Simon Fraser of Ness Castle

Simon Fraser of Ness Castle, London merchant, father of Lady Saltoun (q.v.) and Simon Fraser (1752-1793, q.v.), and grandfather of the London West India merchant William Fraser (q.v.). It has not yet been definitively established whether the Good Hope estate in British Guiana belonged to Simon Fraser of Ness Castle or to his son Simon Fraser (1752-1793) or his grandson the Hon. Simon Fraser, but part of the compensation for the enslaved upon it was paid to trustees under the will of Simon Fraser of Ness Castle (although the will itself does not mention ownership of an estate in British Guiana). It also seems likely that he was the Simon Fraser among the second wave purchasers of land in Tobago, appearing c. 1773 as the present possessor of Great River division (St Mary parish) Lots nos. 7 and 8 (100 acres each) which became the Sion Hill estate.

1. The entry in the ODNB as 'army officer' for Alexander George Fraser, 16th Lord Saltoun, grandson of Simon Fraser describes the former's mother Margery (Lady Saltoun) as 'daughter and heir of Simon Fraser of Newcastle [sic], a director of the East India Company.'

2. Simon Fraser died 19/05/1810 in New Cavendish Street 'in the 84th year of his age.'

3. Will of Simon Frazer [sic] of Blackheath Kent proved 02/10/1810. In the will he related that he had in 1800 settled all his real estate in Aberdeenshire on his grandson Alexander George, Lord Saltoun, and all his real estate in Invernesshire on his grandson the Hon. Simon Fraser (d. 1811). He left sufficient government stock to yield £1000 p.a. to his daughter Lady Saltoun, with the principal to go to his grandchildren (her children) on her death; he left her a separate further annuity of £200 p.a. He left his grandson the Hon. Simon Fraser £12,000, being half of the £24,000 owed by the Hon. Simon Fraser to him [the testator], with the remainder to be repaid. He also left £12,000 to his grandson Hon. William Fraser at 21, but provided that if the Hon. William Fraser entered the business of Hon. Simon Fraser and James Henry Houstoun at Kings Arms Yard with a one-third share, as envisaged in the agreement between him [the testator] and the two extant partners, the share of the business would replace the £12,000. He left William a further £3000 and £1000 in East india stock, and £5000 each to his two grand-daughters the Hon. Eleanora and the Hon. Margaret Frazer. The legacies to William and the grand-daughters were secured on his unnamed estates in Dominica and Tobago to trustees, with instructions to sell them or to reinvest in them at their discretion, and the residue to be accounted part of his personalty. It is clear he also held mortgages over other estates, but the will gives no specifics. His trustees were his daughter Lady Saltoun; James Frazer of Heston; Kenneth Mackenzie of Warren Street; and the Hon. Mr Justice Bayley.

1. ODNB online, H.M. Stephens, rev. James Lunt, 'Fraser, Alexander George, sixteenth Lord Saltoun of Abernethy (1785-1835), army officer.'

2. Inverness Journal 01/06/1810.

3. PROB 11/1515/375.