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Bruce Seton

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For his father, the military surgeon and historian, see Bruce Gordon Seton.

Sir
Bruce Seton
Bt
Born(1909-05-29)29 May 1909
Simla, British India
Died28 September 1969(1969-09-28) (aged 60)
London, England
OccupationActor
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1937; div. 1940)​

​
​
(m. 1940)​
Children1
Military career
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchBritish Army
Years of service1929 - 1932
1939 - 1945
RankMajor
Service number44304
UnitBlack Watch
Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
Battles / warsSecond World War
AwardsMedal of Freedom (US)

Sir Bruce Lovat Seton, 11th Baronet (29 May 1909 – 28 September 1969) was a British actor and soldier.[1]

He is best remembered as Fabian of the Yard.

Early life

Bruce Lovat Seton was born in Simla, British India, the younger of two sons of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Bruce Gordon Seton of Abercorn (1868–1934), 9th Baronet and his wife, Elma Armstrong (died 1960).[2] He was educated at Edinburgh Academy and then trained at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

Military career

Bruce was commissioned into the Black Watch in 1929 as a 2nd Lieutenant, but resigned his commission in 1932. A brief interruption in his acting career came during the Second World War and in November 1939 he held the rank of Captain in the 10th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), ending the war as Major (temporary). His service number was 44304 and he was awarded the Medal of Freedom.[3][4][5][6]

Acting

Bruce began his acting career in the chorus line at Drury Lane Theatre[3] and in 1935 he starred in Ralph Ince's film Blue Smoke as character Don Chinko.[7]

He played Inspector Fabian of Scotland Yard in 1950s TV series Fabian of the Yard. The series was based on the career of the former Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Robert Fabian, who usually appeared briefly before the final fade-out to wind up the story.[8]

Bruce's last role was as the voice of Beadle in The Wonderful World of Disney from 1962-63.[9]

He fenced and boxed in the Army and was a founder member with other actors of the Lord’s Taverners, a charity which raises funds to support participation in cricket.[3]

Later career

His address in the 1940s was 15 Learmonth Gardens in western Edinburgh.[10]

In 1963, on 7 February, the death of his brother, Alexander (Sandy) Hay Seton (who had no male heirs), Bruce became the 11th Seton baronet.[11]

Since Bruce also had no male heirs at the time of his death, in 1969, the title passed to his cousin, Christopher Bruce Seton (1909–1988).[12]

Personal life

He met fellow actor Tamara Desni Willhelm (1911-2008) on the set of Blue Smoke in 1936, became her second husband in 1937 in London and divorced in 1940.[13][14][3]

He married his second wife, actor Antoinette Cellier (Florence Antoinette Glossop Cellier), in 1940 in London. They had a daughter, Lydia Antoinette Gordon Seton, born on 14 November 1941.[4]

Selected filmography

Honours

Arms

Coat of arms of Bruce Seton

Sources

References

  1. ^ "Bruce Seton". BFI. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012.
  2. ^ "Family of Sir Bruce SETON of Abercorn, 9th Baronet and Elma ARMSTRONG". Hamish Haynes. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d "Bruce Seton". Scotland's People.
  4. ^ a b "Person Page - 57442". The Peerage.
  5. ^ "Record Details for Bruce Lovat Seton (Cameronians (Scottish Rifles))". Forces War Records.
  6. ^ "Supplement to the London Gazette, 23 May, 1947" (PDF). The Gazette.
  7. ^ "Cast of Blue Smoke". Artist Direct.
  8. ^ "Fabian of the Yard (1954) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast - AllMovie". AllMovie.
  9. ^ "Walt Disney Treasures: Dr. Syn - The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh DVD Review". dvdizzy.com.
  10. ^ "Marriage Record Bruce Lovat Seton and Florence Antoinette Glossop Cellier". Scotland's People.
  11. ^ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/151502292/bruce-lovat-seton
  12. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. ^ "Daily Record and Mail, Thursday February 15,1940 - Married Hour After Divorce" (PDF). Scotland's People.
  14. ^ "Online records show actor 'remarried one hour after divorce'". The Scotsman.
Baronetage of Nova Scotia
Preceded by Baronet
(of Abercorn)
1963–1969 		Succeeded by
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