The Fraser family is one of the ancient ones of Scotland, and a number of worthy members of it have become citizens of the United States. The particular branch of which this sketch treats is descended from the Lord Lovet clan, and has been domiciled in this country for a number of generations. The representatives of the family in the present generation are the Misses Altonah and Elizabeth Nevius Fraser, who were born in Athens, New York. Robert Fraser, a brother of John Fraser, spoken of hereinafter, was engaged in the lumber business in the Bay of Honduras, died there and left a considerable estate. Word was sent to John Fraser, at "some place on the Hudson River," as the document read, but as travel was attended with great difficulties in those days, no steps were ever taken to acquire title to this property, and it probably passed into the hands of the partner of Robert.
(I) John Fraser, the first of the family of whom we have detailed information, came from Edinburg, Scotland, at the age of eighteen years, and settled in Athens, New York, where he followed the occupation of cabinetmaking. He was a stanch supporter of the Democratic party in politics, taking an active interest in all matters which concerned the public welfare, and his religious affiliations were with the Methodist church. He married, July 31, 1796, Patience Bradwell, and had children:
- Mary, born September 17, 1797;
- William, September 27, 1799;
- Hannah, July 17, 1801;
- Jane Ann, January 7, 1804;
- George Bradwell, March 12, 1806, see forward;
- Robert H., July 25, 1808;
- Eliza, August 1, 1810;
- Sarah Ann, March 3, 1821.
Patience (Bradwell) Fraser was the daughter of General Jacob Bradwell, of revolutionary fame, who lived at Coeymans, New York, and married Mary Guackin. The latter was the daughter of ———— Guackin, who married Patience Potts, born in Pennsylvania, educated at the Moravian School in Bethlehem, from whence she was married.
(II) George Bradwell, second son of John and Patience (Bradwell) Fraser, was born in Athens, New York, March 12, 1806, died September 14, 1884. He established and conducted a factory for the manufacture of stone ware, in which enterprise he was eminently successful, as he was in a number of other matters which he took in hand. He was at one time president of West Troy, New York, director and vice-president of Bank of West Troy for a number of years, and in church affairs took a prominent part, being vestryman, junior and senior warden for a number of years of Trinity Church at Watervliet, New York.
Mr. Fraser married, April 20, 1831, Catharine Tolley: children: Mary Jane, Hannah, Altonah and Elizabeth Nevius. Catharine (Tolley) Fraser, born July 28, 1810, died February 15, 1872, was the daughter of George Tolley and granddaughter of Dr. Frederick Tolley, who arrived at New York, August 12, 1753, having come from the Electorate of Hanover, Germany. He married, March 13, 1760, Catharine Voland, and had children:
- Henry B., born December 15, 1762;
- John Philip, March 11, 1766;
- Catharine, December 5, 1767;
- John Frederick, August 28, 1769;
- George, the father of Catharine (Tolley) Fraser; and
- William, born April 12, 1781.
(III) Altonah and Elizabeth Nevius, the two youngest children of George Bradwell and Catharine (Tolley) Fraser, were born in Athens, New York, leaving there when infants, their parents moving to Watervliet. They attended for a number of years the Willard Seminary, where they received an excellent education, and this has been supplemented during the entire course of their lives by reading and study. They are members and faithful attendants at the services of the Episcopal church, in whose interests they are active. Their interest in music is a deep and lifelong one, and they are associate members of the Vocal, Choral and Chromatic societies, and are in all the entertainments which are instituted by these associations.