Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 20.djvu/214

 of Estates, 1689,’ vindicates that body for having declared that James VII had forfeited his right to the crown and that his throne was vacant. A sermon, ‘Prelacy an Idol,’ appeared in 1713.

[Douglas's Peerage, vol. ii.; Memoirs of the Rev. James Fraser of Brae (Wodrow Soc. Select Biog. vol. ii.); Anderson's Martyrs of the Bass (in the Bass Rock, 1848); Wodrow's History; Scott's Fasti, iv. 585; Walker's Theology and Theologians of Scotland..]  FRASER, JAMES (1700–1769), Scotch divine (sometimes called ), was born in 1700 at the manse of Alness in Ross-shire, where his father, the Rev. John Fraser (d. 1711), was minister from 1696 till his death in 1711. The father, a native of the highlands, graduated at Aberdeen in 1678, attended dissenting meetings in London, was seized with Alexander Shiels in 1684, was sent to Leith, and thence, chained with Shiels, in the kitchen-yacht to Edinburgh, and was imprisoned in Dunottar Castle 18 May 1685. After three months of terrible suffering, he with his wife was among the hundred persons who were made a present of to the laird of Pitlochie and shipped for New Jersey, where they were to be disposed of for the laird's benefit. In New Jersey Fraser was set at liberty; went to New England, and preached as a licentiate at Waterbury, Connecticut. He returned to Scotland at the revolution, was ordained 23 Dec. 1691, and was settled first at Glencorse (1691–5), and afterwards at Alness (, Fasti, pt. i. 281–2, pt. v. 291).

James Fraser, the son, was a man of considerable theological learning, and besides discharging his pastoral duties in a highly edifying way, showed no little ability as a biblical critic. He was licensed by the presbytery of Chanonry 6 Nov. 1723, and ordained 17 Feb. 1726, becoming minister of Alness. The treatise entitled ‘The Scripture Doctrine of Sanctification’ (Edinb. 1774) was suggested in consequence of the false view, as Fraser held, taken by Locke of the fifth and sixth chapters of the Epistle to the Romans, Locke applying them solely to the Gentiles. Starting from this point, the author was led into a very copious exposition of chapters vi. vii. viii. and an elaborate refutation of the Arminian views of Grotius, Hammond, Locke, Whitby, Taylor, Alexander, and others. His book has kept its ground in Scotland as an able and elaborate exposition of these important chapters, from the Calvinistic point of view. Fraser was a regular correspondent of Robert Wodrow, to whom he suggested the preparation of his work on witchcraft. He died 5 Oct. 1769. His widow, Jean Macleod, died 13 March 1778.

[A short account of the author prefixed to his work by the Rev. A. Fraser, Inverness, endorsed by Dr. John Erskine, Edinburgh, 1774; Scott's Fasti, pt. v. 291–2.]  FRASER, JAMES (d. 1841), publisher, was of an Inverness family. He carried on business at 215 Regent Street, and there published ‘Fraser's Magazine,’ so called from Hugh Fraser, a barrister, who, with Dr. Maginn, was the projector of the new tory review, afterwards familiarly known as ‘Regina.’ James Fraser never assumed the paternity of the magazine, which was always spoken of in his books and correspondence as ‘The Town and Country.’ The first number of ‘Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country’ appeared in February 1830. The famous ‘Gallery of Illustrious Literary Characters’ came out in it between 1830 and 1838; eighty-one portraits, chiefly by Daniel Maclise, with letterpress by Maginn. In 1833 a handsome quarto volume containing thirty-four of the portraits was issued, and in 1874 the complete gallery republished for the first time. The portraits were reduced in size and the literary matter much increased in ‘The Maclise Portrait Gallery,’ by William Bates, with eighty-five portraits, London, 1883, sm. 8vo. On 3 Aug. 1836 took place the cowardly attack by Grantley Berkeley [q. v.] upon the publisher in consequence of a severe criticism of his novel ‘Berkeley Castle.’ Cross actions were tried 3 Dec. on the part of Fraser for assault and Berkeley for libel. The one obtained 100l. damages for the assault and the other 40s. for the libel. Among the contributors to the magazine were Carlyle, Thackeray, F. S. Mahony (Father Prout), T. Love Peacock, Mr. J. A. Froude, Mr. W. Allingham, and many other well-known writers. After Fraser's death it fell to his successor, G. W. Nickisson, whose name first appeared on it in 1842. Five years later it was transferred to John W. Parker, of West Strand, by whom and by his successors it was continued under the same name to October 1882, when it was superseded by ‘Longman's Magazine.’

Fraser published many books, among them Carlyle's ‘Hero Worship.’ The story of the dealings between the author and ‘the infatuated Fraser, with his dog's-meat tart of a magazine,’ is told in J. A. Froude's ‘Thomas Carlyle’ (1882, vol. ii. and 1885, vol. i.). He was liberal and straightforward in business transactions and had much taste and judgment in literary matters. He died 2 Oct. 1841 at Argyll Street, London, after a lingering 