George Seton, 6th Lord Seton facts for kids
George Seton IV, the 6th Lord Seton, was an important Scottish nobleman who lived in the 1500s. He was a member of the Parliament of Scotland, which was like the government's law-making body back then.
George's father, the 5th Lord Seton, sadly died in a big battle called the battle of Flodden. George's mother, Janet Hepburn, was very strong. She looked after the family's business and money for 45 years after her husband passed away. When George was old enough to take over, Janet decided to join a convent in Edinburgh, a place where religious women lived. After George died in 1549, she even helped arrange marriages for two of her granddaughters.
In 1542, George Seton became a special judge called an Extraordinary Lord of Session. At that time, many Scottish nobles, including George, agreed to a plan for Mary, Queen of Scots to marry Prince Edward of England. This marriage was meant to bring Scotland and England closer.
However, a powerful church leader named Cardinal Beaton was against the English marriage. George Seton was given the job of looking after Cardinal Beaton, but George allowed the Cardinal to escape.
George Seton died in 1549. He was first buried at Culross Abbey because his family's church, Seton Collegiate Church, was in an area controlled by English forces during a war called the Rough Wooing. During this war, Seton Palace and the church were damaged when the English army attacked and burned Edinburgh in May 1544.
A lawyer named Sir Richard Maitland, who worked for the Seton family, started writing a book about their history because George asked him to. Sir Richard finished the book during the time of George's son, George Seton, 7th Lord Seton.
George's First Marriage: Elizabeth Hay
George Seton's first wife was Elizabeth Hay. She was the daughter of John Hay, the 3rd Lord Hay of Yester. George and Elizabeth had seven children together:
- George Seton, 7th Lord Seton: He married Isobel Hamilton.
- John Seton: He married Isobel Balfour, who was an heiress from Fife.
- Janet: She sadly passed away when she was only two years old.
- Marion Seton: She was a lady-in-waiting, which meant she helped Mary of Guise, the Queen Regent of Scotland. Marion first married John Graham, the Earl of Menteith, in 1548. They had five children. Later, she married John Gordon, the Earl of Sutherland. Marion and John passed away in 1567.
- Margaret Seton: She married Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig first, but they didn't have children. Then she married David Hamilton.
- Beatrix Seton: She married George Ogilvy of Banff. Beatrix and George were ancestors of a famous American president, Theodore Roosevelt.
- Heleanor Seton: She married Hugh, the Master of Somerville.
George's Second Marriage: Marie Pieris
George Seton married his second wife, Marie Pieris, in February 1539. She was a French lady-in-waiting to Mary of Guise, the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots. They had a special ceremony called "handfasting" at Falkland Palace.
Marie's family, the Pierres, came from France and believed they were related to the Percy family from England. In 1548, George and Marie were given ownership of lands called Winchburgh and East Niddry. Marie's father wrote letters to Mary of Guise from France. Marie also wrote a letter to Mary of Guise from Niddry Castle, warning her about a plan by Regent Arran to capture the young Mary, Queen of Scots.
Marie Pieris, also known as "Lady Seyttoun," received payments from Mary, Queen of Scots, which were recorded in the Queen's accounts.
George and Marie had three children: Robert, James, and Mary Seton. Mary Seton became a close friend and companion to Mary, Queen of Scots.
In 1570, Marie and her son Robert were arrested. They were accused of sending letters to Mary, Queen of Scots, that seemed to question the authority of James VI of Scotland, who was the new king. They were put on trial in the Tolbooth in Edinburgh. However, they were released after promising not to write to Queen Mary again.
During a conflict called the Marian Civil War, Marie Pieris stayed inside Edinburgh Castle during a long period when it was surrounded, known as the "lang siege." She helped to make a list of all the jewels belonging to Mary, Queen of Scots that were still in the castle.
