Old family; or, The Setons of Scotland and America

CHAPTER XI.
SETON OF ST. GERMAIN'S, — I 7 1 8.
The Hon. Sir John Seton, son of the first Earl of Win-
ton, got the lands of Saint Germains after his brother obtained
the Earldom of Eglinton. It was a beautiful sylvan domain,
suggestive of spiritual peace and honest pleasure, where the
woods were vocal with
"The moan of doves in immemorial elms."
In early times there had been a hospital or hospice there,
and the ivy-grown remains of a very ancient building are still
seen beside the rippling burn. I have no doubt that the
name is derived from Saint Germanus of Auxerre, who twice
visited Britain and left the deep impress of his sanctity and
learning upon the people. It must have reached even unto
the land of the Picts and Scots. " St. Germanus was the
titular saint of many churches in England, and of the great
abbey of Selby in Yorkshire," savs Alban Butler, July 26.
In French it is St. Germain, and under this form his devotion
would be introduced by the Normans into England and Scot-
land. In " Ragman's Roll" mention is made of a certain
" Bartholomew Mestre de la maison de St. Germen, anno
1296 "; and at a later date the house and its revenues came
into the possession of the Knights Templars. After their
suppression they were bestowed bv James IV. on King's
College, Aberdeen. But how long thev remained an endow-
ment of that seat of learning we know not, nor how or when
they came to the Setons. Sir John married Margaret, daughter