Family and Education

b. ?1745, 1st s. of George Kemp of Lewes by Grace, da. of Thomas Stonestreet.  m. Anne, da. and h. of Henry Reed of Brookland, Kent, 1s. 1da.

Offices Held

Biography

Thomas Kemp was a wealthy wool-stapler of Lewes, and a considerable man in the corporation. At the contest of 1780 he stood on the independent interest, opposed to Lord Pelham’s, and promised that if elected he would never accept place or pension. ‘His politics were those of an honest country gentleman ... but generally inclining to whiggism’, wrote the Gentleman’s Magazine(1811, ii. 87) in his obituary notice: he steadily opposed North; voted for Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, 18 Feb. 1783; for parliamentary reform, 7 May 1783; against Fox’s East India bill, 27 Nov. 1783, and supported Pitt. Elected after a contest in 1784 he voted again for parliamentary reform, 18 Apr. 1785, and with Pitt over Richmond’s fortifications plan, 27 Feb. 1786, and the Regency. There is no record before 1790 of his having spoken in the House.

He died 3 May 1811.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: John Brooke

Notes