Mr. Fitzroy Bell, in a note to Murray’s _Memorials_ (p. 42), relates
that he had been unable to discover who this Jacobite Lord Sempill
was. The researches of the Marquis de Ruvigny among the Stuart Papers,
published in the _Jacobite Peerage_, make his identity quite clear.
Francis Sempill was the son and heir of Robert Sempill, an officer in
the French army. In 1712 this Robert Sempill received from the court
of St. Germains a ‘Declaration of Noblesse,’ which stated that he ‘is
grandson of the late Hugh, Lord Sempill, Peer of Scotland and sole
heir-male of the property and the ancient title of the said lord, whose
fourth son, Archibald, father of the said Robert, is the only one
who left any living male child.’ On the 16th of July 1723 he appears
as Mr. Robert Sempill, Captain of the Regiment of Dillon. He died at
Paris intestate. In the documents of probate he is termed ‘Robert, Lord
Sempill, _alias_ Robert Sempill.’ On the strength of the title given to
him in this reference, the Marquis de Ruvigny states that after 1723,
when he was termed simply ‘Mr. Robert Sempill,’ he ‘seems after that
date to have been created by James III. and VIII. a lord and peer of
Parliament.’ This assumption has also been made by Mr. Fitzroy Bell,
Mr. Andrew Lang, and other recent writers, but there is no evidence of
any new creation, nor indeed was there any necessity for it. Robert
Sempill the soldier had received in 1712 the declaration that he was
entitled to the ancient title, but apparently had not used it. It seems
natural to believe that his son Francis, who on the death of the father
would prepare the probate papers, inserted in them the title of lord,
to which the Declaration of 1712 said his father was entitled, and that
on succeeding he assumed the title which his father had not used.
The following table shows the relationship of the Jacobite Lord Sempill
with the nobleman who bore the same title in Scotland. He fought at
Culloden and died the same year at Aberdeen (see p. 164).
HUGH, 5TH LORD SEMPILL, d. 1639.
|
+------------------+---------+-------------------------+
| | |
Francis, d. 1640, Robert, d. 1675, Archibald.
6th lord. 7th lord. |
| |
+----------+-------+ |
| | |
Francis, d. 1684, Anne, Lady Sempill, |
8th lord. d. 1695, Robert, d. 1737.
m. Francis Abercromby |
of Fetterneir. |
| |
+----------------+-------------+ |
| | | |
Francis, d. 1716, John, d. 1727, Hugh, Francis
9th lord. 10th lord. 11th lord, the Jacobite
died at Lord Sempill,
Aberdeen d. 1748.
1746.