GRANT
OF ARMS TO SIR ALEXANDER SETON, LORD PITMEDDEN, 1684.
To all and sundrie whom it effeers,-I, Sir Alexander Areskine of Cambo, Knight and Baronet, Lyon King of Armes,
Considering that be the twentie one Act of the third sessione of the second Parliament of our dread Soveraigne Lord, Charles the Second, by the Grace of God King of Scotland, England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, I am impowered to visit the whole armes of Noblemen, Prelats, Barons, and Gentlemen within this kingdome, and to distinguish them with congruent differences, and to matriculat the same in my Books and Registers, and to give armes to vertuous persons, and extracts of all armes expressing the blazoning thereof under my hand and seall of office, which Register is thereby ordained to be respected as the true and unrepealable rule of all armes and bearings in Scotland to remain with the Lyon Office as a publict Register of the Kingdome; and further Considering that it hath pleased his said sacred Majestie to advance the Right Worshipful Sir Alexander Seton of Pitmedden, formerlie Knight Batchellor and one of the Senators of the Colledge of Justice to the degree of Baronet, als well upon consideratione of his oune zeall always exprest in his Majestie's service, as of the signall loyaltie of the deceast John Seton of Pitmedden, his father, and of the deceast James Seton of Pitmedden, his eldest brother, and the great sufferings of both (the father being killed at the Bridge of Dee in the year 1639, in the service of his Majestie's deceast father of ever blessed memory, and haveing his heart shot out of his body by a cannonball as he was defending the Royall Standard against the then rebels, and the brother couragiously falling in his Majestie's Navall Warr against the States Generall of the United Provinces in the year 1665), and hath therfor conferred on him, the said Sir Alexander, and the heirs male lawfully procreat or to be procreat of his body, the Dignity, Title, Degree and Honor of ane Knight Baronet, and hath commanded me, and my brethren Heraulds, to give such additions to the said Sir Alexander his former coat armour as are usual to be given in such caices.
Therfor, conforme to the
power given to me be his said Majestie, and the tenor
of the said Act of Parliament, I testifie, declare,
and make knowen that the said Sir Alexander Seton,
whose great-grandfather was James Seton of Pitmedden, procreat betuixt William Seton of Meldrum,
and Janet Gordon, daughter to Lessmore, and which Sir
Alexander is consequently descended by the father of Alexander Seton (alias
Gordon) Earle of Huntley, Bears, and he and his heirs male may in all time comeing Use and Bear for the Ensignes
armoriall two Coats, Quarterlie,
his paternall coat by the name of Seton, viz. Or
three crescents within a double tressure floured and
counter-floured with flowers-de-lis gules, and (to the memory of his father's sufferings)
in the center, a man's heart distilling drops of
blood proper. Second, the coat of Meldrum, being argent,
an otter issueing from a fess (vulgo
a barr) waved sable, on his head an antique croune or; three as the second, 4th as the 1st; over
all, the badge of Nova Scotia as Baronet; on ane helmit befitting his degree with a mantle gules
doubled or is placed for his Crest issueing
out from a wreath or gules argent and sable, a souldier from the middle bearing up the Royall
Banner bendways and displayed, all proper. Supported
on the dexter by a dear hound argent, haveing about his neck a collar gules, charged with
crescents or, and on the sinister ane otter sable
with this symboll in ane escroll above II Sustento
sanguine signa," which atcheivement
above blazoned I have matriculat in my said publict Register upon the day and date of these presents,
and hereby allow, approve, and confirme the same to
him and his heirs aforsaid. In testimonie
wherof I have subscrived
this extract with my hand, and have caused append my sean of office therto.
Given at
ALEXR ARESKINE, Lyon.
[From
Advocate
George Seton
of Cariston's: ”A
History of the Family of Seton
During Eight Centuries”, p. 981]