Born in King William County, Virginia; a descendant of Henry Seaton, who came to Virginia at the end of the seventeenth century.

His mother, whose maiden name was Winston; was a cousin to Patrick Henry.

He was educated by Rev. James Ogilvie, the Earl of Finlater, a Scotchman, who conducted an academy in Richmond.

When eighteen years of age he engaged in politics, and became assistant editor of a Richmond paper. He next edited the Petersburg "Republican," but soon purchased the "North Carolina Journal," published at Halifax, then the capital of the state. When Raleigh became the capital, he removed thither and connected himself with the "Register," edited by Joseph Gales, Sr., whose daughter he married.

In 1812 he moved to Washington and joined the "National Intelligencer," in company with his brother-in-law, Joseph Gales, Jr., which partnership lasted till the death of the latter in 1860.

From 1812 till 1820 Messrs. Seaton and Gales were the exclusive congressional reporters as well as editors of their journal, one taking charge of the proceedings in the senate and the other in the House of representatives. The "Register of Debates" was considered a standard authority.

After the death of Mr. Gales, Mr. Seaton was sole editor and manager of the "National Intelligencer" until it was sold, a short time before his death.

In 1840 he was elected mayor of Washington, and held that office twelve successive years. With Mr. Gales, he published "Annals of Congress: Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States from March 3, 1798, till May 27, 1824"

Born in King William County, Virginia , on July 6, 1757. Soon after his birth, the family removed to Greenville County, and in 1810 to Sumner County, Tennessee.

At the beginning of the revolution, William, then twenty years of age, joined a company of volunteers, was for some time adjutant, and was at Yorktown at the surrender of Cornwallis.

After the war he would never accept a pension. After leaving the army he was a school teacher. Before leaving home he had become connected with the Methodist church, and soon after 1787, when he was living in Brunswick County, Virginia, he was licensed to preach, and in 1788 Bishop Asbury appointed him as junior preacher to Mecklenburg circuit. After this he served upon neighboring circuits, and in 1793 was sent to South Carolina, but returned the next year. For three years he had charge of a large district extending from Chesapeake Bay to the Blue Ridge and Alleghany mountains.

In 1800 he went with Bishop Asbury and Bishop Whatcoat to the western conference at Bethel, Kentucky. He was appointed to superintend a district embracing a large part of the partially settled territory beyond the Alleghany Mountains, and so passed the next eight years with a yearly pittance of from twenty to less than fifty dollars.

In the great revival of those years, out of which grew the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, be was a directing spirit, and it is claimed that he, more than any other man, saved that great work from degenerating into a wild ağd ruinous fanaticism.

He continued to preside over this work till the spring of 1808 until he was elected and Ordained Bishop. His first Episcopal tour of fifteen hundred miles extended through Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri and Illinois.

At the general conference of 1816 he found himself left, by the death of Bishop Asbury, the only Bishop of the church. At that time two additional Bishops were then chosen.

He continued to labor till 1825, when his health began to fail.

He was never married, received a collegiate diploma, nor left even a brief record of his eventful life.

He died in Sumner County. Tennessee, March 5, 1835