Watnall Hall graves – Torbreck, the Scottish Connection

To celebrate Burns Night, this "Tale from Watnall Hall" looks at how two young Scottish farmers' daughters, from the same family, saved the blushes and the bloodline of the Watnall Hall Rollestons for two different generations. 

The name "Torbreck" appears on the Watnall Hall gravestones. This is the key to the story, but what is or was Torbreck and how is it relevant to Watnall Hall and the Rollestons? It's a tale of Scottish lairds and castles, of Rob Roy's claymore sword and the swashbuckling history of one of Scotland's most infamous clans...

The Fraser girls of Torbreck, a small hamlet in the fertile fields north of Loch Ness, came from a venerable and combative clan of warriors, the Frasers of Lovat. Any fans of the TV series Outlander will know all about the Fraser’s history as warrior farmers. Their proud military tradition has carried on through the 20th century. Brigadier Simon Fraser, 25th Chief of the Clan Fraser of Lovat, was a prominent British Commando during the Second World War. During Operation Overlord, he led the Special Service Brigade at Sword Beach and to successfully capture Pegasus Bridge, famously accompanied by his piper, Bill Millin.

Saviours of the Rollestons

Fanny Lilian Fraser, or “Lil” as she was known to her family, died in 1957 and is buried in the Watnall Hall gravesite next to her husband Robert. Her father became a Major General in the Madras Cavalry Staff Corps in India and as the young laird of Torbreck in 1833, reputedly owned the old claymore sword of Rob Roy¹.

Fanny Lilian Fraser "Lil" (1874-1957)

Lt. Robert Rolleston
c.1870

When they married in 1901, Lil was 27 and Robert, a Royal Navy captain, was almost 52 and due for retirement. They were 1st cousins and none of Robert's ageing siblings had yet managed to have any children of their own. Robert's naval career started when he was just 13 years old and as an officer posted around the world he'd had no time for family matters. However with the inability of his siblings to produce any heirs, was this a marriage of convenience to save the Watnall Rolleston line? 

The Rolleston family must have been desperate to produce an heir and marriages between cousins were not so frowned upon as they are today, especially for the aristocracy. It still took them 11 years until their daughter Elma (Eleanor Maud) was born in Fulham on 11th April 1912. By then Robert was 63 and Fanny was 38. Elma was the thin thread that has kept the family line going to this day. The whole Rolleston family must have been so delighted when she finally came along.

Saving the line

Nor was this the first time that the Frasers had saved the Rolleston family line. A generation earlier in 1846, Robert's father Colonel Lancelot Rolleston MP was equally desperate to save the family name. After the death of his first wife and of his only male heir, he re-married to young Eleanor Charlotte Fraser. She was Fanny Lilian’s aunt. Lancelot was then 61 years old and the bride was 25, younger than all his daughters. But needs must, the family inheritance was at stake .

Ness Castle, Torbreck, Inverness

She’d been born at Torbreck in the Highlands. Her mother was of noble Scottish blood, the 8th Earl of Lauderdale's daughter Lady Anne Maitland, who had had infamously eloped² with the eminently unsuitable, wild and dashing young laird Robert Fraser of Torbreck in 1807. In Torbreck they moved out of the old farmstead and built their modest love-nest, Ness Castle, which remains at the centre of the farming hamlet today, albeit surrounded by a modern housing estate.

A family re-born 

Col. Lancelot Rolleston MP

In 1847, just a year after Eleanor and Lancelot’s marriage, they  were blessed by the birth of a son, who was inevitably named Lancelot. This Lancelot would become Sir Lancelot Rolleston KCB DSO of Watnall Hall, the famous old soldier and Boer War veteran. One can only imagine his father’s relief at the birth of his new heir. Two more sons would follow in quick succession and a daughter³. Eleanor and Lancelot thus became the parents of the generation of Rollestons buried at Watnall. 

So that's the tale of how the Fraser girls of Torbreck saved the Rolleston dynasty twice over.

For more information about the Watnall Hall graves and who is buried their see this article on the “Tales from Watnall Hall” website below:

The Watnall Hall graves - who is buried there?

Fanny Lilian Fraser and Robert
Rolleston's grave at Watnall Hall

Sources and Notes:

Sources : Various public genealogy resources; public-access university archives; "Watnall Hall and the Rolleston Family" - RA Horton 2000; Historic England archive; The Great Houses of Nottinghamshire and the County Families - Leonard Jacks 1881; Nottinghamshire History archive; History of the Frasers of Lovat, with genealogies of the principal families of the name: to which is added those of Dunballoch and Phopachy by Mackenzie, Alexander, 1838-1898. Published 1896 (see Note 2 below)

Notes

1 - From the "Inverness Courier." Sept 4th 1833. It is stated that Rob Roy’s favourite claymore had been presented by Mr Ryder, of the Aberdeen Theatre, to Mr Alexander Fraser, the young laird of Torbreck. The present was accompanied by the following certificate of its authenticity:—"This was the favourite claymore of Rob Roy. It was presented by him to his particular friend and near relative, Mr Campbell of Glenlyon, and remained in that family until Francis Gordon Campbell of Troup succeeded to the title and estates of Glenlyon." [The "theatrical" context perhaps does not lend much weight to the credence of the story or provenance of the sword!]

2 - From History of the Frasers of Lovat, with genealogies of the principal families of the name: to which is added those of Dunballoch and Phopachy by Mackenzie, Alexander, 1838-1898. Published in 1896

THE FRASERS OF PHOPACHY AND TORBRECK  

IX. Robert Fraser, of whom Mr Fraser-Mackintosh says, that he "was, in most respects, the reverse of his father." His elopement in 1807 with Lady Anne, daughter of the eighth Earl of Lauderdale, in the style and the manner of young Lochinvar, is well known. The same writer adds — "The present generation has no conception of the effects produced in Scotland by the agitation preceding the Reform Bill (of 1832). No question could, in these times, by any possibility involve such commotion  or stir up such feeling. Among others in the North, Torbreck became a violent reformer, and in the great contest for the Inverness Burghs in 1832, he stood as a candidate, and incurred great expense." The numbers polled for the respective candidates in this contest were, for Colonel  Baillie of Redcastle, 250; John Stewart of Belladrum, 243 ; and for Robert Fraser of Torbreck,  6. Robert and Lady Anne built Ness Castle, afterwards bought, beautified, and long occupied, along with the lands on which it was erected, by Marjory Lady Saltoun. He sold Torbreck and Balrobcrt in 1834 [just after she had died].

By Lady Anne Maitland, who died in 1829, Torbreck had  issue —

1.  Alexander Robert, of whom presently.

2.  Anne, who died unmarried.

3.  Eleanor,  who  married  Colonel  Lancelot  Rolleston  of Watnall  Hall,  Notts,  with  issue — (i)  Lancelot,  born  on  the 19th  of  August,  1847,  now  of  Watnall  Hall.  He  married Lady  Maud,  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Colonel  Robert  Dalzell and  sister  of  the  Earl  of  Carnwath,  without  issue.  (2) Robert  Sidney,  born  on  the  15th  of  September,  1849, Captain  R.N.  (3)  Eleanor  Anne,  who  married  John  Robert Tennant,  without  issue. Mrs  Rolleston  died  in  1894. [Not according to her gravestone]

Robert  died  in  London,  on  the  3rd  of  October,  1844, when  he  was  succeeded  as  representative  of  the  family  by his  only  son,

X.  Major-General  Alexander  Robert  Fraser, now  residing  at  Bath,  in  his  76th  year.  He  was  in  the Madras  Cavalry  and  retired  from  the  service  in  1874.  He married  first,  Catherine  Wilson,  eldest  daughter  of  General Sandys  of  the  Madras  Cavalry,  with  issue —

1.  Eleanor  Theresa,  who,  on  the  3rd  of  September,  1867, married  Sir  Gilbert  Augustus  Clayton  East,  Baronet  of  Hall Place,  Berks,  with  issue — Gilbert  William,  born  on  the  7th of  May,  1869;  George  Frederick  Lancelot,  born  on  the  3rd of  September,  1872  ;  Eleanor  Alexandra,  and  Agnes  Emma.

2.  Catherine  Anne,  still  unmarried.

General  Fraser,  whose  first  wife  died  at  Masulipatam  on the  11th  of  June,  1857,  married  secondly  Fanny  Mary, daughter  of  Captain  William  Squire,  2nd  Life  Guards  and of  Barton  Place,  Maidenhall,  Suffolk,  with  issue —

3.  Alexander  Robert,  born  in  1875.

4.  Simon  William,  born  in  1876.

5.  Mabel  Anne.

6.  Fanny  Lilian.

7.  Gertrude  Eleanor.