Great mainbodytext - Elizabeth Forbes-Sempill

FirstFoot had a dilemma with Elizabeth Forbes-Sempill. We couldn't decide whether the story belonged in Great Scotsmen or Great mainbodytext. Intrigued? Then read on.

Elizabeth Forbes-Sempill was born on Sept 6 1912 and baptised as the third and youngest daughter of the 18th Lord Sempill, head of the Forbes-Sempill family. The Sempill's are one of Scotland's oldest titled families and come complete with a 15th century Barony and a Baronetcy of Novia Scotia, created in 1630, not to mention a wee hoose called Cragievar Castle.

However, the titles of the family always passed through the male line and so Elizabeth had no chance of inheriting any titles, land, property etc ……. Unless …… unless of course, she was a he.

So, in 1952 Elizabeth applied to the Sheriff of Aberdeen for a warrant for birth re-registration as a male. The application was granted.

Then, on Sept 12 1952, a notice appeared in the columns of The Press and Journal, Aberdeen, which stated that henceforth Dr Elizabeth Forbes-Sempill wished to be known as Dr Ewan Forbes-Sempill.

Good eh ?

You can probably guess most of the rest. Ewan/Elizabeth married his/her housekeeper. Surprise, surprise, there were no children.

Carigievar Castle - worth burning your bra for?

When her brother, Lord Sempill died in 1965, Elizabeth claimed the titles. However, it wasn't all plain sailing. John Forbes-Sempill (the only son of Lord Sempill's youngest brother), challenged the claim. The case was taken to the Scottish Court of Session which, with indecent haste, found in favour of Elizabeth. At the time the Glasgow Herald reported the "exceptional and disquieting circumstances in which the case was heard".

But, Elizabeth scooped the jackpot. The family estate was broken up, the lands were sold and Craigievar Castle (Aberdeenshire) became the property of the National Trust of Scotland. Presumably Elizabeth trousered the proceeds.

An intriguing thing is that all the court records relating to Court of Session hearings seem to have disappeared. Whereas normally they would be available as a matter of public record, there is nothing available in the public domain and all enquiries to the Crown Office for information come to nought. . . . couldn't be anything illegal going on could there ?

No, the Sempills' involved in something dubious. Lord forbid.

The case is claimed as one of the first trans-gender legal successes. FirstFoot is not so sure. Maybe, Elizabeth was just one damned smart woman who sussed a way to buck the system.

FirstFoot would like to think so.