Will of Henry Kemp

of Canterbury, Kent

I give and bequeath unto my Dear Wife Susannah Kemp All that my Freehold house Stables Yard and Premises situate in St. Margaret�s Street in the City of Canterbury now in the Tenure or Occupation of William Denne, Taylor, and others The Land Tax of which is redeemed And also all that my Freehold Dwelling house Garden & Premises thereunto belonging together All my household Goods and all and singular other Effects And also all my Rights Title and Interest in All that Farm Lands & Premises called Donjon Farm which I hold by Lease five years whereof of which were unexpired at Michaelmas last One Thousand Seven Hundred and ninety nine
And also of all those Cottages being part of Dean John [Donjon] Premises Although not mentioned in the Lease in the Several Occupations of Thomas Horton Edward Daly [blank] Russell John Garden William Ellis James Horton and Walter Morris

And also of and in all that four Acres of Hopground (lately called Harrisons four Acres) not mentioned in the Lease All which said Lands and Premises are situate in the Parishes of Saint Mary Bredin alias Brednes and St. Mildred�s or one of them in the City of Canterbury aforesaid let to several Tenants as will plainly appear (recourse being had to my Books)

And also of all my Goods Chattels and Effects whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature or kind soever the same shall be and consist at the time of my decease She paying thereout my just debts funeral expences and the Charges proving this my Will

And I do hereby constitute and appoint my said Dear Wife Susanna Kemp my Sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament, hereby revoking and making void all former And other Wills by me at any time made

In Witness whereof I the said Henry Kemp have to this my last Will and Testament set and affixed my hand and seal this twenty second day of February in the Year of our Lord One thousand eighth hundred
Henry Kemp

Signed sealed published and declared by the said Henry Kemp the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at his request and in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our Names as Witnesses hereto
Augs Kemp Wm Kemp John Reame
Augustine Kemp William Kemp

The before Registered Will of Henry Kemp above was proved the twenty fifth day of April 1803 before the Reverend Joshua Dix Clerk Surrogate to the Right Honble. [Honorable] Sir William Scott Knight Doctor of Laws Official General to the Reverend the Archdeacon of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oath of Susannah Kemp widow the Relict and sole Executrix named in the said Will she being first sworn duly to perform the same

Notes:
Henry Kemp married Susannah Sankey 3rd September 1786 at St. Andrew, Canterbury. Witness was Matthew Sankey.
Their known children:
15-Aug 1787 C Philip Henry (to) Henry and Susanna Kemp Canterbury, Christ Church Cathedral
28-Aug 1788 C Mary Ann Henry and Susanna Kemp Canterbury, Christ Church Cathedral
04-Jul 1790 C Susanna Kidder Henry and Susanna Kemp Canterbury, St. Margaret
05-Feb 1792 C Mary Ann Henry and Susanna Kemp Canterbury, St. Margaret
Henry Kemp died aged 42 and was buried at Harbledown on 3rd April 1803 *
Susanna Kemp died and was also buried at Harbledown on 17th July 1804

* This gives him a birth date of 1761 + 2 years. The only christening I have been able to find (and it actually fits spot on) is: 22nd Feb 1761 Henry Kemp to John and Mary at Throwley, St. Michael & All Angels.

See also: PRC 17/103/594b Will of Susanna Kemp, Widow of Henry Kemp proved on 9th October 1804 (transcribed with notes).

Notes from Carolyn Kemp:

I have the same Henry recorded baptized 1761 at Throwley. This is who I have as married to Susanna Kidder.
John and Mary Kemp also had a Henry William baptized 1758, but I don�t have burial of same.
Now, this makes Henry and Augustine Kemp brothers. Augustine baptized 17 Feb 1757 to John and Mary.

The Mary Kemp (baptized 2 Nov 1781 at Otterden) who married Philip Henry Kemp in 1807 in Canterbury is the daughter of Augustine Henry and Mary Lowther � i.e. first cousins. They married at St. George the Martyr, Canterbury.

Susanna Sankey was the daughter of Thomas and Dorcas baptized Sept 30 1764 at Canterbury, St. Andrew.
Thomas Sankey otp and Dorcas Kidder, minor were married by license Oct 7 1759 at Canterbury, St. Andrew.

An additional note that I received from another researcher years ago � this one about Susanna Kidder Kemp (b1790):
"R. C. suspects that Susannah may have been taken in by a "landed" family following the death of her mother. He mentions either the Colington�s or the Dodd's where he believes she was a governess prior to her marriage" (to John Croaker 27 Jul 1811 at Leaveland).
�After her marriage, she and her husband lived in Margate until he was involved in a major embezzlement case. "He fled to France with Stq 3000 in Jan. 1815. SKK is reported to have been arrested in late Jan 1815 as she was about to embark for France to join JC. JC was tried (in a prominent case) during 1815 and sentenced to 7 years transportation. He left for [New South Wales] in May 1816 on the 'Mariner'. SKK and their two children left on an accompanying ship "Elizabeth".

"Basically, JC set up the first double entry accounting system in Australia. He was principal clerk in the Police Office from about 1818-1821, had a farm and appeared to be involved in hotels and brewing too. SKK ran a school for girls with 10 pupils. In 1823, JC decided to return to England (for reasons unknown) with his 11 year old son, John Wilkerson Croaker. Their ship the "Mariner" (not the same one he came out on) was wrecked on the island of Chiloe [Chile] in July 1823. Only the son returned to England."

Transcription by Shelagh Mason 1st September 2018. Free to use by Individual researchers.

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