Charles Fraser, Colonial Botanist of New South Wales

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James Fraser and Wilhelmina Rattray in Blair

Some web-sites claim that the parents of Charles Fraser (or Frazer), the Australian botanist, were Charles Fraser and Janet Robertson who were married in Blair Atholl parish, 4th September 1780. Although they had a son baptised and named Charles on 2nd June 1791, his father was a shepherd and the family lived up in Glentilt, in the Clachglas area. A much more likely parentage is that of James Fraser and Wilhelmina Rattray who were married in Blair Atholl parish.

26th November 1781
James Frazer, servant to Lude, and Wilhelmina Rattray in Croftvickewan, (married)

None of the Perthshire OPRs record the baptism of Wilhelmina Rattray, but Rattray was an uncommon surname in that area.

The Blair Atholl OPR lists the marriages of two other Rattray girls who were living at Croftvickewan at this time. Presumably they were the younger sisters of Wilhelmina.

John Cameron in Kilmaveonaig and Margaret Rattray in Croftvickewan, married 23 Dec 1768.
John Robertson in Miltown of Kincraigie and Charlotte Rattray in Croftvickewan, married 4 Nov 1777.

Although nothing is conclusive, all the evidence points to Wilhelmina being the daughter of John Rattray and his wife, Louisa Robertson. John Rattray was gardener to James Robertson Esq. of Lude, and Louisa Robertson was the parish midwife, so both would have had a good knowledge of plants, and there was a 'Physic' garden at Lude growing plants for medicinal purposes. This is shown by a case brought before the Atholl Kirk Session in October 1754 against Isobel Ritchie. She was accused of attempting to obtain 2 or 3 branches of the savin tree (Juniperus sabina) from Lude's gardener, from which an abortifacient could have been extracted. The girl was pregnant by William Robertson, son to Donald Robertson, 4th of Kincraigie, and he had no intention of marrying her. Thus Charles Fraser's botanical interest could be traced back to his mother's family.

Baptismal records exist for only two of John Rattray's children: Charlot, baptised 15th August 1756 (Logierait OPR); and Amily, baptised 14th January 1758 (Blair Atholl OPR), with her parents living at Lude. So Charlotte would have been 21 years old when she married John Robertson in 1777.

In February 1767 the Session advised the Minister to write to Mrs Rattray (Louisa Robertson), the midwife near Lude, to inspect Janet Stewart and give her opinion as to whether the girl was pregnant, or not. The expression 'near Lude' tend to suggest that Louisa Robertson was then a widow and had moved from Lude to nearly Croftvickewan.

More is known about Charles Fraser's father, James Fraser. His marriage banns describe him as "servant to Lude", but in what capacity is unclear. He could have been anything from a scullery boy to his personal secretary. What is known is that, by the time that their first child was born in 1785, James Fraser had become a merchant in Blair.

James Fraser's last child, John, was baptised in October 1797. James was still a merchant in Blair village, but no more is known about the family. As their son John enlisted in Perth, the family may have moved to that area. Another of the Blair village flax merchants is recorded as needing (financial) encouragement to stay as he was not making a profit. On the other hand Perth would have been a recruiting centre for the whole surrounding area.

The way in which James Fraser became a merchant is unclear, but it is unlikely that it was funded by Wilhelmina's family. Although it can be assumed that James Fraser was born around 1750, there is no trace of a baptismal record.

Generation X: The children of James Fraser and Wilhelmina Rattray in Blair

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Charles Fraser, soldier and botanist

Gaelic would have been Charles Fraser's native tongue but, at the age of 4, he would have been sent to school in Blair village to learn how to speak English. He would then have been taught 'the usual subjects' (reading, writing and arithmetic). As the son of a merchant he also would have been taught latin.

It is not known why Charles Fraser decided to enlist in the British army at Perth on 8th June 1815. He was only 24 and perhaps it was just his sense of adventure or patriotism. In March of that year Napoleon had escaped from exile and was threatening Britain again. However, a few days after Charles enlisted the crisis was averted at the Battle of Quatre Bras (Waterloo).

Private Charles Fraser was one of the soldiers aboard the 'Guildford', an armed two-deck merchant ship, on its second voyage taking convicts to Australia. It arrived at Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) on 8th April 1816, unloaded the prisoners and their guards, before sailing on to Batavia on 23rd June.

With the Napoleonic Wars over, the British regiments were downsized and consolidated, with Charles Fraser being transferred to the 46th Regiment on 7th November 1816. This regiment was tasked with reducing the aborigines to a state of obedience, and to eradicate bands of 'bushrangers'. On the 8th September 1817, the 46th Regiment was sent to Madras in India but Charles Fraser remained behind, having been transferred to the 48th Regiment on 25th August 1817. With the departure of the 46th Regiment, the 48th Regiment took over garrison duties guarding the convict settlement. Eventually, in January 1821 he was discharged from the army.

Although Charles Fraser was paid merely as a private in the army he seems to have had other duties, and may have been collecting plants and supplying herbal remedies to the garrison, convict prisoners and others in the settlement. Certainly, by June 1816 he was acting as the superintendent of the Botanic Garden and the Governor, Lachlan MacQuarie, sent him on expeditions to collect seeds and specimens in 1817, 1818 and 1818, referring to him as 'the Colonial Collector'. In subsequent years he visited Van Diemen's Land twice, as well as New Zealand and Norfolk Island.

Prior to 1826, the British Government had shown little interest in Western Australia (New Holland), but when French vessels started visiting there was alarm and a detachment of the 39th Regiment, plus convicts, were ordered to King George Sound in December 1826. The following year it was decided to establish a colony in the Swan River area. Capt. James Stirling was directed to take the Colonial Botanist with him on the H.M.S. 'Success' to report on the suitability of the neighbourhood for establishing a settlement.

For a full account of the Expedition of H.M.S. 'Success' from Sydney, to the Swan River, in 1827 see:

https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks13/1305601h.html

The Australian Dictionary of Biography shows his legacy.

"On 22 December 1831 Frazer died at Parramatta, apparently of apoplexy, leaving no relatives in the colony. Although a Presbyterian who had signed the petition for government aid in the building of a Scots church in 1824, his funeral service was conducted by Samuel Marsden, and he was buried in St John's cemetery, Parramatta, where his gravestone, now broken and neglected, bears yet another version of his surname. All who had dealings with him, governors, explorers, botanists, even the contemporary press, united in their praise of his scientific work, his personal charm and his 'universal benevolence'. His reports on the Swan and the Brisbane Rivers were published in Hooker's Botanical Miscellany, 1, 1830, and in the Australian Almanack for 1831 appeared his 'Memoranda of Australian Fruits and Vegetables'. He had experimented with the distillation of eucalyptus oil and the growing of cotton, for which the Agricultural and Horticultural Society awarded him a gold medal. Thirty-one species of native plants have been named in his honour".

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