Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 15,581, for James Kemp, Virginia

SERVICE
NUMBER
Va.
Kemp, James.
R. 15.581
Va Half Pay
CONTENTS
N.A. Acc. No. 874 Acc 050 098 Half Pay James Kemp

17 Nov 1852
W Nesbitt St Louis
Relation to Half-pay claim of James Kempfe

Dear Sirs: Nov. 17, 1955
Heath Co Washington City Pa. D.C.
Other information since his death is that there was a claim pending by S. M. Scott of Richmond Va. that there was a claim pending by him for half pay on the ground that he was a Staff Officer during the Revolutionary War. He was a Quartermaster during that period. He died in Richmond Va. and was an uncle of Mrs. [?], My Mother's Brother. My Father who lived in Richmond Va. died in [?], probably [?]. My object in addressing you at this time, is to ask the favor of you to ascertain whether any allowance has been made to James M. Scott. By a decision of the [?], which was made some 200 years ago, all officers of the State line who held Staff appointments at the time of their becoming supernumerary, are entitled to their additional half pay due to their Staff Services. Being a nephew of James M. Scott I hereby request you to examine the proper records in order to ascertain the amount to be allowed to the said S. M. Scott or his widow, if she is still living. I have just learned that James M. Scott has been living to the present time. My wife being one of his heirs, her right to the amount of the said allowance is [?]. You will oblige me much by giving me all the particulars in relation to the claim of my Uncle James M. Scott, which should be entitled to a good deal.
3rd July D. N. West
Some years ago, my brother (who died I think in 1846) received several years previous to his death I think about £3000 from George, or his son, Alexander. I am not certain if any thing has since been paid to any one on account of James, though, that

St. Louis Nov. 17, 1882
As one of the heirs of James Kemp dec d late of Richmond Va a who was an Officer of the Revolutionary War, I hereby authorize J. W. Heath to examine the records at Washington City in order to ascertain whether the heirs of said Kemp are entitled to any further sum than has been already paid them, and also what amo nt has been paid, to whom & when.
Wm. B. Nephew of the late James Kemp

H Nisbet St Louis
Enquiring as to a payment made to the admrs of James Kenh dec d Ia State line
Can't find Let. H Nisbet 21 June 1853
Rev. W. Bigelow, (32 Brattle) May 12/59 (Rev. Brattle)

United States Jan'y 18. 1853
Dear Sir,
Washington
Com't of the
Mean Sir,
I duly received your letter of Jan'y 3rd
in which I thank you for informing me that payment was made from the U.S. Treasury on the 6th June 1851 of $1188.67 to Mr. W. B. Digby Adm r on account of the Staff Services of Mary Knapp . I am Mr. Knapp as a Revolutionary Officer. Will you be kind enough to inform me at your earliest convenience under what Act (then Mr. Knapp's Appropriation ) this appropriation was made and the date thereof , when it took effect &c. and whether or not any further sum will be coming to Knapp's heirs. In Novem r 1849 when Mr. Digby qualified as Adm r of Mr. Knapp, there were but three heirs living who were entitled to the appropriation, Myself & two Sisters, one of whom is Agnes M. Digby. My other Sister Mary has not received any portion of the same; and I have learned from Richmond that she has been paid or held at all for Agnes M. D. alleging that under my Mother's Will (who was the heir of Mr. Knapp) she (Mary D.) alone was entitled to it, as after devising certain property to her Children, she then gave to my Eldest Brother Arch d West the residue of her Estate, money, stocks, goods & property, real and personal and of whatever kind. This Will was dated 13 Nov. 1839. My Mother died 1 st July 1841. I have. My Mother's Will dated 16 Nov. 1839 and in her Will dated 18 Sep r 1849, and after disposing of certain property she concluded "I give to my Sister Nancy Digby (sister of Mr. Knapp) the best & residue of my Estate of whatever it may consist, including my real Estate in Virginia." It is supposed under these two Wills that Mr. Digby the Adm r claims the whole of the appropriation for his Mother Agnes M. Digby. We think here that if my Mother & Brother died previous to the passage of the Act of Congress which made the appropriation or previous to its becoming a law & giving it effect, that they never were in possession of it, and could not therefore bequeath what they never possessed, and if the Will be good before the death of my Brother, that he will only claim upon his Will, his portion as one of the then living heirs of Mr. Knapp. Are not the heirs of Knapp who were living at the time the Act became a law, the only persons entitled to the money equally? Please answer. This is my object in desiring to know the date of the Act when it became a law, & your opinion. I am Sir very truly W. B. Digby
It was under the Act of Congress of 1832 that my Mother received in 1833 an appropriation which she then heirs of Mr. Knapp were entitled to under that Act. This appropriation was made subsequent to her death & therefore she could not will it, as being dead at the time it was made.

Kemps Peto December 4 th 1782 Ref d to Claims
Reasonable Reported
To the Hon ble The Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Delegates — The petition of James Kemp sheweth —
That your petitioner in course of last session of Assembly petitioned your honourable House that the depreciation of his pay & subsistence as Pur- veyor to the Continental Hospitals erected within this State under the direction of Doctor William Buckman, from June, 1776 till February 1781, might be allowed him, with such privileges as were allowed to others who acted in the same department; that your hon ble House passed a resolution directing the auditors to settle with your petitioner for depreciation of pay &c, which resolution was carried to the senate on the day preceding the last of the session for their concu- rence, when it was referred to the consideration of a Committee, but owing, as your petitioner supposes, — to the hurry of business usual at that period of the session, that Committee did not report it, by which circumstance your petitioner has not been able to avail himself of the resolution of your hon ble House — The prayer of his former petition remaining still unsatisfied; — He therefore prays that your hon ble House may again direct that the depreciation of his pay & subsistence may be allowed him, — and also a grant of land agreeable to the resolution of Congress

restricting that repayment, proportioned to his time of service. — And your petitioner shall pray —
York Town Aug. 13. 1782
William Scantling of Capt Crumps Company of infantrys knowing furnished a substitute is discharged from the service, provided the substitute is a free man, and not engaged in any other service
Chas. Rabney Lt. Col. S.D.
The affiant of William Cannon of the County of Prince Anne. This affiant states that he has been in the County of Prince Anne aforesaid, that he is now in the seventy fourth year of his age, that in the latter part of the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy five immediately after the battle of the Great Bridge he enlisted as a private in the Virginia State Line Regiment commanded by Col n Charles Rabney, in a Company of that Regiment commanded by Captain Augustine Tabb, that he remained in service with said Col n from that time to the latter part of the year One thousand seven hundred and eighty one, that he was with the company at the siege of York and was regularly discharged some months afterwards. This was well acquainted with Doctor Thomas Kemp of Prince Anne. When this affiant entered the service in 1775 Mr Kemp was then in the army as Surgeons mate in Col n Rabneys regiment aforesaid in which he served as Surgeons mate until the time when the regiment was discharged in the latter part of the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty one as aforesaid

Dr Thomas Kemp was at the siege of York. This affiant is confident of this for he recollects it distinctly. Dr Kemp was much esteemed by the officers and men and afterwards represented the County of Prince George in the Legislature of Virginia. This affiant was also well acquainted with James Kemp, the father of Thomas Kemp, and knows that the said James was in service in the Virginia Continental line, how long he served this affiant does not distinctly know, but is confident it must have been more than three years. The particular rank or occupation of James Kemp in the army this affiant does not know, but recollects he was frequently about the Hospital.
William Cannon
Norfolk County to wit
Personally appeared William Cannon before me David Fentress a Justice of the peace for the County aforesaid and made oath to the facts and statements contained in the above affidavit, and I do also certify that I have long known the said Cannon and that I verily believe he is worthy of credit. Given under my hand and seal this 23 d of Jany 1832 David Fentress J.P. Seal
I certify it appears from a list of such of the names of the officers of the Virginia State line as received Certificates for the balance of their full pay agreeably to the act of Assembly passed the November Session 1781, that a certificate issued on the 28 th day of November 1787, in the name of Thomas Kempe Sargeant Mate for £ 151. 11. —

Given under my hand in the Auditor's Office, this 4 th day of October 1830.
Jas. E. Heath C. & P. A.
Executive Department
Richmond 2 nd Feby 8 th 1850.
I hereby certify that the foregoing are true copies of papers on file in this department.
W. H. Richardson Secy Com.

Richmond May 9 - 1837.
Mr W B Whiting.
Dr Sir
Will you be kind enough to inform me whether there is any thing yet due on account of the Estate of James Kemp deceased for commutation or otherwise. I have been told there was. Can you also inform me the prospect for receiving the interest on the Revolutionary half pay claims at the next Session of Congress -
Your early attention to this will Oblige Yrs Respectfully R. W. Byrd.
P.S. Mr Kemp is an Uncle of my Mother who is his heir - It is at her request that I have written you -

Cur
August 18, 1931
Mr. Albert C. Goodyear 2344 Neil Avenue Columbus, Ohio
Rev.& 1812 Wars Section MHR/eol
Dear Sir:
You are advised that it appears from the Revolutionary War claim for pension, R.15581, that James Kemp (his name does not appear as James Beckett Kemp) was ensign and quartermaster; he served as purveyor to the Continental Hospitals erected in Virginia, from June 1776 to February 6, 1781. He died December 15, 1795, in Richmond, Virginia. His age is not given.
James Kemp's son, Doctor Thomas Kemp, of Princess Anne County, Virginia, served from the beginning of the Revolution until the latter part of 1781 as surgeon's mate, a part of the time in Colonel Charles Dabney's Virginia Regiment, and was in the siege of Yorktown. He was a representative from Princess Anne County, in the Virginia Legislature. The name of his mother is not given.
James Kemp's sister married Robert Nisbet, of Richmond, Virginia. Her name is not given. She died February 1, 1846. Her son, William Nisbet, was living in Saint Louis, Missouri, in 1832. Her son, Archibald Nisbet died April 16, or 17, 1849. Her daughter, Agnes M. (often called Nancy) married -----Bigelow. Agnes M. Bigelow had a son, Robert M. Bigelow. William Nisbet married an heir of Colonel John Spotswood, her name not shown.
The money due on account of service of James Kemp was allowed his heirs.
It is suggested that further information in regard to James Kemp might be obtained from the Old Records Division, War Department, this city, in which request you should cite File No.050098.
Very truly yours
A. D. HILLER Assistant to Administrator.
One in old book: Samuelson Early Virginia Oct 7 pgs 5, 1932 March 2, 1933 and estimated in 30, 1933. H. H. H. fund 1933
Received from Mr. Goodyear all letters Jan 5, 1850 etc from his father & May 13, 1850 all of his father's letters in his own handwriting.

From Albert C. Goodyear, 2244 Neil Avenue Columbus, Ohio, June 20, 1931
To the Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, D.C.
Dear Sir:
On the suggestion of Major-General Bridges of the War Dept., I am writing you to obtain, if possible, any information that your Department may have about James Beckett Kemp of Virginia. War Department records show that he was an officer of the Virginia State Troops during the Revolution serving in the capacity of quartermaster and commissary. The Department, however, was unable to give the place of his birth or death which I am especially anxious to ascertain.
Any information which your Department may have which might shed any light on his career will be deeply appreciated by me. My reason for wanting this is to verify some old historical papers which have fallen into my possession.
Thanking you in advance for the courtesy of an early reply, I am,
Yours Sincerely,
Albert C. Goodyear

NO 15587
RECEIVED
1931-Aug 18 - List. to Albert C. Goodyear mmH 7/66
ACT OF FEBRUARY 14, 1811.
OF 1812.
312
James Kemp
vs Revolution
Discharged _____, 18
4551
H/Pay _____ act '32
Received _____ 187
Attorney.

(326)
This is to Certify, That it appears from a List in this Office of such Officers and Soldiers of the Virginia State Line, during the Revolutionary War, as settled their Accounts, and received Certificates for the balance of their Full Pay, according to an Act of Assembly, passed the November Session, 1781, that a Certificate issued on the 1st " day of April 1781 , in the name of James Kemp as an ensign of infantry for £57. " which Certificate appears to have been delivered to M c Neilman
{ No Seal of Office. }
Given under my hand at the Auditor's Office, Richmond, this 31 st " day of December 1832.
J. E. Heath
AUDITOR.

(325)
This is to Certify, That it appears from a List in this Office of such Officers and Soldiers of the Virginia State Line, during the Revolutionary War, as settled their Accounts, and received Certificates for the balance of their Full Pay, according to an Act of Assembly, passed the November Session, 1781, that a Certificate issued on the 1 st day of December 1787 , in the name of James Kemp as a Quartermaster for £191. 3. 5 which Certificate appears to have been delivered to himself
{ No Seal of Office. }
Given under my hand at the Auditor's Office, Richmond, this 31 st day of December 183 2 .
J. M. Keith
AUDITOR.

Pension Office January 5. 1850
Sir
The claim of the administrator of James Kemp, decd. on account of his service as Quarter-Master in the Garrison State regt. of Virginia, has been examined and filed. There is no evidence as to the time when the service of Ensign Kemp as a Quarter Master terminated. If he was not in the regimental Staff when he left the service, the administrator is not entitled to any half-pay for Staff service. Upon this point proof is required.
Joseph Segar, Esq. Richmond Virginia
Commutation of Half-pay acts 132 & 135

Pension Office May 30 th 1851
I certify that I have examined the claim of the administrator de bonis non of James Kump dec d , under act of 5 th July 1832, who was an Ensign & Quartermaster in the State Garrison Regiment of the Virginia line in the Revolutionary War find that he was entitled to half pay as a Quartermaster in said Regiment from the reduction of the same, to wit the 4 th day of February 1781 to the 13 th day of December 1795 the day of his death, at the rate of Seventy eight dollars per annum, his half pay as Ensign having been adjusted under said act at the Treasury department in January 1833; and that the said half pay as Quartermaster is payable to Robert H. Fitzgerald the administrator de bonis non of Richmond Virginia.