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Sir Alexander
Seton,
10th Baronet
of Abercorn, Representative of Touch and
Hereditary Armour Bearer to the Queen
Sir Alexander Hay Seton
(1904-1963)
was the 10th Baron of Abercorn and Armour
Bearer to the Queen. This once rich and magnificent family
had lost its land and money, and for "Sandy" the title was
virtually the only remnant of his wealthy past. Still, he
had enough to finance a tour of the wonders of Egypt, and
Sir Alexander's colourful account is given to us in his
autobiography, The Transgressions of a Baronet. The
account of his unpublished manuscript, although rich in
detail, varies from media reports at the time.
He married
Flavia Forbes
(18 Dec 1902-13 Oct 1959);
17 Jun
1939 (div 1958) as her 3rd husband. He was succeeded
by his brother, actor
Major Sir Bruce Lovat Seton -
Bruce Seton.
See an extract
of the 10th Baronet Sir Alexander's
unpublished
autobiography,
describing torment the family experienced after their
holiday to Egypt:
After this there were no more incidents, but the family’s
tranquillity was lost forever. Zeyla never forgave her husband
for destroying the bone and their marriage disintegrated soon
afterwards. Ill health and money problems hounded the family
and, according to Egidia, everyone who touched the bone died
prematurely.
Reflecting on it some years later, Sir
Alexander had no doubt as to why the family seemed cursed.
"My own interpretation of the matter is that through some
uncanny power of religion it was brought under destructive
control. But if – and I emphasise the word 'if' – it really did
carry a curse, as many people thought, the curse certainly did
not end when I destroyed the Bone by fire, and from 1936 onwards
trouble, sometimes grave, seemed to be always around the
corner."
Both Sir Alexander and his brother
Sir Bruce were accomplished Piper's:
"I was playing
my bagpipes in the topmost room when Anna's Dad answered the
downstairs front door to a gentleman who introduced himself as
Sir Alex Seton of Abercorn. We spoke at length about piping when
he said he and his brother both played. His brother, Bruce Seton
( he played on T.V. Fabian of the Yard in later years) who had
been a Major in the Black Watch during WW2 where he had learned
to play the bagpipes and although he could play pretty well, he
wasn't very good at writing the music of a few melodies he had
composed in his head. We arranged that he duly return and bring
his practice chanter with him to play his compositions when I
could write them down for him."
James Caution Pipe Major
(W.O.1) R.A.M.C Pipe Band.
The Seton’s of Abercorn derive their branch designation from
the Barony of Abercorn in Linlithgowshire which they
formerly possessed. The line of the Seton’s of
Abercorn was established by the second son of James Seton of
Touch from his second wife, Eline-Jane Edmonstone, daughter
of Edmonstone of that Ilk and Ednam, County Roxburgh, who
were descended from the early Seton’s. The Manor of
Abercorn once belonged to the House of Avenel in the reign
of King David I (1124-1153), and the Barony of Abercorn like
that of nearby Gargunnock was sometime in the interest of
Sir Ninian Seton, 3rd baron of Touch and his
grandson, James Seton, 5th baron of Touch, and
was later acquired by Royal Charter by James’ gr-grandson,
Sir Walter Seton, 1st
Baronet of Abercorn.
Sir Alexander Seton of Gargunnock acquired the estate of
Gargunnock near the family estate of Touch, both in
Stirlingshire. He later acquired the barony and estate
of Culcreuch in addition to that of Gargunnock, in 1624, in
settlement of monies owed him by his brother-in-law, Robert
Galbraith, 17th Chief of that Clan who was forced to flee to
Ireland, bankrupt, to escape his debts. Later the same year,
Sir Alexander, noted for being “a man of parts and
learning”, was appointed a judge and admitted an Ordinary
Lord of Session, on the 4th of February, 1626,
and took the title Lord Kilcreuch. Soon his successful
career necessitated the selling of Culcreuch to be nearer
Edinburgh and in 1632, 8 years after purchasing it, he sold
Culcreuch to Robert Napier. Sir Alexander was twice
married: first on the 30th of August, 1598, to
Marion Maule of Glaster by whom he had a son and heir called
Alexander, and second; to the daughter of the 16th
Chief of Galbraith. Sir Alexander had several children
and kept an exceptional house, noted for it’s order and high
standard of education. As a man of unscrupulous
honesty in a very unscrupulous age, as well as for his
unswerving loyalty and service to the Crown, Alexander was
Knighted by King Charles I at Holyrood on the 12 of July,
1633. And finally, on account of his infirmity of
sight and many years of service, he resigned his seat on the
Bench, with it’s honor and emoluments, on the 6th
of June, 1637.
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