A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

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OF CELESTIAL FIGURES, tfc.
fixed, passing between their fare legs, and reflexing over their backs ; upon an
escrol, coming from behind the shield, and passing over the middle of the supporters,
are these words, Intaminatis fulget honoribus, relative to the surtout : And
on the compartment upon which the supporters stand, are these words, Invia vir-
tuti via nulla, the old motto of the family.
The branches of this noble family of the surname of Seaton (besides those who
have changed the name) whose arms I find upon record, are these following, according
to the time of their descent from the principal stem.
The first is JOHN SEATON, fourth son of the famous Sir Alexander Seaton of that
Ilk, Governor of Berwick, and his lady, Christian Cheyne. He got the lands of
Parbroth by marrying Elizabeth Ramsay, heiress thereof. She bore to him a son,
Alexander, whose arms I have seen illuminated in the House of Seaton, being the
paternal coat of Seaton, with the double tressure, with a small crescent in the
centre, for his difference, his father being the second son of the family who had
issue. His son was Sir Gilbert Seaton of Parbroth, father of Sir Alexander and
John. From Alexander the lineal succession continued till the reign of King
James VI.
From John descended JOHN SEATON, who married Janet Lathrisk heiress of
Lathrisk, of whom are descended the present Seatons of Lathrisk ; who have been
in use to carry the paternal coat of Seaton, with a boar's head in the centre, for
difference, being the armorial figure of the name of Lathrisk.
Sir Alexander Seaton, second son of Sir William Seaton of that Ilk, and his
lady, Katharine, daughter to Sinclair of Herdmanston, married Elizabeth Gordon,
daughter and heiress of Sir Adam Gordon of Gordon and Strathbogie. She bore
to him Alexander Seaton, who succeeded, of whom afterwards ; and WILLIAM
SEATON, the first of the family of Meldrum, by marrying Elizabeth Meldrum,
daughter and heiress of William de Meldrum, who, dying about the end of King
James I.'s reign, left the estate to his daughter and son-in-law ; whose son and
successor was Alexander Seaton, who was served heir to his mother, heiress of
Meldrum, 1456, and married a daughter of Sutherland Laird of DufFus, progenitor
of the present Lord Duffus ; and he quartered the arms of Meldrum, being argent,
a demi-otter issuing out of a bar, waved sable, with the paternal coat of Seaton.
By whom he had
William Seaton, who married Elizabeth Leslie, daughter to the Laird of Wardis ;
and with her he had only one son, Alexander, who was served heir to his grandfather,
1512. He married Agnes, daughter to Gordon of Haddo, predecessor to
the present Earl of Aberdeen ; by whom he had two sons, William his successor,
and Alexander, Chancellor of Aberdeen, and Vicar of Bethelny.
to Gordon of Less-
Which William married, for his first wife, Janet, daughter
more. She bore to him three sons, Alexander, John, and William, stiled portioner
of Slety ; and, after her death, for his second wife, Margaret Innes, by whom
he had two sons Mr ; George Seaton, who was Chancellor of Aberdeen, and purchaser
of the estate of Bara, which he left to the house of Meldrum, and James
Seaton, Progenitor of the Seatons of Pitmedden. William Seaton of Meldrum
died in the year 1571, and was succeeded by his eldest son.
Alexander married Elizabeth, daughter of Irvine of Drum, by whom he had
Alexander, who, in the year 1584, married Christian, daughter to Michael Fraser
of Stonywood, predecessor to the present Lord Fraser; and, by her, had only one
daughter, Elizabeth, who, in the ytar 1610, married John Urquhart of Craigfintry;
but he dying before his father, his father took a second wife, Jean, daughter to
Abernethy Lord Salton, by whom he had two sons, John and William, successively
Lairds of Meldrum, who died without issue ; and, by the last, the course of
succession in the male line, in whom the estate of Meldrum stood tailzied, was al-
tered, and, by disposition, conveyed to Patrick Urquhart of Lethendy, his grandnephew,
in prejudice of the heirs-male of John Seaton, his uncle.
Which JOHN was second son of WILLIAM SEATON of Meldrum, and Janet, daugh
ther of Gordon of Lessmir. He married Marjory Panton, daughter to John
Panton of Pitmedden, who, by resignation of his father, became seised of the
lands of Lumfart and Broomhill, and the heirs of his body, confirmed by charter
under the Great Seal, in the year 1575, ns were the lands of Moiney, anno 1597-