Francis Sempill (Jacobite) facts for kids

Francis Sempill (born in 1708, died in 1748) was an important person in a group called the Jacobites. He was Scottish but lived in France. From 1737, he was known as the 2nd Lord Sempill. He became a main agent for James Francis Edward Stuart in Paris. James Stuart was trying to get back the throne of Great Britain.

Early Life of Francis Sempill

Francis Sempill was the son of Robert Sempill and Elizabeth Abercromby. In 1712, his father was given the title Lord Sempill of Dykehead by the Jacobite royal family. Francis used this title after his father passed away in 1737. He was born in France at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. This was where the Stuart royal family lived while they were in exile. Francis went to school at the Scots College, Douai.

Working as a Jacobite Agent

From 1730, Francis Sempill became one of the busiest Jacobite agents in France. An "agent" is like a secret representative. He worked as an unofficial ambassador for the Stuarts to Louis XV, the King of France. This happened after the Stuarts had to leave France and move to Rome. They left France because of an agreement called the Anglo-French Alliance.

At this time, Jacobite politics were a bit messy. Sempill worked with other agents like Daniel O'Brien and George Kelly. Sometimes they worked together, and sometimes they disagreed. All of them were trying to help the Stuart family.

Trying to Get French Support

In the five years before the Jacobite rising of 1745, Sempill tried hard to get France to support the Jacobites. He made the Jacobite strength seem much bigger than it really was. This made both the Jacobites and the French upset with him later.

After Cardinal Fleury died, Sempill took a message to King Louis XV. This message was from some important English Tories. They asked for France's help to bring the Stuart family back to power. The French foreign minister, Jean-Jacques Amelot de Chaillou, said France needed strong proof. He wanted to see that many English people truly supported the Jacobites before France would act.

Sempill gave the French king a very hopeful, but not accurate, picture of Jacobite support. Because of this, France and the Jacobites planned to invade Britain in late 1743. Sempill was so sure of success that Prince Charles Stuart traveled to Paris. He even stayed at Sempill's house.

Challenges and Disappointment

However, the planned French invasion was called off in the summer of 1744. By this time, Prince Charles had lost trust in Sempill. He even made fun of him, calling him "Lord Simple." Sempill was not included in Prince Charles's plans for a new uprising.

But Sempill kept trying to convince King Louis XV to invade during the 1745 uprising. His efforts were made difficult because England did not rise up to support the Jacobites. The uprising ended with the Jacobite defeat at the Battle of Culloden. By this point, James Francis Edward Stuart had also lost faith in Sempill.

Francis Sempill had married Lady Mary Caryll. She was the widow of Hon. John Caryll and the daughter of Kenneth Mackenzie, 4th Earl of Seaforth. Sempill passed away in 1748. He was no longer close to the Jacobite court.