General Notes

Christell succeeded his father Adam, and married Maud, daughter of
Ingelram Percy, Lord Topcliff in Yorkshire. He was a very pious man,
"more given to devotion than to worldliness," says Maitland; and another
family chronicler tells us that he was a man who loved neither strife nor
wrong, but rather to readand to pray. He was a considerable benefactor
of the Church, particularly out of the estates in England, which he
administered during his father's lifetime. His brother settled also in
that part of England in which many Scoto-Normans (originally
Anglo-Normans) were large landowners, and is described as "Sir John Seton
of Seton, in Yorkshire." Dugdale mentions in those northeasternparts of
England an Ivo de Seton and a "Capella de Seton," and the villa et
territorium de Seton. Camden (Britannia) names Seton, in Northumberland,
aspart of the barony of De-la-Vall in the thirteenth century; and "Seton
Delavell," as also "Monk-Seton," is plainly marked in the superb
collection of mapsin the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum of William and John
Blaeu, published at Amsterdam in 1648. These names of places are now
mostly written Seaton, but it wasnot so formerly; and the old feudal
barons Delaval--"of the Vale"--were originally Setons-Delaval and an
early offshoot of our ancient family. It was probably from one of
Chrystell de Seton's donations that Pope Innocent IV. confirmed (as in
Dugdale's Monasticon) at Lyons, in 1245, to the Prior of the Monastery of
Saint James of Wartry Grangiam de Seton cum terris, pratis, pascuis,
nemoribus, piscariis, et omnibus pertinentiis suis. He died in old age,
before 1270:
"The knight's bones are dust,
And his good sword rust;
His soul is with the Saints, I trust."
Sources: "The History of the House of Seytounto the Year MDLIX", Sir
Richard Maitland of Lethington, Knight, with the Continuation, by
Alexander Viscount Kingston, to MDCLXXXVII. Printed at Glasgow,
MDCCCXXIX.
"A History of the Family of Seton during Eight Centuries" George Seton,
Advocate, M.A. Oxon., etc. Two vols. Edinburgh, 1896"An Old Family"
Monsignor Seton, Call Number: R929.2 S495