.
5. The Clan in Canada.
"Kindred alike, where'er our skies may shine,
Where'er our sight first drank the vital morn."
Bagpipe Music--"Fhuair Mac-Shimi air ais an Oighearachd."
6. Distinguished Clansmen.
"Of singular integrity and learning,
Yea, the elect o' the land."
(_a_) In Art; (_b_) in Science; (_c_) in Literature;
(_d_) in Theology; (_e_) in War; (_f_) in Political Life.
7. The Ladies.
"Disguise our bondage as we will,
'Tis woman, woman, rules us still."
"And when a lady's in the case,
You know, all other things give place."
8. Deoch an Doruis.
_Air (fonn) "Clementine."_
Deoch an doruis, deoch an doruis,
Deoch an doruis, 's i tha ann;
Deoch an doruis, sguab as i,
Cha'n eil Mac-na-Bracha gann.
Auld Lang Syne. God Save the Queen.
The bagpipe music will be furnished by Mr. Robert Ireland, Pipe
Major of the 48th Highlanders, Toronto.
[Illustration of Clan device of targe and crossed swords]
THE CLAN DINNER.
Although the number that sat around the festive board was much smaller
than had been expected, the elements requisite for a successful
gathering were strongly in evidence, and, as a matter of fact, the
inaugural dinner of the Clan turned out to be a most satisfactory event.
Many of the absentees had conveyed good reasons for their absence, and
hearty greetings to the assembled company. From a large number of
letters it would be difficult to make a selection for the reader and the
demands of space would prevent it, although some of them are really
worth reproducing. Of special interest were the letters from Messrs. O.
K. Fraser, Brockville; John Fraser, Wm. Lewis Fraser and Thomas Fraser,
New York; P. M. Fraser, St. Thomas; Donald Fraser, Windsor; R. J.
Fraser, Barrie; R. M. Fraser, Goderich; Rev. R. D. Fraser, Bowmanville;
Rev. J. B. Fraser, M.D., Annan; John Fraser, Montreal; W. G. Fraser,
Buffalo; Hon. Christopher Finlay Fraser, and B. Homer Dixon, K.N.L.,
Toronto; the last named a Fraser on the maternal side and a gentleman
deeply versed in the history of the Clan.
The dining hall presented a very attractive appearance. The table was
made beautiful with a tastefully arranged and selected display of
flowers and plants, and appropriate to the occasion there were stags'
heads on the walls, and the Fraser Clan tartan draped the pillars,
doorway and windows. There were a number of articles of interest sent by
friends, such as finely executed mezzo-tint pictures of Simon Lord
Lovat, beheaded in 1747, and of Brigadier Simon Fraser, the hero of
Saratoga; and a water-color of the Clan arms, from Mr. B. Homer Dixon; a
map of Inverness-shire, showing the Clan possessions at various stages
of its history, with the lands in the hands of cadets of the Clan, a
life-size copy of Hogarth's picture of Simon Lord Lovat, the "last of
the martyrs," a life-size copy of an engraving of Sir Alexander Fraser
of Phillorth, founder of the University of Fraserburgh, sent by the
Chairman.
The menu card, a copy of which has been reproduced for this volume, will
be found to have been a clever effort of the artist, Mr. W. A. Fraser,
Secretary of Committee. A representation of the Falls of Foyers is
given on the cover, and on the last page a celtic armorial device
surrounded by the names of a number of old Fraser estates.
The Chairman was Mr. Alexander Fraser (MacFhionnlaidh); and the
vice-chairs were occupied by Mr. Robert Lovat Fraser, Barrister,
Toronto, and ex-Mayor Fraser of Petrolea. A picture of the company is
given on another page, which will form an interesting reminiscence of
the happy gathering. From the picture, the face of one who was present
at the dinner is unfortunately absent, that of Mr. Henry Sandham Fraser,
and that of Mr. Wm. Fraser, of whom a brief notice is given on another
page, appears, although he was not present, as he would have been were
it not that he was just then stricken down with illness, to which, not
long afterwards, he succumbed. The dinner was excellently served, and
then came the toast list with the speeches. The first toast was that of:
"THE QUEEN."
The Chairman in proposing the health of the Queen said:--Our Clan has
invariably been a loyal one, even in the rising which terminated so
fatally on the battlefield of Culloden, the Clan Fraser took part,
believing that they were striking a blow for the rightful king. I am
sure we all agree that no sovereign has ever held sway over the British
Empire who is more worthy of the regard of men of Highland blood than
Her Majesty Queen Victoria. She who has given so many proofs of regard
for the Highland people is beloved by them in return. Her volumes of her
life in the Highlands, one of which has been well translated into Gaelic
and the other indifferently so, bear testimony to the deep interest with
which she regards that portion of her ancient kingdom of Scotland, to
which we lay claim as our native land. She has gone in and out among the
peasantry and gentry with perfect confidence in their loyalty and in
their attachment to her person. She surrounded herself by faithful
Highlanders, and their services to her, whether in the household or in
positions of public preferment, have been uniformly of a high character
and invariable success. That she may long live and rule in the hearts of
her people, no body of men can wish more strongly than this company that
has given to her name its just place of honor at the head of the toast
list.
The toast was cordially honored.
"THE CHIEF."
The Chairman next proposed the toast of the Chief. He said: It is stated
that a man of the name of Cameron, who had fought at the Battle of
Falkirk with the Royal Army, his clan being on the side of the Prince,
joined his kinsmen after the battle, but still wore the Royal uniform in
the bonnet of which there was a cockade. Lord Kilmarnock, coming up and
seeing an armed Royalist, as he thought, suspected danger to the Prince,
and in an altercation he snatched the cockade from the soldier's hat and
trampled upon it. This aroused the ire of the Camerons who saw their
comrade maltreated, and they resented Kilmarnock's interference, saying,
"No Colonel nor General in the Prince's army can take that cockade out
of the hat of a Cameron except Lochiel himself." I mention this incident
as affording a good example of the bond of fealty by which the clansman
was held to his chief. To him the chief was supreme in all things. He
was not only the head of his family, but the provider and protector of
the clan. His authority he derived from his position, his position he
secured, sometimes by the good-will of the clan, but generally on
account of birth. The clansmen considered themselves as the children of
the chief, and the system demanded that they subordinate themselves to
his rule. Without a chief or his substitute there could be no organized
clan, and it is rightly understood how important was his position under
the clan system. Chiefs of our Clan proved themselves to be worthy of
the position, as a rule, and Simon Joseph, Lord Lovat, the young
nobleman who now holds the chiefship, already gives promise of
faithfully following in the footsteps of his forefathers. At the
celebration of his majority, not long ago, there was a considerable
gathering of clansmen and others to do him honor, and the manner in
which he performed his part as host on that occasion is an augury of a
distinguished future. It is said that he shows a deep interest in the
welfare of his people, that he is a young man of highly patriotic
feelings, and, as his sphere of usefulness is a wide one, he, no doubt,
will have ample opportunity of filling the highest expectations of the
Clan. Following the traditions of his house he has entered the army,
and, should he decide to follow arms as a profession, no doubt the
military genius of his race, bequeathed to him through a long line of
ancestors, will win for him honorable distinction as a soldier. I now
ask you to charge your glasses and to drink to the health of our young
chief with Highland honors.
The toast was drunk with Highland honors; the company singing "He's a
Jolly Good Fellow," after which the piper played the Clan welcome,
"Morar Sim."
Mrs. Charles Gordon Fraser was at this stage introduced, and her little
boy, Master Norman Fraser, attired in Highland costume, gave a spirited
and clever execution of the Highland fling, for which he was
enthusiastically cheered.
"THE CLAN."
The Chairman proposed the next toast, that of the Clan. He said:--In
rising to propose the toast of the evening, my first duty, it seems to
me, is to express my sense of the great honor done me by my clansmen in
asking me to preside over the first family dinner of the Clan in this
Province. Many there be with us, who, from age and distinction and
fitness in every respect, ought to have come before me, and who would
have done greater honor to the position on such an occasion as this,
than I can hope to do, even with your kind indulgence. The rather active
part it has been my privilege to take in bringing about this happy
gathering may have suggested your choice, and should I be right in this
conjecture, that fact but deepens the feeling with which I regard the
honor. But a still more arduous duty laid upon me was to give the toast
of the evening, that of "The Clan." I can assure you it required all the
courage I could muster to undertake the task. The motto of the Clan was
held up to me, but I did not forget that _Je suis prest_ ought to be the
corollary of _Paratus sum_, and I fear that but few could step into the
breach and do full justice to the great Clan Fraser. In assigning the
toast, moreover, the request was made that I should give as much
information regarding the Clan, as could well be packed into a speech,
even if the limit of time should have to be extended over that which is
usually allowable for an after dinner effort; but, as I understand the
information is intended for a wider circle of clansmen than is here, I
feel assured of your patience and forbearance while I struggle through
a narrative, the length of which under other circumstances would have
been an unpardonable breach of good taste.
The clan system holds an intermediate position between the patriarchal
and feudal systems. It is sometimes confused with the former, more
rarely with the latter. The feudal lordship, in its genius and scope of
operation, was diametrically opposed to the salient characteristics of
the clan system. The distinctions need not be enlarged upon here, let it
suffice to draw attention to the fact that clanship was a distinct form
of government, under well recognized and applied principles. In modern
literature we find the characteristic most emphasized to be the loyalty
with which the clansman followed and served his chief, as in the words
of the quotation on our toast list, "Master, go on and I will follow
thee, to the last gasp, with truth and loyalty." That truth and loyalty,
however, was not born of a servile, but of a highly patriotic feeling,
for the bond which united chief and clansman was that of kindred and
common interest, and not of hire and servitude. This explains why a
people so highly sensitive, fiery and impetuous as the Celts, gave such
loyal and perfect allegiance to the chief of the clan.
[Illustration: ALEXANDER FRASER (_Mac-Fhionnlaidh_)
CHAIRMAN.]
Since the fact that we were to hold a clan gathering got abroad, I have
been asked for information regarding the origin of the clans in the
Highlands. How these clans were first established authentic history does
not record with clearness. We are left in the task of unravelling the
origin of the clans to meagre allusions in classical writings, in
genealogies which, to some extent at least, are mythical, and to
tradition, ever changing with the progress of the centuries. There can
be no question that many of the clans grew gradually from the native
population after the consolidation of the Scottish Kingdom. We know that
tribes, some bearing names of modern clans, existed in what may be
described as prehistoric times, in the ordinary acceptation of that
term, in that part of Scotland north of the Forth and Clyde. Amongst
these were the Bissets, the Fentons of the Aird, and others, whose names
still survive in the County of Inverness, and who must have to some
extent merged into the Fraser Clan, by adopting the name of the lord of
the manor. I do not like to quote John Hill Burton as an authority,
prejudiced, as he manifestly is, and unfair, as a rule, when dealing
with the Highlands and the Celts, but a passage from his unreliable Life
of Simon, Lord Lovat, will show how a surname may impose itself on a
community and how clans have been, to some extent, constituted. He says:
"In some instances the foreign family adopted a purely Celtic patronymic
from the name of the sept of which they were the leaders. In other
cases, such as the Gordons and Frasers, the sept, probably absorbing
various small tribes and admitting to its bosom many stray members
owning strange varieties of Gaelic names, took the name of the leader;
hence we find the purest Gaelic spoken by people enjoying the Norman
names of a Gordon or a Cumin. But, whether the imported lord of the soil
adopted the name of the tribe or the tribe that of their lord, the
unyielding influence of old national customs and peculiarities
prevailed, and their families gradually adapted themselves in speech and
method of life to the people over whom they held sway." This principle
holds good in the case of the composite Fraser Clan, and a curious
example is afforded by an extract from the Allangrange MS., with respect
to the Rev. Wm. Fraser, of Kilmorack, published in that repository of
Highland lore, the Celtic Magazine:--
"Bishop Hay, maternal uncle to Agnes Lovat, carried away by Kenneth
Mackenzie (a Bhlair), Seventh Baron of Kintail, when he sent away his
first wife Margaret, daughter of John, Earl of Ross, advised Kenneth and
the lady's friends that a commission should be sent to the Pope in 1491
to procure the legitimation of their union. This was agreed to, and the
following is the account of the commissioners:--
"'To that effect one called Donald Dhu McChreggie, priest of Kirkhill,
was employed. This priest was a native in Kintail, descended of a clan
there called Clan Chreggie, who, being a hopeful boy in his younger
days, was educated in Mackenzie's house, and afterwards at Beullie by
the forementioned Dugall Mackenzie (natural son of Alexander 'Ionraic'
VI. of Kintail pryor yrof). In the end he was made priest of Kirkhill.
His successors to this day are called Frasers. Of this priest are
descended Mr. William and Mr. Donald Fraser.'
"The author of the Ardintoul MSS. gives a slightly different version,
and says: 'To which end they sent Mr. Andrew Fraser, priest of Kintail,
a learned and eloquent man, who took in his company Dugald Mackenzie,
natural son of Alexander Inrig, who was a scholar. The Pope entertained
them kindly, and very readily granted them what they desired, and were
both made knights to the boot by Pope Clement VIII., but when my knights
came home they neglected the decree of Pope Innocent III. against the
marriage and consentricate of the clergy, or, otherwise, they got a
dispensation from the then Pope Clement VIII., for both of them married.
Sir Dugal was made priest of Kintail and married Nien (daughter) Dunchy
Chaim in Glenmoriston. Sir Andrew likewise married, whose son was Donall
Dubh MacIntagard (Black Donald, son of the Priest) and was priest of
Kirkhill and chapter of Ross. His tacks of the Vicarage of Kilmorack to
John Chisholm, of Comar, stands to this day. His son was Mr. William
MacAhoulding, _alias_ Fraser, who died minister of Kiltarlady. His son
was Mr. Donald Fraser, who died minister of Kilmorack; so that he is the
fifth minister or ecclesiastical person in a lineal and uninterrupted
succession, which falls out but seldom, and than which, in my judgment,
nothing can more entitle a man to be really a gentleman; for that blood
which runs in the veins of four or five generations of men of piety and
learning and breeding cannot but have influence, and it confirms my
opinion that the present Mr. Wm. Fraser (who is the fifth) has the
virtues and commendable properties of his predecessors all united in
him.'"
We see here the ease with which a MacCreggie could become a Fraser, and,
bearing in mind the principle noticed by Hill Burton, there is no
difficulty in accounting for the origin and growth of our Clan in the
Highlands. Whether we can tell the day of the month and the year on
which Andrew or Simon Fraser first gazed on the winding Beauly or
not--and the date can be approximately fixed--we, at all events, have no
deep, unfathomable problem to solve as to the formation of the Fraser
Clan. We know that the founder of the name in Inverness-shire arrived
there as the head of a powerful Lowland house, that he settled among the
native Caledonians of the country, assumed possession of the lands then
forming his estate; that the people, who were as Celtic as those in any
portion of the Highlands, bearing such names as Gille-Criosd,
Mac-Killweralicke, Gill' Aindrea, etc., rallied around him, accepted his
authority, became his followers, and gradually adopted the name. As has
been remarked, some of those who were thus absorbed were the Bissets and
the Fentons of the Aird; there were also the Haliburtons, the Corbets,
and the Graemes of Lovat, whose estates fell into the possession of the
Fraser family. From this beginning it is an easy matter to follow the
fortunes of the Clan down the centuries from 1296, or thereabout, until
the present day. But it is not as easy, nor is it as important, although
interesting, to deal with the origin of the name and the ancient seat of
those who bore it long, long ago. Yet the theories respecting the origin
of the name must be taken notice of as traditions of interest, at least
to the Clan.
We meet the name of "Fraser" in various spellings in Ragman Roll, which
dates A.D. 1292-97. Seventeen gentlemen of the family are on the roll,
and the spellings given are: Fraser, Fresar, Frisel, Frisele, Freshele,
de Fraser, and de Frisle. Whence derived? A Norman-French and a Celtic
origin have been ascribed to it.