Sir John Seton, 2^nd Lord Seton

He was intended by his father to be wedded to the Heiress of Gordon, but secretly married Janet Dunbar, daughter to the Earl of March, much to his father’s displeasure, but which powerful alliance brought more influence into the Seton Household and which in the end, earned Sir John a place at the Royal table.  By his wife, Janet, he had one son who predeceased him, and three daughters.  Lord Seton was appointed Master of the Household by King James I., and was sent on a mission to France.  He is described as a good fighter and a great hater of the English – Miles acerrimus et Anglis eimper infectus – and  was taken prisoner at the battle of Homildon Hill, in 1402.  He had several safe conducts to England between 1409 and 1421, and died about 1441, when he was buried in his mother’s chantry at Seton Church.  His daughters were disposed of as follows:  Christian married Norman Leslie of Rothes, by papal dispensation from the fourth degree of consanguinity, obtained in December, 1415; Janet married Sir Robert Keith, son of the Earl Marischal; Marian married Sir William Baillie of Laminton, in Lanarkshire.

Sir John’s son, William, Master of Seton, first appears in a charter which he witnessed in 1423, where he is described as “William Seton, son and heir of John, Lord Seton.”  The Master of Seton was early on knighted, and later accompanied the Scotch Auxilliaries to the assistance of the French, and after sharing in the victory of Bauge was slain at the bloody battle of Verneuil, August 17, 1424.  By his wife, whose name is not recorded, William, Master of Seton, left a son George, who succeeded his grandfather John and became 3^rd Lord Seton, and two daughters; Catherine, who married Alan Stuart of Darnley, and was mother of the first Earl of Lennox; and Janet, who married John, second Lord Halyburton.

Sir John Seton’s brother, Alexander Seton duly then, married the Heiress of Gordon and became 1^st Lord Gordon, and both played a significant part in the affairs of the Royal House of Stuart and were favorites of King James I of Scotland and were frequents in his court.

Sir John Seton of Seton, as the eldest son, milis acorrimus, et anglis simper infestus, had a charter from King Robert III, of the lands of Barnes and Wintoun, and was taken at the Battle of Hamilton, 1402, John de Seton, miles, had a safe conduct to come into England as a hostage for the Earl of Douglas, 21 Septe,ber 1405, again 30 January and 3^rd November 1406.  Among the hostages nominated for the release of King James I by the treaty of 4^th December 1423, was Johannes, Dominus de Setoun, miles, vel filius ejus et haeres, his annual revenue being estimated at 600 marks.  Johannes Seton, Dominus de Seton, vel hacres suus, had a safe conduct to Durham, to meet the King 13^th December, 1423, and Johannes Dominus de Seton was one of the guarantees of the treaty for his Majesty’s release, 28 March 1424, it is said that he was created a Lord of Parliament the same year, and that he died in 1441; but no authority is given.  He married Lady Janet Dunbar, daughter of George, tenth Earl of Dunbar and March , and by her had a son, Sir William; - and two daughters-