William Hamilton of Blair

WILLIAM HAMILTON OF BLAIR

William Hamilton of Blair is the bastard son of John Hamilton, Abbot of Paisley and Archbishop of St. Andrews. Hamilton Memoirs, page 235 His mother is Grizel Semple, daughter of Robert, Lord Semple. Protocol Book of Mr. Gilbert Grote, 1552-1573, protocol number 205 on page 46'

Evidence from the National Records of Scotland

                   1

7 May 1551: Letter of tutory under the Quarter Seal in favour of Mr Thomas Marjoribankis of Ratho, Lord Clerk-Register, as tutor to John Hammiltoun younger and William Hammiltoun, natural sons of Grizel Sympill, daughter of Robert, Master of Sympill. [Tongue and tie]. National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Earls of Glasgow (Crawford Priory), reference GD20/1/836

                  2

9 October 1551: Regina etc,, dedit literas legitimationis Johanni Hammyltoun juniori, bastardo, filio naturali Grisillidis Sympill filie Roberti magistri de Simple, et Willelmo Hammyltoun ejus fratri, etiam bastardo. Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, A. D. 1546-1580, charter number 637 on page 142

                   3

27 March 1562: Gressell Sympill, daughter to Robert, Lord Sympill, and liferentrix of the lands of the barony of Torre, together with William Hammiltoun and John Hammiltoun, her natural sons, is warned to appear at the parish kirk of St. Geill in Edinburgh on Whitsunday-even (16 May 1562), in order to receive five thousand merks for the redemption of the barony of Torre. Protocol Book of Mr. Gilbert Grote, 1552-1573, protocol number 205 on page 46

                   4

26 January 1562-63: Letters under Quarter Seal to John, Archbishop of St. Andrews, ordering infeftment of Henry Wardlaw of Torre in lands of Torre; which lands were wadset to Grisel Sympill, daughter of Robert, now Lord Sympill, in liferent, and to William Hammiltoun, her natural son, whom failing to John Hammiltoun, also her natural son, etc., under reversion for sum of 4000 merks Scots National Records of Scotland, Erskine family of Cardross, Perthshire, reference GD15/397

Genealogy

1. Sir James Balfour Paul, Lord Lyon King of Arms, The Scots Peerage etc. (Edinburgh 1910), vii, pp. 526-68 for Sempill, Lord Sempill
2. John Anderson, Historical and Genealogical Memoirs of the House of Hamilton, etc. (Edinburgh, 1825), 495 pp.