Sir William Seton, Kt.

Source: IGI Individual Record FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index v5.0

British Isles

William Seton

• Male

Event(s):

• Birth: About 1312 Seton, East Lothian, Scotland
• Christening:
• Death: 1333
• Burial:

Parents:

• Father: Alexander Seton Family
• Mother: Christian Cheyne

Record submitted after 1991 by a member of the LDS Church. No additional information is available. Ancestral File may list the same family and the submitter.

Source Information:

  No source information is available. 

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 The Scottish Nation

Seton

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SETON, a surname derived from Say-tun, the dwelling of Say. Anciently there were in England two families names Say, of Norman descent. The first of the race who came into Scotland was Secher or Saiker de Say, who obtained from David I. lands in Haddingtonshire, and was the ancestor of the noble family of Seton, earls of Winton. He was the son of Dugal de Say, by his wife, a daughter of De Quincy, earl of Winchester, constable of Scotland. Alexander de Seton, son of Secher, witnessed a charter of David I., to William de Riddell of the lands of Riddell in Roxburghshire. He was proprietor of Seton and Winton in East Lothian, and Winchburgh in Linlithgowshire, and his son, Philip de Seton, got a charter of these lands from William the Lion, to be held in capite of the crown. Philip’s eldest son, Sir Alexander de Seton, witnessed many charters of Alexander II., and also a donation of Sayer de Quincy, earl of Winchester, to the abbacy of Dunfermline, before 1233. His son, Serlo or Secher de Seton, had two sons and a daughter, Sir Alexander, Sir John, and Barbara, the wife of Sir William Keith, great marischal of Scotland. Among those who swore fealty to Edward I. in 1296 was Alisaundre de Seton, valet, Richard de Seton, del counte de Dunfres, and John de Seton of the same county. Sir Alexander, the elder son, was father of Sir Christopher Seton, who married Lady Christian Bruce, third daughter of Robert earl of Carrick, sister of King Robert I., widow of Gratney, earl of Mar. He was one of the principal supporters of his brother-in-law, and was present at his coronation at Scone 27th March 1306. At the disastrous battle of Methven, 13th June following, he rescued Bruce when he was unhorsed by Philip de Mowbray. He afterwards shut himself up in Lochdoon castle in Ayrshire, and on its surrender to the English, Sir Christopher Seton was, by order of Edward I., executed at Dumfries. He appears to have been succeeded by his brother Sir Alexander Seton, who signed, with other patriotic nobles, the famous letter to the Pope in 1320, asserting the independence of Scotland. He had grants from King Robert I. of various lands, as well as of the manor of Tranent and other extensive possessions previously belonging to the noble family of De Quincy, attainted for their espousal of the cause of Edward. He also got the lands of Falside or Fawside, forfeited by Alexander de Such, who married one of the daughters and heiresses of Roger de Quincy, earl of Winchester. Falside castle, situated near the boundary with Inveresk, was one of the ancient strong fortalices of the Setons. A younger branch of the family styled themselves the Setons of Falside. Their principal castle was Niddry in Linlithgowshire, the ruins of which still remain. Sir Alexander de Seton had a safe-conduct into England 7th January 1320, and Robert I. applied for another, 21st March 1327, for him to treat with the English. He was governor of the town of Berwick when it was besieged by the English in 1333. His son Thomas was given as a hostage to King Edward III., that that place would be surrendered on a certain day if not relieved before then. Sir William Keith having arrived with succours, assumed the governorship, and refused to deliver up the town. Edward ordered Thomas Seton, and, some accounts say, two sons of Keith, who had fallen into his hands, to be executed in sight of the besieged. The day after the defeat of the Scots army at Halidon-hill, 19th July 1333, Berwick surrendered to the English. Sir Alexander Seton was present in Edward Baliol’s parliament, 10th February following, when he witnessed the concession of Berwick to the English. He had a safe-conduct to go to England, 15th October 1337, and in August 1340, he was one of the hostages for John, earl of Moray, when he was liberated for a time. He appears to have entered into a religious order in his old age, as “Frater Alexander de Seton miles, hospitalis sancti Johannis Jerusalem in Scotia” had a safe-conduct into England on the affairs of David II., 12th August 1348. By his wife, Christian, daughter of Cheyne of Straloch, he had three sons and a daughter, namely, Alexander, killed in opposing the landing of Edward Baliol near Kinghorn, 6th August 1332; Thomas, already mentioned; and William, drowned in an attack on the English fleet at Berwick, in sight of his father, in July 1333. The daughter, Margaret, became heiress of Seton. She married Alan de Wyntoun, supposed to have been a cadet of the Seton family. This marriage, we are told, produced a feud in East Lothian, and occasioned more than a hundred ploughs to be laid aside from labour. His children took the name of Seton. He died in the Holy Land, leaving a son, Sir William Seton, and a daughter, Christian or Margaret, countess of Dunbar and March.

Source: Electricscotland.com - Google (17.6.2010)

Origins

About 1311 Sir Alexander married Christian, daughter of Cheyne of Straloch in Aberdeenshire.

By her he had four sons:

• 1. Thomas hanged by the English at Berwick in July 1333.
• 2. William drowned at Berwick while trying to set fire to English ships. Wyntoun says of him "Than Williame off Setoun faucht sa fast among "the schippys, quhill at last his fadyv into the "Se saw him drown"
• 3. Sir Alexander quintus "the son". He was so called to distinguish him from his father. It was apparently he who was sent on a mission to Newcastle in 1323, and was styled by Robert I his "bachelor" . He was killed, opposing the landing of Edward Balliol, at Kinghorn on 6th August 1332. Sir Alexander married Jean, daughter of Sir Thomas Haliburton of Dirleton, and by her probably had a daughter Margaret, who carried on the succession.
• 4. Sir John of whom nothing is known. Maitland says he married Elizabeth heiress of Sir Cecil Ramsay of Parbroath, and founded the cadet branch of Seton of Parbroath. [This marriage is disputed by The Scots Peerage]

Source: "The House of Seton" Vol 1, page 95. https://digital.nls.uk/95447891