Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline
The Setons remained a Roman Catholic family after the Scottish Reformation of 1560, and continued to support Mary, Queen of Scots, after her abdication and exile in England.
[2] Alexander was noted learning Italian and science (philosophy) in Rome by Baptista da Trento in 1577 in a letter describing plots to marry Elizabeth I of England to the Earl of Leicester and re-instate Mary in Scotland.
[3] The family historian Viscount Kingston heard that he was skilled in mathematics, heraldry and architecture, and might have been made a Cardinal if he had stayed at Rome.
[6] According to the Jesuit Robert Parsons, Lord Seton considered sending the youthful Alexander back to Scotland as his representative at one point.
[10] From July 1593, Seton led a council convened to manage the estates of Anne of Denmark,[11] and she made him "bailie and justiciary of the regality of Dunfermline on both sides of Forth" on 15 February 1596.
[12] In December 1596, Richard Douglas wrote that Seton's mother was a great favourite of Anne of Denmark, and that she "rules the king her husband" as an explanation for his promotions.
[13] Around this time, King James had difficult financing the two royal households, and years later, he wrote that Seton had joked that his "house could not be kept upon epigrams", meaning that fine words alone would not raise money.
[15] At the end of August 1596 according to James Melville, the King arranged a Convention of the Estates at Falkland Palace which included the allies of the forfeited earls.
[17] Seton was regarded as one of the finest legal minds of the time, and he became an advisor to James VI and guardian and tutor to Prince Charles at Dunfermline Palace.
[22] Seton wrote to King James in London advising him to treat the queen with care, writing, "physic and medicine requireth a greater place with Her Majesty at present than lectures on economics and politics.
[26] There was a large entourage, and John Crane wrote from Worksop Manor to the Mayor of Leicester asking him to make ready a lodging with 12 beds, a kitchen, and 7 hogsheads of beer.
[28] Alexander Seton returned to Scotland with a pension of £200 to reward his keeping of Prince Charles, made Duke of York on Twelfth Night, and his expenses for his 'pains in the Union' amounting to £200 a year.
His letter of 30 October 1606 mentions the plague in Scotland which had been continuous in Edinburgh for four years, and although the outbreak was not vehement at this time, it interfered with the sitting of law courts.
A Mr Dummond, perhaps John Drummond of Hawthornden, advised him to enlist the help Arbella Stuart to gain Alexander Seton's support.
He felt that the Scots were left out of government business as "we ar leitill bettir nor idill cifres heir" - "we are little better than idle ciphers here.
They were requested to "have caire to sie the foir laich wark at Pinkie in the inner court therof tirrit & theikit of new with skailyie (roofed), and that this new wark begunne by me be everie way perfytit & buildit in all materials to the final ending thereof ... according to my intention and mynd declarit to Alexander Ingillis of Rottinraw my servant, and as the plat (plan) of the same is set downe".
[45] Seton also had a lodging in Edinburgh, and in July 1597 James VI held a lengthy audience with the ambassador Robert Bowes in this garden.
The book describes the method of multiplication using rods called "Napier's bones," and its Latin dedication acknowledges the help of Seton as the "illustrious Scottish Maecenas.
[55] The Earl of Melros wrote to the courtier John Murray of Lochmaben on the 19 June, discussing the difficulty of finding a replacement administrator, writing "Many are able to serve at tennis, at the cord, who are unfit for the house".
