Person:Robert Semple (13)

Robert de Semple

• The Scots Peerage, Vol. 7, Pages 526, 527.

Robert De Sempill, the eldest son, had a charter from Robert the Bruce, granting to him ‘totam terram, cum pertinenciis que fuit quondam Johannis de Balliolo (nee John Balliol), militis, in tenemento de Largys,’ to be held by him and his heirs in free barony. He witnessed a charter by James, High Steward of Scotland, to Stephen, son of Nicolas, before 1309, and a donation of the church of Largs to the monastery of Paisley, which Walter, High Steward, gave for the welfare of his own soul and that of Marjory Bruce, his deceased wife, in 1318, and died before 1330, leaving. [NB This just means that Robert de Sempill WITNESSED the donation by Walter. Walter was the widower of Marjory Bruce, rather than her being married to Robert de Sempill. Walter the Steward and Marjory Bruce were the parents of Robert II].

• 02 Mar 1316 - "A Simple Man was made Lord Sempill" - Preformed an Emergency Cesarian on Dame Marjorie Bruce Stewart wife of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland the daughter of Robert the Bruce, "King of Scots". The infant child was Robert II of Scotland "Bleary Eye" Stewart.

The Montgomery Manuscripts (1603-1706) edited by George Hill. Page 442 - Another occasion and Account is given in y’Scottish History of a contryman who Cutt K. Robert y’third (commonly called y’bleerd Eye) out of his mothers belly: when as (by a fall from her horse) at hunting she dyed in y’field. This King (hunting in those grounds) was informed of y’Story, and sent for y’man, and seeming to be angry for the Scarr on his eyes, (which had gotten him y’nickname aforesaid) questioned him what he Sayd, when he urged and took upon himself to doe y’office of a midwife: The poor man trembleing, Answered, y’he told y’nobility, and confessed he was but a Semple man (as they then called him) but y’God putt it in his mind, y’ he should save a Kings Life, and soe he had y’courage to doe as he did begging his Ma’ Pardon for y’Scarr he had given him unwittingly. King Robert did then impose y’surname of Semple on y’man & his posterity; and gave them y’Lands of Southenan and y’title of LORD SEMPLE, which they enjoy in the West of Scotland to this day.

The story told in the text, and popularly believed in Scotland even to this day, has reference to the birth of Robert de STEWART II., not Robert de STEWART III., as stated above. The death of Marjory Bruce, the king’s mother, popularly known as Queen Blearie, is believed to have been caused by a fall from her horse, whilst hunting, between Paisley and the castle of Renfrew, on Shrove Tuesday, the second of March, 1315-1316; and the popular story further affirms that her child (Robert de STEWART II) was brought into the world by the Cesarean operation, performed on the spot by a simple peasant.’ Crawford in his History of Renfrewshire, p. 41, records this legend as follows: - “At this place, in the lands of Knox, there is a high Cross standing, called Queen Blearie’s Cross; but no inscription is legible. Tradition hath handed down that it was erected on this occasion – Marjory Bruce daughter of renowned Robert de Bruce I., and wife of Walter, great Steward of Scotland, at that time lord of this country, being hunting at this place, was thrown from her horse and by the fall suffering a dislocation of the vertebra of her neck, died on the spot. She being pregnant, fell in labour of King Robert de STEWART II.; the child or fetus was a Cesarean. The operation being by an unskillful hand, his eye being touched by the instrument, could not be cured; from wheich he was called nickname King Blearie. This according to our historians, fell out in the year 1317.

In 1326 - Granted Lands by the High Steward Robert II - King Robert did then impose y’surname of Semple on y’man & his posterity; and gave them y’Lands of Southenan and y’title of LORD SEMPLE, which they enjoy in the West of Scotland to this day.

• The Scots Peerage

Page 526, 527, 528 - Footnote 1 – The traditional version of the name Semple or Sempill, mentioned by Crawfurd in his History of Renfrewshire, 41, and elsewhere, as having been given to the performer of the Caesarean operation on Princess Marjory, wife of Walter, Great Steward of Scotland, in 1317, has been remorselessly demolished by Lord Hailes in his Annals of Scotland, ii. 339-344; see also Archaeologia Scotica, 456-461. As will be observed, the name existed before the date of the operation which was said to be the occasion of it. Crawfurd’s Renfrew, 75. Reg. Mag. Sig., folio vol. 13, 69. Riddell says (Drumpellier Stirlings, 257) that Douglas multiplies ‘one Robert Sempill figuring early in the fourteenth century into no less than three Robert Sempills, taking each in succession seriatim after the other. The first of these ideals is made co-existent with the year 1246 and even earlier…

Besides those of the name of Sempill mentioned above, there were others in Scotland, for on the last day of 1354 an assise found that Robert Symple, who was of lawful age, was the son of Alexander Symple, who had purchased a certain land or holding in the town of Esperstoun . . .

• Douglas, Robert, Sir, 1694-1770. The peerage of Scotland: containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom, ... collected from the public records, and ancient chartularies of this nation, ... Illustrated with copper-plates. Pages 616 to 620. (Online Source) – Eighteenth Century Collections Online, Text Creation Partnership [1]

There was support for the caesarian story: “The tradition of Queen Blearie's mishap has been ridiculed by Lord Hailes, and other smaller annalists have sneered in concert with him. It is not the purpose of the present writer to reconcile the discrepancies which the incredulous school have pointed out as existing between the traditional versions of this story itself, and the facts of history which run counter to it. He may, however, contend that it is altogether improbable that such a story took its rise wholly independent of some foundation in fact. The historical facts may be disguised by oral embellishment, or corrupted by being fused with other events prior or subsequent to their own era, but they can never be wholly suppressed. Lord Hailes has perhaps been at too much pains in demolishing an interesting, an ancient, and by no means an inconsistent or improbable tradition. Traditions are only questionable when they go to flatter family pride. ‘Again,’ says his lordship, ‘it seems extraordinary that there should have been at hand any person so capable of performing the operation as not to hurt the child any farther than by a flesh wound in the eye-lid, or in the ball of the eye.’ When we find Robert II granting charters of lands in the immediate vicinity of Renfrew to Thomas of the Hall, surgeon, for his faithful service, a great part of this counterfeited astonishment will evaporate”. So it is possible that the caesarian was carried out by a Thomas de Semple. As uncle or son of Robert de Semple, the steward to Walter the Steward, Thomas might well have accompanied the riding party. As it was only a few years since Marjory had been imprisoned by the English it is entirely likely that Robert and/or Thomas de Semple would have carried swords on the outing, and such a weapon could have been used for a caesarian section.

Source: Roxine A. Beaumont-Sempill (2015) The Semples, Lord Sempills of West Scotland: family and contextual history from the 11th to 19th Centuries, pg 11.

Cites William Hamilton of Wishaw (1831) Descriptions of the Sheriffdoms of Lanark and Renfrew, compiled about M.DCC.X, pages 287-9.

III. ROBERT de SEMPILL, senescal of Renfrew, who made a great figure in the reign of king Robert Bruce, and performed many brave actions in defence of the liberties of his country, under the conduct of that great prince, who, in reward of his merit and faithful services, made him a grant under his great seal,dilecto et fideli suo Roberto de Sempill, totam terram cum pertinen. in tenemento de Largis, et vicecom. de Ayr, quae uit Johannis de Baliolo, &c. &c. all erected into one free barony, to him and his heirs for ever.

This Robert was witness to the donation of the church of Largis to the monastery of Paisley, by Walter lord high steward of Scotland, pro salute animae suae et Marjoriae Bruce,*quond. sponsae suae, &c. anno 1318.

He died before the year 1330, leaving issue a son,

IV. WILLIAM de SEMPILL

1.   Patrick Hogue (Samples). The Samples / Semples Family
   Progenitors of the Sempill Family & 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)
   Page 8, 1888.

   Robert de Semple, the eldest son, had a charter from King Robert the First of the whole land with the pertinents which belonged to John Baliol, lying in the tenement of Largs, to be held by him and his heirs in free barony. He witnessed a donation of the Church of Largs to the Monastery of Paisley for the welfare of his own soul and that of Marjory Bruce, his deceased wife, 1318. He died before 1330, leaving a son.

3.   Montgomery, William (William Harry), and George Hill. The Montgomery manuscripts (1603-1706)
   Page 442.
4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 Walker, Rosa Kershaw; Pittman, Hannah Daviess. Americans of Gentle Birth and Their Ancestors: A Genealogical Encyclopedia ... Embracing Many Authenticated Lineages and Biographical Sketches of the Founders of the Colonies and Their Descendants found in all parts of the United States . (Saint Louis, Missouri: Buxton & Skinner, 1903)
   Vol. 1, Pages 242, 243.

   Robert de Semple, who married Marjory Bruce, had a charter from King Robert to Largs, which belonged to John Baliol; died 1330, leaving a son,

5.   Edwards, John. The Scottish Historical Review: The Templars In Scotland Thirteenth Century. . (Glasgow, Scotland: James Maclehose And Sons, 1908)
   Vol. 5.
6.   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 526, 527.

   Robert De Sempill, the eldest son, had a charter from King Robert I., granting to him ‘totam terram, cum pertinenciis que fuit quondam Johannis de Balliolo, militis, in tenemento de Largys,’ to be held by him and his heirs in free barony. He witnessed a charter by James, High Steward of Scotland, to Stephen, son of Nicolas, before 1309, and a donation of the church of Largs to the monastery of Paisley, which Walter, High Steward, gave for the welfare of his own soul and that of Marjory Bruce, his deceased wife, in 1318, and died before 1330, leaving

7. ↑ ^7.0 7.1 Morrison, Elspeth. The Dorothy Dunnett Companion. (New York: Vintage Books)
   Vol. 2, 18 Dec 2007.

   After the death of Walter, Robert Semple married Marjorie Bruce...

8. ↑ ^8.0 8.1 Bower, Glenn L. Just a Family History. (Xlibris Corporation)
   Page 233, 2011.

   Robert de Sempill, who married Marjory Bruce...

9. ↑ MacKenzie, Robert Dunbar. Kilbarchan: A Parish History. (Paisley, Scotland: Alexander Gardner, Publisher to her late Majesty Queen Victoria, 1902)
   Page 212.

   Robert [ -1330], son of («), obtained from Robert the Bruce possessions in the Parish of Largs, part of the forfeited estate of the Balliol. His wife was Marjory Bruce.