History of the family of Seton during eight centuries > Volume 2

CAPTAIN DAVID SETON 609
Bruce, shipbuilder in Dysart, in November 1785; and on the 1st of
February 1790 sailed for the East Indies, as ship carpenter in the York,
commanded by Captain Donnelly. After eight years' unrewarded perse-
verance, he determined to enter the Army, and obtained an Ensigncy in
the 71st regiment, in November 1797. In February 1800 he became
Lieutenant in the 40th regiment ; and early in the following year he
exchanged into the 1 ith West India regiment, ultimately attaining the rank
of Captain.
He married Penelope Waddell, 'an officer's daughter,' and widow of
Monsieur Fredayne, possessed of considerable property in the West Indies.
[On the death of his uncle Christopher, in 18 19,
9. Captain David Seton
succeeded to the representation of the family of Cariston, and died, without
issue, 9th September 1826. (See p. 615 infra. j\
2. George, born at Leven 6th August 1769, Commander in the
H.E.I.C.S. From an imperfect memorandum-book of births, deaths, and
marriages, etc., kept by his mother, it appears that he sailed from Dysart
for Amsterdam, on his 'first trial voyage,' in the May and Nancy — Captain
Dryborough — on the 24th of February 1785, and returned on the 17th of
November. On the 18th of August 1786 he sailed from Leith for Copen-
hagen and St. Petersburg, with Captain Skirven, and returned on the 16th
of August. Eight months later (13th December), he left Scotland with
the intention of embarking with Captain Boswell of the Chesterfield
Indiaman ; but owing to a change of plans, Boswell recommended him to
Captain Paiba (?) of the Lord Walsingham, with whom he sailed for China
on the 1 st of April 1787. His fond mother received a welcome letter
from the young sailor, dated ' 16th May, under the line,' by a homeward
vessel; while his next epistle, dated 'Wampo, 12th December,' only
reached its destination on the 15th of May 1788. Six months afterwards
(20th November) the absent son arrived at Gravesend, ' in perfect health ' ;
and on the 13th of February 1789 he sailed in the Britannia — Captain
Cumming — along with three other ' Indiamen,' for Batavia and Sumatra,
en route to China.
In July 1790, when residing at Rumgally, near Cupar, his mother
received a letter from her 'dear son George,' announcing that he had
obtained permission from Captain Cumming to remain in the East Indies,
and that he had sailed in a country ship called the Surat Castle — Captain
Lowrie — for Bombay, where he went on board the Yarmottth — Captain
Thomas Bruce of Grangemuir — as second officer. In June 1794 he got
the command of the country ship Alexander, and changed her name to
Helen.
Among my family records are a series of upwards of twenty of my
father's beautifully written folio and smaller volumes, of which the earliest
is a small quarto containing, inter alia, copy of a letter dated ' Edinburgh,
4H