The Frasers of Murray Town

The Frasers (with an 'S' not Z') are one of the oldest families in Murray Town and have played a prominent role in the village's development for over 150 years. Pa Kude (Pakudi,) was the name of an ex- liberated African, who found himself on the shores of Murray Town village in 1808 like other Liberated Africans. Pa Kude's last name was changed to Frazer by his Colonial master. At a point in time, his son. Thomas Crowley visited Scotland. There he decided to change the spelling of his name from the American use of Z to the Scottish use of S. Pa Kude had six daughters and two sons. David, Kude Fraser and Thomas Crowley Fraser. The family Patriarch Thomas Crowley Fraser (1844-1935) was a successful trader and pawn broker nicknamed 'Banker' Fraser.

T.C. Fraser

He was twice married and following the death of his first wife,Rosana Wyse,he went to work in Ghana, where he met his second wife Amba Nezere who was from Salt Pond, Cape Coast.

He had 13 children, with 10 from his second wife. The 13 children married into other Krio families such as the Hyde, Lasite, Decker, Gooding, Ellis, George, Bedford, Cole, Robbin (Coker), Davies Sandy families, to name a few. He purchased land around the village, to make sure that his family were secure. His generosity included his extended family. He assisted his grand-nephew Taiwo Arthur Leighton Decker to study medicine in Glasgow.

In 1901, he built a big stone house that became known as 'Big House' on Highbroad Street. The house still stands to this day as a symbol of the old Murray Town and after various renovations, some original features have been retained and is still occupied by a Fraser, one of TC Fraser's Great Grandsons.

Amba Fraser

Together with other liberated Africans, TC Fraser and his father helped in the development of a church known as the First Church. This later developed into Jordan West African Methodist Church, which is a thriving church to this day.

His daughter in law Ayotunde Fraser nee Coker, was married to Alexander Kweku Fraser (Dada). (Our grandparents.) She was the first Sierra Leonean woman to drive a car in Freetown. Her daughter Aba Fraser-Leigh was the first lady to ride a bicycle to school and her Son Alexander Itunumi, was the first Sierra Leonean Manager of Sierra Leone External Communications (SLET). It was formerly Cable and Wireless andis now known as Sierra Tel. Their other son, David Solanke, was the first Sierra Leonean Mining Engineer and first

Sierra Leonean Director of Mines.

Dada, found and negotiated the purchase of the land that houses the famous Sierra Leone

Grammar School, which is the alma mater of numerous Frasers. The land was purchased from the descendants of Sir Samuel Lewis who owned Lewis farm.

TC Fraser was a Trustee of Jordan Church as was later, one of his sons Alexander Kweku Fraser, and later still, four of his grandsons (David Fraser, Pipo Fraser, Taiwo Lasite and Ade Hyde). Currently two of his great-grandsons, Kweku Fraser and Christopher Forster are members of the Trust Board.

Information given by Kweku Fraser and Ibiduni Jones

Compiled by Madonna Johnson