Seton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

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 Seton family

The surname Seton 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 Seton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Seton 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 Seton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Seton Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Seton family

Notable among the family at this time was

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, Lord President of the Court of Session (1598 to 1604), Lord Chancellor of Scotland (1604 to 1622)
Sir John Seton of Garleton, 1st Baronet (1639-1686)
Charles Seton, 2nd Earl of Dunfermline PC (1615-1672), styled Lord Fyvie until 1622, a Scottish peer
James Seton, 4th Earl of Dunfermline (died 1694), a Scottish peer
Sir Alexander Seton, 1st Viscount of Kingston (1620-1691), a Cavalier, the first dignity Charles II conferred as King

Migration of the Seton family to Ireland

Some of the Seton 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.

Seton migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Seton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Samuel Seton, who arrived in Maryland in 1668 4
John Seton, who landed in New Jersey in 1685 4

Seton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Margaret Seton, aged 22, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1775 4
Hamilton Seton, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1799 4

Seton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Jones Seton, aged 30, who landed in Mobile County, Ala in 1844 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Seton (post 1700) +

William Seton (1835-1905), American author and a novelist
Anya Seton (1904-1916), American author of historical romances
Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (1774-1821), first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church
George Seton (1822-1908), Scottish philanthropist and genealogist
John Thomas Seton (1738-1806), Scottish painter
George Hugh Nicholas Seton (1916-1984), British historian
Marie Seton (1910-1985), English actress, art, theatre and film critic and biographer
Barry Seton (b. 1936), Australian racing driver
Major Sir Bruce Lovat Seton (1909-1969), British actor
Glenn Seton (b. 1965), Australian racing driver
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)