John came to King and Queen County, Virginia from Scotland in 1752.
The Virginia Gazette, October 11, 1770:
"To be SOLD, for ready money, on Wednesday, the 21st November, if fair, if not the next fair day, at the dwelling house of John Semple, deceased, in the county of King & Queen, ALL the estate of the said John Semple, consisting of 1200 acres of land, more or less, subject to the dower of Elizabeth Semple, his widow, in the whole, to the dower of Joanne Prince, widow of Francis Prince, deceased, in 150 acres, part thereof; and for the life of Sarah Roberts, widow, in 50 acres, another part thereof. There is on the said land a convenient dwelling house and all other convenient outhouses built since the year 1764; a large apple and peach orchard [cannot read an entire line] Isabel Thomas, at the rent of 10[cannot read] per annum, seven years of her lease yet unexpired; the other two in the possession and tenure of [cannot read first name] Walden [cannot read one word] and James Walden his son, tenants at will. Also 13 Negroes, variety of good household and kitchen furniture of all sorts, too tedious here to mention; flocks of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs; taken in execution by virtue of a decree of the Honourable General Court, against the said John Semple, for and on account of his the said Semple becoming security for Philip Rootes, late sheriff of the said county, for non-payment of the taxes due to his Majesty in the years 1765 and 1766. The sale will be continued till all are sold, by the SHERIFF. WILLIAMSBURG, October 4, 1770."
There is a manuscript at the Library of Virginia entitled, "History of the Semple Family of Scotland and America." It was written/compiled by Elizabeth Hawes Ryland of Richmond in 1950. The first half of the document contains portions of an interview from the summer of 1900 with Mrs. Adeline Semple Bradford of Springfield, Illinois, daughter of John Walker Semple and Lucy Robertson. There is also a copy of a manuscript made be a hired researcher from that time period about the Semple family in Scotland. This document takes the family back hundreds of years with no source citation. There is also a portion of Ryland's manuscript produced from her own research. Finally there are transcripts of a few letters, including one from "Eliza Pettus."
According to Ryland's manuscript, the graveyard at the Semple home in question,"Rose Mount," was plowed under and destroyed before 1900. No stones or their fragments remained at that time.
The Virginia Gazette, October 11, 1770:
"To be SOLD, for ready money, on Wednesday, the 21st November, if fair, if not the next fair day, at the dwelling house of John Semple, deceased, in the county of King & Queen, ALL the estate of the said John Semple, consisting of 1200 acres of land, more or less, subject to the dower of Elizabeth Semple, his widow, in the whole, to the dower of Joanne Prince, widow of Francis Prince, deceased, in 150 acres, part thereof; and for the life of Sarah Roberts, widow, in 50 acres, another part thereof. There is on the said land a convenient dwelling house and all other convenient outhouses built since the year 1764; a large apple and peach orchard [cannot read an entire line] Isabel Thomas, at the rent of 10[cannot read] per annum, seven years of her lease yet unexpired; the other two in the possession and tenure of [cannot read first name] Walden [cannot read one word] and James Walden his son, tenants at will. Also 13 Negroes, variety of good household and kitchen furniture of all sorts, too tedious here to mention; flocks of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs; taken in execution by virtue of a decree of the Honourable General Court, against the said John Semple, for and on account of his the said Semple becoming security for Philip Rootes, late sheriff of the said county, for non-payment of the taxes due to his Majesty in the years 1765 and 1766. The sale will be continued till all are sold, by the SHERIFF. WILLIAMSBURG, October 4, 1770."
There is a manuscript at the Library of Virginia entitled, "History of the Semple Family of Scotland and America." It was written/compiled by Elizabeth Hawes Ryland of Richmond in 1950. The first half of the document contains portions of an interview from the summer of 1900 with Mrs. Adeline Semple Bradford of Springfield, Illinois, daughter of John Walker Semple and Lucy Robertson. There is also a copy of a manuscript made be a hired researcher from that time period about the Semple family in Scotland. This document takes the family back hundreds of years with no source citation. There is also a portion of Ryland's manuscript produced from her own research. Finally there are transcripts of a few letters, including one from "Eliza Pettus."
According to Ryland's manuscript, the graveyard at the Semple home in question,"Rose Mount," was plowed under and destroyed before 1900. No stones or their fragments remained at that time.
