Updated 14 October 2022

Please do NOT join unless you have a listed surname or that surname (spelling variants are acceptable) is in your family tree.
These include:-

• BISSET, BREWSTER, COWIE, FREW, FRIZELL, MacGRUER, MacKIM, MacKIMMIE, MacSIMON, MacTAVISH, OLIVER, SIM, SIMON, SIMS, SIMPSON, SYME, TWADDLE, TWEEDIE.
• FREW.
• SIMPSON and MacKIMMIE.

I wish to avoid operating a <Join Request> feature.

Updated 20 February 2015

Use the menu bar to the side of the project page to navigate to any page of the project website.  To post to the forum ("Activity Feed"), make sure you are signed in as a member.
This project is now a Group Project.


Updated 18 April 2014

The Fraser project and the Clan Fraser Projects have been combined.  For ease of seeing everyone on one page, you will need to set your screen size to 2,000 once you get into the Y-DNA Results page.  (There are some extremely large groups in here who apparently have no matches within the project at any meaningful level.  In time this may be resolved as men continue to upgrade to a more conclusive result).

Updated 12 January 2014

Use the menu bar (including the drop-down menus) across the top of the project page to navigate to any page of the project website.

Clan Fraser is a true clan of Scotland. Neither it, nor the members of its numerous Septs should be confused as being the so-called clan of the Lovat Frasers. The Lovat Frasers are not a clan (in the true sense of the word in Scotland) and nor do they have a Chief BUT they do have a head of that family, Lady Saltoun (Flora Fraser) at present.   Lord Lovat (who holds a number of titles), (Simon Fraser) is the current Chief of the Fraser clan.  (Be aware there is much confusion currently existing on the internet, but this site may help clarify certain queries you may have...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiefs_of_Clan_Fraser
Note please that there are NOT two clans and neither is there either a Highland or a Lowland clan designation (although I confess to the Clan Fraser being normally considered as a Highland Clan).

                       

                              Fraser Crest
                        'All my hope is in god'

If you have factual knowledge as to WHY a surname has been accepted by any of the Chiefs of the Clan Fraser, please contact me at  gailriddelldna@gmail.com

"Frazer is really De Frezel, a family of Touraine.  Rene Frezel's second son came to England with the Conqueror.  A descendant found favour and land with David I., who was a great importer of Anglo-Norman blood.  The Frazers have their tartan and their badge, the yew".

But see another reference here (which may be more helpful)
http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=_U0Ii-Om3EwC&pg=PA219&lpg=PA219&dq=Official+Septs+CLan+Fraser&source=bl&ots=O4MczQgeq6&sig=Bq8qNDdqAtDxgS-4teaVNrieCNg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=rQLRUqHrDcSWkQXJ6IC4AQ&ved=0CGoQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=Official%20Septs%20CLan%20Fraser&f=false 

(this is the Tiny URL for the same site immediately above   http://tinyurl.com/kklkkfw   )

Surname DNA testing is the the best "add-on" tool available to genealogists!  The many advantages include:-

• Surname tests (Y-DNA) enable genealogists to verify their father's father's...father's paternal ancestry.  (The molecular (aka genetic) ancestry overrides the surname ancestry).
  
• Molecular ancestry information can be very powerful when combined with traditional paper trails and can uncover family secrets!
• Be aware that with a project of this kind, there will be numerous surnames represented, which also means numerous Haplogroups and Haplotypes are represented.  (At this time, the best that can be done is to rely on the Y-STR markers for matching and you are well advised to upgrade to the highest that you can possibly afford ESPECIALLY if you are classed as R1bwa2 predicted Haplogroup.
  

This project is keen for males who believe they belong to the Clan Fraser, whether they are living in the United Kingdom, any country of Western Europe, Northern and Eastern Europe, in the United States of America, Canada, the Caribbean, South America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa (and anywhere else I have missed when I considered the countries in which the surname exists...) to please join it.  (Because female's surnames change so frequently, it is not a project for female testers).


Like all surname projects, this one is intent upon proving connections using DNA.  But it is NOT just surname ancestry.  It is molecular (or as some prefer it, genetic) ancestry.  Essentially, this means that although it is the only Clan FRASER project, it is the DNA of the male testers that will prove what needs to be proven!

The best articles I have found to date for understanding just what 'DNA' is and how the results of testing can help you with your genealogy as as follows (but of course these are not the only valuable articles).

http://dna-explained.com/2012/08/19/autosomal-results-the-basics/

http://stevemorse.org/genetealogy/dna.htm

http://stevemorse.org/genetealogy/beyond.htm

Here is a hint for you if you have tested FF.

Once you (or anyone) joins a project, you can go to your FTDNA Home Page and hover your mouse over the FF Drop-down menu visible in the blue tool bar. Then select  "Advanced Matches" from that menu. Check FF and select whether you want to see your matches in either the full data base, or just in the specific projects that you have joined.

Because it is a pain switching from one window to another, I have three browsers, so that I can get the same person’s Home page up showing different reports for the same tester all at the same time.

If you are reading this, then it is assumed you are hunting for details about your ancestors and extending your knowledge about your particular line.

DNA testing will certainly aid you in a number of ways but you must still have a paper trail if you want to name that ancestor when you find you have a match!  
DNA testing will also inform you whether your paper trail is correct.  (My favourite 'hobby-horse' is to tell you not to rely on the work of someone else UNLESS they have supplied you with references to enable you to check these for yourself). 

A huge request please.  If you are contacting me, please, please, state your registered surname, kit number and current grouping in the project in the subject line

Gail Riddell  riddelldna@gmail.com