Bruce Seton

Who was Bruce Seton?

Major Sir Bruce Lovat Seton of Abercorn, 11th Baronet, better known as Bruce Seton, was a British actor and soldier.

Seton was born in Simla, British India, the younger of two sons of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Bruce Seton of Abercorn, 9th Baronet and his wife, Elma, and was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and Sandhurst. He was commissioned into the Black Watch in 1929, but resigned his commission in 1932.

Seton's acting career began in 1935 when he starred in Ralph Ince's film, Blue Smoke. On the set, he met fellow actor Tamara Desni, and the two married in 1936 and divorced in 1940. A brief interruption in his career came during World War II. In November 1939 he was commissioned Lieutenant in the Cameronians, ending the war as a Major. His last role was as the voice of Beadle in The Wonderful World of Disney from 1962-63. On the death of his brother in 1963 without male heirs, Seton inherited the former's baronetcy. Seton's second wife was actress Antoinette Cellier, but he had no male heirs and so, on his death in 1969, the title passed to his cousin, Christopher.

Seton played Inspector Fabian of Scotland Yard in 1950s TV series Fabian of the Yard. The series was based on the career of the former Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Robert Fabian who usually appeared briefly before the final fade-out to wind up the story.