| Notes |
- 1 - William Fraser 9th of Guisachan [Young Culbokie], built a new mansion house after succeeding to the estate on the death of his father in 1755. His great grandson William Fraser 11th of Guisachan was only 16 when he inherited the estate on the death of his grandfather in 1843.
2 - WILLIAM FRA.SER, who, with consent of his father, married Sarah, third daughter of Colonel James Fraser of Belladrum, contract dated Guisachan and Belladrum, 25th and 26th April, 1797. He had been originally in the army, and, prior to his marriage, engaged in business in the West Indies, and was on the way to St Vincent when his father died. Writing on the 8th June, 1798, from St Vincent, he says-" You may be sure I have the utmost anxiety to bid this quarter of the world adieu. I have now every inducement to incline me to return home, yet, I am sorry to say, I cannot make this out so soon as I expected, without making a sacrifice which my circumstances cannot afford, and which my best friends might censure."
This Culbokie was, perhaps, the best known and had the greatest influence of any of the family. He was a capital man of business, of active and energetic habit, and. I think, for some time Convener of the County. Well would it have been for him and his posterity had he remained, like his father, quiet and content to stay on the paternal estate. The rental of Guisachan in the year 1800 may be given, and contrasted with the Valuation
Roll of 1892-1893. By the laher, the total rent is ?1596 8s, whereof tenants, in the ordinary acceptation of the term-nil.
RENTAL IN 1800.
Mid Guisachan-Sheep Farm ... .?70 0 0
Cougy-A Black Cattle Farm 175 0 0
Mains of Guisachan - Do. 25 0 0
Ballacladdich-Do. . .. 64 0 0
Achblair-Do. 38 0 0
Wester Achnaheglash-Do .... 29 0 0
Easter Achnaheglash - Do. 15 0 0
Tomich-Do_ 18 0 0
Glassach--Do_ 10 0 0
?444 0 0
The following is a list of the tenants about the year 1810:
Balcladdich and Grazings of Cougie-Peter Grant, John Macdonald, Alexander Fraser, John Macrae, Angus Scott.
Achblair-Archibald Fraser, Donald Chisholm, Roderick Chisholm, Widow Macdonald.
Tomich-Alexander Cameron.
Easter Achnalteglash-John and Donald Macdonald.
Wester Achnalteglash-John Fraser, Widow Anne Macdonald, James Fraser, John Fraser.
Knockan-na-Crew or Hilton-Alexander Macrae.
Wester Guisachart-William Macrae, Alexander Macrae.
Being nineteen heads of families, with numerous cottars, about 200 souts in all
During his long possession, Culbokie is always complaining . that his tenants never pay rent regularly, that they are addicted to smuggling, and the" Moulin Dhu" always at work.
In one letter, early in this century, he does not know how to act, finding, on an unexpected arrival from his ordinary residence of Achnagairn, that all his servants were maudlinly intoxicated. They had meanly broken into a still some distance off, which they had ascertained would be closed and unwatched at a. certain hour, and carried off in "piggys" a large quantity of spirits. No honour, he says, even among smugglers; and meantime he had to content himself with swearing at large and smashing the jars, though his own property. He would not settle at Guisachan, but rented the house of Achnagairn. In 1806, he writes that he leaves Achnagairn for Guisachan, from July to Christmas. Then he built and improved, without proper precaution for refundment,
the house of Balblair, formerly called Donaldston, meliorating and improving greatly its surroundings. He was also tenant of the farm of Fanellan. Culbokie was able to redeem a portion of the former estate called KyIlachie, first mentioned in the year 1496.
The Honourable Archihald Fraser of Lovat harrassed most of the gentlemen of his clan in various ways, and Culbokie and his successor considered themselves ill-used about Balblair. He took his chief's death calmly, merely writing on 11th December, 1815,
from Balblair-" I am come to this quarter to witness the last duties to the remains of my late chief" not a word of comment, regret or sympathy. His views as to the "new family," the "Aberdeen folks," to use his expressions at various times, may be best gathered from the following extract from a letter dated Guisachan, 9th February, 1816.-" As to the Aberdeenshire good folks, they seem to have entirely cut with me, and I shall take care that they shall have no difficulty in so doing, though I cannot
comprehend the slightest cause for it. However, I conceive myself as independent of them at present, as they are of me, and it will be my endeavour to keep so, nor will I be over-ready to make or receive future advances, as I conceive they have behaved very unpolitely at least towards me. They certainly will have law enough in hand. I nderstand the two ladies [Mrs Fraser of Lovat and Mrs Fraser of Strichen-C.F:M], are very thick and great apparently. Mark the end of it. Mrs Fraser, Strichen, thought proper as she was leaving Iuverness on the return eastward to write a polite letter to my wife, as if to keep a show of terms."
Culbokie was evidently much huffed, but it was got over shortly, and before Mrs Fraser of Lovat's death, he in return for attention shown, did, according to the story common among old people in the Aird, put a strong spoke into the wheel of the Welsh Lovat Claimant of that period, 1815-1819. Culbokie was deeply mixed up in West Indian affairs, and got involved in executorships, cautionary obligations, etc., insomuch that in 1833 his creditors were gathered. They received a very large dividend; but matters continued unsettled, and harassed the old man up to his death. The last paper of his I have seen is dated in October, 1842, not long before his death, and he died at Guisachan, 3rd July, 1843.
He left two sons, William Fraser, W.S., and James, who entered the East India Company's service. Culbokie survived his wife and eldest son, who properly, therefore, ought not to be counted in the list, but I place him as XI. WILLIAM FRASER.
[http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/dtog/frasers2.pdf]
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1763 - 1843 (79 years)
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