George Seton (1822-1908) was born in Perth to George Seton of the East India Company. Educated at Edinburgh University and Exeter College, Oxford. Seton joined the bar in 1846 though never practised. By 1854, Seton was secretary to the Registrar-General for Scotland (Edinburgh). He added the post of Superintendent of the Civil Service Examinations in 1862 – doing both until 1889. Amongst the organisations that Seton joined include: The Royal Society of Edinburgh, St Andrews Boat Club, The Society for Improving the Condition of the Poor, The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, The Royal Bodyguard of Scottish Archers, and Midlothian Coast Artillery. Seton lived in Morningside for much of his adult life in a house he had built for himself – St Bennet’s. A historian and genealogist, Seton wrote in both areas including his 1863, The Law and Practice of Heraldry in Scotland.
