The Seton's of Barnes and Hailes; of Moneylagan in Ireland, and of Nova Scotia

Heirs to the Earldom of Dunfermline: The Seton's of Barnes line were for a time, generally known by their more significant estate, as the Seton's of Hailes (or Haillis) and occasionally as the "Seaton's of Mionylangan (Moneylagan) in Ireland after acquiring that estate, and stems from Sir John Seton, Lord Barnes: 3rd son of George Seton, 7th Lord Seton and his wife Isabel Hamilton; brother to the 1st Earl of Winton, and to the great Chancellor of Scotland, the 1st Earl of Dunfermline. 

His initial rearing was at the Palace of Seton, and had the influences of foreign dignitaries and the Scottish Royal family of Queen Mary and James VI.  He showed great promise as a young man, being studious and yet showing great wisdom in his youth.  Likewise, he displayed great talents in the art of military service, of law and of languages, being proficient in Scots and English, as well as French, Latin and Spanish.  With his father's and grandfather's constant services on the Royal family, it is of no wonder that he was influenced by the activities at Court, and in the Diplomatic Service. 

While in France with his father and brothers he demonstrated the high sense of honour, dignity and service and style, also portrayed by his father and grandfather, and served in the Scots Guards in France; serving the French Royal Court as well as the influential family of Guise.  From these connections he was introduced to the Ambassador of the Spanish Court, and being able to serve as an Ambassador-liaison for his father on many occasions, greatly impressed the Ambassador by his talents.  He  was referred to the Court of King Phillip II by the Spanish Ambassador with his the highest regards, and having received an invitation from the Court there, was presented with a Commission from Queen Mary to serve as an Ambassador in Spain.

Sir Richard Maitland of Lethington wrote in his 'History', that Sir John Seton was a brave young man who after being sent to France and Rome for his education he went to Spain, to the court of King Phillip II, by whom he was made Knight of the Royal Order of St Jago, at that time the order of knighthood in that kingdom of greatest esteem; In memory whereof, he and his heirs, bear a sword in their coat of arms, being the Badge of that Order.

It was during the time of the troubles of Queen Mary Stuart, that Sir John had relayed information between his father and the Spanish Court, trying to bring assistance to her aid, on several occassions.  Where King Phillip had been proposed as a husband to the young Queen and who had a great interest in supporting her throughout her life, Sir John was liaison between the King of Spain and the Scottish Royal House.

Given his skills and mastery of many talents and of his sense of honour and loyalty, King Phillip later preferred him to be a gentleman of his chamber, and "Cavalier de la Boca" (which is Master of the Household): he also carried the golden key at his side, in a blue ribbing; all which, were the greatest honours King Phillip could give to any of his subjects, except to be made a Grandee of Spain. For his many services, he had a pension granted to him and his heirs, of two thousand crowns yearly.  While Maitland of Lethington was later at the Court of the King of Spain, he noted of the reputation of Sir John Seton that, "I was certainly informed of the truth of all this."

At the heights of his favour with King Phillip of Spain, was commanded home by King James the Sixth, unwilling to want so gallant a subject out of his court and service. Upon his return home, King James preferred him to be Treasurer of his House and was in great favour with his Majesty.  He was created Lord Barnes (1587 to 1594) of the Lords of Session in Parliament as an Ordinary Lord, in the place of his younger brother Alexander promoted.  Following his services and reputation in Spain, he was likewise created Master of the Kings Household (like that of his father), and Master of the Kings Horse.

He was and active member of the Scottish Parliament during his tenure on the bench as Lord Barnes (Barns/Barnis), and many legal documents are to be found within the Records Office in Edinburgh, noting Sir John Seton and having his Seal upon them.  He was also  was part of the coalition that had begun to put forward the succession of King James to the English crown, along with his two brother's who were at that time Robert, 8th Lord Seton; and Alexander, Lord Fyvie and Prior of Pluscarden.

His initial residence was at the Seton's mansion at St. Germains House, beside the Palace of Seton and which had at that time consisted of the main block, tower and courtyard.  However, given the impressions that were left upon him from his service in Spain, Sir John had begun a great building at the Barnes in the Spanish Castellated style, vault height before his death, intending that building round a court. 

The ruins of his planned 16th century residence are of unusual type: an example of axial planning, it is a rectangle 162'6" by 126'8" with the major axis NE-SW; the walls are of rubble masonry and average 1.8m in width, with a square courtyard.  Square towers project externally from the angles and between these are spaced intermediate towers - two on the NW, one on the SE, and one centrally on the SW. At the highest the walls are 14' but only the vaulted ground floor of the dwelling portion remains.  The walls are laid out in a highly formal symmetrical Spanish-style, which was very advanced for its time, defining a square, intended to enclose a courtyard, with well-defined corner towers.  The remains of Barnes Castle, are in relatively poor condition and have been used latterly as a farm-store.

It was not doubted, if he had lived some time after the King's coming to the crown of England he would have highly advanced him in honour and fortune, and given his stature and positions, and having already been knighted and being both a Baron and Lord of Parliament, he would have likely been made an Earl as his two brothers before him.  He did however marry Anna Forbes, the eldest daughter to the 7th Lord Forbes, by whom he had two sons and one daughter. His second son died a young man, and he himself died in the strength of his age, a young man, having contracted an illness (likely the Plague) and was buried in the College Kirk of Seton, and he was succeeded by his eldest son, also "Sir John Seton, 2nd of Barnes".

Although the later Arms registered for the Seton's of Barnes contain a "sword supporting an imperial crown", the Seal of Sir John Seton of Barnes is differenced with a cross-crosslet fitchy, which is readily mistaken for a sword, and for which cross-crosslet fitchy supporting a crown is the symbol of the Knights of St. Iago (or of St. James/Santiago).

The 2nd Sir John Seton of Barnes and 1st of Hailes, and of Moneylagan: raised at Seton Palace, Winton and Pinkie House under the tutelage of his uncles, was a familiar of the young prince Charles Stuart who later became King Charles I.  Sir John was well travelled in France and Europe, he was bred to military service and to serve the Royal Household and succeeded his father when he came of age, 3rd October 1615.  Using the benefits of his estate and his father's pension's from his wise uncles' management and assistance (Robert, Earl of Winton), was able to greatly expand his fortunes.  He is noted as a young man in the Funeral of Chancellor Seton in 1622, where he took his place in the retinue of the Seton household.

Under the tutelage of his uncles, he rose to become a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber and officer of the Court of King Charles I, and was a noted companion of the Marquis of Montrose in 1646.  With his increasing wealth, he acquired land in Ireland from Sir Robert Gordon of Lochinvar, the estate and castle of Monylagan (Mionylangain, Monilagan, Monalagan or Moneylagan), Clongesh Parish (Clonguish), in Co. Longford, in 1628 (worth 500 pounds Sterling a year) and is occasionally referred to as Sir John Seaton of Mionylangain, Longford.  He and his wife, "Lady Seaton", are noted in the papers of Sir Arthur Forbes, during the siege of Castle Forbes in Longford, Ireland in 1641-42.

He a charter in 1628, noted in the Calendar of the patent and close rolls of chancery in Ireland: of the reign of King Charles I (1628), for the Seton Estate of MoneyLagan, or Balleleghan (Babington), Longford, Ireland; where the Babington's of England were long connected with the Knights Hospitaller's, or Templar's, for which connection were associated with the Seton's during the imprisonment of Queen Mary Stuart and the efforts to free her and which brought them into association in Longford, Ireland:

In a chartulary relative to the lands of the Hospitallers in England there are numerous references to the joint preceptory of Yeaveley and Barrow between the years 1503 and 1526. In 1504 William Darel the preceptor leased all fruits, rents, appurtenances, tithes, oblations, and advowsons pertaining to the joint preceptory to Thomas Babington of Lea for three years subject to the annual payment to the prior of Tutbury... In 1509 Brother John Babington, preceptor of Yeaveley and Barrow, leased the preceptory to Thomas Babington of Lea and to Anthony Babington of Kingston (his son and heir) for one year. On 24 April, 1516, there was a renewal from John Babington as preceptor to his father Thomas Babington: and in 1522 to Edward Rhoche, preceptor of Temple Brewer, and to Humphrey Babington.  The Babington's seat was principally at Dethick, England until later events brought them to Ireland.  Their estate noted as: Dethick is a small chapelry in parish of Ashover (in the Deanery of Chesterfield), and the seat of the Babington family for a long period; Anthony Babington and The Babington Plot, a conspiracy 'against the life of Queen Elizabeth', and where the Manor House made up of part of the original seat of the Babington family; the family relocating to Ireland as a result, carrying on via their Templar connections.

Later still, Sir John Seton also acquired the lands and Castle of Hailes, along with the Barony thereof, which became his principle residence and which added that title to the name of the family branch for a time and remained a Seton property throughout the 17th century; as well as with those of Crichton along with it's Castle and Barony (with the assistance of his cousin Robert Seton, 1st Earl of Winton and 8th Lord Seton) from the heir of Hercules Stewart of Whitelaw (d. 1594, and brother of Lord John Stewart, Commendator of the Priory of Coldingham), Francis Stewart, who had temp passed them to his step-son, Scott, Earl of Buccleuch; hence his father's castle of Barnes was never completed.

Sir John Seton, 2nd of Barnes and 1st of Hailes was thrice married; first to the daughter of the Baron Ogilvy of Poury, by whom he had a son Alexander, and three daughters; secondly to Lady Ann Fleming, daughter of the 6th Lord Fleming and by whom he had no issue; and thirdly to the daughter of Sir John Home of North Berwick and who by her had two son's and a daughter.

His eldest son, Alexander, while travelling to the family estate in Ireland, met and married a daughter of the noble Irish family of O'Ferrall (also spelt Ophuall), of the family of Buoy, Lords of Annaly (where Longford was once called Annaly), Ireland, and settled in Ireland.  Alexander was later accused of assisting the "Ferrells" in Ireland in their struggles against the Crown and was imprisoned in Dublin, later transferred and imprisoned in the Edinburgh Tolbooth in Scotland.  Much to his father's dismay, and despite efforts of the family to have him released,  he predeceased his father without heirs as a result of his imprisonment in 1642.  Likewise, Sir John Seton's second son from his third marriage died as a young man, and he was succeeded by his only surviving son, Sir George Seton.

The Monilagan Estate, which included it's castle, or manor, was acquired during the reign of King James VI and I and maintained a Seton-possession through Charles I's reign.  Despite the Cromwell seizures in Ireland, the family maintained the deed to the estate as landowners, but eventually lost it to the Viscount Granard during the reign of Charles II. Later notices for the Estate of Monilagan (or Muine Lagáin):  October 20, 1769; John Beaty of Lismore, County Longford on the one part and George Beatty of Lismoy(sic), County of Longford and Thomas Carson of Craghorn in the County of Cavan on the other part; 60 acres in town of Lismore and 31 acres in town of Monilagan situated in the Manor of Monilagan, County Longford, also part of the Manor of Monilagan "called lower Cluneagh upper Cluneagh lower Clumemecart upper Clunemecar Killnashee lower north Bawnquilly upper or south Bawnquilly containing six hundred and fifty six acres" for the remainder of John Beatty's lease of the prem793051540531ises. Deed void if John Beatty shall pay to George Beatty and Thomas Carson 500 pounds sterling by May 1, 1770. Witnesses: Thomas Bond of Newtownflood, Longford Co. and John Jones of the town of Longford, Longford County.
 

Sir George Seton, Knight, 3rd of Barnes (and 2nd of Hailes or "Haillis"): was a noted scholar at Oxford and was frequently referred as George Seatton of Hallis, or Dr. Seaton, and who had obtained a Degree of M.A. granted by University of St. Andrews, Doctor of Theology, and was a fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge circa 1619-1629, noted in the "Memorabilia Cantabrigiae" where in he was recommended personally by King James VI and I. 

Upon succeeding his father, he sold the lands and Barony of Crichton Castle c1649, to the Hepburns of Humbie, and the following year he "quitted" Hailes during Cromwells sacking of that Castle and the area around Dunbar, and was re-imbursed by the Government to the sum of 4,700 "in English money for troops quartered on his tenants and for damage caused by them", in 1650.  In 1650, Hailes was largely dismantled by Cromwell's forces during the raids in Scotland, along with many other Seton strongholds, and left in ruins. 

Admitted a Burgess and Guild of Leith 12.05.1652, along with his younger son Robert, he remained active in the support and financing of the Royal family, and in seeing them returned from exile, for which his estates were heavily fined and which nearly brought him to ruin  Nevertheless, following The Restoration, Sir George was eventually granted a pension superscribed by Charles II of £1000 stg. yearly from customs of London, "to said Sir George; to Robert Seaton his younger son, and to Marie Seaton his daughter, for their lifetimes" for his loyal services.  His son, Robert Seton married the daughter of the Earl of Eglinton and had a son, also Robert Seton who was half-brother to the 4th Earl of Findlater and Chancellor of Scotland and from whom descended Andrew Seton, Merchant in London and later also in New York and who eventually settled on the Spanish island of Fernandina, Florida in America.

Sir John Seton (Seaton) 4th of Barnes, and of 3rd of Hailes (d. 03.1659):  active in the affairs of his father, he succeeded but died a relatively young man shortly afterwards in Edinburgh, and was buried at his request, "with decency, but without pomp or great show", and interred in the place of his father's burial at Seton Collegiate Church.  He was however twice married: his son George from his first marriage succeeding him; and from his second marriage to Lady Margaret Hay (daughter of 9th Earl of Erroll and sister to Lady Ann Hay who married George Seton, 3rd Earl of Winton), he had son's: John Seton who settled in Ireland and from whom descend the Seaton/Seeton's of Nova Scotia; and Hannibal Seton who also had settled for a time on the family estate in Ireland, before returning to Scotland and becoming a Burgess of Haddington; as well as other issue noted in the historical records of County Longford and surrounding areas in Ireland:

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY LONGFORD

Under this state of things the following landed gentlemen of the County of Longford and their families were dispossessed of their estates, which were either sold to Cromwellian troopers or other adventurers  the hereditary owners having to transplant themselves and their families beyond the Shannon immediately :


County of Longford, 1657
In 1657, Cromwell assumed the title of Protector and a sovereignty over the three kingdoms, which so disgusted his co-regicides that they withdrew from his army, and left him to enjoy his glory alone ; and the same year he ordered one Christopher Grough to make out a list of the " forfeiting" Papist proprietors in each county in Ireland. This list embraces the names of all those whose estates had been confiscated, but from which they had not been driven, but were allowed to remain in a state of dependency ; and in many cases, as if by the intervention of a kind Providence, the officers of the Commonwealth, as well as those who were to receive the lands, either failed to claim them or were persuaded by some momentary consideration not to disturb the old proprietors, and merely held the deeds which subsequently made them landlords ; otherwise there had been no native Irish left in Longford County.

County of Longford, 1657
Barony of Shrule
Twenty confiscations ; no addresses given :

Nicholas Barne well, James Dillon, Edmond Ffarrell, Ffergus Ffarrell, Francis Ffarrell, Grarrett Ffarrell, Thomas Fitzgerald, James Ffarrell, John Ffarrell, Lisagh Ffarrell, Richard Ffarrell, Teig Ffarrell, Thomas  Fitzgerald, Charles Fox, John Murtagh, John Murlogh, James Quinn, and Sir John Seaton.

By order of the Governors of Ireland, a census of this country was taken in the year 1659, when the population of the County Longford was found to be laid out as follows :
In the barony of Longford there were 396 Irish and 67 English. The gentlemen residing in the barony were : Sir Arthur Eorbes, Castle-Forbes ; Alexander Aghmooty, Ballybrian ; William Pillsworth Minard ;  Lieutenant Thomas Babington, Longford ; and Hannibal Seaton, of Moneylagan.

The principal Irish families were : MacDonnell, 10 people; Farrells, 17; O'Hagans, 6; MacElvay, 5; Knowlan, 5; Quinn,
4 ; and MacKay, 4. The total population of Longford barony in those days was 463 people, all told ; of these, 52 formed the population of Longford borough.

Sir George Seton, 5th and Last Baron of Barnes and 4th of Hailes: A significant portion of his life was spent travelling in Europe, and in France in particular, using the benefits of his estate.  He leased the lands of Easter and Wester Barnes via sasine in 1681, to George Cockburn of Piltoune of the Ormiston family, and he and the Seton's of Garleton had various continuing legal disputes over their adjoining lands, and were long noted in court records in Edinburgh, before the estates were finally sold. 

Also noted in legal proceedings records in Edinburgh, he pursued the Irish Estate of Moneylagan still held by his father, against Sir Arthur Forbes 1st Viscount Granard, in 1683 after Forbes seized the Seton Estate in Ireland and claimed it as his own.  He however evenually lost the lawsuit and the estate at tremendous financial cost. 

"Sir Arthur Forbes, Viscount Granard, Lady Margaret Hay, and the Lady Bearford, gave in a bill against George Seton of Barns, complaining he had vitiated a principal agreement, or decreet-arbitral, passed betwixt his father and him in 1658, by making eighteen hundred sixteen hundred, and his estate this estate, and adding the word rents, which corrupted the sense... Barns, in this process, to blunt Lady Margaret Hay his stepmother's process, by the popish priests, agreed with her. Yet the enemies he left behind prevailed thus far, as we have seen ; which they sought to counterbalance and enervate Barns's suit he had commenced in Ireland, for some lands there belonging to his father, where they made use of the foresaid decreet-arbitral as a renunciation of all he had to crave, save the lands of Barns."

He spent time at the Court in Exile of King James VII at St. Germains, and after the death of James Seton, 4th Earl of Dunfermline, 26th December 1694 at St. Germains in France, the representation of the Dunfermline family devolved upon Sir George: whereas he being the representative of the line of Sir John Seton of Barns, the immediate elder brother of Chancellor Seton who was names as his heir in the Chancellor's peerage creation, he claimed the Lordship of Urquhart and the Honours of Dunfermline, including the Abbott's House in Elgin.

Sir George Seton of Barnes and his seven children, from the Anderson Collection:  James Seton, Gov. of St Vincent, is the lower of the two sons on the left.  One of the daughters, Anne, married Jon Don and were the parents of Gen Sir George Don, Gov. of Gibraltar.  Continued to use the title of Earl of Dunfermline although it had been forfeit in the year 1690.

He was formally served heir of his grandfather in 1704 (also Sir George Seton of Barns), and married Anne, daughter of Sir George Suttie of Balgone and had seven children; 2 sons and 5 daughters, his eldest son James Seton succeeding him and becoming Vice Admiral in the British Navy and Governor of the Island of St. Vincent in the West Indies, and his younger son George who travelled along with his older brother and went to St. Vincent in support of that colony.

He was however commonly called, "Lord Dunfermline", and was noted for having "Proclaimed" the Pretender at Kelso in 1715, but surrendered following the battle at Preston later that year.  He escaped the insurrections of the rebellion, and in his last years settled peacefully in Haddington (noted in 1732 shortly before his death).  As the last possessor of the family estate. he sold the lands of Hailes to David Dalrymple in 1700, and the lands of Barnes to Colonel Charteris in 1715, and was noted in a bond dated 29th June, 1727, as "Lord Dunfermline", and was during this time recognized and acknowledged as the male-representative of the Earls of Dunfermline.  He died at a very advanced aged, very much respected and was buried in the Seton Collegiate Church. 

Vice-Admiral James Seton, Governor of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Rep. of Barnes and of Hailes: named after the 4th Earl of Dunfermline, he was bred to the military profession and rose to become Colonel and later Vice Admiral.  In 1773, in recognition of his right as heir-male, James Seton presented a petition to King George III to be allowed the title, rank, and privileges of the Earldom of Dunfermline.  The claim was accepted, however, it was not acted upon due to the want of funds.  In the words of Archbishop Robert Seton of Parbroath, where: “it took two English fortunes to prosecute a peerage case before the House of Lords.”

By his wife, Susan Moray, a great beauty in her day and daughter of James Moray of Abercairney, in the County of Perth, and of Lady Christian Montgomerie, daughter of the ninth Earl of Eglinton; he had, with other children who died young or unmarried, a son and heir, James Seton II,  who was a Captain in St. Vincent and later a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army.  The Governor of St. Vincent died in London at an advanced age and was very much respected.

Vice-Admiral James Seton, Governor of St. Vincent, son of Sir George Seton of Barnes.  Uncle of Gen Sir George Don, Governor of Gibraltar.  Artist: Lindo 1761, Anderson Collection

Lieutenant-Colonel James Seton II, Rep. of Barnes and of Hailes: was the heir of the Governor and was likewise bred to a military career.  He became Brigade Major, and then later a Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army, and whose arms were recorded in the Lyon Register in 1806.  He married Margaret Findlater, only daughter of the Rev. John Findlater, and had among other children, a son and heir, James Alexander Seton who founded the Seton-Wilmot line, Catherine, born 23^rd May, 1818 and who married John Coventry, Esq. of Burgate House, Hants, formerly Rector of Tywardteath and great-grandson of the Earl of Coventry.  One of their sons, Bernard Seton Coventry, born in 1887, founded the Seton-Coventry line.  Colonel James Seton died at Brookheath, Hants, in 1831.

James Alexander Seton of London, of Stockton, and of Adelphi, Middlesex, Rep. of Barnes and of Hailes: He married Elizabeth Sarah Wilmot and had several children, and who's eldest son was Sir Henry Wilmot Seton, was Judge of the Supreme Court at Calcutta (dsp); his other children founding the Seton-Wilmot's who settled in Australia and New Zealand.  James Alexander Seton died at Portsmouth, Hampshire, England in 1845.