Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/320

 SETON

SETTLE

Catholic faith in 1805, having previously been an Episcopalian and interested in religious works and charities. In order to support and educate her five children, she received as boarders several boys who attended a private school in New York city, but the business proved unsuccessful and she was about to become instructress in a convent in Canada, when she was invited by the Rev. William Vul.MUine Dubourg, president of St. Mary's college, Baltimore, Md., to open a school for girls in that city. She directed this school with a single assistant, 1808-09, and in 1809, with $8,000 which had been given to Dr. Dubourg for charitable piu-poses, she carried out a long- cherislied plan and founded a new sisterhood for service among orplians and poor cliildren. She secured a farm at Emmittsburg. Md., and with three companions began the work. She was soon joined by six others and the congregation became known as " Sisters of Charity." Slie adopted the constitution and rules of the Daughters of Charity, founded by St. Vincent de Paul in France, with some modifications, in 1811, and with the per- mission of Archbishop Carroll became motlier- superior. serving as such until her death. They suffered many hardships during the first winter, but the school connected with the community soon provided them a comfortable income. In 1814 three sisters were sent to conduct an orphan asylum in Philadelphia. Pa., and three more in 1817 took charge of another in New York city, and in 1821 there were twenty communities of Sisters of Charity doing work among the poor in several states. The community was also incor- porated as a Religious Order by the legislature of Maryland in 1817. Her daughter, Catherine, 1800-91, became a sister in the Order of Mercy shortly after her mother's death, and devoted herself to work among the poor, and to the criminal classes in New York city. See: Memoirs of Mrs. S., tvritten by Herself: A Fragment of Real History (1817); '• Life of Mrs. Seton, Found- ress and First Superior of the Sisters of Charity in the United States," by the Rev. Charles I. White. D.D. (1872); " Vie de Madame Elizabeth Seton." by Madame de Barberey (1868), and •' Memoirs, Letters, and Journal of Elizabeth Seton," by Monsignor Robert Seton (2 vols., 1869). She died at Emmittsburg. Md., Jan. 24, 1821.

SETON, Robert, clergyman, was born in Pi.sa, Italy, Aug. 2h, 18.39; son of William and Emily (Prime) Seton; grandson of William and Elizabeth Ann ( Bayley) Seton and of Nathaniel and Cornelia (Sands) Prime, and a descendant of William and Rebecca (Curzon) Seton. He attended Mount St. Mary's college, was ordained priest in 1865, and was graduated from the Ecclesiastical Acad- emy of Rome, 18G7. He became private cliam- berlain to Pope Pius IX. in 1866, being the first

American to receive that honor. He was made prothonotary apostolic in 1867; returned to the United States; was chaplain to the convent and academy of St. Elizabeth at Convent, N.J., 1867- 76, and in 1876 became rector of St. Joseph's church at Jersey City. He was made dean of all the Monsignori in the United States, attended the fourth plenary council at Baltimore, Md., in 1884, lectured on Cliristian archaeology in the Catholic University of America, and at Seton Hall college, South Orange, N.J.; was elected a mem- ber of the New York Historical society, and on Oct. 5, 1881, of the New England Historic-Geneal- ogical society. He received the degrees of D.D. and LL.B. from Roman university in 1867. and that of LLD. from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, in 1803. He is the author of: Memoir, Letters and Journal of Elizabeth Seton (2 vols., 1869); Essays on Various Subjects Chiefly Roman (1882); The Dignity of Labor (1893); An Old Family (1899); Setori of Parbroath in Scotland and America, -prmted privately (1890); and con- tributions to periodicals, principally Roman Catholic.

SETON, William, author, was born in New York city, Jan. 28, 1835; son of William and Emily (Prime) Seton. He attended Mount St. Mary's college, Emmittsburg, Md.; was a captain in the 4th New York volunteers in the civil war, and was twice wounded in the battle of Antie- tam, which incapacitated liim for further service. He was married in New York in 1884, to Sarah Redwood, daughter of Isaac and Sarah (Redwood) Parrish of Philadelphia, Pa. He devoted himself to literarj' work after the war, contributed to current literature and is the author of: Romance of the Charter Oak (1870); The Pride of Lexing- ton: A Tale of the American Revolution (1871); The Pioneer, a poem (1874): Rachels Fate and Other Tales (1882); TJie Poor Millionaire, a Tale of New York Life (1884); The Shamrock Gone West (1834); 3Ioida, a Tale of the Tyrol (1884), and A Glimpse of Organic Life.

SETTLE, Thomas, jurist, was born in Rock- ingham county, N.C., March 9, 1789; son of David and Rhoda (MuUins) Settle; grandson of Josiah Settle, and a descendant of John Settle, who lived in England. He received a good educa- tion; was married in 1820 to Henrietta, daugh- ter of Azariah, and sister of the Hon. Cal- vin Graves; was admitted to the bar in 1812; was a member of the North Carolina house of commons, from Rockingham, 1816-17; a Demo- cratic representative from North Carolina in the 15th congress, 1817-19, and in 1818 declined re- election to the 16th congress. He was returned to the commons in 1826, and was speaker of the house, 1827-28, when he cast the vote preventing the passage of the bill opposing the banking