Robert had to ask Thomas Wharton, an agent to Henry VIII, to forward his request of permission to remove his children from England to the Privy Council and was granted immediately.
Thomas, after his release by the English, traveled to France and was employed as a Gens d'Arme appointed to guard and attend his son Francis and daughter-in-law, Mary, Queen of Scots.
[18][19] John's grandfather William, the second Lord Sempill, had obtained a charter of the five-pound lands of Beltrees from Mary of Guise, dated October 1545.
The lands of Thirdpart were included in the contract but title would remain with his uncle William until his death and eventually passed to his son Francis.
Immediately after the murder, the Queen asked Mary Livingston to request that her husband remove a box containing her foreign correspondence and cypher keys from David Riccio's chamber then under the guard of John's father, Robert.
In Nov 1570, Regent Moray demanded jewels that had belonged to the Queen to be turned over to him and ordered John Sempill to be imprisoned in Blackness Castle.
[26] In 1573, Regent Morton wanted English assistance in the siege of Edinburgh castle, he directed several sons of Lords, including John, be sent to Queen Elizabeth as hostages for the good conduct of the Scots to assure the safe return of Sir William Drury, his army, and cannon.
"In the beginning of the year 1577, a circumstance occurred which the Regent eagerly seized upon as a fit opportunity for again oppressing the Hamilton family.
This lady had married John Sempill of Beltrees, and Morton, to one of whose estates the property lay contiguous, resolved to reduce the deed of gift, and convert it to his own use.
His uncle, Whitefuird of Milntoune, fell into the same violent passion, and alluding to Morton's low stature, said that "Nero was but a dwarf compared to Mortoun".
A report was industriously spread by the creatures of the government, that these two persons had been hired by Lord Claud Hamilton to murder the Regent, and the torture was had recourse to, to make them criminate that nobleman.
Beltrees, naturally weak and timorous, sunk under the first application of the Boot, and confessed everything they wished; but Milnetoun, a man of a more determined spirit, resolutely bore all their torments with unshaken constancy, and asserted his own and Lord Claud's innocence.
He was shortly afterwards discharged; but such cried and arbitrary proceedings excited the highest indignation, and made Morton's government be universally detested.
This appears from his latter-will, which was recorded 19 Feb 1582, "The Testament Dative and Inventar of the gudis, geir, sowmes of money and dettis pertening to umquhile JOHNE Sympill of Beltrees, within the Sherifdome of Renfrew, the tyme of his deceis, quha deceist vpon the xxv day of August lxxix zeiris, faithfullie maid and gevin vp be Marie Levingstoun his relict [spous] in name and behalf of Arthour, Johne and Dorathie Sympillis, lauchfull bairnis to the Defunct."