Alexander Seton 1st Earl of Huntly (died 15 July 1470) was a powerful 15th century Scottish magnate. He was knighted in 1439/40 and was Lord of Badenoch, & Cluny.

Alexander Seton developed a strong relationship with William Crichton

William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton

William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton of Sanquhar was an important political figure in Scotland.He held various positions within the court of James I. At the death of James I, William Crichton was Sheriff of Edinburgh, Keeper of Edinburgh Castle, and Master of the King’s household...

, the Chancellor of Scotland after 1439. He divorced his wife Egidia, daughter of Sir John Hay of Tillibody, in 1438 in order to marry Crichton's daughter Elizabeth.

Before 3 July 1445, King James II of Scotland

James II of Scotland

James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...

 made him Earl of Huntly, a new creation. This was part of a deal to make peace between the Crichton and Douglas-Livingston factions in the Kingdom.

He was embroiled in struggles against the Douglases, against the Lords of the Isles, and against the Lindsay earls of Crawford

Earl of Crawford

The title Earl of Crawford is one of the most ancient extant titles in Great Britain, having been created in the Peerage of Scotland for Sir David Lindsay in 1398. It is the premier earldom recorded on the Union Roll.The title has a very complex history...

.

Alexander died at Huntly Castle

Huntly Castle

Huntly Castle is a ruined castle in Huntly in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was the ancestral home of the chief of Clan Gordon, Earl of Huntly.-History:...

 and was buried in Elgin Cathedral

Elgin Cathedral

Elgin Cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, sometimes referred to as The Lantern of the North is a historic ruin in Elgin, Moray, north-east Scotland. It was established in 1224 on an area of ground granted by Alexander II that was close to the River Lossie and outside of the burgh of...

.

Family

He was the son of Alexander Seton (d. 1440) (2nd son of Sir William Seton of that Ilk), by his spouse Elizabeth Gordon (d. 16 March 1439), daughter and heiress of Sir Adam Gordon of that Ilk (killed in 1402 at the Battle of Homildon Hill).

The 1st Earl of Huntly had by his first wife a son:

• Sir Alexander Seton, ancestor of the Setons of Touch, and Abercorn.

By his second wife Elizabeth he had four sons and four daughters (all of whom took the surname of Gordon, including:

• George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly
  George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly
  George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly was Chancellor of Scotland from 1498–1501.Gordon fought on the King's side against the Douglases during The Douglas Rebellion and helped secure a defeat at the Battle of Brechin. The 2nd Earl completed the building work that his father begun in constructing Huntly...
  
  , directed his family's affairs in Alexander's later years and succeeded him to the earldom.
• Sir Alexander Gordon of Midmar
  Midmar Castle
  Midmar Castle is a 16th-century castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, located west of Westhill and west of Echt. The castle was built for George Gordon of Midmar and Abergeldie between 1565 and 1575, and was constructed by the stonemason and architect George Bell...
  
  
• Adam Gordon, Dean of Caithness
• William Gordon
• Lady Margaret Gordon (died after 9 November 1457)
• Lady Elizabeth Gordon (died 17 Apr 1500), married Nicholas Hay, 2nd Earl of Erroll, and then as his second wife John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy
  John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy
  John Kennedy, PC, 2nd Lord Kennedy was a Scottish lord, the son of Gilbert Kennedy, 1st Lord Kennedy....
  
  , and had issue by her first husband
• Lady Christian Gordon, married William Forbes, 3rd Lord Forbes, on 8 July 1468, and had issue
• Lady Catherine Gordon (died after 30 Sep 1461)

Sources

• Appleyard, Simon C., Alexander Seton, First Earl of Huntly in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press
  Oxford University Press
  Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
  
  , New Edition, 2004. accessed 14 Nov 2006