Richard Kemp (governor)
Sir Richard Kemp | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1600 Norfolk, England |
| Died | c. 1650 Virginia Colony, British America |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Wormeley |
| Children | 1 |
| Profession | Colonial secretary, governor |
Sir Richard Kemp (c. 1600 – c. 1650) was a politician in the Colony of Virginia who served as the acting Colonial Governor of Virginia from 1644 to 1645.[1]
Early and family life
Kemp was born around 1600 in Norfolk, England, the third son of Robert and Dorothy Kemp of Gissing.[2]
Political career
Kemp was appointed by King Charles I to the role of secretary of the Colony of Virginia and as a senior member of the Virginia Governor's Council, serving from 1634 to 1649.[3][4] Kemp was a political ally and friend of Sir John Harvey, the first royally appointed Colonial Governor of Virginia.[3][5]
As the secretary of the colony, Kemp was responsible for issuing permits and grants, handling legal paperwork, and overseeing all official correspondence with the King.[6]
In 1636, Kemp purchased the Rich Neck Plantation in James City County, Virginia, in what is now known as Newport News.[7] Kemp was one of the first plantation owners in the Colony of Virginia to use an enslaved workforce.[1]
He assumed the role of acting Colonial Governor in June 1644 just after the third Anglo-Powhatan War, while Governor William Berkeley traveled to England to purchase arms and weaponry to defend the colony from Indian attacks.[1]
Kemp resigned from his positions as secretary and member of the council in 1649 due to declining health.[8][6]
Marriage and child
Kemp married Elizabeth Wormeley, the daughter of Judge Christopher Wormeley.[9] They had one daughter, Elizabeth.[1]
Death
Kemp died around 1650 at the Rich Neck Plantation and was buried at the orchard there.[8][10]
References
- ^ a b c d Muraca, David. "Richard Kemp (ca. 1600–ca. 1650)" Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities, (22 Dec. 2021). Web. 31 Oct. 2022
- ^ McCartney, Martha W. Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607–1635: A Biographical Dictionary. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2007.
- ^ a b Billings, Warren M., ed. Old Dominion in the Seventeenth Century: A Documentary History of Virginia, 1606–1689. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1975.
- ^ Billings, Warren M. "William Claiborne (1600–1679)". Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
- ^ "A Timeline for Structures at Jamestown Related to the Chiles Family - Historic Jamestowne Part of Colonial National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
- ^ a b “List of the Colonial Secretaries” in The William and Mary Quarterly, vol. 10, no. 3, 1902, page 171.
- ^ McFaden, Leslie, Philip Levy, David Muraca, and Jennifer Jones. Interim Report: The Archaeology of Rich Neck Plantation. Williamsburg, Virginia: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 1999.
- ^ a b “Two Wills of the Seventeenth Century” in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 2, no. 2, 1894, pages 174–177.
- ^ “The Wormeley Family (Continued)” in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 36, no. 1, 1928, page 98.
- ^ Muraca, David, et al., "The Archaeology of Rich Neck Plantation (44WB52): Description of the Features." page on the website of the Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library. Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Library Research Report Series - 0386. (Williamsburg, VA: Jan 2003), pages 1, 8, 12, 15-47.
