Kemp, Jonathan 

Capt. Jonathan Kemp 1742 - 1814, St. Helena Parish, La.
Compiled by many descendants and prepared by Pauline Bizette Brandy

[The following was taken from: "THREE GENERATIONS OF CAPTAIN JONATHAN KEMP FAMILY".

The official records of Captain Jonathan Kemp, compiled by his great great grandson, Dempsey "Demmy" Kemp of Greensburg, Louisiana, with data of his children and grandchildren.]

Captain Jonathan Kemp was a native of North Carolina, according to his grandson, Judge Simpson Kemp, who reported this fact in The Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Louisiana pages 507-8. This was corroborated by the Colonial Records of Georgia by Chandler in Vol. XI (1770-1777) which reported: "That he moved from North Carolina to St. George Parish, Georgia (made Burke County, Ga. in 1777) about 1768/9, and acquired 100 acres of land on Rocky Creek on September 1771 (see Colonial Records of Georgia by Chandler Vol. XII page 52). He there met and married Sally Patsy Womack about 1769 or 1770. Her father, Richard Womack, was living there at the same time with his wife, four children and six Negroes, according to Colonial Records of Georgia Vol. X page 897.

Jonathan Kemp moved back to North Carolina where he became Captain in Burke's Regiment, North Carolina Militia and was paid in cash for his Revolutionary service. Payment of cash was allowed for Militiamen, by a law previously passed by the North Carolina House of Commons in 1768, which he took advantage of, for he no doubt intended to return to Georgia. He was paid 873 pounds and 49 shillings for his service on 15 Nov 1781 by voucher No. 608-609-610-611, just 27 days after Lord Cornwallis had surrendered to Gen. George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia.

Capt. Jonathan Kemp returned to Burke County, Georgia after the birth of his youngest son Dempsey Kemp (by Sally Patsy Womack). According to his son, Judge Simpson Kemp, as reported in The Biographical and Memoirs of Louisiana pages 507-8, both his father Dempsey Kemp and Jonathan Kemp were "Natives of the Old North State" (meaning North Carolina).

After Jonathan Kemp moved back to Burke County, Ga., he was elected as a member to the Georgia Legislature and began his service on 8 Jan 1784. He was appointed by the same Legislature as a Justice of Burke County and paid 28 Feb 1784 the amount of 2 shillings and 8d. (See Candler's Revolutionary War Records Vol. III pages 421 and pages 572-3). (From Knight's Roster of the Revolution page 26) Francis Boykin, Refugee soldier of Burke County, appointed Jonathan Kemp, Esq., plantar of the same county, to obtain his bounty land on 28 Jan 1784.

Records of the 18th Congress of the U.S. records that Jonathan and Dempsey Kemp acquired Spanish Land in St. Helena District in 1801. The Mississippi Territorial Papers of the United States Vol. V 1798-1817 page 168 mentions that James Madison U.S. Secretary of State wrote to Miss. Gov. Claiborne on 26 July 1802 concerning land titles in the Miss. Territory, Bourbon County as well as the West Florida Spanish titles; to have the settlers present their claims on a petition. Among the 63 who signed the petition were Isaac Kemp, David Kemp, Jonathan Kemp and Dempsey Kemp.

Captain Jonathan Kemp was a member of the first Police Jury of St. Helena Parish, La. in 1813 and died the following year according to his tombstone record. "Died December 2, 1814, age 72". His tombstone record erroneously records "He fought at Bunker Hill". His youngest son, who was only 2.5 years old when his father died, erected the tomb and was misinformed. The youngest son, judging by his character, would have been the first to correct this error had he learned the truth.

Many have joined D.A.R. on Captain Jonathan Kemp's record, but erroneously submitted his name as Jonathan David Kemp and were no doubt accepted on one David Kemp (no relationship) who did fight and was captured the first day at Bunker Hill and held prisoner. My dear sister, the late Ada Kemp Dodge (Mrs. C. P.), was the first to innocently use that name and was accepted as a member. Others copied her papers and joined on the same name. She evidently got the name from my mother's records, who had asked our grandfather, Peter Hutchinson Kemp. He was living in our home in Cameron, Texas and was a grandson of Capt. Jonathan Kemp. Peter Hutchinson Kemp was asked the full name of our ancestor who was a Revolutionary Soldier, and he replied " I don't remember him but my brother was named for him". The brother was named Jonathan David Kemp, so my sister innocently used that name.

All the records that I have seen of the children of Capt. Jonathan Kemp and his first wife Sallie Womack were born in the following sequence, but the only authentic record I have, is the birth of their youngest child Dempsey Kemp. Dempsey Kemp was born 6 Jun 1782, which date was recorded in the Old Dempsey Kemp Family Bible. The bible was handed down to his direct descendent Miss Loula Pipes of Amite, La. and still in her possession (1956). Most of those who joined D. A. R., and who erroneously gave his name as Jonathan David Kemp, gave his birth as 1792. The records in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana show settlement of the estate of Jonathan Kemp by his son Isaac Kemp in 1815. He gave his mother's name as Patsy Womack; the name "Patsy" in that period was a derivative of Martha, so I am wondering if her real name wasn't Martha instead of Sallie by which name she was generally known. Since their youngest child was born 1782, I am estimating that they were born two years apart.

[The following was taken from the work of Dempsey Kemp and it is desired that researchers contribute their data to the outline!]

JONATHAN KEMP
b: c1742 NC
d: 02 Dec 1814 St. Helena Par., La
m#1: c1769/70 St. George Par., Ga. (Burke Co.)
Sally "Patsy" Womack
b: c1748 Henrico Co., Va. ?
d: 20 Jan 1791
m#2: 1783/4
Elizabeth Cox
b: c1769
d: 13 Feb 1839

The 16 children:

A. ASA KEMP
b: c1770
d: 1803 Anderson Co., SC
m: c1800
Martha Mary Kilpatrick

B. ISAAC KEMP
b: c1772
d:
m:Lovie Methvein

C. DAVID KEMP
b: c1774
d: 14 Jul 1820
m: (never married)

D. JONATHAN KEMP JR.
b: c1776
d: bef. 1817
m: (never married)

E. THOMAS KEMP
b: c1778
d: 1817
m: 10 Jul 1815 St. Helena Par., La.
Margaret "Peggy" Hutchinson

F. REBECCA KEMP
b: c1780
d: c1835- 50
m: c1810 La.
David T. Gorman

G. DEMPSEY KEMP
b: 06 Jun1782 NC
d: 29 Jan 1844 St. Helena Par., La.
m: 1810 St. Helena Parish, La.
Sally Dean Hutchinson

Capt. Jonathan Kemp married as his second wife Elizabeth Cox of South Carolina (probably Barnwell County which adjoined Burke Co., Ga.). Elizabeth was born 1769 and died 23 Dec 1839. She was buried in a marked grave beside her husband whom she had married about 1783 or 1784.

Their children:

H. CALEB KEMP
b: c1784 Burke Co., Ga.
d: c1835 Tx.
m: 26 Jan 1814 St. Helena Par., La.
Wilmouth George

I. CHARLES KEMP
b: c1786 Burke Co., Ga.
d:
m: 16 Feb 1816 St. Helena Par., La.
Mary "Polly" Hutchinson

J. DIANA KEMP
b: c1788 Burke Co., Ga.
d:
m #1: 15 Aug 1815 St. Helena Par., La.
Cader Raby
m #2: 28 Sep 1835 East Feliciana Par., La.
George W. Cornelius

K. ELIZABETH "BETSY" KEMP
b: c1790 Burke Co., Ga.
d:
m: 26 Jul 1829 St. Helena Par., La.
Abner Womack Jr.

L. WILFRED KEMP
b:
d:
m: 12 Sep 1826 St. Helena Par., La.
Prudence Spiller

M. MARTHA KEMP
b:
d:
m: 25 Oct 1815 St. Helena Par., La.
Nicholas George
b:
d: bef. 1838

N. SARAH SALLIE KEMP
b: c1793 Burke Co., Ga.
d:
m: St. Helena Parish, La.
John George Jr.

O. PERMELIA KEMP
b: c1807 La.
d:
m#1: 28 Dec 1821 St. Helena Parish, La.
William B. Womack
b: c1806
d: bef. 1850
m#2: 18 Jan 1851 St. Helena Parish, La.
Soloman Killian

P. HILLERY JACKSON KEMP
b: 12 Feb 1812 St. Helena Par., La.
d: 13 Jan 1862
m: c1830s
Katherine Killian

(It is believed that Captain Jonathan Kemp was the son of William Kemp and the grandson of William Kemp of Craven Co., SC & Anson Co., N.C.)