Hugh Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of Allander facts for kids

Hugh Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of Allander (born January 15, 1903 – died November 6, 1966), was a very successful Scottish businessman. He was the grandson of another famous retailer, Hugh Fraser I. Hugh Fraser took over his father's small shop and grew it into a huge chain of stores. This chain is now known as House of Fraser. He also became a Baron, which is a special noble title.

Hugh Fraser: A Business Story

Early Life and Education

Hugh Fraser was born in Partick, Lanarkshire. This area is now part of Glasgow, Scotland. He went to school at Glasgow Academy and also at Warriston School. Warriston School was located near a town called Moffat.

Building a Retail Empire

In 1919, when Hugh was just 16 years old, he started working for his father's business. It was a shop located on Buchanan Street in Glasgow. He quickly showed he was good at business. By 1924, he became the Managing Director. This means he was in charge of running the company every day.

When his father passed away in 1927, Hugh became the Chairman. This made him the top leader of the company. He had big plans for the business. He started buying other department stores all over Scotland. He also bought famous stores in England, like the John Barker Group and even Harrods. Harrods is a very famous department store in London. He even expanded to Argentina!

Beyond Retail: New Investments

In 1948, Hugh Fraser started a new company called Scottish & Universal Investments (often called 'SUITS'). This company was created to buy businesses that were not retail shops. For example, he bought the Glasgow Herald, which is a newspaper. This showed he was a smart businessman who looked for different ways to grow his wealth.

Titles and Home

Hugh Fraser also bought Mugdock Castle in 1945. He bought it from a nobleman called The 6th Duke of Montrose.

Because of his success and contributions, Hugh Fraser received special honors. In 1961, he was made a baronet. This means he got the title "Sir" before his name, and it could be passed down to his son. His baronet title was "of Dineiddwg in the County of Stirling".

Later, in 1964, he received an even higher honor. He was made the 1st Baron Fraser of Allander. This is a noble title, and it meant he became a Lord. His full title was "of Dineiddwg in the County of Stirling".

Hugh Fraser passed away in 1966. He died at his home, "Dineiddwg," which was located at Mugdock.

Family Life

In 1931, Hugh Fraser married Kathleen Hutcheon. They had two children together. They had one son and one daughter. His son later became Sir Hugh Fraser, 2nd Baronet.

Images for kids

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  A coronet, which is a small crown worn by a Baron.

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  The coat of arms for the Fraser of Allander family.