William Seton (writer)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
novelist
science writer
William Seton III | |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 January 1835 New York, U. S. |
| Died | March 28, 1905 (aged 70) New York, U. S. |
| Education | |
| Occupation(s) | Author novelist science writer |
| Spouse |
Sarah Redwood Parrish
(m. 1884) |
William Seton III (28 January 1835 - 15 March 1905) was an American author, a novelist and popular science writer. He was from one of America's most distinguished Roman Catholic families. His paternal grandmother was Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton, the first American citizen to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.
William Seton was born at 22 Bond Street in New York City, one of nine children of William and Emily Prime Seton, seven of whom survived to adulthood. William Sr. was a lieutenant in the U. S. Navy.[1] Another son, Robert, became rector of St. Joseph's Church, Jersey City. His sister Helen (1844-1906) joined the Sisters of Mercy taking the name Sister Mary Catherine. They were cousins of Archbishop of Baltimore James Roosevelt Bayley.
He was educated at St. John's College, Fordham, at Mt. St. Mary's, Emmittsburg, Md., and at the University of Bonn. He traveled extensively abroad before entering a law office in New York.[1]
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Soon after his admission to the bar he answered Lincoln's first call for troops in 1861. He was disabled for a time by two wounds received in the Battle of Antietam, where he fought as captain of the Forty-first New York Volunteers, French's Division, Sumner's Corps. Seton recovered at St. Joseph's Military Hospital, at McGowan's Pass, cared for by the Sisters of Charity of New York, a religious community founded by his grandmother.[2]
He returned to the family home, Cragdon. Originally called 'The Cedars", the estate was later named after a place purchased in 1784 by his great-grandfather William Seton in upper Manhattan. It was purchased by William's maternal grandfather, banker Nathaniel Prime, who bequeathed it to William's mother, Emily.[3] Seton returned to the front to be captain of the 16th Artillery in Grant's campaign against Richmond.[1]
Works
After the war he devoted himself chiefly to literature, publishing two historical novels, "Romance of the Charter Oak" (1870) and "Pride of Lexington" (1871); "The Pioneer", a poem (1874); "Rachel's Fate" (1882); "The Shamrock Gone West", and "Moire" (1884). About 1886 he went to Europe for serious study in paleontology, psychology, etc., and thereafter usually spent the greater part of each year in France in such pursuits. His forte was presenting scientific matters in attractive English. He issued a brief work, "A Glimpse of Organic Life, Past and Present" (1897). He was a frequent contributor of scientific articles to the 'Catholic World. "The Building of the Mountain", a novel, was in the press at the time of his death.
His alma mater, Mt. St. Mary's, conferred on him the degree of LL.D. in 1890.
