The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

378 THE HIGHLANDERS [part ii
name of Frisale, which is its ancient form, appears in the roll of
Battle Abbe\', thus placing the Norman character of their origin
beyond a doubt.
Down to the reign of Robert the Bruce the Erasers appear to
have remained in the southern counties, but during his reign
they began to spread northward, penetrating into Mearns and
Aberdeenshire, and finally into Inverness-shire. Sir Andrew
Eraser appears to have acquired extensive territories in the
North by marriage with the heiress of a family of considerable
consequence in Caithness ; but he still possessed property in the
South, as he appears under the title of Dominus de Touch, in
the county of Stirling.
Simon Eraser was the first of the family
of Lovat. By marriage with Margaret, daughter of John, earl of
Orkney and Caithness, he obtained a footing in the North. On
the death of Magnus, the last earl of this line, he unsuccessfully
contested the succession with the earl of Strathearne, but at the
same time he acquired the property of Lovat, which descended
to his wife through her mother, the daughter and heiress of
Graham of Lovat. His son Hugh is the first of this family who
appears on record in possession of Lovat and the Aird. On the
iith September, 1367, Hugh Eraser, "Dominus de Loveth et
portionarius terrarum de Aird," does homage to the bishop of
Moray for his part of the half daviach land of Kintallergy and
Esser and fishings of Eorm. After this he occurs frequently
under the title of " Dominus de Loveth," and this Hugh Eraser,
Dominus de Loveth, is the undisputed ancestor of the modern
Erasers of Lovat, while of their connections with the Southern
Erasers, and also of their consequent Norman origin, there can
be no doubt whatever.
. Few
Chisholni.
families have asserted their right to be considered as
a Gaelic clan with greater vehemence than the Chisholms, not-
withstanding that there are perhaps few whose Lowland origin
is less doubtful. Hitherto no one has investigated their history ;
but their early charters suflfice to establish the real origin of
the family with great clearness. The Highland possessions of
the family consist of Comer, Strathglass, &c., in which is situated
their castle of Erchless, and the manner in which they acquired