Early life

According to James Balfour Paul's 1908 volume 5 of ''

The Scots Peerage ''The Scots Peerage'' is a nine-volume book series of the Scottish nobility compiled and edited by Sir James Balfour Paul, published in Edinburgh from 1904 to 1914. The full title is ''The Scots Peerage: Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Rober ...

'', Hugh Fraser, 1st Lord Lovat was the son of Thomas Fraser of Lovat but it is not known who Thomas's wife was. Hugh succeeded his father before May 1455 and as a minor was put under the care of Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray (d. 1455).

Bernard Burke Sir John Bernard Burke, (5 January 1814 – 12 December 1892) was a British genealogist and Ulster King of Arms, who helped publish ''Burke's Peerage''. Personal life Burke, of Irish descent, was born at London and was educated in London an ...

, in his 1869 ''A Genealogical And Heraldic Dictionary of The Peerage And Baronetage of The British Empire'', designates the same Hugh Fraser as the 3rd Lord Lovat and says that he was the son of Hugh Fraser, 2nd Lord Lovat and his wife who was a sister of David Wemyss " Of that Ilk", and the grandson of Hugh Fraser, 1st Lord Lovat (died 1440) and his wife Janet who was a sister of William Fenton "Of that Ilk". The family tree published by the modern Clan Fraser of Lovat organization agrees with James Balfour Paul in designating him as Hugh Fraser, 1st Lord Lovat and that he was the son of Thomas Fraser of Lovat.

Lord Lovat

In 1450 his father sent him to be educated by the Earl of Moray. He was known to the

Regent of Scotland A regent is a person selected to act as head of state (ruling or not) because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there is only one ruling Regency in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein. The following is a list of rege ...

who was then Duke of Albany when introduced and knighted by James II of Scotland and thence joined the Order of the Thistle. Hugh was summoned to Parliament as Lord Fraser of Lovat sometime between 1456 and 1464. In 1464, he made an agreement with a kinsman, Alexander Fraser of Phillorth, that each would agree to support each other's surviving heir, depending on who died first. It recognised the perilous lifespan of a highlander in an age of bloody civil conflict. On 13 May 1471, the Court Auditor on behalf of

Malcolm Fleming, 1st Lord Fleming John Fleming, 1st Lord Fleming (c. 1437 – c. 1477). He was the son of Robert Fleming and Janet Douglas, daughter of James, 7th Earl of Douglas. His son was John Fleming, 2nd Lord Fleming. References *''The Complete Peerage of England, Scotla ...

ordered Hugh to pay for some land purchases granted two years previously. Hugh opposed the chaos in the Isles that led to James II's early death. The Lord of the Isles recruited

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

mercenaries to plunder his lands, seize Inverness, march to

Atholl Atholl or Athole ( gd, Athall; Old Gaelic ''Athfhotla'') is a large historical division in the Scottish Highlands, bordering (in anti-clockwise order, from Northeast) Marr, Badenoch, Lochaber, Breadalbane, Strathearn, Perth, and Gowrie. H ...

and burn the Church of St Bride. His tenants laid siege to

Lovat Castle Lovat Castle was a castle in the Highlands of Scotland, near Kirkhill and Beauly. The castle stood on the south bank of the River Beauly. Originally known as ''Beauly Castle'', it was built by the Bissets in the 11th-12th century. The castle ca ...

, but his clan remained loyal, easily repelling the invasion. The MacDonalds victory at a battle at Caplach, west of Inverness returned peace to the glen of

The Aird The Aird (from the Scottish Gaelic: ''An Àird'' (IPA: �anˈaːɾʃt̪ meaning "The High Place") is an area of the County of Inverness, to the west of the City of Inverness. It is situated to the south of the River Beauly and the Beauly Firth, an ...

. On 31 March 1472, Hugh agreed to protect the citizens of the hill burgh of

Nairn Nairn (; gd, Inbhir Narann) is a town and royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is an ancient fishing port and market town around east of Inverness, at the point where the River Nairn enters the Moray Firth. It is the tradi ...

. He bought Oreland for 50

Merks The merk is a long-obsolete Scottish silver coin. Originally the same word as a money mark of silver, the merk was in circulation at the end of the 16th century and in the 17th century. It was originally valued at 13 shillings 4 pence (exactly ...

off William Wallace of Craigie, and, planted some orchards. The late medieval period was lawless and violent, and after a period of peace, he was obliged to act for the King in the wars of the Lords of the Isles and his kinfolk. Clannish feuds broke out in Sutherland and Caithness. 18 peasants were killed in a dispute that burnt

Beauly Priory Beauly Priory was a Valliscaulian monastic community located at "Insula de Achenbady", now Beauly, Inverness-shire. It was probably founded in 1230. It is not known for certain who the founder was, different sources giving Alexander II of Scotla ...

. Some racial disputes between

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

and

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

descendants of the feudal clan system were complicated by

James III of Scotland James III (10 July 1451/May 1452 – 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 until his death at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488. He inherited the throne as a child following the death of his father, King James II, at the siege of Roxburgh ...

's minority. Two years earlier he was party to a charter ratified on 28 February 1480. Hugh Fraser of Lovat was among the party of nobles who met the King when he crossed the Firth of Forth to Blackness, Falkirk in an effort to crush the rebellious incursions. The English defeated James, who was slain at

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

before his loyal lords could intervene. Lovat lived to old age, but his favourite son was slain at the

Battle of Flodden The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton, (Brainston Moor) was a battle fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, resulting in an English ...

alongside James IV of Scotland.

Family

Burke stated that he married Lady Margaret, daughter of the Earl of Glamis and was succeeded by his son, Thomas Fraser, 4th of Lovat. However, according to James Balfour Paul, Hugh Fraser, 1st Lord Lovat married Violetta, daughter of

Patrick Lyon, 1st Lord Glamis Patrick Lyon, 1st Lord Glamis (140221 March 1459) P.C. was a Scottish nobleman, created Lord Glamis on 28 June 1445. He was a son of Sir John Lyon of Glamis () and Elizabeth Graham, daughter of Sir Patrick Graham of Dundaff and Kincardine and E ...

(d. 1459) and they had the following children: # Thomas Fraser, 2nd Lord Lovat (heir and successor). #Margaret Fraser, married Hector de Kilmalew and had a son, Alexander. #Egidia Fraser, who married Ferquhard Mackintosh, 12th of Mackintosh. The modern Clan Fraser of Lovat organization states that Hugh Fraser, 1st Lord Lovat also had a son called Hugh Fraser from who descend the cadet branches, the Frasers of Fairfield,

Merkinch Merkinch (Scottish Gaelic: ''Marc-Innis'', meaning "Island of the Horse") is an area of the city of Inverness in the Highland council area of Scotland. One of the oldest neighbourhoods in Inverness, it's situated in the city's north-west flanke ...

, Aberchalder, Foyers, Kinmonarie, and Dunchea. According to James Balfour Paul, Hugh Fraser, 1st Lord Lovat died before 14 October 1501.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lovat, Hugh Fraser, 1st Lord Clan Fraser Clan Fraser Chiefs Lords Lovat Lords of Parliament (pre-1707) Peers created by James II of Scotland 1430s births 1500s deaths Year of birth uncertain Year of death uncertain