The Clan Fraser in Canada: Souvenir of the First Annual GatheringFraser, Alexander
History
The Clan Fraser in Canada: Souvenir of the First Annual Gathering
Fraser, Alexander
Clans -- Canada; Fraser family
There was a good response to the call for the general meeting, letters
having been sent broadcast over the Dominion. As chief of the Frasers of
British North America, the Hon. James Fraser de Ferraline, in the
Province of Nova Scotia, was elected. He was a scion of the Ferraline
and Gorthlic families of the Clan. One hundred and eleven subordinate
chieftains of provinces and districts were elected and Mr. John Fraser
de Berry was appointed Secretary to the "New Clan Fraser," as it was
called. For various reasons, chief among them being, probably, its
elaborate constitution and the intangible purposes for which it was
called into existence, the organization did not make satisfactory
headway and in the course of not many years it failed to attract any
public attention whatever, and ceased to exist. In its brief career it
gathered some interesting information about the clansmen. In a report
drawn up by the Secretary, De Berry, whose exertions on its behalf were
unwearying, it is stated that there were then over 12,000 persons, men,
women and children of the name Fraser, some speaking French, not one of
whom was a day laborer, or "earning daily wages," but all in comfortable
circumstances, many in positions of honour and trust.
FORMATION OF THE CLAN FRASER IN CANADA
Although Mr. John Fraser de Berry's scheme failed it was believed that
there was room for a less pretentious and more practicable clan
organization in Canada. There was little diminution of the clan feeling;
the desire of those having the same origin and name, the same glorious
clan history, in common, to enjoy a friendly intercourse, was natural
and reasonable, and at length it assumed a practical form. Early in the
spring of 1894 a meeting was held in the office of the _Toronto Daily
Mail_, at which there were present: Messrs. George B. Fraser, commission
agent; Robert Lovat Fraser, barrister; Alexander R. Fraser, druggist;
Dr. J. B. Fraser, physician; Alexander Fraser (of Fraserfield,
Glengarry), Secretary to the Boiler Inspection Company; W. H. Fraser,
Professor of Languages at the Toronto University; W. A. Fraser, civil
engineer and contractor; W. P. Fraser, clerk, Dominion Bank; Andrew
Fraser, commercial traveller; and Alexander Fraser, of the editorial
staff of the _Daily Mail_. The last named, descended from the Clan Mhic
Fhionnlaidh sept of the Struy Frasers, was appointed chairman of the
meeting and Mr. W. A. Fraser, also descended from good Strathglass
stock, was appointed Secretary. All agreed that a clan organization
ought to be formed and as a first step it was thought well to test the
feeling of the clansmen at a family dinner, which it was decided should
be held on May 5th, 1894. Those present formed themselves into a
committee to make arrangements for holding the dinner and the chairman
and secretary of the meeting were appointed chairman and secretary of
the committee. Invitations were sent to every member of the Clan in
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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