Old family; or, The Setons of Scotland and America

39<5
AN OLD FAMILY.
ARMS OF THE EARL OK EGLINTON.
shields gules, by descent from the Setons of Touch and Tulli-
body, who succeeded to the great estate of Egidia, daughter
and heiress of John Hay of Tullibodv and second wife of
Alexander Seton, first Earl of Huntlv. The crest, seen on
the letters of Mrs. George
Seton to her brother in
"*^N&¥Q*? New York in the last cen-
Q$s€'£3* tury, is a boar's head couped,
to show their descent from
the Gordons also, whose
paternal coat is azure, three
boars' heads couped or.
The Setons of Pitmedden
quarter the Meldrum arms,
with their paternal coat, being argent a demi-otter sable crowned
or, issuing out of a bar wavy of the second, to show their
descent from Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of William de
Meldrum of that Ilk. The crest is a demi-man in military
habit, holding the Banner of Scotland, with above it the glori-
ous motto Sustento Sanguine Signa. This crest was given by
royal command in order to commemorate the gallantry of
John Seton of Pitmedden, who was shot through the heart
at the Bridge of Dee (June 18, 1639) while holding the
banner aloft and calling on his followers to charge the reb-
els. A somewhat similar motto, and for a somewhat
similar reason, is used by the very ancient French family
of Chateaubriand : Mon Sang Teint Les Banmeres De France.
I have seen in one of the halls of the University of Bologna
the arms, painted in fresco, of John Seton of Meldrum, who
was a student of law there in 1603. Underneath them is the
inscription, D. Joannes Sitonius Scotus Meldroni Dominus — i.e.,
Sir John Seton, a Scot, Laird of Meldrum.
The Seton and Gordon arms of the Earl of Huntlv are
beautifully emblazoned on the heraldic ceiling of St. Machar's