A History of the Seeton Family

of Nova Scotia

Click to View Lineage

There were four main areas in Scotland where the Seton family had established themselves: 

East Lothian (the principle home of the family),

Fifeshire (the senior cadets, the Parbroath branch),

Aberdeenshire (the Meldrum line descended from Alexander Seton, 1st Lord Gordon), and

Stirlingshire (the Touch line also descended from Sir Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Huntly), though from the Stirlingshire family there was a fifth region established later in Linlithgowshire (the Abercorn line).

The senior line of the Seton family was in East Lothian, at the Palace of Seton, they were the Flemish senior cadets of the old French Carolingian bloodline from the House of Boulogne, and cousins to the Royal House and Family of Stuart/Stewart of Scotland.  The lands of Seton, east of Edinburgh, took their name from our family, and it was from here Sir Alexander Seton (the 2nd son of Sir William Seton, 1st Lord Seton), left and assumed his residence in Aberdeenshire when he married the heiress of the Gordon family, Elizabeth Gordon, in the north of Scotland.  The marriage to the Gordon heiress established the long connection between the Seton and Gordon families, and Sir Alexander Seton was created 1st Lord Gordon by Royal arrangement, and  he and Elizabeth Gordon had three son's and two daughters.  Lord Gordon's eldest son was also called Sir Alexander Seton and who succeeded his father to become 2nd Lord Gordon and 1st Earl of Huntly; Lord Gordon's second son, Sir William Seton married the Meldrum family heiress, Elizabeth Meldrum, and established the Seton’s of Meldrum; and Lord Gordon's his third son was Henry Seton, who along with his brother William was killed on the 18th of May 1452, at Battle of Brechin in Angus, Scotland.  It is from Sir William Seton’s line that the Seton Laird’s of Meldrum descend (a Laird was/is a lesser Scottish Feudal Baron).  The Seton's of Meldrum continued for 8 generations, and it is from the Meldrum line that the Nova Scotia family of "Seeton" descends from. 

The Seton’s of Meldrum family flourished and were highly active throughout Aberdeenshire and Scottish history.  They acquired property throughout the Aberdeen region over the course of several generations, with lands such as Auquhorthies (Auchquorthies/Achorters), Barra, Belhelvie, Blair, Bourtie, Broomhill and Cuttlecraigs, Disblair, Lumphard (Lumphart), Menie, Mounie, Pitmedden, Schethin (Shethin) Udny, etc…  The family were strongly attached to the Gordon faction, and acted as Chamberlains to the Earls of Huntly on several occasions, as well as to Seton Earl of Dunfermline’s at Fyvie Castle in the 1620's and 1630's.  They were also strongly involved with the Aberdeenshire families of Leslie and Fraser, and in a similar capacity, the Abercrombie, Abernethy, Ogilvy, Burnett, Innes, Forbes, Johnstone, Paterson, Sutherland and Urquhart families.

Eventually as the Reformation took hold in the north of Scotland during the 17th century, the family's tradition of Catholicism was abandoned and they adopted the national Presbyterian religion, although there also seems to have been an interest in the Quaker faction.  With the demise of the Gordon power in the north, coupled with the ending of the senior Meldrum family line and the passing of that estate to the Urquhart's, along with the Jacobite troubles of the Stuart Monarchy, and the subsequent forfeiture and demise of the Earls of Dunfermline in 1690 in the failed support of the Stuarts, the Seton's of Aberdeen began to slowly fade from history.  However, it is from this time period that the line of the Seeton's of Ireland and Nova Scotia was established.

 

The Seeton's of Nova Scotia descend from the Seton's of Meldrum, from John Seton, of the Meldrum family line:

The Seeton's of Nova Scotia's lineage stems from William Seton, 5th Baron of Meldrum, who's second son was John Seton of Lumphart, Broomhill and 1st of Mounie.  John Seton's eldest son was William Seton of Mounie and later of Udny, who acquired the estate of Menie from George Gordon of Gight.  John Seton's second was likewise named John Seton and who was Chamberlain to the 1st and 2nd Earls of Dunfermline at Fyvie Castle.  Chamberlain John Seton leased the lands of Menie from Sir Robert Graham of Morphie and later acquired or leased the estate of Aquhorthies from the Leslie's to be nearer to Fyvie Castle and his duties there.  Of John Seton we do not have many details, though that he was Chamberlain to the 1st and 2nd Earls of Dunfermline at Fyvie Castle between the 1620's and 1630's and was noted in the funeral of Chancellor Alexander Seton 1st Earl of Dunfermline, and that his portrait hangs in Mounie Castle, we know.  Incidentally, another John Seton, of the Meldrum family and possibly John of Aquhorthies' son, became a Goldsmith/Merchant in Edinburgh and who's son Thomas died and was buried on the Ilse of Man in 1743.

Side Note: There were significant ties with their cousin's, the descent of Alexander Seton, 4th Seton Baron of Meldrum who was served heir to his grandfather in the Lordship of Meldrum, who was killed in 1527 in Aberdeen.  Alexander himself was twice married, and had from his first wife, Agnes Gordon, daughter of Patrick Gordon of Haddo (ancestor of the Earls of Aberdeen) two sons, William Seton 5th of Meldrum and Alexander Seton 1st of Mounie.  By his second wife, Janet Leith, daughter and co-heiress of George Leith of Barns, he had a son John Seton of Blair. John Seton of Blair recieved a charter, in 1526, of half of the lands of Auchleven, Drumrossy, and others, inheriting also from his mother her part of the Leith inheritance, the lands of Blair.  There was a close kinship between John Seton of Blair and his nephew John Seton of Mounie, as well as with Alexander Seton, Lord Fyvie (who later became Earl of Dunfermline and Chancellor of Scotland).

John Seton of Blair's descent has not been fully completed, though we do know of some of the family's history.  He was active in the affairs of the Earl of Huntly, and was one of Huntly's juror's appointed for the noted trial of William Mackintosh at the Aberdeen Tolbooth, August 2, 1550.  John's descent, William Seton of Disblair, married a daughter of Tulliduff, was a burgess of Aberdeen in 1595, and a superior of Licklyhead, and who died in 1612.  William had at least two sons, William and Alexander.  William, was served heir to his father in 1612, and also again in 1616 and served heir portioner to his grandfather Andrew Tulliduff on April 26th, 1625; and Alexander was admitted a burgess of Aberdeen on the 20th of September, 1616.  Later, in 1651, physician George Seton of Blair protested against the appointment of an assistant and successor to the minister of Bourtie, and was also in opposition to the Presbyterian faith and was regarded by their Church Courts as a propagator of Romanism.  His daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth, were served heirs portioners in the lands of Blair in 1661, and are so stated in the Poll Book in 1696.  Margaret married John Duget, and their son John Duget, domiciled in Disblehr (Disblair in Fintray), "seven miles from Aberdeen", went to Danzig in Germany, so noted there in 1655.

John Seton of Menie and Auquhorthies married Helen Leith, daughter of the Harthill family, and had a son John Seton, who in turn had a son Alexander Seton.  Alexander Seton (also spelt Seaton) was born circa 1652 in Cuttlecraggs (Cuttlecraigs), near Lethenty in Daviot Parish, Aberdeenshire (approx. ¼ mile from Lumphard/Lumphart and not far from the Seton estates of Meldrum, Mounie and Barra), and was a scholar who attended the University in Aberdeen.  While at the University he became convinced of the Quaker ideals and around 1675 converted to that religion and became a prominent Quaker minister.  Alexander was very active in the promoting of the faith into Ireland, traveling there frequently, and is recorded as being jailed along with Anthony Sharp for continuing Quaker activities in Dublin despite a Government order to the contrary.  In Aberdeenshire, Alexander married Margaret Joass of the Colleonard family in Banffshire, and had five children: 1st a son Thomas; 2nd a son John; 3rd a son James; 4th and son Andrew; and 5th a daughter Ruth.

Both John Seton and his son Alexander were mentioned in the book regarding Quaker's of Western Pennsylvania by Jane Snowden Crosby, and particularly as a result of Alexander's three son's who had there immigrated to that part of America, and who were active Quakers there, though Alexander's son, Thomas Seaton, did not emigrate and remained in Ireland. Alexander Seaton and his wife Margaret Joass immigrated with their family to Hillsborough, Co. Down, Ulster in 1699, leaving from Glasgow, Scotland.  Records regarding Alexander can be found occasionally in the records regarding the Quakers in Hillsborough, Co. Down, Ireland prior to 1723, when he died.  (see link for Seton/Leslie/Abercrombie tie information:  http://www.scotcassurvey.f9.co.uk/Fetternear/BASIC.htm ) Also:   http://www.ayrshireroots.com/Genealogy/Historical/historic%20Stewart%202.htm

"About the middle of the summer of 1683," says the Quaker chronicler, "the Government gave orders to the several sorts of Dissenters in Dublin, that they should forbear meeting publicly together in their worship-houses as formerly; the Archbishop of Dublin (Francis Marsh) also sent for Anthony Sharp, and told him it was the mind and desire of the Government that Friends should also forbear meeting in their public meeting-houses; but Friends returned answer, that they believed it was their indispensable duty to meet together to worship the great God of heaven and earth, from whom we receive all our mercies, and not to forbear assembling ourselves together for fear of punishment from men, for that we met purely to worship the Lord, and not upon any other account. So, according to the desire of the Government, other professors generally left their meeting-houses, but Friends met together to worship the Lord as formerly, as they were persuaded it was their duty to do. So upon a first day in the sixth month this year came the Marshal and several of the Mayor's officers to the meeting at Wormwood Gate, where John Burnyeat being speaking, the Marshal commanded him to go with him, which after some discourse he did. He commanded the meeting to disperse, but Friends kept quiet in their places. John was carried before the Mayor, with whom he had some discourse to this effect: he asked him, 'Why they did act contrary to the Government, having been commanded not to meet?' John answered, 'We do nothing in contempt of the Government.' But, said he, 'Why do you not obey them?' John replied, 'Because it is matter of conscience to us, and that which we believe to be our indispensable duty, to meet together to worship God.' To which he answered, 'You may be misled.' John told him, 'If we are misled, we are willing to be informed, if any can do it.' Then it was urged, 'other Dissenters had submitted, and why would not we?' John said, 'What they do will be no plea for us before the Judgement-seat of the great God. So after some other discourse the Marshal committed John to the Marshalsea Prison, to which also were taken afterwards Alexander Seaton, Anthony Sharp, and others. Now," adds the Quaker historian, "several sober persons observing other professors to shrink in this time of persecution, whilst Friends kept their meetings as usual, came to our meetings and became faithful Friends." In 1686 the Quakers relinquished the house at Wormwood Gate, which was found to be too small and not sufficiently commodious. In the last century Elizabeth Salmon held from the Corporation, at an annual rent of five pounds, a part of the old town ditch near "Gorman's Gate;" and although no vestiges of the portal now exist, the name of" Wormwood Gate" is still applied to 11 houses erected on portion of its site.  Reference the website posting at: http://indigo.ie/~kfinlay/Gilbert/gilbert9.htm

Alexander's father, John Seton, may have been previously involved in Ulster and with the Hamilton and Montgomerie families having  also settled there, it is of no surprise that with their long traditional Seton ties and inter-marriage, and the highland scots immigration to that country being highly active at that time, that Alexander was able to settle in Ireland easily.  So, in 1699, Alexander Seaton took up permanent residence in Ireland and moved his family, leaving from the Port of Glasgow, and became a Denizen of Ireland in Hillsborough, County Down, Ulster.  All of Alexander’s children settled primarily in Ireland, though they frequently traveled back to Scotland.  Alexander is listed on various records of the time as "Seton", particularly in settlement records and the Seaton family in Ireland is later listed as being either from a place called, “Dranity” or Tullahoago.  These are both town-land names in County Tyrone and refer to Tullahoge, County Tyrone.  Dranity was a small farm-land name that no longer exists.  (Reference the book:  “The Quakers of Western Pennsylvania”, by Jane Snowden Crosby).

Alexander Seaton and Margaret Joass' children were as follows:

John Seaton, named after his grandfather was the 2nd son son of Alexander was named after his grandfather and married Jane Edwards in Scotland.  He learned the Tailor trade in Newry, County Tyrone and after his fathers death, went with his family to America where he was joined by two of his brothers and his sisters family. 

James Seaton, Alexander’s 3rd son, was named after the 4th Earl of Dunfermline.  He became engaged in the Linen Manufacturing in the early 18th century, then booming in the city of Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland.  He married Martha (surname unknown) and followed his brother to America (where he may have married a 2nd time).  James and Martha had twelve children, all boys:  Alexander, John, James, George, Thomas, William, David, Robert, Joel, Nathaniel, Hezekiah and Jared (called Jeremiah).

Andrew Seaton, the 4th and youngest son of Alexander, kept a Public House in Newtownstewart, County Tyrone and became quite wealthy.  He married 1st Jane Blake and had four children by her.  They also left to join his brothers in America between 1740, 1741 or 1743 on a heavily laden vessel which he commissioned, one of the richest vessels to cross the ocean at that time, however he was shipwrecked during the voyage on Sable Island off the coast of Nova Scotia and lost everything.  Though his family survived, his wife died on the journey from the island to the mainland.  He eventually made it to America and remarried to Miss Peggy Wood and had two children by her.  References for the three brother's can be found in the book entitled: THE SEATONS OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA, by Jane Snowden Crosby (of Bradford Pennsylvania, July 1, 1945); Oren Andrew Seaton's book entitled THE SEATON FAMILY, WITH GENEALOGY AND BIOGRAPHIES, by Oren Andrew Seaton (Topeka, Kansas: Crane and Company, 1906); Hayward's HANCOCK, NEW HAMPSHIRE; Seccomb's HISTORY OF AMHERST, NEW HAMPSHIRE; and THE HISTORY OF WASHINGTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE. 

Ruth Seaton, the daughter and youngest child of Alexander Seaton, married James Miller of Armagh, Ireland on February 10, 1734, as his second wife, and they too left to join her brothers in America. Noted as: "James Miller, of Dublin, Ireland, 1st married Catherine Lightfoot, daughter of Thomas Lightfoot and Margaret, widow of John Blunston, late of Darby. They married in Ireland and lived for some time at Timahoe Meeting, County Kildare. They arrived in Philadelphia on September 10, 1729. Catherine Lightfoot Miller died a few days later, on October 17, 1729. James Miller then settled in New Garden, and married Ruth Seaton of London Grove, on February 10, 1734. He later moved to Leacock, Twp., Lancaster Co., and died in 1749."

Thomas Seaton (Seton/Seeton), 1st and eldest son of Alexander Seaton and Margaret Joasse was christened in Banffshire, Scotland, on the 10th September, 1677 (listed in the parish register).  Like all of his family he eventually settled in County Tyrone and being the eldest son, inherited his fathers estate. Unlike his brothers, he remained in Ireland and it is from him that the Seeton/Seton family of Nova Scotia descends.  We know little of Thomas’ activities in Ireland, at this time we do not know to whom he was married or of how many children he had, though it appears that he had several boys, and we do know of three grandsons: Thomas (the 2nd), William and Jeremiah, and what is certain is that there are a number of Seaton families that were established from him in the Dromore region of County Down and also in Donaghmore and Dungannon, County Tyrone, Ireland.  Jeremiah Seaton married Nancy Neal and had a large family, and his other brother William, who never married, originally went to America and made a small fortune before returning to Ireland and purchasing a farm near Stranorlar, Country Donegal, Ireland, near his brother Jeremiah who also settled in Co. Donegal.  Jeremiah's children settled into various parts of America throughout the 1800's.  His son Samuel, for instance, settled on Presque Ilse for sometime.  It is believed that James Seaton of Co. Tyrone, Ireland who was married to a Martha and who had 12 children, all boys (George, Thomas, Alexander, William, James Jr., Robert, David, Jared, John, Hezekiah, Joel, and Nathaniel), was descended from Alexander Seaton, and was most likely one of his grandsons (from The Seaton Family, Oren Andrew Seaton, Editor; Crane & Company, Topeka, Kansas, 1906).  This James' son, George Seaton, married Nancy Amberson in the old country, had a large family of 12 children by her and came to America about 1778.

Thomas Seaton (the 2nd), was born circa 1727 and maintained various family business interests and Flax farming around Tullahoge (Tellahoago, also called Dranity), a hamlet in the parish of Desertcreat, in the Upper Dungannon Barony, near Cookstown Co. Tyrone, he is also listed there on the Irish Flax Growers List of 1795.  We do not know to whom he was married, but that he had three children: 1st a daughter Mary, 2nd his eldest son and heir also called Thomas (3rd), and 3rd a son James Seeton who married Martha Crawford and who later went to Nova Scotia.  Thomas Seaton (2nd) died in 1811, aged 84 years and was buried in the Presbyterian Graveyard in Ulster, Ireland, named : Donaghenry Old, County Tyrone in the Civil Parish of Donaghenry, Town or Townland of Glebe (Derryloran also called Donaghenry), from whom descends the Seeton's of Nova Scotia.  

As per the Headstone inscription from Dungannon which is as follows:

Here lieth the body of Mary Seaton who departed this life May 9th 1781 aged
19 years. Also Thomas Seaton who departed this life 14th May 1811 aged 84
also his son Thomas who departed this life 19th June 1818 aged 44 years.
Also Jane Seaton also departed this life 18th Novr. 1828 aged 103 years.

It is then recorded for the Seeton's of Nova Scotia that James Seeton, 1st of Nova Scotia, had a brother Thomas and a sister Mary.  We know that James was the youngest of his family, and the above inscription confirms that by date of the death of his father, brother and sister.  James was born circa 1776, was married to Martha Crawford (Methodist) of County Tyrone in 1808 in Donaghmore, County Donegal by the Rev'd Samuel Dill.  He and his family immigrated to Nova Scotia, Canada, leaving from the port of Belfast on the 22nd of June 1822 and arriving in St. John's New Brunswick on the 22nd of July, 1822.  They remained in St. John's for only one month before settling at Londonderry, Nova Scotia (now called Glenholm, just north of Truro) and died there in his 82nd year, in 1858.

Our family then, descends from Thomas Seton (Seaton), who’s descendant, James Seeton (also spelt Seaton and Seton) was raised in County Tyrone and married in Donaghmore, County Donegal, Ireland.  James married Martha Crawford of nearby County Tyrone, in 1808.  James was a Presbyterian, and an active freemason like most of the family, and Martha was a Methodist.  They were married in the Donaghmore Presbyterian Church in Co. Donegal by the Reverend Samuel Dill, Presbyterian, and had seven children, the first four children were born in Ireland:  Mary Ann (1810), Andrew (1812), James (1814) and Elizabeth (1818).  In 1820 and 1821, James attempted to gain a grant of land in the colony of Nova Scotia and was unsuccessful.  However, in June of 1822, after liquidating his assets, he left on a ship with his family from Belfast, Ireland and landed in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, in July, 1822.  There he remained with his family for one month before acquiring land in what was then called Londonderry, Nova Scotia (now called Glenholm), just north of the city of Truro.  James and Martha had three other children in Nova Scotia:  John William Seeton, Joseph Seeton, and Robert B. Seeton.

The family is listed on the 1838 Census for Londonderry, Nova Scotia, held in the National Archives in Ottawa, Canada.

Of the family in Nova Scotia, some remained there and others left for America.  However, before the death of James Seeton Sr., the family had relocated from the farm at Londonderry to that of Meagher's Grant near Mosquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia.  Besides farming, the family in Nova Scotia were also involved in various business ventures, including Robert and Joseph Seeton's merchant and shipping business which held the contract for the overseas mail in the mid-to-late 19th century and having a martial-alliance with the Inman family of the famed shipping line, and The Old Public House in downtown Halifax, which miraculously survived the Halifax Explosion during World War I.  Robert and Joseph were both younger sons of James Seeton, and their older brothers', Andrew and James, acquired lands in various parts of Nova Scotia, also finally settling in Meagher's Grant. 

Author's note: The senior line of the family of Nova Scotia, then, follows that of Andrew Seeton and Matilda Porter and which line I will follow along with shortly. The family farm at Meagher's Grant, known as the Seeton Farm was passed to James Seeton (3rd), who had my grandfather Harold there in "The Grant", before passing it to the Bayers family.  Harold (d. Nov, 1963) had, as his oldest son, Robert Seeton, my father, and I (website author Kenneth Robert Seton) am Robert's oldest son and now live in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The family burial in the Cemetery at Meagher's Grant is as follows:

SEETON, Aldon R.  b. d. 1863 age 10
SEETON, Rupert b.  d. 1875 age 4 mos
sons of James & Sophia SEETON broken stone

SEETON, Fenwick Willliam b.  d. June 14, 1867 age 4 mos
son of Andrew & Matilda SEETON
SEETON, Frances b. 1864 d. 1940
 

SEETON, James b. d. Nov. 9, 1901 age 87

SEETON, James E.  b. 1870 d. 1936
SEETON, Emma M.  b. 1872 d. 1939

SEETON, John W.  b. 1844 d. 1907
VAUGHAN, Margaret b. 1859 d. 1903

SEETON, Joseph H.  b. 1846 d. 1922
SEETON, Annie L. b. 1855 d. 1951

SEETON, Lottie Maggie b.  d. Dec. 30, 1880 age 1 mo
daughter of Howard & Ruby SEETON

SEETON, Mary b. Oct. 2, 1834 d. May 29, 1918
wife of James SEETON

SEETON, Maud b.  d. May 4, 1900 age 23
daughter of James & Mary SEETON

SEETON, William S.  b. March 26, 1879 d. Jan. 11, 1943
buried at Crescent City, California, USA
SEETON, Frederick E.  b. Jan. 6, 1886 d. Aug. 18, 1963
buried at Gays River, NS

To be continued