James Alexander Seton

James Alexander Seton was born in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in 1816, the son of Colonel James Seton and Margaret Findlater. He was of Scottish descent, being a descendant of the Earls of Dunfermline. His grandfather was Vice-Admiral James Seton, governor of St Vincent in the Caribbean. Thanks to inherited money, he was a wealthy man with no need to work for a living.[1]

Seton served briefly as a cavalry officer. Between March 1837 and March 1838 he was attached to the 3rd, 11th and 12th Light Dragoons. His rank was never higher than that of cornet, and his short military career ended around six years before the duel. Despite this he is styled "Captain Seton" in many histories of the event.

He married Anne Susannah Wakefield in May 1838[2] and they had one child, Marion Frances.

The beach at Browndown (2007); the scene of the duel

Some time during the early 1840s James and Susannah Seton rented rooms in Southsea near Portsmouth, Hampshire. In May 1845, James Seton met Isabella Hawkey, the wife of Lieutenant Henry Hawkey, an officer of the Royal Marines.[3] Seton began a pursuit of Isabella, visiting her at her lodgings when her husband was absent and offering gifts. Henry Hawkey heard rumours of this and forbade his wife to see Seton.[4]

On 19 May 1845, the Hawkeys and James Seton attended a ball in the King's Rooms, Southsea, a gathering that was held weekly. There, James danced with Isabella.[3][4] There was an altercation in which Hawkey openly insulted Seton, calling him a "blaggard and a scoundrel"[5]

Early the next morning, Hawkey was visited in his lodgings by a naval officer, Lieutenant Rowles. Acting as Seton's second, Rowles issued Hawkey with a formal challenge to a duel. Hawkey later visited a gunsmith's shop with a shooting gallery where he briefly practiced shooting.[4] Later, he bought a pair of duelling pistols from another shop[6] and spent the afternoon practicing with them.

The duel took place that evening on the beach at Browndown, near Gosport. Seton and Rowles travelled there by boat, Hawkey and his second, Royal Marine Lieutenant Charles Lawes Pym, travelled separately. After the seconds had measured out fifteen paces, the duellists took their pistols and fired. Seton's shot missed; Hawkey's pistol was half-cocked and failed to fire. By the rules of duelling, the affair could have honourably ended then. However, Hawkey insisted on a second exchange of shots. This time Seton was struck down by a bullet which entered his lower abdomen.[4]

The wounded man was carried onto a yacht that was nearby and taken the short distance to Portsmouth by sea.[3] He was taken to the Quebec Hotel and eventually operated on by the eminent London surgeon Robert Liston. The surgery appeared to go well, but signs of an infection soon became apparent and Seton quickly began to go downhill. He died on 2 June 1845.

Seton was buried in his family's vault at St Mary's Church, Fordingbridge on 10 June, after his body was released by the coroner. His funeral was a significant local event, nearly all the shops in the town were closed and many of the inhabitants followed the funeral procession from Southsea to Fordingbridge.[7] A memorial to James Seton was placed inside the church, where it can be still seen.[8]

An inquest began on 4 June at the Portsmouth Guildhall.[9] It was ajurned on the 6th, and recommenced on 17 June. The inquest jury returned a verdict wilful murder against Henry Hawkey and Charles Lawes Pym and a warrant was issued for the arrest of both men.[3]

Around nine months after the duel, in March 1846, Lieutenant Pym was charged as an accessory for murder at Winchester assizes, but was acquitted. His involvement in the duel had little apparent effect on his military career, which was long and successful. He eventually reached the rank of general.[2]

Henry Hawkey was tried for murder on 13 June 1846 at the summer session of Winchester assizes. Defended by Alexander Cockburn QC, he was found not guilty after Cockburn delivered a two-hour speech to the jury, in which he claimed Hawkey had been deeply provoked by Seton's conduct to his wife, and that Seton's death was largely caused by the medical treatment he had received.[10]

The last fatal duel in England took place some seven years later, on 19 October 1852, at Priest Hill, between Englefield Green and Old Windsor. It was fought by two French political refugees, Lieutenant Frederic Constant Cournet and Emmanuel Barthélemy. Cournet was killed and Barthélemy was tried for murder. However, he was convicted only of manslaughter and sentenced to a few months in prison. In 1855, Barthélemy was hanged after shooting and killing his employer and another man.[11]

Citations

Bibliography

• A Matter of Honour, Martyn Beardsley. Bookline & Thinker, 2011.