Fort Fraser Despatches April 2016 10 th AGM of the Fort Fraser Garrison Society & 78 th Fraser Highlanders Association of Vancouver Inc. Officers Mess, Bessborough Armoury Vancouver, BC, Saturday, 26 March, 2016 19 Members present: D. Fleming; D. Farlinger; JD. Redmond LC, MB; C. Hoskin; J. Hooker; D. Magrega; C. Magrega; J. Buis; K. Buis; J. Barrett; B. McIlwaine; R. Mackie; D. Scandrett; L. Whitney; K. Whitney; R. Barrett; N. MacKay; J. MacKay; A. Reid. Meeting called to order 11:10 a.m.; quorum declared. 2015 Minutes reviewed m/s N. MacKay/J. Hooker to accept; carried. President’s report – J. Barrett (attached) OC acknowledges the contributions of Major Norman Pope as OC Fort Victoria, and offers Fort Fraser’s best wishes to the incoming OC, Major Christopher Mackie. Sec/Treas. Report – D. Fleming (attached) PMC report – N. MacKay m/s A. Reid/J. Buis to accept reports; carried. Retirement & Election of Directors – R. Mackie Directors for the 2016 term: James Barrett CD, President; Christopher Hoskin, Vice President; John Buis; Michael Redmond; Murray Wood; David Scandrett CD, PMC; John Hooker. Garrison subvention to RHQ Montreal confirmed to be 20% of membership dues. m/s B. McIlwaine/JD. Redmond that the members thank the departing directors for their efforts during the past year. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:00.
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Fort Fraser Despatches April 2016
10th AGM of the
Fort Fraser Garrison Society
& 78th Fraser Highlanders Association of Vancouver Inc.
Officers Mess, Bessborough Armoury Vancouver, BC,
Saturday, 26 March, 2016 19 Members present: D. Fleming; D. Farlinger; JD. Redmond LC, MB;
C. Hoskin; J. Hooker; D. Magrega; C. Magrega; J. Buis; K. Buis; J. Barrett; B. McIlwaine; R. Mackie; D. Scandrett; L. Whitney; K. Whitney; R. Barrett;
N. MacKay; J. MacKay; A. Reid.
Meeting called to order 11:10 a.m.; quorum declared.
2015 Minutes reviewed m/s N. MacKay/J. Hooker to accept; carried.
President’s report – J. Barrett (attached)
OC acknowledges the contributions of Major Norman Pope as OC Fort Victoria,
and offers Fort Fraser’s best wishes to the incoming OC, Major Christopher
Mackie.
Sec/Treas. Report – D. Fleming (attached)
PMC report – N. MacKay
m/s A. Reid/J. Buis to accept reports; carried.
Retirement & Election of Directors – R. Mackie
Directors for the 2016 term:
James Barrett CD, President; Christopher Hoskin, Vice President;
John Buis; Michael Redmond; Murray Wood; David Scandrett CD, PMC; John
Hooker.
Garrison subvention to RHQ Montreal confirmed to be 20% of membership dues.
m/s B. McIlwaine/JD. Redmond that the members thank the departing directors
for their efforts during the past year.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:00.
Simon Fraser, 1776 – 1862, Explorer:
The University in Burnaby, BC which bears his name was opened in 1965. Brigadier Simon Fraser Lord Lovat, a distant cousin, was part of the opening ceremonies. He presented a Lovat Fraser clan sword to Simon Fraser University, and permitted the use of the Lovat Fraser “strawberries” on the University crest. In 1966 Lord Lovat was a force in re-raising a Highland regiment that fought for Britain during the Seven Years War, and establishing the 78th Fraser Highlanders as a historical society. The regiment today parades in the uniform and equipment of the original 18th century regiment, and commemorates its actions which led to the capture of New France and the foundations of Canada. Vancouver’s Fort Fraser Garrison will work to strengthen and extend relations with SFU in hopes of becoming an active part of the university’s Department of Scottish Studies, and perhaps provide an historical display partner to the various (and world famous) SFU Pipe bands when appropriate to the occasion.
Simon Fraser (the explorer) was born on 20 May 1776 in the village of Mapletown, Hoosick, New York. He was the eighth and youngest child of Captain Simon Fraser (d.1779) of the 84th Highland Regiment. Captain Simon Fraser Sr. grew up at his family's seat of Guisachan, 30 miles to the southeast of Inverness. The Frasers of Guisachan and Culbokie were descended from a younger brother of William Fraser of Guisachan, the second son of Thomas Fraser Lord Lovat [1469-1524], the 10th Chief of the Frasers of Lovat. William was killed at Loch Lochy in 1544, together with his younger brother James Fraser of Foyness (Phoineas), his older brother Hugh Fraser Lord Lovat [1494-1544], and Lord Hugh’s eldest son Hugh, Master of Lovat. This was the famous and bloody Blar-na-leine or “Battle of the Shirts” between the Frasers and the Macdonalds. Although William Fraser 8th of Guisachan kept out of the 1745 Rising, William Jr. (1723-1797), his eldest son and heir, served as a Captain with the Frasers of Lovat at Culloden under LtCol. Charles Fraser of Inverallochy. William Jr., known as “Young Culbokie”, was pardoned in 1747, too late to save Guisachan House, which was burnt to the ground by the Duke of Cumberland’s troops in 1746. William Fraser 8th of Guisachan had nine sons who held various commissions in the British Army.
One son was Captain John Fraser, who served with the 78th Fraser Highlanders under Lt-Colonel Simon Fraser and later became a judge of the court of common pleas at Montreal. Another son, and the focus of our attention, Captain Simon Fraser of the Glengarry Fencibles emigrated to America with his family in 1773 and fought as a Loyalist in the American Revolution. He was captured at Bennington and died in Albany Jail in 1779. His widow brought the family, including their youngest son Simon, born near Bennington, Vermont, to Canada.
Young Simon was educated under the supervision of his uncle, Captain John Fraser, who arranged for him to be hired as an apprentice in the NorthWest Company. At the age of 14, Simon Fraser moved to Montreal for additional schooling where two of his uncles, including Simon McTavish, a leading figure, were active in the fur trade. In 1790, unsurprisingly, the lad was apprenticed to the North West Company. Between 1792 and 1805, it would appear that Fraser spent most of his time working in the company's Athabasca Department. While little is known of his activities during this time, Fraser seems to have done well, as he was made a full partner of the company in 1801 at the relatively young age of 25.
SFU Lovat Fraser
On 06 April, members of Fort Fraser Historical Display Unit paraded at SFU and addressed
students of the Dept. of Scottish Studies. A brief lecture informed the students of the 78th
history and many aspects of uniform, weapons and tactics. Muskets were fired in a
demonstration “feu de joie”. A student bursary cheque was presented to Dr. Katie
McCullough, director of the Scottish Studies department, in accordance with the garrison’s