Old family; or, The Setons of Scotland and America

CHAPTER XVII.
MISCELLANY.
Tranent.
Tranent is a small town situated in Haddingtonshire, on
the highroad between Edinburgh and London, in the midst
of a rich agricultural country with an extended landscape
reaching off to Seton Bay and the sea.* Its history for many
centuries was intimately connected with that of the Seton
family. It stands along the brow of rising ground on the
south side of a narrow vale, at the bottom of which is a
brook; and has its ancient name of Travement, since abbre-
viated into Tranent, from three British words, which signify
the habitation or village at the ravine. In the oldest writs
pertaining to the Barony of Tranent, Swan or Sweyn, as Lord
of the Manor, claims preeminence. Whence he came, or
from whom descended, or how he obtained the lands is not
recorded. From the Charter of Holyrood House we know
that shortly after 1 124 a grant was made to Thor fillus Swani
de Trannent.
This Thor or Thorald, son of Swan, died in 1154. It
would appear that with him the family ended, and that, in
accordance with feudal usage, the property reverted to the
Crown, and consequently came into the possession of Malcolm
IV., called the Maiden.
The next proprietor of these lands was Robert de Ouincv,
a Northamptonshire baron, who acquired them from William
the Lion in 1 165. To him succeeded, first, Saher, Secher,
* It is now (1899) a place of 2,389 inhabitants.