DE SETON, Alexander Governor of Berwick, Sir ¹

   User ID: W623.

  General Notes:

"On 13 March 1328 he was first witness (designate as 'the father ') to a charter of confirmation granted by Sir William de Lewyngstoun, knight, of the charter mentioned above as granted by Sir Fergus Cumyn, about the year 1260, in favour of the Monastery of Holyrood." He may have witnessed the confirmation as representative of Serlo and Alexander de Seton, witnesses to the original charter."

"It seems probable that the belief in Sir Alexander's descent from Christian Brus may have been partly due to
the fact that he surrounded the three crescents of his coatarmorial with the royal tressure; and that this augmentation, which frequently commemorates a maternal royal descent, was ever after borne by his successors. But the sovereigns of Scotland occasionally conferred the right to bear the double tressure on subjects ' who merited well of their King and country, as a special additament of honour '; and Sir Alexander or a predecessor of his may well have been one of the early recipients of the distinction."

"Alisaundre de Seton, Vallet, del Counte de Edeneburgh, who did homage to King Edward I. on 28 August 1296, was probably the future Governor of Berwick."

"Sir Alexander was one of the signatories of the letter asserting the independence of the kingdom which the Barons of Scotland addressed to Pope John xxii. on 6 April 1320."

"Between 1326 and 1332, Sir Alexander is often found designate as 'the father'; his son of the same name had doubtless grown up and been knighted before the former year. He is designate ' Sir Alexander de Seton the father Lord of that Ilk,' in a charter granted by Alanus de Hertesheued, attributed to a date anterior to the year 1328.
He remained in command of the town of Berwick until the siege by King Edward III. was drawing to a close; but
he seems to have been superseded by Sir William Keith, a few days before the place was surrendered between 19 and 22 July 1333. He is said to have seen from the walls the execution by the English of his son Thomas, a hostage in their hands for the conditional surrender of the town, whose life, they alleged, was forfeited by reason of the non-fulfilment of that engagement.''

from Scots Peerage (vol 8) ¹

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Signatory: letter of declaration of independence to Pope John XXII, 6 April 1320, Arbroath Abbey, Angus, Scotland. ¹

Alexander married Christian CHEYNE, daughter of Sir Reginald II LE CHEN 3rd of Inverugie, and of Duffus and Straloch and Mary DE MORAVIA of Duffus.¹ (Christian CHEYNE was born about 1285.)

  Marriage Notes:

"Sir Alexander is said to have married Christian Cheyne, daughter of the Laird of Straloch, and to have had by her four sons ..."

from Scots Peerage (vol 8) ¹