Clan Sempill is a

Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Scottish Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared heritage and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure r ...

of the

Scottish Lowlands The Lowlands ( or , ; , ) is a cultural and historical region of Scotland. The region is characterised by its relatively flat or gently rolling terrain as opposed to the mountainous landscapes of the Scottish Highlands. This area includes ci ...

.Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The

Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (SCSC) is an organisation that represents many prominent Scottish clan chief, clan chiefs and Scottish clan chief#Chief of the Name and Arms, Chiefs of the Name and Arms in Scotland. It claims to be the pr ...

). Published in 1994. Pages 318–319.

History

Origins of the Clan

The name Sempill has been known in

Renfrewshire Renfrewshire () (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. Renfrewshire is located in the west central Lowlands. It borders East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire and West Dunbartonshire, and lies on the southern ba ...

since the twelfth century but its origins are obscure. The suggestions that it is a corruption of 'St Paul' seems unlikely. It also seems an unlikely suggestion that the first person of the name had a reputation for being simple or humble. In 1246 Robert de Sempill witnessed a charter to

Paisley Abbey Paisley Abbey is a parish church of the Church of Scotland on the east bank of the River Cart, White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, about west of Glasgow, in Scotland. Its origins date from the 12th century, base ...

. Later as a chamberlain he also witnessed a charter of the

Earl of Lennox The Earl or Mormaer of Lennox was the ruler of the region of the Lennox in western Scotland. It was first created in the 12th century for David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon and later held by the Stewart dynasty. Ancient earls The first e ...

Wars of Scottish Independence

During the

Wars of Scottish Independence The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and 14th centuries. The First War (1296–1328) began with the English invasion of Scotla ...

Robert de Sempill's two sons, Robert and Thomas, supported king

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...

and they were both rewarded for their services. The elder son received all of the lands around

Largs Largs () is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" (''An Leargaidh'') in Scottish Gaelic. A popular seaside resort with a pier, the town markets itself on its histor ...

Ayrshire Ayrshire (, ) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county, in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. The lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area of Ayrshire and Arran covers the entirety ...

which had been confiscated from the Balliols. The younger son, Thomas, received a grant for half of the lands of

Longniddry Longniddry (, )
is a coastal village in East Lothian ...

. Prior to 1344 the lands of Eliotsoun, which became the territorial designation of the chief were acquired.

15th and 16th centuries

Sir Thomas Sempill fell fighting in support of King

James III of Scotland James III (10 July 1451/May 1452 – 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 until his death at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488. He inherited the throne as a child following the death of his father, King James II, at the siege of Roxburg ...

at the

Battle of Sauchieburn The Battle of Sauchieburn was fought on 11 June 1488, at the side of Sauchie Burn, a stream about south of Stirling, Scotland. The battle was fought between the followers of King James III of Scotland and a large group of rebellious Scottish ...

in June 1488. His only son, John Sempill, inherited the family estates. John was made

Lord Sempill Lord Sempill (also variously rendered as Semple or Semphill) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in circa 1489 for Sir John Sempill, founder of the collegiate Church of Lochwinnoch. Sempill was killed at the Battle of Flodden ...

during the reign of King

James IV of Scotland James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James I ...

. In 1505 John founded the

Collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons, a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, headed by a dignitary bearing ...

Lochwinnoch Lochwinnoch (; , ) is a village in the council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Lying on the banks of Castle Semple Loch and the River Calder, Lochwinnoch is chiefly a residential dormitory v ...

. He also rebuilt the castle at the eastern end of the loch which he renamed Castle Sempill. He was killed fighting for the king at the

Battle of Flodden The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton or Brainston Moor was fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland and resulted in an English victory ...

in 1513. (See: John Sempill, 1st Lord Sempill). John was succeeded by his son William who obtained a charter to the lordship with the assistance of the Regent Albany. William favored the betrothal of the child

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

to the son of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

of England. William's son, Robert Sempill, was constable of the king's

Douglas Castle Douglas Castle was a stronghold of the Douglas (later Douglas-Home) family from medieval times to the 20th century. The first castle, erected in the 13th century, was destroyed and replaced several times until the 18th century when a large man ...

and was taken prisoner at the

Battle of Pinkie Cleugh The Battle of Pinkie, also known as the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh (), took place on 10 September 1547 on the banks of the River Esk, Lothian, River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland. The last pitched battle between Scotland and England before the U ...

in 1547. Robert was sometimes called the Great Lord Sempill and supported the Queen Regent,

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, as the second wife of King James V. She was a French people, French noblewoman of the ...

who was the widow of

James V of Scotland James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV a ...

. Robert's castle was attacked and seized for his opposition to the

Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process whereby Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke away from the Catholic Church, and established the Protestant Church of Scotland. It forms part of the wider European 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Fr ...

. He was a faithful supporter of Queen Mary until the death of

Lord Darnley Lord Darnley is a noble title associated with a Scottish Lordship of Parliament, first created in 1356 for the family of Stewart of Darnley and tracing a descent to the Dukedom of Richmond in England. The title's name refers to Darnley in Scot ...

and he afterwards joined those who promoted Mary's son as King James VI. He fought against the queen at the

Battle of Carberry Hill The Battle of Carberry Hill took place on 15 June 1567, near Musselburgh, East Lothian, a few miles east of Edinburgh, Scotland. A number of Scottish lords objected to the rule of Mary, Queen of Scots, after she had married the Earl of Bothwel ...

and was one of the signatories on the warrant for the queen to be held in Loch Leven Castle. He also led the vanguard of the Regent Moray's army at the

Battle of Langside The Battle of Langside was fought on 13 May 1568 between forces loyal to Mary, Queen of Scots, and forces acting in the name of her infant son James VI. Mary’s short period of personal rule ended in 1567 in recrimination, intrigue, and disast ...

in 1568 and was rewarded with a charter to the abbey lands of Paisley. After the Regent was murdered in 1570 Sempill was imprisoned for a year. (See:

Robert Sempill, 3rd Lord Sempill Robert Sempill, 3rd Lord Sempill (c. 1505–1576) was a Scottish lord of Parliament. Robert, also ''Semphill'' or ''Semple'', 3rd Lord Sempill (d. circa 1575), commonly called the 'Great Lord Sempill', was the elder son of William Sempill, 2nd ...

). Robert's son, John Sempill, was castigated by

John Knox John Knox ( – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgate, a street in Haddington, East Lot ...

as Sempill ''the dancer''. John was accused of treason and attempting to assassinate Regent Morton and was sentenced to death by hanging, drawing and quartering. However the sentence was commuted to imprisonment and he was later released. In 1572 John was succeeded by his elder half brother, Robert Sempill as the fourth Lord Sempill. This Robert assisted in the baptism of Prince Henry in 1594 and personally attended on the queen at a banquet that was held in celebration in the great hall of

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...

. Robert was also appointed as a Privy Councillor by

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

and was sent as an ambassador to

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. However, later Robert would not renounce the Catholic faith and held no more public offices. (See: Robert Sempill, 4th Lord Sempill).

17th century

Robert Sempill, 6th Lord Sempill supported the royalist cause during the Civil War but was fined under the Commonwealth as a result. The 8th Lord Sempill embraced the Protestant faith. He was the first Lord Sempill to sit in Parliament since the reign of Mary Queen of Scots. He died in 1684 and was succeeded by his sister Anne Sempill.

18th century & Jacobite risings

Anne's eldest son was Francis, the tenth Lord Sempill. He was a strong opponent of the union with

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. He died unmarried and was succeeded by his brother John Sempill. John Sempill supported the Hanoverian-British Government during the

Jacobite rising of 1715 The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( ; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Francis Edward Stuart, James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and Kingdom of Scotland ...

. John also died unmarried and the title passed to his brother, Hew (Hugh), who was a professional soldier. Hew Sempill had made a reputation for fighting on the continent. In 1746 he led his regiment on the side of the British Government at the

Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden took place on 16 April 1746, near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. A Jacobite army under Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force commanded by the Duke of Cumberland, thereby endi ...

, on the left wing of the Government army.

Clan Chief

The Rt Hon The

, James William Stuart Whitmore Sempill, The 21st Lord Sempill, Chief of the Name and Arms of Sempill.burkes-peerage.net
/ref>

Castles

* Craigievar Castle is the current seat of the chief of Clan Sempill. * Castle Sempill was an earlier seat of the chief.

Recorded surname variants

In addition to Sempill, recorded variants include: Semple, Sample, Samples, Sampler Simpole, Simble, and Sambell.

External links

myclan.com

References

{{Scottish clans Sempill Scottish Lowlands