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

SETONS IN FRANCE 765
interesting paper in a comparatively recent number of Chambers's Journal,
by the late Mr. John Small of the Edinburgh University Library.
In Pepys's Diary (iii. 169) mention is made of Captain Seaton of the
Urania — 76 guns and 400 men — which took part in the victory over the
Dutch on the 3rd of June 1665.
Probably, however, more Setons have found their way to France than
to any other country on the continent of Europe. Under the notice of
John, first Baron of Cariston (p. 583 supra) mention has been made of two
of his three sons turning up in that kingdom, viz. : Sir John Seton, Captain
in the Scots Guards, who married a daughter of the Count de Bourbon,
and his younger brother James, who appears to have been resident in
France in the year 1601. I have also referred to ' Jehan Seton, Ecuyer,
Sieur de Cariston' — supposed to be Sir John's son — who, in 1622, married
'Demoiselle Catherine Eustache,' and who died, in 1661, at Coulonniers,
about two leagues from Meaux, whose interesting testament will be found
in the Appendix of Miscellanies.
In the manuscripts of the Duke of Hamilton (Historical mss. Com-
mission, nth Report, Appendix, Part vi. p. 91) we find a letter to
the Marquis of Hamilton, signed ' J. Setone,' apparently John or Sir John
Seton, one of the Scots Guard in the service of the King of France. At
the close of the communication he adds : ' As for neuis ve hier the
Emprieur's arme is strong, and, God willing, his Maestes [Louis xiii.]
arme vilbe abouufe four scoir thousand men this spring. I suld desyr
from my hert that our leues vair granted for completting of our Scotis'
regement for al they that ar heer dois viel and ar in goud account. As
for our Scotis gards I vil neuer vreit any moir. Sine their is no cair taking
to restablis it, I sal tak my tym and salbe most sory to be the last Scotis
Lieutennant, sua I kis your hands as ane that is, your Lordship's, etc. —
Paris, 3 November 1634.'
As already stated (under Cariston) several John Setons are specified
by Francisque-Michel in his Ecossais en France. He mentions the
Setons (i. 15) among 'les families les plus considerables' who came from
France to Scotland ; and he elsewhere (ii. 295) describes them as ' une
famille etroitement liee a toutes les epoques avec notre pays.' We have
already seen that the fourth Lord Seton had an exciting encounter with
the Dunkirkers on his way to France ; that the second wife of the sixth
Lord — the mother of Mary Seton — was a Frenchwoman ; that the maid
of honour herself spent her declining years in a convent at Rheims ; and
that the seventh Lord Seton — Queen Mary's devoted adherent — as well
as his son the Chancellor and several of his later descendants, were
repeatedly on French soil. Other Setons in France, mentioned by Michel,
are 'Alexander Seton, Lord de Gordon' (c. 1422); 'Master Seton,
escuier d'Escosse,' otherwise described as ' Thomas Ston (sic), Cappitaine
de gens d'armes ' (about the same date) ; ' Williame de Setoune,' Master
of Seton, and eldest son of John, second Lord, killed at the battle of
Verneuil in 1424 ; ' Guillaume Seton,' an archer in the Scots Guard, about