The Outlandish Companion - Diana Gabaldon [127]
Sir Gilbert’s fourth son was William, Bishop of St. Andrews, Chancellor of Scotland, who with the Earl of Fife and the Earl of Buchan served as Regent for the North of Scotland and died abroad in 1297.
Sir Gilbert’s heir, his eldest son, Richard Fraser of Touchfraser, was apparently the father of an only child, Sir Andrew Fraser, younger of Touchfraser, Sheriff of Stirling, who married Beatrix, an heiress from Caithness, probably of the Le Chen of Duffus family, and died before 1306, leaving several sons: Sir Alexander Fraser of Touchfraser, ancestor of the Frasers of Philorth (now of Saltoun), Chamberlain of Scotland, who married Mary, the sister of King Robert Bruce, and was killed at the battle of Dupplin in 1332, Andrew Fraser, who was killed at the battle of Halidon Hill in 1333, James Fraser, who was killed at Halidon Hill, and Sir Simon Fraser of Brotherton, Sheriff of Kincardine, ancestor of the Frasers of Lovat.
At this point, where the ancestry of the Frasers of Philorth and the Frasers of Lovat divides, it is necessary to stress that the deductions so far have been a little uncertain, owing to the destruction of so many charters during the wars of independence. Another warning must be added. Readers cross-referencing to other records should be aware that many early writers, not understanding the difference between the feudal title “Lord of Lovat” and the peerage title “Lord Fraser of Lovat” (or “Lord Lovat” as it is commonly used since the creation of the new title of Baron Lovat of Lovat), have muddled their numbering of the Lovat succession. Further uncertainty has been created by the forfeit and subsequent restoration of the honors, and by the creation in the nineteenth century of that additional United Kingdom peerage title of Baron Lovat of Lovat. (All editions of Burke’s Peerage up to and including 1970 have the Lovat entry hopelessly confused.)
The Gaelic name for the Chief of the Frasers of Lovat, MacShimi (written sometimes as Mac Simi or MacShimidh) means son of Simon, and this Simon is believed to be the Sir Simon Fraser of Brotherton who married the eventual heiress of the Lovat lands previously held by Sir David Grahame of Lovat, and earlier by the Byssets. The Beaufort lands of the Byssets were reunited with the Lovat lands when their eventual heiress, Janet de Fenton, married into the Frasers in 1425.
Sir Simon Fraser of Brotherton, Sheriff of Kincardine, was, as shown above, the third son of Andrew Fraser, Sheriff of Stirling. He married Margaret, the daughter of John, Earl of Orkney and Caithness, whose wife may have been the daughter and certainly was the eventual heiress of Sir David Grahame, Lord of Lovat, and through Margaret he became the first of the Fraser Lords of Lovat and acquired extensive lands around Loch Ness. (To avoid confusion in numbering, it is important to note that this is a feudal title, not a peerage title.) With his brothers Andrew and James he was killed at the battle of Halidon Hill, having had with other issue Sir Simon Fraser, Lord of Lovat, who was reported by Froissart as having been in the group that captured Edinburgh Castle in 1341 by stratagem, who fought also at the battle of Durham and died unmarried of his wounds in 1346, and Sir Alexander, Lord of Lovat, who married a daughter of Sir Andrew Moray of Bothwell.
The only known child of this marriage was Hugh Fraser,