American looking for Clan Identity

[badfrog88]

Hello all,

My first post here. I'm posting this from work, so if I need to post any more details, let me know I'll get them.

I have been able to trace my ancestry back to Inverness, Scotland sometime prior to the American Revolution. My surname is Frazier (Americanized spelling of Fraser?). I've been told that I would belong to the Fraser of Lovat Clan. Would that be correct, and how does one tell or know for sure?

Thank you in advance,

Kent Frazier

[Polwarth]

Hello and welcome!
Yes, Frazier/Frazer is a misspelling of the Scots name, Fraser.

As for what branch of a clan your family may 'belong' to... that's more difficult! You have to make a value judgement based on the prevalence of a sept within a specific geographic area - but it is often a guess, unless there are paper records somewhere which refers to a Stewart of Appin, or a Fraser of Lovat, for example!

[badfrog88]

Thank you for the prompt reply. I'm sorry for my ignorance, but would you kindly explain "sept".

I have just been looking through my family history records and I found the following:

My 5th Great Grandfather, George Thomas Frazier, birth: abt 1725, Place:Invernes-shire, Scotland.

His father (My 6th Great Grandfather?), Simon Fraser, birth: 1668, Place: Lovat, Invernes-shire, Scotland.

His father (My 7th Great Grandfather?), Thomas Fraser, 10th Lord Lovat.

This is the first time I've seen anything mentioned about Lord Lovat, that I recall. The source is a sheet printed from the familysearch.org website.

[Polwarth]

A sept is the Irish-originated word used to describe names which are not the same as a clan chief or chieftain - but supposedly under the protection of the main clan. This link to the Clan Duncan website gives a reasonable explanation - but there are probably as many 'explanations' as there are names claimed as septs by some clan chiefs!

Scottish Clan Septs, Clan Duncan Society - Scotland UK


I am presuming that as you have a Lovat chief in your lineage, it would not be unreasonable for you to claim to be a descendant of Clan Fraser of Lovat.
But then again, I take the whole 'sept' thing with a huge grain of salt

[badfrog88]

I seem to remember reading a few other threads which referred to submitting an application to the Clan Chief for membership. Doing a web search, I've found at least three Clan Fraser societies. Is there an "official" society or do I just apply to the one nearest me?

[aNonnyMoose]

Originally Posted by badfrog88

The source is a sheet printed from the familysearch.org website.

I'd be a little wary of accepting that source as gospel truth... An awful lot of what you find there is either fanciful, wishful thinking, or just plain invented. Do your own research first, by all means using this as a guide, but do not take it as truth until you have researched the lines fully.

With regard to "Clan Societies", a lot of these are American inventions bearing little or no resemblance to any common truth about "clans". Most clan chiefs are semi-retarded chinless wonders and deserve no so-called loyalty from anyone. They're descendants (in some cases, in others they're just designated) of those who sold the original clan members down the river to pay off gambling debts in London etc.

They are generally despised in Scotland, or at the very least treated with a degree of disdain that they fully merit.

Don't waste your money joining a club whose only purpose in the main is to create a pseudo-aristocracy of the meritless.

Rant over

[Polwarth]

I know my clan allegiance. However, I have never chosen to join a 'clan society' - simply because I don't need anyone to 'let' me feel part of my heritage!

I'm with Nonny. If it costs.....