Augustin Winton  




COMMENTS ON THE LETTER


1. This letter illustrates how family tradition, legend and rumour enhance its history even over just two generations. The letter writer was Maud Annie (Bishop) de Winton the wife of Augustin John Fitch de Winton born in Bristol in 1879 and married 1901. He was the younger of the two sons of William Augustin de Winton born in Bonningues 9th March 1828. William Augustin was the eldest son of Captain James Winton's second marriage, to Fanny Hughes.
By claiming that her "invalid son" was second heir to the Title would indicate that James was the eldest or only son of his family, that she was not aware of any children from his first marriage and he must have been the great grandson of George Seton 5th Earl of Winton.

2. I have found no evidence that James Winton knew (his friend) the Duke of Wellington, although he was, as a lieutenant on half pay, an extra recruiting officer in the London district in 1807 under the authority of "the commander in chief". But would the Duke associate with a Lieutenant on half pay??
James did not fight through the peninsular war. He was an ensign in the 17th Foot in 1799 and went to Holland for that disastrous campaign, where he was promoted in the field to lieutenant by the commander in chief, His Royal Highness the Duke of York. From 1800 to 1803 he was with his regiment in Egypt but was then put on half pay for the rest of his life.
Maybe the letter writer was confused between the two Dukes, Wellington and York.
 
3. The letter says that James was determined to take his family to the south of France. Why would he take them to a foreign country not speaking English? Or had James lived in France earlier in his life. George Seton the 5th Earl of Winton escaped to France so any children would have been born there. And why the south of France. We have found a John Winton born 1788 "on the Alps near Bouen" south France. Was this James family? John Winton had a son Louis Winton born in Bouen 1814. Louis was married in London in 1844 and lived at Millbank. He had at least 5 children. The eldest George Winton died in Australia in 1930. His Australian family had an Aubrey Winton, an unusual first name. James settled in Calais, which was a major producer of lace. The Association of Australian Lace makers tell me that James owned the first steam driven lace looms. So he was a rich man. Pierre Landrau says that his country estate in Bonningues is now full of very nice houses for commuters to Calais. Where did he get his money?
James took his family to France in 1825 long before Victoria came to the throne in 1832 or effected action against his alleged great grandfather the 5th Earl of Winton. The title was given to Archibald Montgomerie the 13th Earl of Eglinton as the sole male heir to George Seton the 4th Earl in December 1840 so it was still available in 1825. Archibald Montgomerie was appointed the 1st Earl of Winton in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in June 1859. Did this prompt the family to add the "de", the first document we have using it is Maria's wedding in November 1859. If James instigated the use of the "de" because of his disappointment at losing the title and Scottish estates, he does not appear to have used it himself. All his children used the "de" in the UK and it appears on their family gravestones in France, but not on

his, which says Captain James Seaton and Winton. His daughter Hannah christened Hannah Winton in England used the "de" as a widow in the 1881 census. James' daughter Maria married James Wragg in Southwark on the 21st of November 1859 and used the name "Wragg de Winton". I have found no evidence of James using the "de" during his life, but after his death, two of his children Maria and George married in St Saviour Southwark England and both entered James de Winton as father on their marriage certificates.
 
4. It may be true that James threw out his eldest son William Augustin because he refused a commission in the Army. William was a music tutor and settled in Clifton, Bristol after a stay in Dorchester where he was most probably a teacher in a boy's school (run by?) his brother George. William met his wife, Caroline Elizabeth Fitch, a draper's daughter, in Dorchester but married in Marylebone, London in 1865. Why would he do that?

Anthony Whitty