Lord William Francis Sempill

Aristocrat and Traitor

So why does he appear in the FirstFoot Great Scots section?

Because he conforms with the FirstFoot notion of the Scottish aristocracy being self-serving, devious, dishonest, artful survivors. Much of the current Scottish aristocracy can trace their good fortune to ancestors who killed, plotted and intrigued on behalf of masters who rewarded them with land and title.

Recent generations are now genetically proneto this type of behaviour and rather than despising them, perhaps we should feel sorry for them. FirstFoot suggests a new society, the Aristocratic Respect and Stately Esteem for Honourable Old Landed Eejits Society, ARSEHOLES for short.

Fintray House - only affordable by the finacially embarrassed

But, to return to the most recently traitorous Lord Sempill. Apparently, the poor wee bugger was financially embarrassed. This has to be put into some kind of context. The family home was Craigievar Castle. The family also owned a wee hoose, Fintray House, which when demolished in 1952, had enough granite to build another 12 sizeable properties.

So, when the "financially embarrassed" peer assessed his situation, his Lordship decided to sell his country down the river.

Nice man.