Frasers of Philorth

Last updated

The Frasers of Philorth are a Scottish lowlands family, originally from the Anjou region of France. [1] Castle Fraser, their family seat, is in Sauchen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. [2] Since the time of Alexander Fraser, 11th Lord Saltoun, the heads of the Philorth family are the Lords Saltoun. [3] The current head of the Frasers of Philorth is Katharine Fraser, 22nd Lady Saltoun, who is Chief of the Name and Arms of Clan Fraser. The family's arms are " azure, three cinquefoils argent "—three silver strawberry flowers on a field of blue. The heraldic cinquefoil is a stylized five-point leaf; the cinquefoils which appear on the Fraser of Philorth coat-of-arms are specifically strawberry flowers. Only the Lady or Lord Saltoun is permitted to display these arms plain and undifferenced.

Contents

History

Fraserburgh Alexander's grandson, also Alexander, married a daughter of the Earl of Ross, acquiring the lands of Philorth in Buchan, plus the castle of Cairnbulg, which has been the seat of the Fraser chiefs from that time forward.

In 1504, the family purchased a fishing community called Faithlie, by Kinnaird Head. [4] On coming into possession in 1569, Sir Alexander, 8th Lord of Philorth, began to build "a large and beautiful town". He laid the foundation of the Tower of Kynnairdshead, since called the Castle of Fraserburgh, and built a church. [4]

They created a burgh of barony in 1546. [4]

In 1592, Alexander was given a charter by James VI for Faithlie. He improved the harbour, making the area a thriving town, which soon became a free port and burgh called Fraserburgh, a rival of Aberdeen.

Around 1596, the family built Pittulie Castle. [5]

Fraserburgh was to have had a university, but the religious troubles and competition from Aberdeen stemmed the town’s growth. By building Fraserburgh Castle the Laird bankrupted himself, and had to sell the Philorth Castle, [4] which passed out of the family for over 300 years until Alexander Fraser, 19th Lord Saltoun, bought it back in 1934. Alexander, 9th Lord of Philorth, married the heiress of the Lord Saltoun, a title borne by the Clan Fraser chiefs since that time.

The Chiefship was in dispute between the Frasers of Philorth and another branch, which also came from Tweeddale, the Frasers of Muchalls. In the reign of Charles I. The peerage expired with the fourth Lord Fraser, who died in 1716 while on the run as a result of his participation in The Fifteen. The first two sons of Andrew, the 2nd Lord Fraser, were not seen in Scotland after the 1650 Battle of Dunbar. One of them, James Fraser, ended up in Massachusetts (US) as "James Frizzell."

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fraserburgh</span> Town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Fraserburgh, locally known as the Broch, is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, with a population recorded in the 2011 Census as 13,100. It lies in Buchan in the northeastern corner of the county, about 40 miles (64 km) north of Aberdeen and 17 miles (27 km) north of Peterhead. It is the biggest shellfish port in Scotland and one of the largest in Europe, landing over 5,450 tonnes in 2016. Fraserburgh is also a major port for white and pelagic fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banff and Buchan</span> Modern committee area in Aberdeenshire

Banff and Buchan is a committee area of the Aberdeenshire Council, Scotland, covering an area along the northern coast of the council area. The main towns are Banff and Fraserburgh. Fishing and agriculture are important industries, together with associated processing and service activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosehearty</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Rosehearty is a settlement on the Moray Firth coast, four miles west of the town Fraserburgh, in the historical county of Aberdeenshire in Scotland. The burgh has a population of approximately 1,300 with about 25 per cent of pensionable age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverallochy and Cairnbulg</span> Human settlement in Scotland

The villages of Inverallochy and Cairnbulg lie some 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Fraserburgh, in North East Scotland. It formerly consisted of the three fishing villages of Brandesburgh, Cairnbulg and Inverallochy, but the former village has since disappeared.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinnaird Head</span> Place in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Kinnaird Head is a headland projecting into the North Sea, within the town of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, on the east coast of Scotland. The 16th-century Kinnaird Castle was converted in 1787 for use as the Kinnaird Head Lighthouse, the first lighthouse in Scotland to be lit by the Commissioners of Northern Lights. Kinnaird Castle and the nearby Wine Tower were described by W. Douglas Simpson as two of the nine castles of the Knuckle, referring to the rocky headland of north-east Aberdeenshire. The lighthouse is a category A listed building. and the Wine Tower. is a scheduled monument. The buildings around the base of the lighthouse are the work of Robert Stevenson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clan Fraser</span> Lowland Scottish clan

Clan Fraser is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands. It is not to be confused with the Clan Fraser of Lovat who are a separate Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands. Both clans have their own separate chief, both of whom are officially recognized by the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clan Fraser of Lovat</span> Highland Scottish clan

Clan Fraser of Lovat is a Highland Scottish clan and the principal branch of Clan Fraser. The Frasers of Lovat are strongly associated with Inverness and the surrounding area since the Clan's founder gained lands there in the 13th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banff, Aberdeenshire</span> Town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Banff is a town in the Banff and Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is situated on Banff Bay and faces the town of Macduff across the estuary of the River Deveron. It is a former royal burgh, and is the county town of the historic county of Banffshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornhill, Aberdeenshire</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Cornhill is a small village close to Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It lies 5 miles (8.0 km) to the south of Portsoy. The village was originally a burgh of a feudal barony and is now a farming community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadsea</span>

Broadsea is a community situated in Aberdeenshire in the north east of Scotland. It is a long-standing fishing community at the north edge of Fraserburgh.

Alexander Fraser, 11th Lord Saltoun, was a Scottish peer and the 10th Laird of Philorth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fordyce, Aberdeenshire</span>

Fordyce is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland that is slightly inland from the point where the Burn of Fordyce meets the sea between Cullen and Portsoy. It has existed since at least the 13th century. In 1990, Charles McKean wrote that Fordyce was "a sheer delight to discover, concealed as it is from the passing eye by hills and rolling countryside".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cairnbulg Castle</span> 14th-century castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

Cairnbulg Castle is a z-plan castle situated in Cairnbulg, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was described by W. Douglas Simpson as one of the nine castles of the Knuckle, referring to the rocky headland of north-east Aberdeenshire. It stands by the River Philorth and was originally known as Philorth Castle. The 17th-century Philorth Castle, an L-plan house consisting of a sizeable crow-stepped block, was demolished after a fire in 1915.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pitsligo Castle</span> Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

Pitsligo Castle is a ruined castle half a mile east of Rosehearty, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Modified in the 1570s by the Forbes of Druminnor, it was described by W. Douglas Simpson as one of the nine castles of the Knuckle, referring to the rocky headland of North-East Aberdeenshire. It is listed by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Forbes, 4th Lord Forbes of Pitsligo</span> Scottish Jacobite nobleman and refugee

Alexander Forbes, 4th Lord Forbes of Pitsligo (1678–1762) was a Scottish Jacobite nobleman and refugee, also known as a writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittulie Castle</span>

Pittulie Castle is an oblong tower house probably dating from 1596, half a mile from Pitsligo Castle, Rosehearty, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is a scheduled monument. Built by the Frasers of Philorth, it was described by W. Douglas Simpson as one of the nine castles of the Knuckle, referring to the rocky headland of north-east Aberdeenshire.

Auchmeddan Castle was a castle, most likely dating from the 16th century, now demolished, located 9 miles (14 km) west of Fraserburgh, at Mains of Auchmeddan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.Subclade distance 0 An alternative spelling was Auchmedden Castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Memsie</span> Category A listed house in Memsie, Aberdeenshire

House of Memsie is a Category A listed country house and estate in Memsie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It dates to around 1760, and it received its historic designation in 1971. It was formerly the home of the Fraser family for over three hundred years. It was sold to Lord Saltoun in the early 19th century. A Captain Dalrymple was another previous owner. Historian Charles McKean describes it as a "smaller and more decorative version of Aberdour House".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Fraser (died 1623)</span>

Alexander Fraser of Philorth was a Scottish landowner and founder of Fraserburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fraserburgh Town House</span> Municipal building in Fraserburgh, Scotland

Fraserburgh Town House is a municipal building in Saltoun Square, Fraserburgh, Scotland. The building, which was the headquarters of Fraserburgh Burgh Council, is a Category B listed building.

References

  1. ↑ Fraser, Alexander (1879). The Frasers of Philorth. Edinburgh. p. 1:6. Retrieved 17 December 2019.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ↑ Munro, David M.; Gittings, Bruce (2006). Scotland: An Encyclopedia of Places & Landscapes. Collins. p. 113. ISBN   978-0004724669.
  3. ↑ Fraser, Fiona. "History". Fraserchief. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 McKean, Charles (1990). Banff & Buchan: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Mainstream Publications Ltd. p. 129. ISBN   185158-231-2.
  5. ↑ McKean, Charles (1990). Banff & Buchan: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Mainstream Publications Ltd. p. 124. ISBN   185158-231-2.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.