Sir Alexander Seton of Pitmedden, 1st Baronet, Lord Pitmedden (c. 1639 – 29 May 1719) was a Scottish
advocate
An advocate is a professional in the field of law. List of country legal systems, Different countries and legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a ba ...
, a
Senator of the College of Justice
The senators of the College of Justice in Scotland are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of senator: Lords of Session (judges of the Court ...
, a Lord of Justiciary, and a
Commissioner
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to incl ...
.
Early life
Seton was the youngest son of John Seton of Pitmedden who commanded a detachment of
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...
troops at the battle of the
Bridge of Dee
The Bridge of Dee or Brig o Dee is a road bridge over the River Dee in Aberdeen, Scotland. The term is also used for the surrounding area of the city. Dating from 1527,Richards, J.M., ''The National Trust Book of Bridges'', Jonathan Cape, 198 ...
in 1639, and, while riding along the riverside with
Lord Aboyne, was shot through the chest by a cannonball, and died at the age of 29.
John Seton's two sons were both infants at the time. With their mother, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Samuel Johnston, 1st Baronet of Elphinston, they were driven from their house which was plundered, and the whole rents of their estate seized by the
Covenanter
Covenanters were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. It originated in disputes with James VI and his son C ...
s.
Their mother remarried, the
Earl of Harfell, and the boys were taken in by their kinsman,
George Seton, 4th Earl of Winton
George Seton, 4th Earl of Winton (c. 1641 – 6 March 1704) was a Scotland, Scottish Cavalier, Royalist, Privy Councillor, and Sheriff of Haddingtonshire.
He was the son of George Seton, Lord Seton, George Seton, Master of Winton, and Lady Henr ...
, who later enrolled them both at the
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...
.
James Seton of Pitmedden, the elder brother, became an officer in the English Navy. During the Dutch attack on the English fleet at
Chatham in 1667, he was severely wounded and died soon afterwards.
He was succeeded by his brother, Alexander.
Career
He became a member of the
Faculty of Advocates
The Faculty of Advocates () is an independent body of lawyers who have been admitted to practise as advocates before the courts of Scotland, especially the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary. The Faculty of Advocates is a const ...
on 10 December 1661, and was knighted by King
Charles II in 1664.
He was appointed an Ordinary Lord of
Session on 31 October 1677, when he assumed the title of Lord Pitmedden. He was later appointed a Lord of Justiciary, on 5 July 1682. On 15 January 1684, he was created a
baronet of Nova Scotia
This is a list of baronetcies in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia. These were first created in 1624, and were replaced by the Baronetage of Great Britain in 1707.
This page lists baronetcies, whether extant, extinct, dormant (D), unproven (U), ...
by King
Charles II.
He represented
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...
in the
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...
in 1681, 1685, and 1686, and for his boldness and independence in opposing the repeal of the Test and Penal Laws proposed by King
James VII
James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685, until he was deposed in the 1688 Glor ...
, he was deprived by that monarch of his seat on The Bench.
He was at the same time removed from the Court of Justiciary.
Upon the 1688 Revolution King
William III offered to reinstate him as one of the Lords of Session, which Sir Alexander declined feeling it inconsistent with his previous Oaths of Allegiance to James VII.
He then retired from professional life.
In his private affairs he succeeded in recovering his family's estates from indebtedness, and possessed a vast library.
He published an edition of Sir
George Mackenzie's ''Law of Scotland in matters Criminal'', with a treatise on Mutilation and Demembration, annexed.
A painting of Sir Alexander Seton, Lord Pitmedden, hung in the ancient manor house of
The Grange, Edinburgh
The Grange (originally St Giles' Grange) is an affluent suburb of Edinburgh, just south of the city centre, with Morningside, Edinburgh, Morningside and Greenhill, Edinburgh, Greenhill to the west, Newington, Edinburgh, Newington to the east, ...
for centuries. It remains in the possession of the Lauder of Fountainhall family.
Marriage
He married, 11 March 1669, a cousin, Margaret (died 19 October 1723), daughter and heiress of William Lauder (died 1695), a Writer (solicitor) and Clerk of the
Court of Session
The Court of Session is the highest national court of Scotland in relation to Civil law (common law), civil cases. The court was established in 1532 to take on the judicial functions of the royal council. Its jurisdiction overlapped with othe ...
, by his spouse Katherine (died 1697), daughter of Thomas Hunter of
Hagburne (or Hagbourne), then Berkshire.
They had ten children:
* Sir William Seton, 2nd Baronet, of Pitmedden, M.P., for
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...
(d. 1744)
* Alexander, a military physician who served under the
Duke of Marlborough
General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1st Prince of Mindelheim, 1st Count of Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722 O.S.) was a British army officer and statesman. From a gentry family, he ...
* James, a merchant in
Danzig, died without issue
* Thomas, a physician, died unmarried
* George, of Mounie,
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...
, an advocate (died 1762)
* Elizabeth, married about 1693 Sir Alexander Wedderburn, 2nd Baronet, of Blackness
* Margaret, married in 1696
Sir John Lauder, 3rd Baronet
Sir John Lauder of Fountainhall, 3rd Baronet was born 3 and baptised 5 December 1669 at Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. He died in February 1728 at Fountainhall manor, near Pencaitland, and was interred in the Lauder burial vault ...
, of Fountainhall
* Anne (1676–1764), married in 1707 Sir William Leslie Dick of
The Grange, Edinburgh
The Grange (originally St Giles' Grange) is an affluent suburb of Edinburgh, just south of the city centre, with Morningside, Edinburgh, Morningside and Greenhill, Edinburgh, Greenhill to the west, Newington, Edinburgh, Newington to the east, ...
* Jean (died 1768), died unmarried
* Isabel, died unmarried
References
*
Douglas, Robert, ''et al.'', ''The Baronage of Scotland'', Edinburgh, 1798, pp. 184, 272.
*Dalrymple, Sir David, of Hailes, Bt., ''et al.'', ''Senators of the College of Justice of Scotland'', Edinburgh, 1849, pp. 406–07.
*Burke, Messrs., John & John Bernard, ''The Royal Families of England, Scotland, and Wales, with their Descendants'', London, 1851, vol. 2, pedigree CLXXIII.
*Anderson, William, ''The Scottish Nation'', Edinburgh, 1867, vol. viii, pg. 440.
*Stewart-Smith, J., ''The Grange of St Giles'', Edinburgh, 1898, pp. 69, 300–03, 409.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seton, Alexander, Lord Pitmedden
1630s births
1719 deaths
Nobility from Aberdeenshire
Pitmedden
Pitmedden is a rural village in the parish of Udny, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, situated midway between Ellon and Oldmeldrum, and approximately distant from Aberdeen. In addition to local shops, primary school, church, village hall and parks, t ...
Scottish knights
Members of the Faculty of Advocates
Politics of Aberdeenshire
Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1681–1682
Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1685–1686
Shire Commissioners to the Parliament of Scotland
Alumni of the University of Aberdeen
Alexander
Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here ar ...
401
__NOTOC__
Year 401 ( CDI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Vincentius and Fravitus (or, less frequently, year 1154 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination ...