Person:Robert Semple (32)

& Clan Sempill

Robert Sempill

• Robert Sempill, son and heir of the Honourable Archibald Sempill of Dykehead, 4th son of Hugh, 5th Lord Sempill by his second wife, Lady Elizabeth Hay, daughter of Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll by his 3rd wife, Lady Elizabeth Douglas, daughter of William Douglas, 6th Earl of Morton, was born at Sempill Castle, Renfrewshire, in 1672. A Catholic, he entered the French army as a cadet in the infantry regiment of Normandois before 1688, became Ensign in the Scottish Guards, June 1689, and a Captain in the Infantry Regiment of Galmoye (1708), transferring to Regiment of Dillon (1715), in which he was still serving in 1726. On May 11, 1712, he was the subject of a "declaration of noblesse" fom King James VIII & III, in which he was declared to be "the sole heir-male of the property and the very ancient title (cr. James IV, 1489) of the said Hugh, Lord Sempill, Peer of Scotland, whose fourth son, Archibald, father of the said Robert, is the only one who left any living male child". The last heir-male, Francis, 8th Lord Sempill, became a Protestant, and was the first of the Lords Sempill who had appeared in parliament since the reign of Queen Mary, being excluded on account of their adherence to Catholicism. He married Grizel, daughter of Sir Archibald Primrose, 1st Baronet of Carrington, but died without issue in 1684, after which the Lordship title passed to his sister, Anne Sempill, wife of Francis Abercromby of Fetterneir, a Catholic and Physician to King James VII & II, who was created, for his life only, Lord Glassford, his title being taken from an estate of the Sempill family of that name, 5th July 1685. Anne, Lady Sempill obtained from King James VII a new charter of the title and estates, May 16, 1688, settling them on her female issue in default of male, with remainder to her heirs and assignees whatsoever. She died in 1695. She had, with one daughter, five sons, all of whom bore her name. 1. Francis, ninth Lord Sempill. 2. Captain Hon. Robert Sempill, killed in the wars abroad, without issue. 3. John, tenth Lord Sempill. 4. Hon. Alexander Sempill, who died young; and 5. Hew, eleventh Lord Sempill, born after the entail.

• • Robert Sempill, however, having claimed, as the heir-male, to be the 9th Lord Sempill, seems to have petitioned not only for a declaration of noblesse, but for a new Lordship title in his favour, as Chief of the name of Sempill. This, according to evidence in the Stuart Papers, was indeed granted, as Lord Sempill of Dykehead, but the exact date of the Letters Patent of King James VIII, is not known. He married, before 1704, Elizabeth Abercromby, by whom he had issue, and who survived him: 1. Hon. Francis Sempill (who succeeeded him as 2nd Lord). 2. Hon. Hugh Sempill 3. Hon. George Sempill 4. Hon. Henrietta Sempill. Robert, Lord Sempill, died intestate at Paris, on November 11, 1737.

• Robert Sempill, son and heir of the Hon. Archibald Sempill, who was the fourth son (but the only one whose male issue in 1712 survived) of Hugh (Sempill), fith Lord Sempill [S], was born 1672 at Sempill Castle, and entered the French army as a cadet in the infantry regiment of Normandois before 1688, became Ensign in the Scottish Guards, June 1689, and Captain reforme in the Irish Infantry regiment of Galmoye 29th June 1708, and was transferred to Dillon's Regiment commanded by Arthur Dillon, Count Dillon, 15th February 1715, in which he was still serving, 27th May 1726. On the 11th May 1712, being then a Captain in Lord Galmoye’s regiment, he had a declaration of his noblesse from King James III and VIII, in which he was declared to be the ‘sole heir-male of the property and the very ancient title of the said Hugh, Lord Sempill, whose fourth son, Archibald, father of the said Robert, is the only one who left any living male child.’ On 16th July 1723 he appears as ‘Mr. Robert Sempill, Captain of the regiment of Dillon,’ but seems after that date to have been created by James III and VIII a Lord and Peer of Parliament as Lord Sempill [S]. He died at Paris intestate. Admon. As ‘Robert, Lord Sempill, alias Robert Sempill,’ 11th November 1737. He married Elizabeth, daughter of [ ] [ ] , who survived him. He had issue:

1.   Marquis Of Ruvigny And Raineval. The Jacobite Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage and Grants of Honour: Extracted, By Permission, From The Stuart Papers Now In Possession Of His Majesty The King At Windsor Castle, And Supplemented By Biographical And Genealogical Notes. (Edinburgh, Scotland: T.C. & E.C. Jack, 1904)
   Page 164, 165.

   Robert Sempill, son and heir of the Hon. Archibald Sempill, who was the fourth son (but the only one whose male issue in 1712 survived) of Hugh (Sempill), fith Lord Sempill [S], was born 1672 at Sempill Castle, and entered the French army as a cadet in the infantry regiment of Normandois before 1688, became Ensign in the Scottish Guards, June 1689, and Captain reforme in the Irish Infantry regiment of Lord Galmoye 29th June 1708, and was transferred to the Dillon regiment, 15th February 1715, in which he was still serving, 27th May 1726. On the 11th May 1712, being then a Captain in Lord Galmoye’s regiment, he had a declaration of his noblesse from King James III and VIII, in which he was declared to be the ‘sole heir-male of the property and the very ancient title of the said Hugh, Lord Sempill, whose fourth son, Archibald, father of the said Robert, is the only one who left any living male child.’ On 16th July 1723 he appears as ‘Mr. Robert Sempill, Captain of the regiment of Dillon,’ but seems after that date to have been created by James III and VIII a Lord and Peer of Parliament as Lord Sempill [S]. He died at Paris intestate. Admon. As ‘Robert, Lord Sempill, alias Robert Sempill,’ 11th November 1737. He married Elizabeth, daughter of [ ] [ ] , who survived him. He had issue:
   1. Hon. Francis Sempill
   2. Hon. Hugh Sempill
   3. Hon. George Sempill
   4. Hon. Henrietta Sempill

2.   Piers Butler, 3rd Viscount Galmoye, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.

   Robert Sempill was a Captain reforme in the Irish Infantry regiment of Lord Galmoye on the 29th June 1708.

3.   Jacobite Peerage, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
4.   Arthur Dillon, Count Dillon, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.

   Robert Sempill transfered to the Dillon Regiment in 1715.

5.   Dillon's Regiment, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.

   History of Dillon's Regiment

6.   Robert Sempill, in Lundy, Darryl. The Peerage: A genealogical survey of the peerage of Britain as well as the royal families of Europe.