Anthony Fenn Kemp

Anthony Fenn Kemp (1773 – 28 October 1868) was a soldier, merchant and a deputy judge advocate of the colony of New South Wales (the predecessor to the Australian State).

He was one of the key participants in the "Rum Rebellion" that removed William Bligh, the appointed governor of the colony, and established an interim military government.

At that time, it was common for senior military officers to be granted land to settle and farm in the colonies.

The governor, Philip King, refused to allow the cargo to be landed, probably due to the then English monopolies on the sale of goods.

During his commander's absence, he administered the settlement, but disaffection with him grew and eventually a planned insurrection had to be averted by arresting its leaders.

On 25 January, Kemp was the senior military officer on the Court of Criminal Jurisdiction, which had been called to try John Macarthur for the charge of sedition.

At the trial, Macarthur with 'a great torrent of threats and abusive language' alleged that Atkins was unfit for the bench.

[4] Johnston then removed Atkins from the position of deputy judge advocate and appointed Kemp in his stead.

One of the cases in the Court of Criminal Jurisdiction to be tried by Kemp was that of provost-marshal William Gore who was charged with perjury.

[4] Kemp was also part of the court that subsequently acquitted Macarthur of the earlier charges, an outcome predictable even if Atkins had been allowed to sit on the bench.

Kemp escaped being court martialled himself, but he was allowed to sell his commission, and his land grants in Sydney were cancelled.

[7] Kemp was a director and also at one time chairman of the Van Diemen's Land Bank, and set up various mercantile and shipping businesses based in Hobart.

Macquarie said to Sorell that if the "wily and obsessive" Kemp's economic interests were threatened, he was likely to react with "explosive violence".

Kemp was even to become the chair of a committee of petitioners to have Sorell's term extended, but this petition was declined by London.

He was buried in St George's Church of England cemetery in Albuera Street, Battery Point, Hobart.

This is said to be an allusion to the number of his children (seven sons and eleven daughters) and grandchildren who married into other prominent families in Tasmania.