Further mystery as search for clan chief finds body of headless 25-year-old woman
● Human remains in family crypt throw up surprise
It was designed to bring to an end a 270-year-old mystery surrounding the final resting place of notorious clan chief Simon “The Old Fox” Fraser who was executed for treason following the Battle of Culloden.
But instead, a whole new chapter of intrigue has been opened up after human remains removed from the Fraser of Lovat family crypt near Inverness were found not to be those of the 80-year-old chief – but those of a 25-yearold headless woman.
Professor Dame Sue Black, director of the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee, who led the analysis, revealed her findings to an audience of more than 400 people gathered in Inverness last night.
Her research was launched last year to determine whether a long-held theory that the Old Fox’s body was removed from London in 1747 and smuggled back to the Highlands by his supporters was true.
Prof Black said: “We can say with absolute certainty that these are not the remains of The Old Fox.
“The area of the body most indicative of whether remains are male or female is the shape of the pelvis, and two areas of the pelvis in particular. In both areas, these remains were very feminine.
“There is no way that these were the remains of an 80-year-old six-foot man who suffered from gout and arthritis. We estimate these are the remains of a young woman, probably aged 25-35.
“We understand that there are some possibilities that she might be a member of the Fraser family, and further DNA testing is being carried out.”
Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, was the last man to be beheaded in the United Kingdom with his execution at Tower Hill attended by thousands of spectators.
He was a key operator in Highland political life and known for his double dealings between the state and the Jacobites. Officially, he was buried in the chapel at the tower but family lore has long maintained that his headless body was removed during the nine days between execution and burial and taken north by ship.
While it now seems more likely he is buried at the Church of St Peter ad Vincula, where a plaque bears his name, the discovery of the remains of a 25-year-old woman in the crypt presents a fresh mystery.
Prof Black, who spoke at the Royal Society of Edinburgh event, added: “The DNA testing should confirm whether the remains are those of a member of the Fraser family, in which case the casket may well have simply been put to use. But if the remains are not a member of the family, then we are faced with more of a poser as to how she came to be buried in the casket.”
Erik Lundberg, custodian of the Wardlaw Mauseole- um, said he was surprised but intrigued by the findings.
The mausoleum has enjoyed a swell in visitor numbers given the Old Fox was portrayed in hit television series Outlander as the grandfather of lead character Jamie Fraser.
He said: “The findings are very surprising but they open up a whole new set of questions. The intriguing question is really who would got to the effort of putting her in the coffin - and why?”
“There is no way that these were the remains of an 80-year-old sixfoot man who suffered from gout and arthritis ... these are the remains of a young woman” PROFESSOR DAME SUE BLACK