TWEEDSMUIR PARISH HISTORY.
Frasers of Oliver Castle.
(Ed.During 2019 it was obvious that this page was getting far too long and cumbersome. As a result some sections have been removed and now appear in new pages -
Frasers and the Declaration of Arbroath.
There will be more refining during 2020.)
The Frasers first arrived in Scotland in the 12th century,or possibly even earlier. They had come from Anjou/Normandy in France. They settled first in East Lothian then expanded south into Tweeddale then to the Upper Tweed valley towards the source of the River Tweed. The first Fraser in what is now Tweedsmuir was probably Oliver Fraser the "Olifurd" who witnessed documents in the reign of King Malcolm IV (1153-1165).(1) He built the Fruid and Oliver Castles, the former being built first.(2) For more about Fruid Castle and the Frasers of Fruid see page Frasers of Fruid Castle.
The site of Oliver castle has traditionally been located on elevated ground overlooking the ford at the River Tweed. However, there is no archaelogical evidence to support this - for more about this site see page Oliver Castle Site This strategic site also gave line of sight for signal fires to be seen at the Peel Tower at Polmood then continued on via a line of other sites to Berwick.(22) The signal fires from Oliver could also be seen at Fruid Castle via Hawkshaw. See annotated map of 1947, prior to the construction of the Fruid Reservoir, below.
Information for the compilation of the above chart from Fraser(12), McAndrew(14) from Buchan/Paton(2) and Coventry(16). Bernard Fraser son of Utard was probably the eldest son and died dvp (12). Hence he would have been at Oliver prior to Gilbert(18). Thomas Fraser only appears in the records once in 1306 where he is described as the brother of Symon Fraser.(2)(12)
Downie Castle the precursor of Beaufort Castle at Beauly in Invernessshire was held by the Bissetts in the twelth century(16). There are several variations on the story of how the Bissett lands - the lands of Lovat - came to the Frasers. The easy one just states that the Bissett lands were gifted to the Fraser(21). One would think that the Lovat lands would have gone to a person or their descendants that took the name of Lovat. A strong candidate for this is The Simon Fraser killed in 1333. His wife was Margaret Sinclair of Caithness and she was the daughter of the Earl of Caithnes who was married to the heiress of Graham of Lovat. Graham had married Mary the Bissett heiress(10). ie the lands of Lovat came to the Frasers via Lady Margaret Sinclair. One other theory concerns the marriage of Mary, the Bissett heiress directly to a Simon Fraser. This could have been the Simon Fraser the father of the Patriot who died in 1291(6). See Fraser Heraldry page. The Bissetts are considered as a Sept of the Frasers.
It is unclear when the Frasers obtained the lands of Touch with its castle, 2 miles from Stirling. It probably came to them during the Bernard/Gilbert era. Touch still exists although the present Georgian mansion does include parts of a sixteenth century building there is nothing remaining from the twelfth/thirteenth century Fraser tower house. (The mansion house has appeared in the TV series Outlander - not as Touch - a Fraser holding - but as Culloden House.)
In the middle of the 13th century Gilbert Fraser was Sheriff of Peebles and Traquair in Tweeddale. It was during his tenure that he obtained the lands of Jedderfield to the west of Peebles. Jedderfield subsequently was named Neidpath.(2) Gilbert built a "Castle" on the site of which very little is known and no vestiges remain. The title of Sheriff was hereditary and the lands were inherited by his second son Simon of Oliver Castle. The eldest son of Gilbert was John the first of the Touch Fraser line who decessit vita patris (dvp) died with his father still living. (dvp is a term used to denote a son who has predeceased his father and not lived long enough to inherit his father's title and estate.) John was however the progenitor of the Chiefly and also some Cadet lines of the two Fraser clans.(12) The second son Simon Fraser I inherited Oliver Castle and Neidpath and probably also the six cinquefoil/black field family blazon from Gilbert Fraser his father. (The descendants of John the first son would appear to have adopted the three cinquefoils/blue field blazon.) However the disposition of the blasons is unclear as indicated by the seals on the Ragman Roll of 1296(5) - more about the Ragman Roll below. Here, a Sir Simon Fraser who must be Sir Simon Fraser III, The Patriot, has the six cinquefoils but with a label indicating that he was an heir. While there is Sir Richard Fraser who must be the son of John has the plain six cinquefoils.
The lands of Neidpath came to the Hays via the marriage of Mary Fraser, daughter of Simon III, to Gilbert Hay c1312. In the middle of the fourteenth century(7) the Hays built a new castle on the site of the previous castle of which nothing remained. This new castle is the Neidpath Castle that we see today.
The notion that Sir Simon having a son - see the Galloway Roll on page Fraser Family Heraldry - must have been recorded elsewhere as it was repeated by George Burns the Minister of Tweedsmuir writing in the New Statistical Account of 1834(14) states that "Simon Fraser had a son, sent in exile to France, left his two sisters in possession of the estate". However it was firmly discounted by Professor Veitch(15) writing in 1893 who stated "The statement, made by some writers, that the last Sir simon Fraser left a son who founded the northern houses of Lovat and Saltoun, is wholly without historical foundation."
William the youngest son of Sir Gilbert Fraser was Bishop of St. Andrews from 1279 and a respected Guardian of the Realm for six years.(4) He also inherited the six roses armorial but the colour of the field is not recorded - however it could have been red as there is an unidentified example(14). However, the red armorial could have belonged to a yet an unidentified Fraser. An example of one of his seals is on the left showing the roses.
In the last decade of the 13th century the death of Margaret, The Maid of Norway, the last survivor of the direct line of the Scottish Monarchs led King Edward 1 of England to “Takeover” Scotland. Part of this takeover was the requirement of all Scots of note to sign a document swearing fealty to Edward 1. This remarkable document is known as “The Ragman Roll”(11) - more about this on the Ragman Roll page to be found in the Hope surname pages of this site. The roll lists names redolent in Scottish history including fourteen Frasers, including Simon Fraser of Oliver. Some of the seals of the signatories are extant, although many have been lost. A few Fraser seals with the distinctive six cinquefoils survive.(5)
Simon III Fraser of Oliver is known as the Patriot for good reason. Initially he was with Edward 1 and was in his army at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298 and was at the seige of Caerlaverock Castle and also at a skirmish at Cree River, both in 1300. However with the strengthening resistance of the Scots and the rise of the nationalist cause he changed sides and joined William Wallace, who he had fought against at Falkirk. This cause is now known as the First Scottish War of Independence.
After the battle of Falkirk William Wallace was hunted by English troops and spies, and more than once traced to the company of "Sir Simon Fraser and other Scots, enemies of the King", from other incidental allusions it may be gathered that the strongholds and territories of the Frasers were always open to him and used for his protection (See Bain,s Calendar, iv., pp474-7) (19).
Simon Fraser became a thorn in the side of Edward and accompanied Wallace in some of his escapades. In one notable event the pair of them engaged some English Knights at Happrew in Tweeddale a few miles west of Neidpath near Peebles. The location of the skirmish I think is important as Neidpath was part of the Barony of Oliver Castle. There was a castle on the site built by Gilbert Fraser that could have been used by Wallace as a refuge. We do know is that there was on the site a particular type of yew tree – taxus baccata neidpathensis - this had a stiff growth and had excellent wood for bows. This would have been an attraction as Wallace was a skilled archer and the short bow was an essential weapon in his succesful guerilla tactics. For more about the yews see page 5.1. Yew Trees of Neidpath Castle and Frasers of Neidpath.
There is a notion that Simon Fraser and William Wallace were distant kinsman. This does seem unlikely considering their very different backgrounds. We also have very little verifiable information on the Wallace family and their background. However I have found a reference to a family connection in a footnote from the Historical Account of the Family of Frizel or Fraser(21) that states Sir Simon Fraser of Oliver Castle, from whom maternally descended the famous Sir William Wallace.
Simon is also recorded in 1303 at Roslin, of Da Vinci Code fame, of engaging and defeating three different parts of the English army on the same day. He with Sinclair of Roslin and Lord Badenoch - known as the Red Comyn - were the commanders of the Scottish army that day. There is a memorial at the battle site at Dryden near to Roslyn - image on left. Were the battles at Roslin about the Templars and not about the Realm? See page Fraser and the Templars.
Robert the Bruce was crowned King at Scone on 25-03-1306. At the battle of Methven - June 1306 - against the English it is recorded that Fraser saved The life of King Robert the Bruce three times by his courageous actions. Allegedely, the three red antique crowns on the heraldry of the Frasers of Lovat refer to these incidents - see page Fraser Family Heraldry.
Unfortunately the gallant Sir Simon Fraser fell into the hands of Edward 1 and was "hung, drawn and quartered for his country's freedom on 8th September 1306 a year after his leader, Wallace."(13) “His head smyten off and placed upon London brig on a sper”. This event was recorded in England as "Also, this year - 1306 - the Earl of Ascesles, the Lord Simon Freysell, and the Countess of Carrick, the pretended Queen of Scotland, daughter to the Earl of Ulster, were taken prisoner. The Earl of Ascesles and Lord Simon Freysell were torn into pieces "(20). The Ascesles must surely be Lascelles but who was this Earl? The Lascelles and the Frasers were related through the marriage of Gilbert Fraser and Christian Lascelles - see chart above. The Countess of Carrick was of course the first wife of King Robert the Bruce and luckily was spared by King Edward as her future grandson was King Robert 11 the first of the Stewart monarch dynasty.
Sir Simon left two daughter heiresses. Joan who married Patrick Fleming whose descendants are Lord Fleming and the Earls of Wigton. Mary who married Gilbert Hay whose descendants are the Hays of Yester, the Marquis of Tweeddale. The Barony of Oliver lands were divided between the Flemings and Hays – the precise territorial boundaries are not recorded but the Neidpath site went to the Hays. It would appear that the lands of Fruid Castle were not included in the division. However, the Fraser of Oliver heritage lives on as the heraldic arms of both the Flemings and the Hays of Yester include five cinquefoils for Fraser.(4) The quartering of the arms gives a reduced space for the cinquefoils, particularly for the lower quadrants - hence only 5 and not 6 cinquefoils as one would have expected. The number of cinquefoils eventually being reduced to only three but larger cinquefoils - see Fleming and Hay armorials on page Frasers and the Templars.
The Arms of the Fleming of Biggar and Hays of Yester.(4)
The Frasers came from France and the name, like most others, had many variations of spelling - probably more than twenty - including Fresel, Fressell, Frisel, Frizel, Freysell, etc. It is said that the name Fraser is in fact a corruption of the French fraise the word for strawberries. It is this that has led to the notion that the cinquefoils represent the strawberry, in particular the wild strawberry flower. On the other hand it said that Neidpath as well as having yew trees on the site had a host of wild strawberries. However the Frasers had probably adopted the cinquefoils before the aquisition of Neidpath. The strawberry plant is associated with and appears on the crest of Clan Fraser. However the plant badge of Lovat Fraser is the Yew - probably Taxus Baccata Neidpathensis, see page Yew Trees of Neidpath.
There was a family of Fraser descended from the Frasers of Oliver - see family tree above - who had their seat at Fruid Castle at the head of the Fruid valley.(2) The first known was Thomas Fraser of Fruid in 1426. More about the Frasers of Fruid on page 5.2. Frasers of Fruid.
View over Fruid reservoir to Site of Fruid Castle that was adjacent to Strawberry Hill which is behind the white dot of Fruid Farm.
Other Pictures of Reservoir in Picture gallery
The Fraser heritage lives on in the Tweeddale area in as much that the quartered arms of Peeblesshire/Tweeddale include five cinquefoils. Also, on one of the ancient portions of the Market Cross in the High Street in Peebles can be seen the incised engraving of strawberry plants.
For a selection of other pages covering the early Fraser families go to Tweedsmuiry Parish History and scroll down to the section on the Frasers.
References.
1) Veitch, John , L.L.D; The History and Poetry of the Scottish Border, William Blackwood, Edinburgh, 1893. Chapter XII pp299-335.
2) Buchan, J.W, Paton, Rev H; History of Peeblesshire, Jackson, Wylie & C0, Glasgow 1927. Vol II for Neidpath pp291-292., p292, for Hay armorial p293. Vol III, for Oliver p354. for two sons of SFII p378, for Fruid pp401-405, for Templers/Knights of St. John pp382-383, for Fleming armorial p380, for date of Oliver House p384. for two sons of Simon Fraser Vol II p378.
3) Not in Use
4) McAndrew, Bruce A; Scotland's Historic Heraldry, Boydell Press, Woodbridge, 2006. pp 484-486.
5) McAndrew, Bruce A; The Sigillography of the Ragman Roll, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquarians Scotland, Edinburgh, 1999. p702 & p733
6) Anderson, William; The Scottish Nation, Fullerton and Co, Edinburgh, 1880,
7) Royal Commission on the Ancient Monuments of Scotland, Inventory for Peeblesshire, HMSO, Edinburgh, 1967. Vol 1 for Nether Oliver and Oliver Forts pp135-137 and vol 2 for Oliver Castle site p262. Vol 2 for Neidpath pp243-261. Canmore ID 48510 for Oliver Castle site.
8) National Archives of Scotland; Old Parochial Records, Tweedsmuir 772, Marriages 1644-1683.
9) Scottish History Society; Miscellany, Claverhouse Letters, Edinburgh, 1990, Vol XI p183.
10) Balfour Paul, Sir James; The Scots Peerage, Edinburgh, 1906. Vol VII pp525-526.
11) Baines, Joseph; Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland - Ragman Roll, HM General Register House, Edinburgh, 1884. Vol 2 No 238.
12) Fraser, Flora, Marjory; Clan Fraser: A History, Celebrating Over 800 Years of the Family in Scotland, Scottish Cultural Press, Dalkeith, 2009. p36.
13) Fraser, Sarah; The Last Highlander, Harper Press, London, 2013. p11.
14) Burns, George, Rev, DD; New Statistical Account for Scotland, Edinburgh, 1834. Vol 3, Parish of Tweedsmuir, p64.
15) Veitch, John, Professor; The History and Poetry of the Scottish Borders, William Blackwood, Edinburgh, 1893. Second Edition, Vol 1 p335.
16) Coventry, Martin; Castles of the Clans. The Strongholds and Seats of 150 Scottish Families and Clans, Collins, 2008. PP44-45.
17) Plean, George Way of and Squire Romilly; Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia, St Kilda, Glasgow, 2017. Third Edition p189.
18) Watson, James; Peeblesshire and its Outland Borders, Alan Smyth, Peebles, 1908. p95.
19) Renwick, Robert; Historical Notes on Peeblesshire Localities, Watson & Smyth, Peebles, 1897. pp321-322.
20) Camden, William, Britannia or a Chronographical Description of Great Britain and Ireland, Edmund Gibson, 1772. Vol 2, p1012.
21) Anderson, John; Historical Account of the Family of Frizel or Fraser, particularly Fraser of Lovat, Blackwood, Edinburgh, 1825. For Wallace connection p9 footnote, For Bissett lands p18.
22) Crockett, William, S, DD; The Scott Country, A&C Black, London, 1926. Sixth Edition p112.
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