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Anthony Fenn Kemp
(1773-1868)
Soldier and merchant. He was born in London, the son of Anthony Facer Kemp and Susannah Fenn. He travelled to the United
States and France before arriving in Australia as an ensign in 1795 as part of the NSW Corps. From 1795 to 1797 he served
on Norfolk Island being promoted to lieutenant. In 1801 he was promoted to captain. In 1802 he married Elizabeth Riley, daughter
of Alexander Riley. Kemp leased land on the corner of George and King streets where he built a shop outside the Barracks gate
and charged high prices for his goods. Kemp was one of the more militant officers and was involved in attacks on Governor
King's administration and was in the vanguard of those who arrested Governor William Bligh on 26 January 1808. After a series
of economic upheavals Kemp successfully applied to settle in Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) and where once again he made
his mark as a grazier and merchant. He died at Sandy Bay a wealthy man in 1868 at the age of 95 and was buried at St George's
Church of
England cemetery.
Source: Kemp, M. C. 'Anthony Fenn Kemp', in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume two, London, MUP, 1967.
Kemp, M. C. & Kemp, T. B. 'Captain Anthony Fenn Kemp', Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, Vol. 51,
1965.
Historical
*
Murray C Kemp & Therese B Kemp, 'Captain Anthony Fenn Kemp', Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society,
Vol 51, pt 1 (March 1965).
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The next reference to freemasonry which concerned the N.S.W Corps was a ceremony that Capt Anthony Fenn Kemp of the N.S.W.
Corps underwent in a French "Lodge" "not regularly constituted but properly assembled" on board one of
Baudin's ships during their stay in Sydney in 1802. Anthony Fenn Kemp was born at Aldgate, London in 1773, and educated at
Greenwich. He arrived in Port Jackson as an ensign with Governor Hunter in June 1790. Fenn was one of Macarthur's cabal and
deeply involved in the arrest of Governor Bligh. He returned to England and was a witness for the defence in Lt. Col. Johnston's
court martial on the charge of mutiny. Kemp's evidence was proven to be false and mostly hearsay. He remained in England for
four years then returned to Van Diemen's Land in 1815. Fenn died at "Bertrams" in the Sandy Bay district of Hobart
on the 28th October,1868.
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Decisions of the Nineteenth Century Tasmanian Superior Courts
Wise v. Kemp
Supreme Court of Van Diemen's Land
17 October 1835
Source: Tasmanian, 23 October 1835[1]
This was an action brought for slander by the plaintiff, John Wise, against Anthony Fenn Kemp, esq., for making use of
certain offensive expressions in reference to plaintiff’s business as a publican. Mr. Attorney General opened the
proceedings, by an eloquent address to the gentlemen of the Jury, after which, the Solicitor General proceeded to call the
witnesses.
Mr. W. Wise is brother to plaintiff who was a publican; plaintiff has been a publican upwards of two years; knows defendant;
about 4th or 6th of April; saw Mr. Kemp near the Commercial Bank; he said, I have received another circular from your brother.
Mr. John Wise, calling his creditors together; he said he was a swindler, and nothing else but a swindler; witness said he
himself was a creditor, and was satisfied there was 20s. in the pound for them all; he again repeated the words; he then said
he (Mr. Wise) had six casks of Porter from him, (Mr. Kemp) and now wants to swindle me out of it; there was a great many people
in the street.
By Mr. Gellibrand. - John Wise owed him near £100, at the time of calling his creditors together; he had frequently consulted
witness respecting his affairs; did not know, nor believe he had several bills overdue; was not consulted respecting an advertisement
in the Courier; knows he tried to raise a sum of money from the Derwent Bank; it was in order to pay bills as they came due,
and save law expences; his debt was then due; he had no security; had security for part of it, by a bill; he gave the bill
up at the meeting, and took bills for it to the amount of about £100, at 6, 9, 12, and 15 months; there was a meeting of creditors
on the 10th April, when time was given to plaintiff for 6, 9, 12, and 15 months. Plaintiff’s debts at that meeting
was about £800; it did appear then that plaintiff was unable to meet his payments as they came due; on a prior occasion, his
brother had craved time from his creditors; does not know what time was given; there was no person present but witness; when
he, Mr. Kemp, made use of the word; most positively asserts that the expressions were used by Mr. Kemp before the meeting,
and not in the presence of Mr. Clare; it did not appear that the meeting was called in consequence of any losses recently
sustained; does not know that at the time of the negotiation with the Derwent Bank, that they held an overdue acceptance.
By Mr. Solicitor General. - Plaintiff could not have paid his debts as they came due without assistance, and that was
the reason the meeting was called; Mr. Clare was not present at the meeting.
C. Swanston, Esq., examined. - Recollects a negotiation being carried on between Mr. Wise and the Derwent Bank, about
the latter end of May, or beginning of April; it eventually failed; it was for a loan of £300 to the plaintiff; witness thinks
he was not satisfied with the securities offered.
Mr. Gellibrand then addressed the Jury at considerable length, and would leave his case in their hands.
His Honor summed up the evidence, and directed the Jury, that if they were satisfied that the expressions complained of,
were used by the defendant to the plaintiff, with respect to his business, that they may according to law find a verdict for
the plaintiff; but it was not actionable to call a man a swindler who is not in business, or unless it is respecting his business.
The Jury then retired, and after some time returned a verdict for the plaintiff. One farthing damages, on each of the
four counts, on the second special plea of justification - found for the defendant on the first and third special pleas of
justification.
His Honor was requested to certify as to the costs; he would consider on the subject.
Pedder C.J., 17 November 1835
Source: Hobart Town Courier, 20 November 1835[2]
The Attorney General moved to make Rule absolute for a new trial, on the grounds that the Verdict was inconsistent and
contradictory.
Mr. Gellibrand argued against the Rule.
Rule made absolute, Costs to abide the event of the second trial.
Pedder C.J., 11 December 1835
Source: Hobart Town Courier, 18 December 1835
This was a new trial of the cause which was tried at the sittings after the last term. In was an action for slander; and
on the last trial the jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff - damages, one farthing.
The jury retired at 3 o'clock, and after remaining out 12 hours, being unable to agree, were discharged. The cause will
be tried again at the sittings after the next term.
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In 1816, Anthony Fenn Kemp, a thoroughly unpleasant and despotic soldier-merchant, who seems to have spent most of his
life fighting with governors and trying to manipulate the political scene in both New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land settled
in the district.
Kemp arrived in Australia in 1795 and served two years at Norfolk Island as a commissioned ensign in the New South Wales
Corp. In 1799 he established a shop on the corner of King and George Streets in Sydney where he managed, due to his privileged
position as treasurer of the Committee of Paymastership, to sell goods to his fellow soldiers at huge profits. One contemporary
report suggests that he bullied his fellow soldiers into buying from his shop and marked up his goods by 100 per cent. Attempting
to maintain this lucrative sideline he ended up brawling with Governor King over a shipload of brandy, waged a pamphlet war
against Governor King, and was instrumental in the overthrow of Governor Bligh.
In 1804 he was appointed second-in-command at Port Dalrymple (Launceston) and from August 1806 to April 1807 was in charge
of the infant colony.
He settled in Van Diemen's Land in 1816 and by the 1830s, through a combination of grants and purchases, had 4100 acres
in the Green Ponds area. It was here that he established and developed Tasmania's infant wool industry, bred horses and cattle,
and introduced a hardy, North American, variety of corn.
In some quarters he is known as the 'Father of Tasmania' but this has much to do with the fact that his family (who married
extensively into the upper echelons of Tasmanian society) consisted of seven sons and eleven daughters.
It is not surprising, given the size of Kemp's holdings, that Green Ponds was renamed Kempton in 1840.
Kemp was an opportunist. He cornered the notorious rum trade in the colony. Then Kemp took advantage of the presence of
the French Explorer Nicolas Baudin to invent an intended French colonisation of Van Diemenís Land and thereby gain a commission
for himself and his associates to colonise the island themselves. Despite the history of Tasmania as a penal colony, Kemp
seems to have been the biggest crook there. He used his contacts and called in favours to get his own way and to do his enemies
down.... and he never paid back his debts. Kemp took an ambivalent attitude to the Aborigines. As a radical and a republican
he sympathised with their plight, and then supported the proposed Black Line, a cordon of settlers who would cross the island,
driving the natives before them like like grouse before the beaters.
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Rum Rebellion rebel, Church elder, republican, monopolist, chronic stirrer, father of 18 children, acquaintance of George
Washington, who amazingly lived to the age of 95.
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