Page 38 to 40 - About 1755 Robert Semple, 'Last Lord of Beltrees' seems to have seriously entertained the idea of prosecuting the family claim to the estate of the Barony of Carbery in Ireland. There is a letter from Craufurd of Cartsburn, addressed to him, 28th January of that year, stating the reasons he had heard assigned by Sempill's father for not following out steps for the recovery of the property. The substance of it is as follows: - At SirJames Sempill's death, Robert Sempill the younger, his son, entered heir to his father, in order to pursue said claim. When about entering upon the prosecution, the first rebellion came on in Ireland, which made him lay aside thoughts of pursuing his design. At last he died, and when his son, Francis Sempill, was resolving to go there, the next rebellion broke out; and so soon as that was settled, he died. Afterwards there came people from Ireland, inquiring for these papers from Francis's son, Robert, which he refused, because his own affairs were disordered at home. He took it into his head to go to the Barony of Carbery himself and family, to pursue his claim; but as he travelled in Ireland to County Tyrone, he met with a beneficial lease of lands from Squire Chappell, which he accepted; and after staying some time there, that gentleman took his papers* to Dublin for consultation. When he re- (cont. after footnotes below)
*The papers consisted of the following:-
I. Indenture betwist SirJames Sempill, Sir John Graham of Urchill (Perthshire), and James Hamilton, dated 9th of December, 1606.
II. Articles of agreement betwixt Donald M'Arthie Roogh of Barony of Carbery, SirJames Sempill, Sir John Graham, and James Hamilton, dated 17th Dec 1606.
III. Patent under the Broad Seal granted by King James to SirJames Sempill, of the village and lands of Kilbrittain, in the country of the Barony of Carbery, Ireland, with severall other lands, in the 13th year of his Majesty's reign in England, 1615.
(cont. after footnotes above)
turned them he said that something might be got for them, but he feared he would not be able to pursue it. A correspondence was also carried on about this time, by Craufurd of Cartsburn and Robert Sempill, with a lawyer of the name of Kennedy, who offered to throw "a cool hundere" into the affair, besides his professional services, if he liked the complexion of the case. The prosecution, however, never seems to have been actually commenced. The pecuniary difficulties under which the family of Beltrees laboured, seems to have at last compelled the entire alienation of the property. The sale of the Thirdpart to William M'Dowall of Castle Semple took place in 1758. The lands comprehended the Hall, or proper Thirdpart, Watersyde, Faulds, Corbets, Drygate, Hardgait, and Margonhill. After the sale he retired to Kilbarchan, where he feued thirty four falls of ground, part of the Quarry, or Meadow-Park, for 22s.2d. yearly, from Jean Milliken, widow of William Milliken Napier of Cullcreoch, 12th March 1777, and built there on a house called Beltrees Cottage. He disponed this house to his daughter, Jean Sempill, 21st August, 1784. Robert Semple, 'Last Lord of Beltrees', lived to a very advanced age. He died in August 1789, having completed two years more than a century...
