SEMPLE, Robert, British author, born in Scotland about 1766 ; died in Fort Douglas, British America, 19 June, 1816. He was nominated chief governor of all the factories and territories of the Hudson bay company in 1815, and, sailing from England, reached York factory, British America, in August of the same year. He made a tour of inspection of all the posts of the company immediately upon his arrival, and did not reach his headquarters at Fort Douglas (now part of Winnipeg) until the spring of 1816. For some time previous to the arrival of Governor Scruple there had been a conflict of authority between the Hudson bay company and the Northwest trading company, which resulted in bloodshed on several occasions. Oil 19 June, 1816, Cuthbert Grant, a half-breed, representing the Northwest company, in command of a band of Indians and others, marched against Fort Douglas, attacked Governor Scruple while he was parleying with them, and killed him and twenty-seven others. He is represented as a mild, just, and honorable man. Among other works he wrote "Walks and Sketches at the Cape of Good Hope" (London, 1803); "Charles Ellis, or the Friends," a novel (1806) ; "A Journey through Spain and Italy " (2 vols., 1807) ; "Spanish Post-Guide" (1808) ; " Second Journey in Spain" (1809) ; "State of Caraccas" (1812) ; and "Tour from Hamburgh" (1814).