TWEEDSMUIR PARISH HISTORY.
Fraser Heraldry.
An armorial bearing of a black field with six silver cinquefoils in a 3,2, 1, formation is the recognised armorial of the Frasers of Oliver Castle as indicated on the armorial on the right and also on the battle rolls shown below. However, before this time the armorial of the Frasers had a blue field with seme′ of strawberries. (Seme′ is the heraldic term for indicating that the field was covered with multiple charges in this case strawberries)(2). These charges also known as fraises. The number of charges would probably be over 15 randomly spread - dusted - over the blue field.
For information on the compilation of the above chart see page Frasers of Oliver.
There are three Rolls of Arms depicting the armorial bearings of the Knights in Edward I army. These cover the three battles that took place on Scottish soil between 1298 and 1300 namely Falkirk, Caerlaverock and Galloway. Simon Fraser of Oliver Castle, subsequently known as the Patriot, features on all three on the English side. It should be noted that these rolls were compiled by the English heraldic authorities and not the Scottish. Simon appears on the above chart in the centre of second lowest row.
Falkirk Roll 1298.
Simon is depicted on the extreme left of middle row of part of the Falkirk roll below as Simin Frizel with the undifferenced blazon of sable and six cinquefoils argent 3--2-1. (William Wallace was the leader of the defeated Scottish army - this was probably the last time that Wallace and Simon Fraser were adversaries.)
Caerlaverock Roll 1300.(6)
Simon is depicted third from right with sable and six roses. The arms are based on a poem that is included with this part of the roll. Furtunately on the roll are the arms of the family Bardulf that has three gold cinquefoils ie both roses and cinquefoils appear on the roll as different charges. This is one of the few times that roses are indicated instead of cinquefoils for Fraser. Another example is the armorial of William Fraser Bishop of St. Andrews - see below.
The Caerlaverock roll is based on a poem originally in French. The section for Simon Fraser was:-
Symon de Fresel de cele gent
Le not noire a rosettes de argent.
Simon de Fresel of that company
bore black, with roses of silver.(1)
Galloway Roll 1300. (9) - no image for No GA121 Gilbert Fraser.
This roll covers the Skirmish at Cree River. Apart from Sir Simon being on the Galloway Roll there is also recorded another Fraser - a Gilbert Fraser No GA121. It has been put forward that this Gilbert was accompaning Simon and was his putative son, who differenced his arms with a bendlet gules(3) thin red band from top left to bottom right of shield). However, if he was the son of Simon his arms would have been differenced by the addition of a label instead of the bend indicating that he was the heir? However, it is more likely that this Gilbert was a close relation and that the differencing bend on his armorial was a reference to the Bissett family. The bend would ideally been silver but this would not have worked with the silver fraises. Bissett arms below. Beaufort Castle - previously Downie - was owned by the Bissetts and passed to the Frasers in the twelth century(10) with the marriage of the Bissett heiress. This has resulted in Clan Bissett being an early Sept of the Frasers.
Bissett Clan Armorial.
The comment that Sir Simon having a son must have been recorded elsewhere as it was repeated by George Burns the Minister of Tweedsmuir writing in the New Statistical Account of 1834(5) 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(1) 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.(3) He also inherited what looks like the six roses armorial but the colour of the field is not recorded - it is possible that it could could have been red as there is an unidentified example(3). However, it it is just as possible that the red armorial belonged to a yet unidentified Fraser. An example of one of his seals is on the left showing the roses
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 see below.(3) 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 Coat of Arms of Lady Saltoun - below - that has three cinquefoils but with a field of blue.
The armorial bearing of a seme′ of strawberries, mentioned in the first paragraph above would appear to be quite rare. A John Frissell (1701-1787) had this armorial when he moved from Scotland to the Isle of Man. He settled there and had a family and died there.(7) He was a member of the House of Keys (8).
A more recent appearance of the seme′ fraise is on the rather splendid armorial bearing of George Allen Fraser, Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada 1992. The cougar supporters are sable seme′ fraises or - black seme′ fraises gold. See image on right. You will note that the shamrocks covering the base of the armorial are in fact cinquefoils - five leafed clovers.
The Fraser cinquefoils can be found in many locations. For instance, the three cinquefoils on the memorial to the Lovat Scouts that died during the Boer War located in the town of Beauly in Easter Ross - below left and also on the badge of the Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC, Canada below right. The cinquefoils are also on brasses in the church of Stock Harvard-Cum-Ramsden Bellhouse, Essex - lower left. For more about the Essex armorial see page 5.3. Frasers of Fruid Castle
Coats of Arms of Lady Saltoun of Clan Fraser and Lord Fraser of Lovat.
Allegedly the three red crowns on the Lovat armorial represent the three times that Simon Fraser the Patriot saved the life of King Robert the Bruce.
References.
1) Veitch, John , L.L.D; The History and Poetry of the Scottish Border, William Blackwood, Edinburgh, 1893. Chapter XII p331 for poem, p335 for Fake News.
2) Anderson, John; Historical Account of the Family of Frizel or Fraser, particularly of Fraser of Lovat, William Blackwood, Edinburgh, 1825. p4 for heraldry.
3) McAndrew, Bruce A; Scotland's Historic Heraldry, Boydell Press, Woodbridge, 2006. pp 484-486.
4) Fraser, Flora, Marjory; Clan Fraser: A History, Celebrating Over 800 Years of the Family in Scotland, Scottish Cultural Press, Dalkeith, 2009. p36.
5) Burns, George, Rev, DD; New Statistical Account for Scotland, Edinburgh, 1834. Vol 3, Parish of Tweedsmuir, p64.
6) Scott-Giles, C. W; The Seige of Caerlaverock Castle, The Heraldry Society, Edinburgh, 1960.
7) Moore, A. W. Isle of Man manuscripts, MS 1889. Douglas, IOM.
8) Mills, Mark, Anthony, Dr; The Ancient Ordinances and Statute Laws of the Isle of Man, Phoenix Press, Douglas, 1821.
9) Royal College of Arms, copy by Wriothesley, Thomas, Sir; Galloway Roll, MS M.14, ff 168-75, Garter King of Arms. p2 items GA120-121.
10) Coventry, Martin; Castles of the Clans. The Strongholds and Seats of 150 Scottish Families and Clans. Collins, 2008. pp 44-45.