Like so many Scottish noble families, the Frasers were in fact Norman-French, having appeared in Scotland for the first time around 1160. The name itself is derived from the French word Fraise meaning Strawberry, and indeed 3 strawberry flowers are part of the Coat of Arms of the Frasers.

By the time of the ‘45 the Chief of Clan Fraser (the MacShimi) was Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat (See our article on Simon Fraser for more details on this colourful character’s life). Fraser lands were situated along the line of the Great Glen, stretching from Inverness to the line of hills running along the River Beauly.

Simon Fraser was much too canny to commit his Clan at the outset to what many saw as a doomed enterprise. He instead adopted a wait and see policy for the first part of the campaign, writing first in August 1745 to the Lord Advocate of Scotland, Robert Craigie, referring to Charles Edward Stuart as ‘That mad and Unaccountable gentleman’ and proffering his support for the government. Within days he was writing to Charles on his march to Edinburgh. He apologised for not joining the rising thus far, but said it was the close proximity of government garrisons at Inverness and Fort William that stopped him from doing so. Then Lovat named his price for joining the Jacobite army - a Lieutenant-General and Lord Lieutenant’s commissions and a warrant for the arrest of Duncan Forbes ‘dead or alive’. Forbes (with whom Lovat was corresponding) was the Lord president of the Court of Sessions, responsible for keeping the Clans loyal to the government. He was also Lovat’s neighbour at Culloden House. Lovat also suggested that Charles march through his land to encourage the Frasers to rise, which Charles did not - a shame because at that stage Lovat had sent his Chamberlain out to get most of his vassals to rise, but most refused to go on the advice of the Chisholm of Chisholm. Charles’ presence could have brought the Frasers out three months earlier.

By October 1745 Lovat and the Frasers had changed their tune and come out for the Prince. Clan Fraser turned out a regiment of two battalions, some 500 men in total, under the command of Lovat’s eldest son Simon Fraser the Master of Lovat. Simon junior was only 19 and less than keen to join the Jacobites, but ‘the Brig’ as he was nicknamed by his father was told by him that he was ‘absolutely under my command’ and that if he refused to go he would ‘renounce him as my son and send him to Glenstrathfarrar to be a cow herd with John McDougall’.

The first military action of the Frasers was an assault on Culloden house by a company under James Fraser of Foyers, with the intent of taking Duncan Forbes. They were beaten off but took a quantity of sheep and cattle with them. Lovat denied all knowledge of the raid to Forbes, saying he would return the sheep if they reappeared, but to other Jacobites he blamed the failed attempt to take Forbes on not having the warrant he had asked for, saying it had made his men ‘obliged to make a shameful retreat inconsistent with the honour of his Clan’.

The Clan regiment itself marched to join the Jacobite army shortly after its return from England. Frasers fought at Falkirk in January 1746, being in the front line of the Jacobite forces. In the wild pursuit and looting which followed, Simon Fraser arrived at the Prince’s headquarters that evening to enquire whether the battle had been lost, and where his men had gone, a typical response of most commanders with the undisciplined nature of the Highlanders.

The Fraser regiment then headed north with the rest of the Jacobite army. After the abortive raid on Nairn many men took the opportunity to head home to find food - Culloden was after all on the doorstep of their home lands. On the morning of Culloden itself Simon Fraser was absent trying to recover his lost men and thus (conveniently) missed the battle. Command of what was by now probably only around 300 Frasers therefore devolved to Charles Fraser of Inverallochie, one of the battalion commanders, and a few months short of his 21st birthday. Lovat’s youngest son, Archibald, only 9 years old was watching the battle from a distance with his tutor. Frasers were near the right in the front line of the Jacobite army, and as such was one of the few units to charge and contact the government line. Having got through Barrell’s regiment, the 1200 or so Highlanders of the Atholl men, Camerons, Stewarts of Appin and Frasers found themselves shot to pieces by the government second line, and the Jacobite army began soon after to rout.

Lovat’s fate (despite his non-combat role in the rising) is described in our article on him. His son Simon Fraser escaped punishment, and was pardoned - later raising a Fraser regiment for the British army which fought in Canada in the 1750s, including Quebec. Charles Fraser of Inverallochie was mortally wounded and found by General Hawley on the field, who ordered one of his aides, a young James Wolfe to pistol him. Wolfe refused so Hawley got a common soldier to do it. We also know the fate of some of the clansmen. David Fraser of Glen Urquhart who was a deaf-mute had, it was said, charged and killed seven redcoats, but was captured and died in prison. John Fraser, also called ‘MacIver’ was shot in the knee, taken prisoner and put before a firing squad, but was then rescued by a British officer, Lord Boyd, who was sick of the slaughter. Another John Fraser, who was Provost of Inverness tried to get fair treatment for the prisoners

Overall casualties in Frasers at Culloden can only be guessed at. Slaughter is probably an appropriate word though.