Simon Alexander Fraser
Simon Fraser | |
---|---|
Born | Simon Alexander Fraser 13 February 1845 |
Died | 17 April 1934 Mansfield, Victoria, Australia | (aged 89)
Occupations |
|
Spouse |
Florence MacMillan (m. 1872) |
Children | 8
|
Parents |
|
Relatives | Charles MacArthur (great grandfather) |
Simon Alexander Fraser (13 February 1845 – 17 April 1934) was an Australian
Early life
Fraser was born on a boat in Port Arthur, Van Diemen's Land, on 13 February 1845, the eldest son of twelve children.[1][2] His father, Hugh Archibald Fraser (1796 – 1895), a Scottish magistrate, migrated to New South Wales in 1828.[2]
Hugh lived at River Hunter Valley.[2] Working as a farmer, he lost most of his money within fifteen years, owing to bad crops, and heavy partying and betting.[2] It is claimed that Hugh had relatives with the Campbells of Lorn.[2] Hugh became an overseer at Port Arthur's penal settlement in the 1840s.[1] Fraser's mother, Mary Fraser (née Anderson, 1827 – 1899) was descended from the MacCrimmons family, traditional pipers to the clan MacLeod and she was a granddaughter of Charles MacArthur, a Scottish bagpiper.[1][3]
The Fraser family relocated to Barwite, Victoria (near Mansfield) when he was a child. He spent most of his life living in the district. He took bagpipe lessons from Peter Bruce in Benalla, 64 kilometres (40 mi) away, riding his horse each way.[1] Later he made his own bagpipes and was reputedly, "the first to use kangaroo-skin in preference to the traditional sheep-skin", he won championship contests in playing, throughout Australia.[1] As a stock rider, with his brothers, he would drove sheep from Mansfield to Melbourne.[1] He learnt whip making from local Aboriginal stock man, Nangus Jack.[1] Fraser "wove forty-four strands into the longest whip that had been made in Australia."[1][4]
Career and personal life
Fraser married Florence MacMillan, a Scottish dancer, in November 1872.[1][5] They had eight children,[1] two of whom become successful bagpipers, Jack and Hugh.[5] Fraser "did not play the pipes seriously until he was 40".[5] His teacher, Peter Bruce, had left Fraser bagpipes in Bruce's will.[5] With five of their children, the Frasers toured Victoria as a musical group, including a performance at Government House, Melbourne.[1] The ensemble provided clarinet, piccolo, piano, two violins and harp.[1] In addition to bagpipes, Fraser played violin and flute.[6] He continued to work as a stock rider and whip-maker.[1][4] He was survived by six of his children.[1]
References
- General
- Mackenzie, Bridget (2009). "Chapter 7: Simon Fraser Reconsidered". In Joshua Dickson (ed.). The Highland Bagpipe: Music, History, Tradition. Ashgate. pp. 145–168. ISBN 9780754666691.
- Orme, Barrie J. Maclachlan (2003), Simon Fraser's canntaireachd collection, B.J. Orme, retrieved 14 December 2017
- Specific
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Gillison, Joan (1981). "Fraser, Simon Alexander (1845–1934)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 8. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Mackenzie, pp. 146–147
- ISBN 9780710079138.
- ^ a b "Reviews". Historical Studies. 20 (78–79): 118. 1982 – via the University of California.
- ^ a b c d Mackenzie, p. 156
- ISBN 9780909807153.