George Seton, Lord Seton

Who was George Seton, Lord Seton?

George Seton, Lord Seton, Master of Winton was the eldest surviving son of George Seton, 3rd Earl of Winton, and continued the family's long-standing Roman Catholic traditions. Through his father's influence, he married in 1639 Lady Henrietta Gordon, daughter of the Marquess of Huntly, with whom he made a great match and by whom he had four sons, of whom George succeeded his grandfather as Fourth Earl of Winton, and the others died young or without issue.

Seton showed great military abilities and was firmly attached to the Royalist cause.

Although the family estates flourished under his stewardship, his father providing many opportunities to learn and excel at managing the family affairs, during the many troubles of the 17th century. Seton suffered great hardships at the hands of the rebels during the English Civil War, and his father had to sell family estates long held in Linlithgowshire, that of Niddry Castle and one at Winchburgh, to rescue him from imprisonment. He later died at Seton on 4 June 1648, prematurely and unexpectedly of an illness probably caused by his imprisonment, predeceasing his father. Seton's son George thus succeeded his grandfather and became the 4th Earl.