General Notes

Sir Christopher Seton succeeded his unfortunate but gallant father in
these troublous times of the War of Independence. He was knighted by King
Robert Bruce, and for his courtesy and valor was called by the common
people, with whomhe was a favorite, Good Sir Chrystell. He is mentioned
by Lord Hailes (Annals, II., 2) as one of the twenty "chief associates of
Bruce in his arduous attempts to restore the liberties of Scotland." He
is there styled Christopher Seton of Seton; for with the more perfect
amalgamation of races in that kingdom, and the consequent decline of
Norman influence with the Norman language, the French de--the particule
nobiliare of feudal possession--fell into disuse,and a new mode of
appellation arose. When a family and the estate bore the same name, and,
as was usually the case, the place gave its name to the owner,the
Scottish manner of expression is of that ilk; as, for instance, "Fawside
of that Ilk," i.e., of that same place; but when the estate, on the
contrary, derived its name from the surname of the owner--a more unusual
case--theScottish manner was to use both names together, as "Seton of
Seton." This wasmore distinguished; and Lord Hailes, as above, shows his
perfect acquaintance with these little points of Scotch etiquette and
pride.
At the disastrousbattle of Methven, near Perth, on June 19, 1306, soon
after Bruce's coronation, the Scottish chiefs were defeated by Aylmer de
Valence, Earl of Pembroke,and "the king was thrice unhorsed, and once so
nearly taken, that the captor, Sir Philip De Mowbray, called aloud that
he had the new-made king, when SirChristopher Seton felled Mowbray to
the earth and rescued his master." (Tytler: History, I., 207) The large
two-handed sword, wielded on this occasion isnow in the possession of
George Seton, Esq., of Edinburgh, Representative ofthe Setons of
Cariston. It has been several times engraved and publicly exhibited.
After many and notable acts against the English, Chrystell was taken
prisoner at last, in the Castle of Loch Doon, near Dalmellington, in
Ayrshire, through the treachery of one of his retainers named MacNab.
Barbour says,in his antiquated style of English:
And worthy Christoll of Seytoun
In to London betresyt was
Throw a discipill of Judas,
Maknab, a fals tratour thatay
Was off his duelling nycht and day.
-- The Bruce.
This account is confirmed by a tradition current in the neighborhood of
Loch Doon that a portionof land, at the lower end of the lake, which is
still known by the name of Macnabston, was given to the traitor as the
price of his crime. (Paterson, Ayrsbire, III., 9.) The ruins of the
ancient Castle of Loch Doon are on a rocky islet, at the head of the lake
whose waters, still famous for fish, are embosomed in hills that are now
bare and bleak, but were once covered with primevaltrees forming part of
the Forest of Buchan. Sir Christopher was immediatelyconveyed to London
to be exhibited to the king, and then brought back to Dumfries and
executed there, because he had been present and consenting (?) to Bruce's
killing of the Red Comyn in a sudden quarrel in the Greyfriars' Churchin
that town on February 10, 1305.
Sources: "The History of the House of Seytoun to the Year MDLIX", Sir
Richard Maitland of Lethington, Knight, with the Continuation,
byAlexander 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