Benjamin James Kemper

Benjamin James Kemper was born in July 1783 in present-day Fauquier County, Virginia. That year marked the end of the Revolutionary War, The Treaty of Paris, and essentially the formation of the United States of America. His was the first generation of Kempers not to live under British rule. Ben was a direct descendant of five of the twelve German families that settled the original Germanna Colony in Virginia in 1714 including Kemper, Cuntze, Hitt, Utterbach, and Weaver lines. Both of his parents were direct descendants of the original Germanna colonists.

Benjamin's father, Tilman Kemper (Camper) was a patriot soldier of the American Revolution. Tilman was born in Germantown, Virginia in 1759. He married DINAH HITT, and they had 15 children of which Benjamin was the third. In about 1785 Tilman and Dinah moved to Bryan Station, in then what was Fayette County, Kentucky District, Virginia with their three young children, Thomas, Anna and Benjamin (age 2). This location is about five miles northeast of downtown Lexington, Kentucky. There he built a log hut which would be their first Kentucky home. In 1788 his father was deeded 100 acres not far from Bryan Station on the waters of David's Fork of the North Elkhorn and there Ben grew to manhood.

About 1791, Absalom Adams, a former neighbor of the Kempers in Virginia moved his family to Kentucky, settling near the Tilman Kemper family on the waters of David's Fork. Among the Adams children to make this move was Sally, aka Tulip, Ben's future wife.

Ben Kemper married Sally Adams in Fayette County, Kentucky on the 20th of October 1803. Soon after, they relocated to a part of Gallatin County that would years later become the community of New Liberty in Owen County, Kentucky. This location was about 40 miles to the northwest from their homes on David's Fork.

Between 1804 and 1830 Ben and Sally had 18 children, ten of whom lived full lives*. Sadly six died in infancy and another two died in accidents at an early age. Their first born was Absalom Adams Kemper, named for his maternal grandfather, who would go on to become a medical doctor, perhaps the first of the Kemper family in the United States.

Ben made his livelihood at farming, as did his father and to help with his work he had his many sons and several negro slaves. When Ben's father Tilman died in 1836, Ben bought from the estate a family of four slaves - - Billy and his wife Eliza and their two young children John and Susan.

Benjamin died intestate on the 10th of December 1859 from an illness. Though there was no will, several days prior to his death and in the presence of a number of his grown children, he made a list of the names of his children and grandchildren and next to the names indicated which portions of his estate would go to each of them. In this manner he gave away his entire estate which at that time consisted mostly of money and notes. He entrusted his sons Joel and Benjamin D. to execute his instructions. This action left him with no property to be distributed after his death and this gifting method was ultimately upheld by the Court of Appeals in Kentucky in 1864.

• Absalom A. (1804-1879) m Sophia Winscott; Tilman H. (1805-1879) m Dorcus Searcy; Eliza (1808-1893) m1 William Bledsoe m2 Samuel Turner; Mary (1811-1902) m Robert Slaughter; Joel H. (1812-1880); Jonathan (1814-1880 m Rebecca J. Suter; Benjamin D. (1817-after 1900) m Lucy Hardesty; James F. (1819-1880) m Elizabeth J. Scott; Nancy S. (1823-after 1850); and Levi R. (1824-1900) m1 Milly Maddox m2 Nancy C. Gray.

NOTE TO KEMPER FAMILY RESEARCHERS: Please let me know if you have more specific information about the location of the homestead and the graves of Benjamin and Sally (Adams) Kemper as well as anything else of interest. The goal is to have the most complete and accurate information. Thank you.

• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Aug 7 2018, 0:43:42 UTC