William Fraser, 12th Lord Saltoun facts for kids

William Fraser, 12th Lord Saltoun (born November 21, 1654 – died March 18, 1715) was an important Scottish nobleman. He was also the 11th Laird of Philorth, which means he owned a lot of land there.

Who Was William Fraser?

William Fraser was born in the small town of Fraserburgh on November 11, 1654. His parents were Alexander Fraser, Master of Saltoun, and Lady Ann Kerr. When his grandfather, Alexander Fraser, 11th Lord Saltoun, passed away on August 11, 1693, William became the 12th Lord Saltoun of Abernethy. He also inherited the lands of Philorth, becoming the 11th Laird.

William Fraser's Role in Politics

When his grandfather died in 1693, William also gained a seat in the old Scottish Parliament. He officially joined the Parliament in 1695. He was a key member of a group called the 'Patriot Parliament'.

Fighting for Scottish Rights

One of the first big issues William Fraser fought for was Scotland's right to a place called Darien. This was a Scottish attempt to set up a colony in Panama around 1700. He strongly believed in protecting Scottish interests.

Against the Union with England

William Fraser was very famous for consistently voting against the Anglo-Scottish Union between 1705 and 1707. This Union would join Scotland and England into one country, Great Britain. When England passed the Alien Act in 1705, which was seen as a threat to Scotland, Fraser voted against the Act for Union in the Scottish Parliament.

On November 15, 1706, he supported a protest by the Earl Marischal. This protest was against any future link with England. It said that if Queen Anne died without children, no one could automatically become the ruler of Scotland. This went against the first part of the Union plan and could have ended the connection between Scotland and England that started in 1603. William Fraser voted against the final agreement to join the countries on January 16, 1707.

Doubts About Leadership

Some people wrote that William Fraser was not happy with the leader of the opposition against the Union, the Duke of Hamilton. Fraser believed that Hamilton might have been secretly paid by the English Crown. He doubted Hamilton's true goals. Historians today pay attention to Fraser's thoughts because Hamilton did benefit from the Union later on.

Jacobite Sympathies

Because he was so patriotic for Scotland, William Fraser was arrested when the Jacobite rebellion started in 1708. The Jacobites wanted to bring back the Stuart family to the throne. However, the arrest warrant was quickly dropped because he was very sick.

It is thought that Fraser likely supported the Jacobites, like many of his neighbors in Buchan. The Fraser family were Episcopalian, a religion that often supported the Jacobite cause. In 1702, he helped the Episcopalians in Fraserburgh when others tried to take over their church. His wife, Margaret Sharp, was even the daughter of Dr. James Sharp, an important Episcopalian Archbishop.

William Fraser died before the main Jacobite rebellion of 1715, so his full intentions are not known. However, his wife was known to support the Jacobites after 1715. His daughter, Henrietta Fraser, also married John Gordon of Kinellar, a Jacobite who helped declare James Francis Edward Stuart as King James VIII. Interestingly, William Fraser's son and successor, the 13th Lord Saltoun, did not join the Jacobites in 1715.

Family and Life

William Fraser married Margaret Sharp on October 11, 1683. Her father was James Sharp, the Archbishop of St Andrews, who was killed in 1679. Margaret lived longer than William, passing away in 1734.

They had seven children:

• Alexander Fraser, 13th Lord Saltoun, who married Lady Mary.
• William Fraser, of Fraserfield (1691–1727), who married Anne Erskine.
• James Fraser of Lonmay (died August 10, 1729), who married Lady Eleanor. They did not have children.
• Helen Fraser, who married James Gordon of Park.
• Henrietta Fraser (1698–1751), who married John Gordon of Kinellar.
• Mary Fraser, who married William Dalmahoy of Rovelrig.
• Isabella Fraser (died 1772), who married Rev. David Brown.

William Fraser became Master of Saltoun in 1682 after his father died. He became the 12th Lord Saltoun of Abernethy when his grandfather passed away in 1693.

William Fraser, the 12th Lord Saltoun, died on March 18, 1715, when he was 60 years old.