Seeton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

This Clan was first found in East Lothian where they were granted lands by Earl David, King of Scotland and were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated on the lands of Saytown in that shire. They were originally from Say near Exmes in Normandy. The name probably once meant 'sea town.' 1

Early Origins of the Seeton family

The surname Seeton was first found in East Lothian, where they were granted lands by Earl David, King of Scotland. The township of Seaton in the East Risding of Yorkshire was home to another branch of the family. "This place, in Domesday Book called Setton, at an early period gave name to a resident family; and in the thirteenth century, the abbey of Meaux received a grant of some property here." 2

North Seaton has similarly the same lineage. "This place appears to have been at an early period in the possession of the Seaton family, and in the thirteenth century part was owned by the priory of Tynemouth and the hospital of St. John of Jerusalem." 2

One of the more interesting early records of the family was Sir Alexander Seton (fl. 1311-1340), keeper of Berwick, probably a brother of Sir Christopher Seton. "His name is found among those of the Scottish nobles who, in 1320, signed the letter to the pope asserting the independence of Scotland. From Robert I he received the manor of Tranent and other lands, as well as the fortalice and lands of Fawside." 3

His brother, the aforementioned Sir Christopher Seton (1278?-1306), was a close friend of Robert the Bruce.

Early History of the Seeton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Seeton research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1531, 1549, 1555, 1586, 1598, 1604, 1615, 1620, 1622, 1626, 1639, 1649, 1672, 1684, 1686, 1691, 1694, 1715, 1719, 1741 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Seeton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Seeton Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Seaton, Seton, Sayton and others.

Early Notables of the Seeton family

Notable among the family at this time was Alexander Seaton (1626-1649), Scottish mercenary in Danish service during the Thirty Years' War. He served as a governor in the Battle of Stralsund and as an admiral in the Torstenson War; The Reverend Thomas Seaton (baptised 1684-1741), Church of England clergyman and religious writer; George Seton IV, 6th Lord Seton (died 1549); George Seton V, 7th Lord Seton (1531-1586), Lord of the Parliament of Scotland, Master of the Household of Mary, Queen of Scots and Provost of Edinburgh; Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline (1555-1622), a Scottish lawyer, judge and politician...
Another 98 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Seeton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Seeton family to Ireland

Some of the Seeton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Seeton migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Seeton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Seeton, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Seeton (post 1700) +

Christopher Seeton, American researcher and engineer at Shrieve Chemical Products
Achintya Seeton, American actress, known for Favorite Color Pink (2007)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring