Person:Robert Semple (12)

Robert, 4th Lord Sempill

• The Scots Peerage by Paul, James

Page 551, 552, 553 - Robert, fourth Lord Sempill, son of Robert, Master of Sempill. He was the person to whom his grandfather granted a charter of his estates, subject to the granter’s life-rent, on 8 November 1572, and on 11 December in the same year his grandfather granted him the offices of Justiciar, Chamberlain, and Bailie of the Regality of Paisley. He was in minority on 26 November 1581, when James, Earl of Glencairn, acknowledged receipt of the sum of 10,000 merks from Robert Mure of Caldwell and Archibald Preston of Valleyfield, Chamberlain of Sempill, and undertook that ‘howsone it sall happin Robert now lord Symple to marie, tak to wife, spouse and compleit the bond of matrimony with Jane Cunynghame, Countess of Ergyle, our fader sister, and falzeing of her, with Susanna Cunynghame,’ the Earl’s own sister or either of them, he would refund the said sum, and provided that should Lord Sempill marry Jane Cunynghame, eldest daughter of the said Earl, he should not be obliged to repay same. He was, in 1583, stated to be a youth of sixteen years of age, his living not great, but of an ancient house. In 1592, however, he was stated to be twenty-nine. He was in Parliament in 1584 and 1596. He was still in minority 27 March 1587, and in that year was denounced for threatening his uncle Andrew and nephew William. He was appointed a Commissioner in 1589-90 for executing the laws against Jesuits. On 30 May 1590 he was retoured heir to his grandfather, Robert, third Lord Sempill. Having been charged to appear before the King and Council with a view to his keeping good order, and not having complied with this summons, he was on 3 November 1591 ordered to be put to the horn and denounced rebel. He was Ambassador to Spain in 1596. He was at the Convention of Estates 1 January 1596-97, and in the Privy Council in 1597. He was denounced rebel for violently seizing an English ship in 1597-98. In 1606 it was recommended that Lord Sempill should be ordered to reside in Irvine for the benefit of advice and instruction from the clergy, and in 1607 he was excommunicated by the Church as being ‘a confirmed and obstinate papist.’ He died 25 March 1611. He married first (contract dated 11 September 1583), Agnes Montgomery, second daughter of Hugh, third Earl of Eglintoun. In 1601 he desired a pass for a servant to go abroad concerning a marriage ‘his Lordship intendeth in France.’ In 1602, however, he is stated to be ‘unmarried.’ He married, secondly (contract 31 August 1604), about 13 September 1604, when he gave her sasine, as his future spouse, in the lands of Southannan, Joanna, daughter of Levimus Everard, and widow of Sir John Hamilton of Lincleif, brother of John, first Earl of Abercorn. (See that title.) She married, thirdly, Captain Patrick Craufurd of Tredonell, County Donegal, and, fourthly, Sir George Marbury, and dying 14 June 1638, at Letterkenny, was buried in Conwal Parish Church (Church of Ireland).

• By his first wife Lord Sempill had issue:-

1. Hugh, fifth Lord Sempill

2. William

3. James

4. Annas

5. Barbara

Page 554 –

6. Grissel

7. Jean

• By his second wife Lord Sempill had issue:-

1. Sir William Sempill, Knight, of Letterkenny, In Ireland

• Archaeological and historical collections relating to the county of Renfrew by Crawford, George

Page 127 – Registered Obligation by James, Earl of Glencairn, whereby, for the sum of 10,000 merks, he engages to certain conditions anent the marriage of Robert lord Semple. [26th November, 1581].

The Scots Peerage from Paul - Robert Mure of Caldwell and Archibald Preston of Valleyfield, Chamberlain of Sempill, and undertook that ‘howsone it sall happin Robert now lord Symple to marie, tak to wife, spouse and compleit the bond of matrimony with Jane Cunynghame, Countess of Ergyle, our fader sister, and falzeing of her, with Susanna Cunynghame,’ the Earl’s own sister or either of them, he would refund the said sum, and provided that should Lord Sempill marry Jane Cunynghame, eldest daughter of the said Earl, he should not be obliged to repay same.

Interpretation of Page 127 of Crawford - James, Earl of Glencairn is James Cunningham, 7th Earl of Glencairn son of William Cunningham, 6th Earl of Glencairn. This William had a daughter Lady Susannah Cuninghame and a sister Lady Janet Cuninghame This Lady Janet Cunningham has also the first name of Jane Cunningham and was styled as Countess of Argyll. This Jane, or Janet married Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll.

Robert, 4th Lord Sempill mentioned in Family Will

• The Scots Peerage by Paul, James

Page 553 – William. In the will of Robert Semple of Craigbait (see p. 534), which is dated at Castle Semple on 11 January 1591, the testator provided that in case of the death of his son Hew he left his free right and title of his haill heritage to William Sempill, second son to my Robert, 4th Lord Sempill, whom failing, to Robert, 4th Lord Sempill's next son James, whom failing, his eldest son Hugh, 5th Lord Sempill. On 11 June 1618 a charter of the lands of Craigbait, etc., was granted to the above Hew Sempill of Craigbait, whom failing, to James, brother-german of Hugh, 5th Lord Sempill, whom failing, to -----Sempill, second lawful son of the said Lord (if he has such), whom failing, to Hugh Sempill of Bruntschellis, lawful son of William Sempill of Bruntschellis.

Mystery second lawful son of the said Robert, 4th Lord Sempill mentioned above, "-----Sempill, second lawful son of the said Lord (if he has such)"

Attempts to identify the above Mystery second lawful son as Sempill, Robert (1530?-1595) (DNB00) were made by Sibbald, Motherwell, and others.

Clan Sempill

1.   Patrick Hogue (Samples). The Samples / Semples Family.

   Hereditary Sempill Lords of Lochwinnoch & Clan Sempill

2. ↑ Semple, William Alexander. Genealogical History of the Family Semple: From 1214 to 1888. (Hartford, Connecticut: Press of the Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., 1888)
   Pages 13, 14, 1888.
3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 Robert Sempill, 4th Lord Sempill, in Lundy, Darryl. The Peerage: A genealogical survey of the peerage of Britain as well as the royal families of Europe.
4. ↑ Paul, James Balfour. The Scots peerage: founded on Wood's edition of Sir Robert Douglas's ‘Peerage of Scotland’ containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom, with armorial illustrations. (Edinburgh: D. Douglas, 1904-1914)
   Vol. 7.

   Page 551, 552, 553 - Robert, fourth Lord Sempill, son of Robert, Master of Sempill. He was the person to whom his grandfather granted a charter of his estates, subject to the granter’s life-rent, on 8 November 1572, and on 11 December in the same year his grandfather granted him the offices of Justiciar, Chamberlain, and Bailie of the Regality of Paisley. He was in minority on 26 November 1581, when James, Earl of Glencairn, acknowledged receipt of the sum of 10,000 merks from Robert Mure of Caldwell and Archibald Preston of Valleyfield, Chamberlain of Sempill, and undertook that ‘howsone it sall happin Robert now lord Symple to marie, tak to wife, spouse and compleit the bond of matrimony with Jane Cunynghame, Countess of Ergyle, our fader sister, and falzeing of her, with Susanna Cunynghame,’ the Earl’s own sister or either of them, he would refund the said sum, and provided that should Lord Sempill marry Jane Cunynghame, eldest daughter of the said Earl, he should not be obliged to repay same. He was, in 1583, stated to be a youth of sixteen years of age, his living not great, but of an ancient house. In 1592, however, he was stated to be twenty-nine. He was in Parliament in 1584 and 1596. He was still in minority 27 March 1587, and in that year was denounced for threatening his uncle Andrew and nephew William. He was appointed a Commissioner in 1589-90 for executing the laws against Jesuits. On 30 May 1590 he was retoured heir to his grandfather, Robert, third Lord Sempill. Having been charged to appear before the King and Council with a view to his keeping good order, and not having complied with this summons, he was on 3 November 1591 ordered to be put to the horn and denounced rebel. He was Ambassador to Spain in 1596. He was at the Convention of Estates 1 January 1596-97, and in the Privy Council in 1597. He was denounced rebel for violently seizing an English ship in 1597-98. In 1606 it was recommended that Lord Sempill should be ordered to reside in Irvine for the benefit of advice and instruction from the clergy, and in 1607 he was excommunicated by the Church as being ‘a confirmed and obstinate papist.’ He died 25 March 1611. He married first (contract dated 11 September 1583), Agnes Montgomery, second daughter of Hugh, third Earl of Eglintoun. In 1601 he desired a pass for a servant to go abroad concerning a marriage ‘his Lordship intendeth in France.’ In 1602, however, he is stated to be ‘unmarried.’ He married, secondly (contract 31 August 1604), about 13 September 1604, when he gave her sasine, as his future spouse, in the lands of Southannan, Joanna, daughter of Levimus Everard, and widow of Sir John Hamilton of Lincleif, brother of John, first Earl of Abercorn. (See that title.) She married, thirdly, Captain Patrick Craufurd of Tredonell, County Donegal, and, fourthly, Sir George Marbury, and dying 14 June 1638, at Letterkenny, was buried in Conwall Church.
   
   By his first wife Lord Sempill had issue:-
   1. Hugh, fifth Lord Sempill
   2. William
   3. James
   4. Annas
   5. Barbara
   Page 554 –
   6. Grissel
   7. Jean
   By his second wife Lord Sempill had issue:-
   1. Sir William Sempill, Knight, of Letterkenny, In Ireland

5.   Archaeological and historical collections relating to the county of Renfrew, parish of Lochwinnoch. (Paisley: A. Gardner, 1885-1890)
   Vol. 2, Page 127.

   Archaeological and historical collections relating to the county of Renfrew...by Crawford, George
   Page 127 – Registered Obligation by James, Earl of Glencairn, whereby, for the sum of 10,000 merks, he engages to certain conditions anent the marriage of Robert lord Semple. [26th November, 1581].

6.   Stephen, Leslie, ed, and Sidney, ed Lee. Dictionary of National Biography. (London: Smith, Elder, 1885-1900)
   Vol. 51, Pages 238, 239, 1897.
7.   Sempill, Robert (1530?-1595) (DNB00), in Wikisource.
8.   Robert Sempill, 4th Lord Sempill, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.