Colin Fraser (abt. 1783 - abt. 1860)

Born about 1783 in Strathglass, Highland, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 1860 at about age 77 in Little River, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Lorna Conway [send private message]

Biography

Several families named Fraser immigrated from Scotland to Antigonish County, a number of others of this name settled in Pictou, but the most notable family of Frasers arrived at Antigonish sometime during the years 1812-14. To this latter family belonged the first Bishop of the Diocese of Arichat, and for a time Bishop of Halifax, of whom I have spoken more fully in another portion of this work.

Of the union of John Fraser and Jane Chisholm, parents of this distinguished Bishop Fraser, there were ten sons and one daughter, all of whom came to this country.

COLIN married to a Miss Chisholm.

^[1]

COLIN, who married with issue nine children, of whom three survive, with nineteen grandchildren. Colin left no male issue.

^[2]

Alexander, brother of Bishop Fraser, was married and had the following issue: Jane married to John MacLean, St. Joseph's; Ellen married to William Fraser, Lower South River; Margaret married to Hugh MacKillop, Mabou; Eliza died young; another daughter was married to William Chisholm, Heatherton.

Note: I am quite sure "Alexander" was written in error and the author meant "Colin". See "Explanation to Support This Profile" below.

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^[4]

"CHISHOLM, OF GASPEREAUX LAKE" p. 113-114 Another daughter of John [Chisholm son of Austin of Strathglass] married Colin Fraser. [Her mother was Margaret MacPherson]

Note: On page 109-110 "CHISHOLM, OF BRIERLY BROOK" he describes the exact same family as above however states "another daughter married Malcolm Fraser of West River." I'm not sure which is correct. I did find that a Catherine Fraser of West River, widow of Malcolm Fraser, died 28 Apr 1888 at age 83. However, I don't know who her parents were.

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Colin and his brothers; Thomas, John, David & Donald "Gobha" Chisholm (married to their sister Jean) settled in an area subsequentally called Fraser's Grant.

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Land Grant - Colin Fraser - Old No. 1770, Bk. 0, p. 78B - 200A. (not dated)

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FRASER'S GRANT, Antigonish County

• Settlement southeast of Antigonish.
• Derived its name from its first settlers - Colin, Thomas, John and David Fraser, the four brothers of Bishop William Fraser, and Donald Chisholm to whom their sister was married.
• It became a prosperous farming district and a new school section was erected here in 1876.
• John Fraser was the keeper of the postal way office in 1871.

^[8]

Census Returns, 1827

• Colin Fraiser – Farmer – St. Andrews, Sydney County – 1827
• Religion: Roman Catholic
• Males: 1 [Colin]
• Females: 6 [wife Unknown, daughters Eliza, Unknown, Jane, Unknown & Unknown]
• Servants (males): 0
• Servants (females): 0
• Total: 7
• Births: 0
• Marriages: 0
• Deaths: 0
• Area of land cultivated: 15
• Bushels of Wheat: 10
• Bushels of other Grains: 20
• Tons of Hay: 3
• Number of horses: 0
• Number of horned cattle: 4
• Number of Sheep: 3
• Number of Swine: 2
• Bushels of Potatoes: 150
• Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. no. 446

^[9]

• Frasers Grant, Sydney County — 1838
• Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 449 no. 179

• Collin Fraser, head, farmer,
• 2F <6,[b. 1833-1837]
• 2F 6-14, [b. 1824-1832]
• 2F+1 >14,[b. before 1824]
• 35 acres clear land,
• 165 acres wild,
• 7 cattle,
• 1 horse,
• 6 sheep,
• 2 pigs.

^[10]

Possible Will

Antigonish Wills: Book B, 1843 – 1867

• P. 275
• Will: Jul. 18, 1859
• Probate: Jul.24, 1860
• Colin Fraser
• Little River
• Unnamed [spouse]
• Elizabeth, Margaret, Jane, Jessie, Nelly [children]
• Son-in-law Colin Chisholm; nephews-John & William Fraser, son-in-law Alexander McDonald, brother- John Fraser [Other details]

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Note: Colin had 9 girls. I think that these 5 are the surviving girls and the two son-in-laws the surviving husbands of 2 more of his girls. I think Eliza is the name of another girl, who died young.

EXPLANATION TO SUPPORT THIS PROFILE

The discrepancy in this profile occurs due to conflicting references.

In MacKenzie's History of the Frasers of Lovat, where he lists the family of John & Jean Fraser (9 brothers and one sister of Bishop Fraser), he describes Colin as having emigrated to Nova Scotia, and having nine children, of whom 3 survive (as of 1896 when the book was written), and having no male offspring. His brother Alexander is described as having been lost at sea and having a son William who "followed" his uncles and grandfather to Nova Scotia. The author received the information from a Mr. Chisholm in Scotland who knew the family very well, therefore, although MacKenzie has made errors in this publication, I don't believe this is one of them. I trust that this information is accurate. So Colin emigrated in 1812-14 and Alexander was already dead.

In MacDougall's History of Antigonish, where he lists the family of John & Jean Fraser, he first lists the children by name, not mentioning Alexander. He then proceeds to expand on each person, detailing spouse and children, however he does not mention Colin at all but details Alexander's children. Very confusing, as Alexander was supposedly dead. Now this was written many years after the deaths of Colin and Alexander, and the next person described in the book underneath this family is another Alexander Fraser. The fact that he left out Colin, and the fact that all this "Alexander's" children were female, lead me to believe that he wrote "Alexander" when he meant "Colin". Also, of the children of Alexander's that are listed, all female, 3 were still alive in 1896 (exactly as Colin's children were described in MacKenzie's Fraser of Lovat).

All of the brothers and the sister lived close to one another and founded Fraser's Grant. I can find land grant info and census records for Colin, but neither for an Alexander.

Recently, I came across a will for a Colin Fraser which lists his children with identical names to "Alexander's" children in Hx of Antigonish.

In addition, although none of "Alexander's" children were male, many of the male grandchildren have the name "Colin", but none are named "Alexander". For example, "Alexander" or Colin's daughter Jane named her first son Duncan (her husband's father's name) and her second son Colin (which was most likely her father's name).

Therefore, I proceeding with the assumption that Colin Fraser is in fact my GGGgrandfather, not "Alexander" Fraser as described in MacDougall's Hx of Antigonish. My GGgrandmother was June Margaret Fraser, well known to be a niece of Bishop Fraser (Colin was his brother).

Sources

1. ↑ A History of the County of Antigonish, Nova Scotia by the Reverand D.J. Rankin, Toronto: The MacMillan Company of Canada Ltd. 1929. p. 133
2. ↑ https://archive.org/details/historyoffrasers00mackuoft/page/642/mode/2up History Frasers of Lovat with Geneologies of the Principal Families of the Name; to which is added those of Dunballoch and Phofachy. Alexander MacKenzie, M.J.I., Park House, Inverness. March, 1896. p. 642-643].
3. ↑ A History of the County of Antigonish, Nova Scotia by the Reverand D.J. Rankin, Toronto: The MacMillan Company of Canada Ltd. 1929. page 134.
4. ↑ Clan Fraser Society of Canada site (SO1992)
5. ↑ A History of the County of Antigonish, Nova Scotia by the Reverand D.J. Rankin, Toronto: The MacMillan Company of Canada Ltd. 1929. p. 113-114
6. ↑ History of Antigonish Volumes I and II Paperback – 1976, by Raymond A. Maclean, p. 99 (Vol 1)
7. ↑ http://sites.rootsweb.com/~nsantigo/frasrgrnt.html
8. ↑ https://archives.novascotia.ca/places/page/?ID=220
9. ↑ https://archives.novascotia.ca/census/1827/returns/?ID=6897
10. ↑ https://archives.novascotia.ca/census/1838/returns/?ID=30006
11. ↑ http://sites.rootsweb.com/~nsantigo/willbookb1843-67.htm