Seaton Families in Mualich

Mualich-more and Mualich-beg in Glen Fender

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John Seaton and Christian McIntosh in Croftmore and Mualich-more

On 4th May 1746 the minutes of the Blair Atholl Kirk Session recorded that John Seaton, servant to John Stewart in Croftmore, appeared before the Congregation for his fornication with Christian McIntosh, servant woman to Croftmore.

He made a second appearance before the Congregation on 25th May 1746 and was told to re-appear a third time as he was 'a relapse', meaning that he had been found guilty of fornication on a previous occasion. However on 15th June 1746 John Seaton, servant to Croftmore, a relapse, did not appear and was ordered to appear before the Congregation, Sabbath next.

On 22nd June 1746 John Seaton, servant to Croftmore, appeared before the Congregation for his fornication with Christian McIntosh in Dealgdhorais (Dalginross), was rebuked and by reason that he designed to marry his said party, was dismissed. The following Sabbath John Seaton, servant to Croftmore, had his and his party's fine modified to 5 merks, which he paid, by reason of his being booked and proclaimed with Christian McIntosh in Dalginross, and also in having, in the last years of famine, spent the most part of his effects upon his father who had been in a distressed condition.

According to the Blair Atholl OPR John Seaton in Croftmore and Christian McIntosh in Dalginross, married 8 Jul 1746, and this marriage changed the status of their child Janet, who was born at Croftmore on 4th May 1746, from illegitimate to lawful. The wretched financial state of the family, as mentioned in the Session minutes, would explain why the baptisms of subsequent children were not officially recorded in the Blair Atholl OPR until twelve years later.

A son Donald was born at Mualich-more on 27th June 1758, but seems to have died in infancy as another Donald appears in the OPR on 16th June 1760, also born at Mualich-more.

As a relapse John Seaton probably was in his mid to early twenties, but his date of birth and parentage is unknown. However, one clue could come from the marriage of Charles Robertson and Margaret Setton.

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Charles Robertson and Margaret Setton in Mualich-beg

The Moulin OPR records that Charles Rotson (Robertson) and Margaret Setton, married 24 Nov 1747, saying that both were from the Moulin parish. However their two children: John, 26th September 1751; and Christian, 17th April 1757, were both born at Mualich-beg. This may be a coincidence, but if John Seaton was farming at Mualich-beg, what would be more natural than to employ a brother-in-law as a farm servant.

There is another unusual entry in the Blair Atholl OPR: Janet, 16th June 1754, daughter to Charles Robertson and Janet Campbell in Mualich-beg. This is odd as there is no evidence of a marriage between such as couple, neither is there any mention of an illegitimate child by these parents in the Session minutes. With this in mind, it is questionable whether there would be two Charles Robertson living at Mualich-beg at the same time. Perhaps the registrar wrote in the wrong name for the spouse. A Janet Campbell, living at Mualich-more in 1763, retracted her marriage banns.

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Duncan Seaton and Margaret Robertson in Dalginross

Another Seaton family linked to Mualich was that of Duncan Seaton and Margaret Robertson who married 25th December 1772. At the time of their marriage Duncan Seaton was living at Drumnabechin and Margaret Robertson was living at Toldunie, but their first child was born at Mualich-more, 23rd January 1773, and baptised as John. Duncan may have been another son of John Setton and Christian McIntosh, born around 1748.

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The Children of Duncan Seaton and Margaret Robertson in Glentilt

In the 1778 entry Donald's mother was given in error as Margaret Stewart, rather than Margaret Robertson.

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Alexander Seaton, Chelsea Pensioner

Alexander Seaton, born Blair Atholl, served in the 29th (Worcestershire) Foot Regiment from 1801 until 1816, at which point he was discharged as a Chelsea Pensioner, aged 36 years.

The 29th (Worcestershire) Foot Regiment was one of the first British units to be deployed during the Peninsular War in July 1808. It fought at the battles of Rolica in 1808, Vimeiro in 1808, Talavera in 1809 and Albuera in 1811. The battle-hardened regiment captured two French Colours and Sir Arthur Wellesley (the future Duke of Wellington) claimed that it was 'the best Regiment in this Army'. However the regiment lost so many men in these actions that by 1811 it had to return to England to recruit. When, in 1814, the regiment was back to full strength it was sent to Canada (the War of 1812) and arrived just as the war ended with the Treaty of Ghent. The regiment was then deployed to Belgium in 1815, but arrived too late to see any major action at Waterloo. Alexander Seaton 'retired' from the regiment in the following year, but it is not known whether he returned to Blair Atholl.