View source for Robert Sempill the younger

{{Short description|17th-century Scottish poet}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
'''Robert Sempill''', the younger (c. 1595{{snd}}c. 1663), [[Scotland|Scottish]] poet, son of [[James Sempill]], was educated at the [[University of Glasgow]], having matriculated in March 1613.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

During the [[English Civil War|Civil War]] he fought for the [[House of Stuart|Stuarts]], and seems to have suffered heavy pecuniary losses under the [[Commonwealth of England|Commonwealth]]. He died between 1660 and 1669. He married Mary, daughter of Sir [[Thomas Lyon (of Auldbar)|Thomas Lyon of Auldbar]]. His son, [[Francis Sempill]], was also a writer.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

His reputation is based on the [[Scots language|Scots]] [[ballad]], "The Life and Death of [[Habbie Simpson]], [[Bagpipes|Piper]] of [[Kilbarchan]]", written c. 1640. It is an interesting picture of the times; and it gave fresh vogue to the popular six-lined [[stanza]] which was much used later by [[Allan Ramsay (poet)|Allan Ramsay]], [[Robert Fergusson]] and [[Robert Burns]] (see particularly, Burns's ''Poor Mailie's Elegy''). Two broadside copies were printed before 1700, and it appeared in James Watson's ''Collection of Poems'' (1706–1710). Sempill is supposed to be the author also of an epitaph on Sawney Briggs, nephew to Habbie Simpson, written in the same stanza.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

He wrote a continuation of his father's ''Packman's Pater Noster''.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

==See also==
*[[Habbie stanza]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
*{{DNB Cite|wstitle=Sempill, James}}

==Further reading==
* Ferguson, Margaret, "The Bards o Beltrees", in [[J. K. Annand|Annand, J.K.]] (ed.), ''[[Lallans (magazine)|Lallans]]'', Number 19, [[Martinmas|Mairtinmas]] 1982, Scots Language Society, pp. 15 - 19, {{issn|1359-3587}}

'''Attribution:'''
* {{EB1911|wstitle=Sempill, Sir James, Robert and Francis|display=Sempill, Sir James, Robert and Francis ''s.v.'' Robert Sempill [the younger]|volume=24|page=633}}

{{Scots makars}}
{{Authority control}}

{{EB1911 article with no significant updates}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sempill, Robert, The Younger}}
[[Category:1590s births]]
[[Category:1660s deaths]]
[[Category:People from Renfrewshire]]
[[Category:Ballads]]
[[Category:Lallans poets]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Glasgow]]
[[Category:Scottish soldiers]]
[[Category:17th-century Scottish writers]]
[[Category:17th-century Scottish male writers]]
[[Category:17th-century Scottish poets]]
[[Category:Middle Scots poets]]


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