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No. VII.
ALEXANDER SEYTON.
In mentioning Alexander Seyton, Calderwood says, "He was of a quicke ingyne, and tall stature;" and adds, "I find in Mr. John Davidson's scrolles, that he was brother to Ninian Seton Laird of Tough."—(Hist. vol. i. p. 93.) In this case he must have been the youngest son of Sir Alexander Seyton of Touch and Tillybody in Stirlingshire; and the pedigree of that family may in part be thus exhibited:—
I. Sir Alexander Seyton of Touch and Tillybody in Stirlingshire. Married Lady Elizabeth Erskine, daughter of Thomas second Earl of Mar.532
II. Sir Alexander, his son and successor, had a charter of the barony of Tulchfrasere on the forfeiture of Murdoch Earl of Fyfe, in 1510. He was killed at Floddon in 1513. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Alexander Lord Home.
III. Sir Ninian Seyton, his son and successor, on the 26th of August 1516, obtained a divorce from his wife Matilda Grahame. (Liber Ofliciulis S. Andreæ, p. 8.) He was alive in 1534: David Seyton was probably another son, as well as Alexander. They prosecuted their studies at the same time at St. Andrews.
IV. Walter Seyton, son and heir of Sir Ninian Seyton of Tullibody, had a charter of the barony of Touchfraser and Tullibody, 14th January 1535-6; and another, 4th May 1546.
Among Wodrow's Biographical Collections at Glasgow, are "Collections upon the Life of Alexander Seaton, Dominican Frier, Confessor to King James the Fifth, and afterwards Chaplain to the Duke of Suffolk in England;" which are printed in the Appendix to "The History of the House of Seytoun," pp. 113-118, Glasgow 1829, 4to. But Wodrow's account consists of little else than mere extracts from Knox, Foxe, and Calderwood.
Alexander Seyton, as already stated, was educated at St. Andrews. A person of the same name became a Licentiate in 1501; but the Confessor may more probably be identified with Alexander Seyton, who, with David Seyton, appear among the Determinants in 1516, and the Intrants in 1518, as potentes, who paid the highest fees.
At page 48 I have suggested that the year of Seyton's flight to England, when he addressed his Letter to King James the Fifth, may have been 1535 or 1536. According to Knox, Seyton remained in England, and taught the Gospel in all sincerity; which drew upon him the power of Gardyner Bishop of Winchester, and led to his making a recantation or final declaration at Paul's Cross, in opposition to his former true doctrine. This was published at the time in a small tract, of which a copy is preserved in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth. It is entitled, "The Declaracion made at Paules Crosse in the Cytye of London, the fourth Sonday of Advent, by Alexander Seyton, and Mayster Willyam Tolwyn, persone of S. Anthonyes in the sayd Cytye of London, the year of our Lord God M.D.XLI., newly corrected and amended." (The colophon,) "Imprinted at London in Saynt Sepulchre's parysshe,533 in the Olde Bayly, by Rychard Lant. Ad imprimendum solum." 12mo. eight leaves.
An account is given by Foxe of Seyton's examination, or "Certaine places or articles gathered out of Seyton's sermons by his adversaries;" which, he says, he "exhibits to the reader, to the intent that men may see, not only what true doctrine Seyton then preached consonant to the Scriptures, but also what wrangling cauillers can do, in depraining that is right, or in wrastyng that is well ment, &c."—1177, edit. 1576.
Bale informs us that Seyton died in the year 1542, in the house of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, to whose household he officiated as Chaplain.—(Script. Bryt. Cent. xiv. p. 224.)
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