J.M. McBain provided a brief profile of this family in his book Eminent
Arboathians [1897].
In 1653 James Fraser succeeded Simon Durie as minister
of Arbroath and shortly before his marriage to Isobel Philip (d/o Dr Henry
Philip), became proprietor of Hospitalfield. He continued as minister for
sixteen years, but he does not seem to have got on smoothly with the civic
authorities and a quarrel with the Provost prompted the Presbytery to
submit the case to Archbishop Sharp at St Andrews, resulting in a
temporary suspension of the exercise of his ministerial function. In the
meantime, however, and evidently to save further trouble, James Fraser
retired into private life, preferring rather to spend the remainder of his
days as a country gentleman, than in bickering and fighting with the city
fathers.
At Magus Muir in North-east Fife on 3rd May
1679, "betuext 12 and ane a clock in the efternoon" Dr James Sharp,
Archbishop of St Andrew’s, Primate of all Scotland and Royal Chaplain to
Charles II, was dragged from his coach and murdered by a band of
Covenanters in the presence of his eldest daughter Isabella. Four years
later his daughter Margaret (1664-1734) married William Fraser, 11th
(now 12th) Lord Saltoun (1654-1714/5).
On his death, James Fraser was succeeded in the
proprietorship of Hospitalfield and Kirkton by his son James, who in turn
was succeeded by his eldest son John, but neither of these made up titles
to the property. Captain David Fraser, son of John, having succeeded his
father, made up a title to the estate in 1766 and 1767. He married Mary
Barclay, and in 1759 had a son John, who in due course succeeded to the
estate. When in 1793 war was declared by France against Britain, and an
appeal was made to the country to arm in her defence, John Fraser of
Hospitalfield offered his services, which were accepted, and in 1794,
having locally raised a regiment of four or five companies, under the
designation of the Angus Fencibles, he was appointed Major and assumed the
command. During the four following years the regiment was stationed in
different parts of the country. When Robert Burns died [21 Jul 1796] the
Angus Fencibles were at Dumfries, and a detachment of the regiment took
part in the funeral obsequies of the poet, the Major putting the first
shovelful of earth on the coffin of the bard.
Major John Fraser married Elizabeth Perrot (d/o Francis
Perrot of Hawkesbury Hall). Their daughter Elizabeth in 1843 married
Patrick Allan (1813-1890) who had returned to Arbroath in 1841 after
studying art in Edinburgh, Rome, Paris and London. One of his first
commissions was a series of sketches for Cadell’s edition of the Waverley
novels, adopting the name of Patrick Allan Fraser of Hospitalfield.
Marie Fraser
Clan Fraser Society of
Canada