George Seton, 3rd Lord Seton
George 3rd Lord was born in 1413. He was the son of William, the Master of Seton who predeceased his own father John, 2nd Lord Seton, having died at the battle of Verneuil, 17 August, 1424. As a result, George succeeded to the title and estates of his grandfather while still a minor, “being bot nyne years of age,” and was secured as a rich prize by Sir William Crichton, the powerful but unscrupulous Lord Chancellor, who then held possession of Edinburgh Castle. After a while he regained his liberty through the efforts of the Laird of Johnstone, who was connected by marriage with the Seton family, which accounts for his interest in the heir.
George was well cared-for by his noble and kind-hearted Borderer in his castle of Lochwood, in Annandale. When George grew up he accompanied Crichton, who, after all, could not have meant him wrong, on an embassy to France and Burgundy, and had a safe conduct to pass through England, April 23, 1448. He was very tall and handsome, a good scholar, and an accomplished courtier. With the revisions to the Scottish Parliament and the implementation of the peerage and the decline of Feudal Law in favour of concentrating power to the Crown in 1448, the Seton honors along with many Barons were re-created, which accounts for one reason that the title borne by George as 3rd Lord Seton, is incorrectly given him as 1st Lord. Also, as the first Lord Seton of five in succession to be named George, he is further misaddressed for this reason.
He made a great match, marrying Lady Margaret Stewart, only daughter and heiress of the gallant John, Earl of Buchan, younger son of Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, Regent of Scotland, and grandson of King Robert II, of which branch of the Royal Stuarts the Seton’s are the only representatives; which gave George and his descendants yet another legitimate claim to the Earldom of Buchan, the first being Bertrand (or Bertram) de Setoun’s marriage to Margaret Comyn, of William Comyn ,Earl of Buchan.
For his marriage to Lady Margaret Stewart, a papal dispensation was obtained in January 1436, on their petition: quod ipsi non ignorante se duplici terlio grada conseronquinitatis esse conjuntos matromooooonium inter se per verba de presenti legitime contraxorunt et consanguinitis gradu huoi provenet en declo matremonio remanere requant, dispensahone aposlotica super her non oblenta, et si divortium fiert inter ipos gravia possent inter corum consanquines amiios scandala verisimilter exeriri dicla <arqurela diffamala purpe tuo remanerel. Therefore the sentence of excommunication was taken off, and they were permitted to marry de novo, and the progeny to be precreated betwixt them was legitimated.
By this marriage Lord Seton had a son Sir John Seton "...who in 1448 was Ambassador Extraordinary to the Court of England". and a daughter Christian who married Hugh Douglas of Corehead. He also had an illegitimate son, who was slain at Flodden. Unfortunately his son John predeceased him, but left a grandchild also named George, who succeeded as fourth Lord Seton.
He married, secondly, Christian Murray, of the house of Tullibardine; they had a daughter, Christian, married to Hugh Douglas of Corehead, a good like man, and wise councelor of her father. A charter was granted to Hugh Douglas of Borg, and Christain, his wife, daughter of George Lord Seton, be her father, 15 July 1478 of the lands of Clents and Neyen Hartside in Berwickshire, confirmed 26 January 1478-9.
George, Third Lord, was noted for keeping a great house, and was given to entertaining, being frequent host to the King. He restored and embellished the parish church of Seton. And “after he lived a long and honorable life, “ says Maitland, he died in the Convent of the Black Friars (Dominicans) at Edinburgh Castle, and was buried in the choir of their church. He left them, by will, twenty marks to be paid annually out of his estate of Hartsyde, in Berwickshire.
George 3rd Lord Seton, is particularly mentioned in a note on Fordan, by the transcriber of the Cupeor M.S. Of the Scotichrinicon, who adds, hos quatuor milites ego qui haec chronica college, benecognovi, dequibus tres primi statura procevi et valentes fuerunt. George Seton of Seton, granted a charter to his cousin Robert de Seton, and the heirs male of his body; which failing, to the said George and his heirs whatsoever, of the lands of Castbernys in the constabulary of Haddington, 12 December 1438. Georguis, Dominus de Seton, accompanied Crichton, the Chancellor, on his embassy to France and Burgundy, and had a safe conduct to pass through England, 23 April 1448. He soon afterwards was created a peer of Parliament.
George, Lord Seton granted a charter to Catherine de Seton relict of the deceased John de Seton, of Peril of Longniddry, in exchange for her terce of Lousdoun and Kynwood in Perthshire, 20th June 1449. He had a charter to George, Lord Seton, and Catherine his wife, of lands of Hertished and Clintis in Berwichshire on his own resignation, 8th January 1458-9. He was one of the ambassadors to England to whom a safe conduct was granted, 16 March 1472. Being destined Georgius, Domimus Seton, again 24th Agust 1473, under the designation of Georguis, Dominus de Setoune. He died in the place of the black friars at Edinburgh, after 15 July 1478. (The date of a charter granted by him) and was buried in the choir of the came, giving to them 20 marks of annual rents out of the lands last mentioned.