Thomas Alexander Fraser, 12th Lord Lovat and 1st Baron Lovat, KT (17 June 1802 – 28 June 1875) was a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

nobleman. He was the 21st Chief ''MacShimidh'' of the Clan Fraser of Lovat, succeeding the notorious

Jacobite Jacobite means follower of Jacob or James. Jacobite may refer to: Religion * Jacobites, followers of Saint Jacob Baradaeus (died 578). Churches in the Jacobite tradition and sometimes called Jacobite include: ** Syriac Orthodox Church, sometimes ...

Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat.

Early life

Born on 17 June 1802, he was the son of Amelia (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Leslie Leslie may refer to: * Leslie (name), a name and list of people with the given name or surname, including fictional characters Families * Clan Leslie, a Scottish clan with the motto "grip fast" * Leslie (Russian nobility), a Russian noble family ...

) Fraser and Alexander Fraser, 9th of Strichen, a Captain of the

1st Dragoon Guards The 1st King's Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment was raised by Sir John Lanier in 1685 as the 2nd Queen's Regiment of Horse, named in honour of Queen Mary, consort of King James II. It was renamed the 2nd K ...

who died on 28 October 1803, shortly after his birth. His paternal grandparents were Alexander Fraser, 8th of Strichen and Jean (née Menzies) Fraser (a daughter of William Menzies and niece of James Menzies of Culdares). His maternal grandparents were John Leslie, 22nd Baron of

Balquhain Balquhain, also known as Balquhain Stone Circle, is a recumbent stone circle from Inverurie in Scotland. It is a scheduled ancient monument. Description and measurements It is located in farmland at an altitude of c. on a terraced hillside lea ...

and the former Violet Dalzell. In 1821, Fraser commissioned Aberdeen architect

John Smith John Smith is a common personal name. It is also commonly used as a placeholder name and pseudonym, and is sometimes used in the United States and the United Kingdom as a term for an average person. It may refer to: People :''In chronological ...

to design a country house known as Strichen House.

Career

In 1815, upon the death of Archibald Campbell Fraser (who outlived all of his children), Fraser became the 21st Chief of the Clan Fraser, through his descent from the second son of the 4th Lord Lovat. He also inherited the Lovat estates at Beauly in Inverness-shire. On 28 January 1837 he was created Baron Lovat, of Lovat in the County of Inverness, in the

Peerage of the United Kingdom The Peerage of the United Kingdom is one of the five Peerages in the United Kingdom. It comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801, when it replaced the ...

. In 1854, the attainder of the 11th Lord Lovat (who had been attainted and executed in 1747) was reversed, and Lovat thereby became 12th Lord Lovat in the

Peerage of Scotland The Peerage of Scotland ( gd, Moraireachd na h-Alba, sco, Peerage o Scotland) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union, ...

. He notably served as Lord Lieutenant of Inverness from 1853 to 1873 and was made a Knight of the Thistle in 1865.

Personal life

On 6 August 1823, Fraser was married to Charlotte Georgina Stafford-Jerningham (1800–1876), the daughter of George William Stafford-Jerningham, 8th Baron Stafford, in 1823. The couple had three daughters and four sons, including:Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. * Amelia Charlotte Fraser (1824–1912), who married Charles Scott-Murray of Danesfield, a Conservative MP for

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

. * Frances Giorgiana Fraser (1826–1899), who married Sir Pyers Mostyn, 8th Baronet (1811–1882). * Charlotte Henrietta Fraser (1827–1904), who married Sir Matthew Sausse, the Chief Justice of Bombay, in 1866. * Simon Fraser, 13th Lord Lovat (1828–1887), who married Alice Mary

Weld-Blundell The Weld family are a cadet branch, arisen in 1843, of the English Welds of Lulworth. It is an old gentry family which claims descent from Eadric the Wild and is related to other Weld branches in several parts of the United Kingdom, notably fr ...

, daughter of Thomas Weld-Blundell. * Alexander Edward Fraser (1831–1885), a Lt.-Col. in the Scots Guards who fought in the Crimean War and married Georgiana Mary Heneage, only daughter of George Fieschi Heneage of Hainton Hall. * George Edward Stafford Fraser (1834–1854), who died unmarried. * Henry Thomas Fraser (1838–1904), a Colonel in the

1st Battalion Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the ...

who died unmarried. Lord Lovat died in June 1875, aged 73, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son Simon. Lady Lovat died in 1876.

Legacy

Lord Lovat's legacy is that of the present 16th Lord Lovat, and the good standing of the present Clan Fraser. He completed the restoration of Lovat titles and lands, which had been started by the 11th Lord's son, General Simon Fraser of Lovat.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lovat, Thomas Fraser, 12th Lord 1802 births 1875 deaths Clan Fraser Knights of the Thistle Lord-Lieutenants of Inverness-shire Fraser, Thomas Fraser, 4th Lord Lords Lovat Peers of the United Kingdom created by William IV