James Fraser JP ( – 14 October 1822) was a Scottish-born businessman, judge and political figure in

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

and

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

. He represented Northumberland County in the

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick A legislature is an deliberative assembly, assembly with the authority to make laws for a Polity, political entity such as a Sovereign state, country or city. They are often contrasted with the Executive (government), executive and Judiciary, ...

from 1795 to 1818.

Early life

He was born in Farraline, Dores, the only son of Alexander Fraser and Miss Cameron. Fraser was educated in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

and came to Nova Scotia in 1780.

Career

In Nova Scotia, he helped establish a business with fellow Scot, James Thom, catching and exporting

salmon Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...

in the Miramichi region of New Brunswick in 1785 and also supplied goods to people who had settled in that area. He and his partners also became involved in the timber trade and shipbuilding. Fraser also served Northumberland County as

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

and justice in the Inferior Court of Common Pleas. He ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the New Brunswick Assembly in 1791 before being elected four years later, serving from 1795 to 1818. Around 1810, although still operating in the Miramichi area, he moved his residence to Halifax. He was member of the

North British Society The North British Society (also known as "The Scots" and "Scots Club") was founded in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1768, the oldest Scottish heritage society outside Great Britain. North British is an adjective used as an alternative to "Scottish". ...

. In 1818, he was named to Nova Scotia's

Council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

Personal life

In 1802, Fraser was married to Rachel Otis DeWolf (b. 1773), the daughter of

Benjamin DeWolf Benjamin DeWolf JP (October 14, 1744 – September 1/2, 1819) was a businessman and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Hants County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1783 to 1798. Early life DeWolf was born in Lyme, Co ...

and Rachel (née Otis) DeWolf (aunt of

William Hersey Otis Haliburton William Hersey Otis Haliburton (September 3, 1767 – July 7, 1829) was a lawyer, judge, and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Windsor Township in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1806 to 1811, and represented Hants Cou ...

through her sister of Susannah (née Otis) Haliburton). Together, they were the parents of eight children: * Sarah Rachel Fraser (b. 1803), who married Hon.

Charles Stephen Gore General Sir Charles Stephen Gore (26 December 1793 – 4 September 1869), also styled as the Honorable Charles Gore, was a British general. Early life Gore was a son of Arthur Gore, 2nd Earl of Arran and, his third wife, the former Elizabet ...

, third son of the

Arthur Gore, 2nd Earl of Arran Arthur Saunders Gore, 2nd Earl of Arran KP, PC (Ire) (25 July 1734 – 8 October 1809) styled The Honourable Arthur Gore from 1758 to 1762 and Viscount Sudley from 1762 to 1773, was an Irish peer and politician. Early life Arran was the eldes ...

, in 1824. * James DeWolf Fraser (1805–1852), who married Catharine Prescott, a daughter of

Charles Ramage Prescott Charles Ramage Prescott (January 6, 1772 – June 11, 1859) was a merchant, noted horticulturalist and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented the town of Cornwallis in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1818 to 1820. He was bor ...

, in 1839. * Harriet Amelia Fraser (1806–1880), who married Col. Dixon in 1826. * Amelia Isabella Fraser (1808–1837) * Frances Mary Fraser (1809–1827) * Dr. Benjamin DeWolf Fraser (1812–1888), who married Elizabeth Coster in 1841. * Catharine Fraser (1813–1880), who married the Rev. Thomas G. Suther,

Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney The Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney is one of the seven dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Created in 1865, the diocese covers the historic county of Aberdeenshire, and the Orkney and Shetland island groups. It shares with the Roman Cat ...

. * Mary Hulbert Fraser (1813–1822). Fraser died in

Windsor, Nova Scotia Windsor is a community located in Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a service centre for the western part of the county and is situated on Highway 101. The community has a history dating back to its use by the Mi'kmaq Nation for sev ...

on 14 October 1822 and was buried in the Old Burying Ground in Halifax.

Descendants

Through his eldest daughter, he was a grandfather of Eliza Amelia Gore (1829–1916), who married

William Hay, 19th Earl of Erroll William Harry Hay, 19th Earl of Erroll (3 May 1823 – 3 December 1891), styled Lord Hay between 1823 and 1831, and Lord Kilmarnock from 1831 to 1846, was a Scottish peer. Early life William Harry Hay was born on 3 May 1823. He was the only son ...

in 1848 and who served as

Lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

for twenty-eight years.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, James 1760s births 1822 deaths Members of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Year of birth uncertain Colony of New Brunswick judges Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Nova Scotia