Cromarty History Society spotlight falls on Rev James Fraser of Kirkhill – 'a true maverick' Highlander
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At our last meeting, we were pleased to welcome Professor David Worthington, who is the head of the centre for history at the UHI.
David has spent many years researching the mainly autobiographical writings left by Kirkhill Scottish Episcopalian minister, Rev. James Fraser (1634-1709). James Fraser was a scholar with a huge range of interests and David was keen to place him in the Highland context of the seventeenth century. Fraser left behind more written material than anyone else in the Highlands of that time. David told us that we should be aware that Fraser was immodest and not always accurate; indeed there is evidence of some plagiarism. All the sources he left are written in standard English, despite the fact that he was a Gaelic speaker. David believes this reflects the type of readership he sought for his writings.
David divided Fraser’s life into two stages for his talk: 1634-60 (a young man who was a student, travelled widely and was a linguist) and 1660-1709 (his adult years as a scientist, historian and minister). James Fraser hailed from Kirkhill next to the Beauly Firth. His father was minister at Killearan. He attended Inverness Grammar School where he improved his language skills and developed his boyhood passion for history. He then spent four years at Kings College in Aberdeen. It was the beginning of the Cromwellian Protectorate, with a Cromwellian garrison in Inverness. At the age of 23, Fraser successfully sought a passport from the Cromwellian authorities and then headed to London in order to embark on his “grand tour” of Europe.
He wanted to communicate his knowledge and his interest in genealogy, natural philosophy, natural history, climate, health and medicine and a wide range of other subjects. He really provides us with a different version of what the Highlands was like through his own experience - a true maverick.
He travelled through France and Italy and then crossed the Alps to northern Europe - Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, north Germany and the Netherlands. From the start of his travels on the continent, Fraser dressed as a pilgrim and relied on charity and hospitality. He was not a wealthy aristocrat, but why would he feign being a Catholic? Once in northern Europe, this disguise was abandoned. All the time he was travelling with three English companion travellers. David makes the suggestion that he may even have been a spy! He produced three volumes of his travelogue from this time.
On his return to London and the Highlands, after two and a half years away, Fraser finds that his father had died.
From this point on, he does not leave Scotland and was ordained a minister in 1662. Presbytery records show he was well thought of. Although the rest of his time is spent in the ministry, Fraser still pursues an enigmatic course, continually in pursuit of knowledge, acquiring books and manuscripts and campaigning for a library in Inverness.
Fraser was multilingual and his fondness of languages stands out in his writings. On his travels he collected phrases in Basque, Czech and Hungarian. He was from an area where Gaelic, Scots and English were all part of his linguistic heritage, in which he excelled.
He wanted to communicate his knowledge and his interest in genealogy, natural philosophy, natural history, climate, health and medicine and a wide range of other subjects. He really provides us with a different version of what the Highlands was like through his own experience - a true maverick.
Our next talk is on Tuesday, November 21 when our speaker will be Roland Spencer-Jones who will be talking about Maps and Map Making in the 18th century.
Our venue is the Victoria Hall, Cromarty and the talk will commence at 7.30pm – all welcome.
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