THE SETON-CUNNINGHAM FEUD

It was long known of the feud between the families of Montgomerie and Cunningham, where the latter's Baillieship within the locality of Cunningham had been awarded to the Master of Montgomerie during the reign of King James III, and following which each family successively burned the Castle-seat of the other.  The feud running generations until the titles of the Cunningham's were stripped from them and the Montgomerie Earl of Eglinton being killed, before Crown intervention could bring appeasement in the latter part of the 17th century.

However during the time of this feud, the Seton's connections with the House of Montgomerie drew them into the Cunningham-conflict, and a feud arose as a result.  The Seton family's precedence within the Royal Court, and having inter-married with the Montgomerie family on serveral occasions, made them natural enemies of the Cunningham's who seeked to restore their fortune's and position, and quarrel's occurred between the two factions, noted in history as riot's in both Edinburgh and Perth.

The Catholic Seton family's support of Queen Mary Stuart, and the Cunningham's Protestant opposition of her Majesty at Carberry Hill and subsequent destruction of the Chapel Royal at Holyrood, sealed the feud against each other.

From this event, the eldest son son and heir of George, 7th Lord Seton, also called George Seton (Master of Seton) was killed, and his brother Robert becoming heir (and later 8th Lord Seton and 1st Earl of Winton).  Not to be forgotten of how the Cunninghams were a part of his brother's death, he maintained steadfastly enmatic towards the Cunningham's, and there remained the feud between the House of Winton and Cunningham's.

How An Edinburgh Riot Was Quelled In 1565

Lord Fountainhall, in speaking of the evil reputation of Edinburgh as " a factious and mutinous town " in his days, gives a very amusing anecdote of the way in which a tumult was settled in 1555, which at that period the 7th Lord Seton was Provost of Edinburgh. He resided at his fine old castle in the county of East Lothian, which once had the finest gardens in that part of Scotland.

Whilst the noble provost was taking repose at Seton, a report of one of the Edinburgh tumults awakened him from his slumbers. The uproar became so alarming that two of the baillies came out to consult his lordship. Upon inquiry, Lord Seton found that the frightened magistrates had been accessory to the riot. He, without the slightest hesition, popped them " in the Pit"of Seton"—"a place, observes Fountainhall, "I have seen, which was a dreadful contumely; and rode in presently to Edinburgh, and appeared and choked the commotion."

The Setons were a spirited set of men, whether disguised as Eglintons, Gordons, or Sutherlands, for all these noble families bore that name. Indeed the Eglintons are Setons in the direct male line and the name of Montgomery coming to them with the Earldom under a conveyance from the last of the Montgomery earls. J. M.
 

From the FEUDS OF SCOTTISH NOBLES, 1606. * See " N. & Q." 3'" S. vii. p. 503.

Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet, it is said, in 1595, otherwise it might be imagined that the opening scene, where the servants of the rival houses of the Montagues and Capulets fight in the streets of Verona, had been suggested by a similar occurrence in July, 1606, where the Cunninghames and Setonshad by means of their " rascall seruandis" commenced a disturbance in the streets of Perth, which with difficulty was put down by the exertions of the Privy Council and the citizens of the burgh.

The Parliament of Scotland did not uniformly assemble in Edinburgh. Upon the occasion alluded to it sat in Perth upon July 1, 1606; and James I. was duly informed how the Lords of the Articles had been chosen according to his majesty's pleasure, and that these persons had managed everything very nicely. All was serene, when the Earl of Glencairn and Lord Seton (afterwards Earl of Winton), who had a feud, broke the peace in consequence of their servants, who participated in the enmities of their masters, provoking a quarrel in the streets of Perth.

The two hostile parties drew their swords, and commenced fighting, their respective masters joining in the melee. James had a particular detestation of all hostile proceedings. It was, however, necessary to tell him what had happened. This delicate task was undertaken by the Earl of Dunbar, Lord Scone, and Sir Thomas Hamilton, Lord Advocate, and subsequently Earl of Melros—a title he gave up for that of Haddington. The following is an extract from their letter: —

"That grudge borne be the freindis of the houss of Eglinton to the erle of Glencairne and his freindis is notour to your Ma"', amangis whome thair is assurance standing, whilk mc supponed sould haue bene ane sufficient band to haue stayed troubill and inuasion betuix thame during thair remayning heir at this tyme. Neuertheles vpon tysday at nicht, immediatlie efter supper, the maister of Wintoun and his brother sir Alexander Seton, being accumpanied with nyne or ten, going to the erle of Eglintones ludgeing, rencontered be the way the erle of Glencairne, accumpanied with threttie or thairby, who in respect of the evill will borne betuix these folkis and him absteaning from all wilfull occasion of inuasion, his lordship being in the beginning of his cumpanie, and the maister of Winton in the foreend of his cumpanye, past by vther, ane reasonabill spaicc, till sum rascall seruandis in the end of thair cumpanies, being more malicious and querrellous nor thame selfis, drew thair swourdis and began ane tumult, whilk having tested verie long, ended be the great travellis of the townesmen and of your Maiesties gairde, withowt any farder skaith nor the licht hurting of verie few and more dangerous woundis of ane Johne Mathie, seruand to the erle of Glencairne. Whilk fact, as it wes rerie offensiue to the haill nobilmen and counsall, in respect of the tyme and place, so hes it in particular so grieved my Lord Chancelor, as having dischairged hi3 brothers "sones, and all that wes with thame, any ways to cum in his presence, so is he als bent as any man leiving to have the trowth of the occasion and beginning of that insolence preciselie tryed and condignelie puneissed, withowt respect or favour of any persone."

Alexander Seton, the Lord Chancellor, was very awkwardly placed: he was uncle of Lord Seton, and had risen to his high position in consequence of the great love James had to the Setons who had so faithfully served him and his mother, and who had never in one instance swerved from their duty as loyal subjects. Thus a breach of the peace arising out of the acts of his own near relative must to nini have been exceedingly distressing. James had created him in 1591 Lord Fyvie and Urquhart in Aberdeenshire, with remainder to the heirs male of his body, whom failing, to Sir John Seton, of Barns, his immediate elder brother, and his heirs male ; and in 1605 he was promoted to the earldom of Dunfermline.

How matters were ultimately smoothed we cannot explain; but one thing is evident—that, as Lord Dunfermline continued in favour with the king until the day of his demise, he must have found means to pacify the two factions. J. M.