| Prior to 21 February 1545-6 she became the mistress of John Hamilton, the natural son of James, first Earl of Arran, Abbot of Paisley, and afterwards Archbishop of St. Andrews. She was apparently then known as 'Lady Gilton'. But for her interest with the archbishop who influenced his brother the Regent, her father would have been executed in 1550 for the slaughter of William, Lord Crichton of Sanquhar. While still the mistress of the Archbishop of St. Andrews, on 16 February 1550-51 she entered into a contract to marry Patrick Learmonth of Dairsie, Provost of St. Andrews, so soon as decree of divorce should be obtained between him and Isobel Balfour, then his spouse. She acknowledged the redemption from her and her natural son John of the lands of Pettincraig, etc., in the sheriffdom of Edinburgh, on 10 February 1551-52. In 1552 she and her natural sons William and John, who had been legitimated in 1551, entered into a contract with Henry Wardlaw, fiar of Torry, whereby the latter undertook to infeft her in liferent and her said natural sons, whom failing, James Hamilton of Stanehouse alias Kynneill, in fee in the lands and barony of Torry under reversion. The Provost and other members of the Town Council of Edinburgh, on 26 November 1561, ordained her to remove from the town. As the Archbishop of St. Andrews had a residence in Edinburgh, it was no doubt her living openly with him that occasioned this peremptory enactment. When the Archbishop was committed to Edinburgh Castle, in 1563, for attempting to restore popery, her uncle, William Sempill of Thirdpart, was one of his sureties. After the death of the archbishop on 7 April 1571, Grisel Sempill was put to the horn for non-payment of the rents of Middle and Craig Fuddis, and the house of Blair, which she had vacated in consequence of a charge from the Earl of Lennox, the Regent, was on 30 January 1572-73 ordered to be delivered to her.15 |