New-York tribune., 1902-02-01
THE SETONS.
MEMORIALS OF A DISTINGUISHED
FAMILY.
AN OLD FAMILY. OR THE sETONs OF SCOT
LAND AND AMERICA. BY Monsignor Seton
Octave, PIP. xiii. 43S Brentanos.

A A.
Octave. PIP. xiii 43s. Brentano's.
At a moment when claims are being advanced
in every direction by social aspirants to con-
nection with the European aristocracy. pre-
tensions based for the most part, on similarity
of names on still himser foundations, and
when coats of arms and crests of noble and
royal families in the Old World are being as
sumed in the most impudent manner. it is in
teresting find American family which by
means Of the most incontfovertible records is
able to show a line Of ancestry illustrious on
the other side of the Atlantic since the days
of the Norman Conquest, nine hundred years
ago. This family. the Seton family. has, more
over, played by means unimportant part in
American history, on the pages of which its
name figures repeatedly, and always in an hon
orable and distinguished manner. Indeed there
are few families the annals of which more
closely interviewer with national history on both
sides of the Atlantic than that of Seton and
only quite recently the very same newspapers
that described how an American Seton had been
distinguishing himself officer of infantry
in the Philippine Islands by conspicuous gall
lantry recorded the fact that Major Henry
James Seton of the Royal Irish Rifles was
among the English officers dangerously wound
ed in an encounter with the Boers in South
Africa.
AS a general rule histories of families when
compiled by one of their members indicate
ity and pride of birth. Moreover, they ordinarily
lack the sense of proportion and perspective,
and wont to attribute undue Importance to
trivialites. No such reproach. however. can be
addressed to the volume entitled AN Old Fam
lily, or the Setons of Scotland and America" by
Monsgnor Robert Seton, who is not only one of
the most eminent genealogsts of the United
States. but likewise enjoys the distinction of
4Hol.
lean birth who has been admitted to and
graduated from the Academia Ecclesiastical at
Rome, which is restricted exclusively to theo-
logical students of noble birth, and from the
graduates of which the nuncios and diplomatic
officials of the Pope exclusively recruited
For the work in question is one of much re-
search and of rare genealogical erudtion Of con-
siderable value to those interested in the his
tory of the old Colonial families of this country
besides tending to dispose of unwarranted pre-
tensions put forward by people who not con-
tent to be their ancestors.
Every reader of the works of Sir Walter Scott
will remember that lovely Mary Seton who was
the most beautiful and the favorite of the four
Marys that figured as maids Of honor to the
i'll fated Mary Queen of Scots. accompanying
her from Scotland to France and back to Scot
land again and into captivity There is not
chapter in the annals Of Scotland which does
not contain mention of the Setons. They are
represented to this day in the aristocracy or
Sweden. occupied for three centuries a conspicu-
Gus place in the patrciate of Miian while stu
dents of Shakespeare may remember that
Lord Seton is described being in attendance
on Macbeth. The present head OF that brancn
of the Seton family. which has remained in the
United Kingdom is Sir Bruce Maxwell Seton. Of
Abercorn, while the head Of the American
branch. known the Setons. of Parbroath, de-
scended from a Seton who came to America in
the reign of George II, is William Seton. elder
brother of the right reverend author Of the
family records William Seton distinguished
himself in the Civil War, particularly at the
battle of Antietam. where he was badly
wounded and he has since attained fame in the
world of science and letters. In word, the
Setons may be said to serve a species of
connecting link between some Of the most an
cient houses of the European aristocracy and
number of the oldest families OF Colonial de
scent in the United States