his rescue, they killed Spens on the spot, despite the regent's attempts to save his unlikely saviour. However, the family were later reconciled to King James VI of Scotland, who sent Sir James Spens of Wormieston as ambassador to Sweden, where a branch of the family settled, rising high in the Swedish nobility as Counts Spens. 18th to 20th centuries Dr. Nathaniel Spens (1728–1815), second son of the 15th Laird of Lathallan, bought back Craigsanquhar, Fife (which belonged to the family from 1385 to 1524) in 1792. His descendant, Sir Patrick Spens (1885–1973), was created 1st Lord Spens of Blairsanquhar, Fife, in 1959. Dr. Nathaniel Spens of Craigsanquhar in Fife was also the president of the Royal College of Physicians in 1794. He was a prominent member of the Royal Company of Archers (the monarch's bodyguard in Scotland) and a famous portrait of him hangs in Archers' Hall in Edinburgh. One of his descendants, Sir William Spens, was vice-chancellor of Cambridge University from 1931 to 1933. Another kinsman, John Spens, WS, was Albany Herald to the Court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms. Clan Chief The Rt Hon The Lord Spens, Patrick Nathaniel George Spens, The 4th Baron Spens, Chief of the Name and Arms of Spens in the United Kingdom. The heir apparent is the present holder's son The Hon. Peter Lathallan Spens (b. 2000). References External links "Spens", Electric Scotland's Classified Directory. https://web.archive.org/web/20070319210147/http://www.myclan.com/clans/Spens_129/default.php http://www.spens.info/ Spens