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.
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, 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.)
No. VIII.