George Seton, 5th Earl of Winton facts for kids
George Seton, 5th Earl of Winton (born around 1678, died 1749) was a Scottish nobleman. He supported James Francis Edward Stuart, also known as "The Old Pretender," in the Jacobite rising of 1715. This was a fight to bring the Stuart family back to the throne of Great Britain.
George Seton was captured by the English. He was put on trial and sentenced to death. However, he managed to escape and lived the rest of his life away from Scotland.
Early Life and Travels
George Seton was expected to become the leader of the Seton family. His father gave him the title of Baron of Seton when he was very young. He was sent to the best schools in Europe to get a good education.
However, George was not very interested in parties or politics at first. This made his father sad and caused some problems in the family. So, George decided to travel around Europe. For a while, he even worked as a blacksmith's helper in Flanders (part of modern-day Belgium). Even though he was far away, he kept in touch with his family in Scotland through a trusted servant.
His parents died while he was traveling. No one knew where he was until he was found by chance. He didn't return to Scotland until several years after he became the Earl. During this time, his family home and lands became run down. Like others in his family, he enjoyed studying and traveling. In 1708, a minister named Robert Calder dedicated a book to him.
The 1715 Rebellion
George Seton was one of the first Scottish noblemen to join the Jacobite rising of 1715. This rebellion aimed to bring the exiled Stuart family back to the throne. He brought 300 men with him to support James Francis Edward Stuart. He was known for his strong and determined personality.
The Seton family had always been very loyal to the Stuart kings. The last Earl, George, strongly believed in supporting the Stuarts, even though he had changed his religious beliefs.
The rebellion started while George was living peacefully at his home in Seton. He joined the fight after some soldiers from Lothian broke into his house. He said they did this out of "private anger." He claimed they damaged his home, even breaking into his family chapel and disturbing the graves of his ancestors.
After this, the Earl joined the fight against the government. He led a group of horsemen, many of whom were gentlemen from East Lothian. They joined other rebels from Northumberland, led by Mr. Forster and the Earl of Derwentwater. Later, more Highlanders joined them at Kelso.
The English rebels wanted to take the fight into England. They hoped to get more support there from people who also supported the Stuarts. But the Scottish rebels wanted to stay in Scotland. They suggested taking over towns like Dumfries and Glasgow. They also wanted to attack the Duke of Argyll's army from behind, while the Earl of Mar attacked from the front.
The English rebels insisted on their plan, even though the Scots strongly disagreed. The Highlanders even started to protest against the English leaders. George Seton disagreed so much that he left the army with many of his men. He was heading north when a messenger from the rebel leaders caught up with him. The messenger begged him to return.
George replied, "It shall never be said that the Earl of Winton deserted King James's interests." He then grabbed his own ears and said, "You, or any man, shall have liberty to cut these out of my head if we do not all repent it." Even though he was only about 25 years old, he rejoined the rebels. However, he stopped taking part in their discussions. A chaplain who was with the rebels, Robert Patten, wrote that the Earl was often ignored. He sometimes didn't even have a proper place to stay. But he decided to keep going. He entertained others by telling funny stories about his travels and working as a blacksmith's helper in France.
Capture and Escape
The Scottish army went into England, against Lord Winton's advice. They were defeated at Preston, in Lancashire, after a tough battle on November 14, 1715.
The Earl fought bravely at Preston. But he had to surrender with the other rebels. He was taken as a prisoner to London and held in the Tower. He was put on trial before the House of Lords on March 15, 1716. He defended himself very cleverly.
He was tried separately from the other noblemen because he pleaded "not guilty." He was the only one to do so. He felt it would be wrong for a Seton to admit to being a traitor and ask for mercy from King George. The other Scottish lords who were captured included the Earl of Nithsdale and the Viscount Kenmur.
Lord Winton defended himself with spirit and skill. But, as expected, he was sentenced to death on March 19, 1716.
His sentence was so certain that he laughed at the judge, Lord Cooper. He told him, "I hope you will do me justice, and do not make use of Coupar-law, as we used to say in our country. 'Hang a man first and then try him.'" He was making a joke about the judge's name, Cowper, which sounded like Cupar, a town in Fife. In the past, people sometimes didn't get a fair trial there.
Many people thought Lord Winton was strange, but Sir Walter Scott disagreed. He wrote that Lord Winton "displayed more sense and prudence than most of those engaged in that unfortunate affair."
While he was in the Tower, waiting for his sentence, a loyal servant helped him. The servant gave him a small tool, possibly a watch-spring. With this, he managed to cut through the metal bars of his cell window and escaped. This happened on August 4, 1716, around 9 o'clock at night. The Earl safely reached France and eventually made his way to Rome.
Life in Exile and Death
In Rome, George Seton became a Mason. He joined a Scottish Masonic Lodge there on August 16, 1735. He used the name George Seaton Winton after his titles were taken away.
He is believed to have died in Rome on December 19, 1749, when he was over 70 years old. One story about him from that time says: "Walked two hours with Lord Dunbar in the gardens, and afterwards went to the coffeehouse to which Lord Winton resorted and several of his stamp, and there fell a-singing old Scots songs, and were merry."
The titles of Earl of Winton and other Seton family titles were lost because they supported the Stuart kings. They were never given back. However, in 1859, the Earl of Eglinton was given the new title of Earl of Winton in the United Kingdom.
It is not known exactly where Lord Winton is buried. Some stories say he secretly returned to Scotland and died there, known only to a few people. Others say he died in Ormiston, still in exile.
Sir Robert Douglas wrote that the Seton family was "one of the principal houses in Great Britain." It had existed for over 600 years in East Lothian and had many successful family branches throughout Scotland.
