MISSION STATEMENT
To provide our readers with the most accurate information available.
After 30 years of public service, Jeffrey retired in 2013 and now leads the strategic vision of this site. His research centers on the archival records of the Seven Years’ War, with a particular emphasis on Colonel Fraser’s 78th Regiment—known as the Fraser’s Highlanders. Drawing on military correspondence, muster rolls, and land petitions, his work aims to uncover the individual lives and broader movements that shaped Britain’s colonial presence in North America.Behind every meaningful research project stands a community of contributors—some known personally, others encountered only through exchanged letters or shared purpose. This page is dedicated to a few individuals whose efforts, encouragement, and generosity of knowledge have profoundly shaped the work found throughout this site. Whether through archival assistance, early inspiration, or years of quiet mentorship, each has played a role in preserving the memory of Fraser’s Highlanders and deepening our collective understanding of their lives.
I wish to thank the following individuals for their tireless efforts in putting up with all my requests for information! —Jeffrey
In Memory of Mrs. Marie Fraser
Genealogist, Editor, and Advocate for the 78th Regiment of Foot
Although I never had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Marie Fraser in person, our paths crossed through brief but meaningful correspondence in the early 2000s. Marie served as genealogy chair, newsletter editor, and a passionate voice for the Clan Fraser Society of Canada for many years. Her dedication to the memory of the 78th Regiment of Foot left a lasting impression on all who shared her commitment to preserving regimental history.
It was through Marie’s dedicated work, devoted to the Old 78th, that I first encountered a broader narrative beyond the well-known campaigns. Her research gathered rare biographical sketches, genealogical notes, and fragments of personal history that many of us might never have seen otherwise. She created a digital space where descendants, historians, and curious readers could find a toehold in the story of the regiment and its men.
Unfortunately, Marie is no longer with us, leaving behind not only a gap in our community, but also a foundation for others to build upon. In many ways, it was her early work that inspired me to begin exploring archival records, muster rolls, and primary source materials related to the regiment. My ongoing research owes a debt to the momentum she created—a quiet but determined effort to document lives that might otherwise have faded into historical obscurity.
Her legacy endures in the questions she asked, the sources she preserved, and the encouragement she offered, even at a distance. This project, in part, is dedicated to that legacy.
Acknowledging Ms. Ruth Bloom
Independent Researcher, London, U.K.
I also owe deep thanks to Ms. Ruth Bloom, my personal contact in London, whose tireless work in the British archives has been invaluable to this project. Ruth has regularly visited repositories on my behalf, retrieving documents that would have otherwise remained out of reach—records that now form the backbone of many of the profiles, posts, and archival transcriptions featured here.
Her dedication and reliability as an independent historical researcher have played a quiet but powerful role in expanding the scope of this site. Thanks to her efforts, regimental files and soldier petitions once buried in government ledgers have found new life in public view.
Independent Researcher, London, U.K.
I also owe deep thanks to Ms. Ruth Bloom, my personal contact in London, whose tireless work in the British archives has been invaluable to this project. Ruth has regularly visited repositories on my behalf, retrieving documents that would have otherwise remained out of reach—records that now form the backbone of many of the profiles, posts, and archival transcriptions featured here.
Her dedication and reliability as an independent historical researcher have played a quiet but powerful role in expanding the scope of this site. Thanks to her efforts, regimental files and soldier petitions once buried in government ledgers have found new life in public view.
Honoring Mr. Earl John Chapman
Historian of the 78th Regiment of Foot
I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Earl Chapman, whose guidance and generosity over nearly a decade have been instrumental in shaping my understanding of the 78th Fraser Highlanders. Earl’s knowledge of the regiment is both expansive and precise, and he has been remarkably patient in answering my many questions—often pointing me toward material I wouldn’t have known to search for on my own.
More than just a historian, Earl has been a true steward of the regiment’s legacy. His insights into the lives of the men, women, and children who served with Fraser’s Highlanders have added depth and humanity to what might otherwise have remained a collection of names and dates. Many of the connections I’ve drawn and the narratives I’ve shared on this site would not have been possible without his encouragement and his willingness to share both time and expertise.
In closing, I am deeply grateful to Marie Fraser, Ruth Bloom, and Earl Chapman—not only for the historical insights they’ve shared, but for the spirit in which they offered them. Their work reminds us that history is not static, but built person by person, page by page. The research presented here continues in that tradition—made possible by those who came before, and enriched by those generous enough to help carry it forward.
Historian of the 78th Regiment of Foot
I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Earl Chapman, whose guidance and generosity over nearly a decade have been instrumental in shaping my understanding of the 78th Fraser Highlanders. Earl’s knowledge of the regiment is both expansive and precise, and he has been remarkably patient in answering my many questions—often pointing me toward material I wouldn’t have known to search for on my own.
More than just a historian, Earl has been a true steward of the regiment’s legacy. His insights into the lives of the men, women, and children who served with Fraser’s Highlanders have added depth and humanity to what might otherwise have remained a collection of names and dates. Many of the connections I’ve drawn and the narratives I’ve shared on this site would not have been possible without his encouragement and his willingness to share both time and expertise.
In closing, I am deeply grateful to Marie Fraser, Ruth Bloom, and Earl Chapman—not only for the historical insights they’ve shared, but for the spirit in which they offered them. Their work reminds us that history is not static, but built person by person, page by page. The research presented here continues in that tradition—made possible by those who came before, and enriched by those generous enough to help carry it forward.
