ENSLAVER-Kemp
Kemp, Benjamin Franklin— Chickasaw, was born in December, 1832, the son of Jackson and Eliza (Carter) Kemp. In 1855 he lived in the Chickasaw District with Rhoda in his household. In 1878 he lived in Panola County. He was district judge In Panola County in 1894— 1896, representative from that county in 1897 (resigned), a voter at Colbert In 1898, a candidate for senator in Tishomingo County in 1902. and
a voter in Pontotoc County in 1903. His third wife was Penelope Catherine Price (born 1844), who he married in 1886.
By Rhoda, he had a son, Joe, born In 1871 (1). Joe was the father of Henry (1895), Lenora (1897), Robert Lemuel (1899), and Joseph Franklin (1901) (2).
(1)Chickasaw Dawes Card 1158; Applications for Enrollment, Chickasaw Nation, Cases 913, 1652.
(2)Chickasaw Dawes Cards 1158, 913.
Kemp, Jackson— Chickasaw, was the son of Levi Kemp. He was U.S.
Interpreter in 1836 (1), working at the Chickasaw agency near present Cherokee, Alabama. [e was patented S26, S27 and S34 T3S R13! and 126 acres in the SE¼
S1 T4S R13W in Colbert County, .Alabama (2). On May 24, 1836, he witnessed a deed involving his father (3). He sold part of
S27, S24, and S34 early in 1837 (4). By August, 1838, he had sold S26 and all but 93 acres in the
W½ S27 (5). That fall he prepared to move west, selling 210 acres in S26 and part of S27 to Francis
M. Reynolds, son of the agent, on October 15 (6). On October 17 he and his wife, Eliza, sold her father’s (Kilpatrick Carter) reserve of S23 and S26 T3 R14W in
Colbert County (7). On October 18, he set out from Newport and arrived at Fort Towson on December 26 (8).
He arrived in the Chickasaw District on January 1, 1839, bringing with
him his family consisting of one male under 10, one male 25—50, three females under 10, and one female 25—50. He also brought 30 slaves
(9). The 1839 census in the west shows that his household included one male under 10, one male 20—50, one female under 10, and 33 slaves. He farmed on Red River, in
1847 owning 52 slaves, 47 sheep, 17. horses, 90 cattle, and 200 hops, as well as raising 110 bales of
cotton, and 1200 bushels of oats. His family then consisted of three males under 18, one male over 18, four females under 16, and one female over 16. He was listed as half white. The 1855 census of the Chickasaw District shows that his family consisted of Jackson, Martha, Melia, Jackson, Walton,
Kubby, Lucy, and an infant. He was president of the 1856 constitutional convention, later served as senate president, and was Governor pro
tem in 1866. Married to Eliza Carter and Martha (Patsy), his children included Benjamin F., Alexander Comodore, Lucy, and
Amanda (10). His wife Patsy was born in 1820 to Levi and Dollie Colbert and died August 5, 1900 (11).
(1)Deed Book 1:182, Pontotoc County, Ms.
(2)Cowart, passim.
(3)Deed Book 4:223, Monroe County, is.
(4)Chickasaw Reserves, A, roll 145.
(5)Ibid., roll 146, frame 910. He apparently then lived at Huntsville, Alabama.
(6)Ibid., frame 1107.
(7)Ibid., frame 1103.
(8)Payments from the Chickasaw Fund, CIA.
(9)Chickasaw Emigration, OIA, roll 144, frame 134. (10)Chickasaw Dawes Cards 1158, 1160; Foreman,
FOREMAN PAPERS 60:356. (11)Chickasaw Dawes Card 913.
Kemp, Joel— Chickasaw, was born about 1818, the son of Levi Kemp. Be moved west in 1837 (1) and in
1839 was head of a household that consisted of two males
10-20, three males 20-50, one male over 50, one female under 10, one female
10-20, five females20-50, and one female, over 50. He then owned ten slaves 1n 1847 he
was listed as half white, head of household that included one male under 18, one
,male over 18 two females under 16, and one one female over 16. At that
time he owned six slaves. He attended the constitutional convention of 1851, was president of the tribal council in
1852-1855, attended the constitutional convention of 1856, and signed the treaty of
1861. He died at Kemp on June 5, 1874. He was married to Mariah Colbert, daughter of Levi Colbert, and
apparently to C.F. O’Neal, who filed suit as his widow in October, 1876 (2). He was the father of Simon Burney, Joel Carr, Frances Elizabeth (1849—1939; married Benjamin F. Roark and Sanford Minor Mead), Lillie (died young), Daisy (died young), Laura (born 1862; married James Easley and John Horton Mashburn, the latter on November 22, 1896), Isabella Abigail (born 1863; married John H. Webb in 1876), and Mary Jane (married William B. George) (3). Mariah, Simon, Mary Jane, and Barnas were in his household in the Chickasaw District in 1855. He also had a son named Levi (4).
(1)He owed James Blanton of Pontotoc, Mississippi, money in 1838, a debt then deemed uncollectible (Will Book 1:81, Pontotoc County, MS).
(2)Estates and Guardianships, Tishomingo County, Chickasaw Nation, OHS. Mrs. Joel Kemp lived in Blue County in 1878.
(3)Ibid; Chickasaw Dawes Cards 639,1100, 1129, 1140; Jane Wegener to author, September 6, 1967; HISTORY OF BRYAN COUNTY, OKLAHOMA, 347; Applications for Enrollment,
Chickasaw Nation, Cases 1129. 1140. 1fffl.
Kemp, Joel Carr— Chickasaw, was horn June 17, 1855, the son of Joel
Kemp, Levi— Chickasaw, was the son of trader William Kemp. He was first mentioned in October, 1800, when missionary Joseph
Bullen discovered Indian doctors attempting to suck a ‘witchball’ from his head (1). Kemp survived the procedure, and operated an inn on the Natchez Trace, near the present Lee—Pontotoc line, in 1814. He was listed on the 1818 census, his household including Polly, Jackson, Rhode, Elisa, Eveline, John, Visey, Mrs., and Sarkeetan. In March, 1834, he provided room and board for Levi Colbert, Kilpatrick Carter, and William McGillivray, chiefs planning a trip to Washington (2). He sold the S½ S3,
S9, S10, T14 R4E in Monroe County, Mississippi, on May 24, 1836, a deed witnessed by his son, Jackson (3). On June 13 he sold the E½
S19 T14 R4E in Pontotoc County (4). On September 15, 1837, he sold the W½ S19 (5). From August 4 to September 12, 1837, he served as an interpreter for emigration officials (6). The 1837 Pontotoc County state census shows him as a resident with three persons in his household.
On October 2, 1837, he deeded slaves to James Perry in Pontotoc County for the benefit of his wife, Polly (7). He enrolled for the west that year, moved in November, and apparently died soon afterward. He was married to Polly Frazier. His other children included Joel, Annica (married Winchester Colbert), William, and Betsy (1800—1871;
married Thomas F. Cheadle) (8).
(1)Phelps, “Bullen”, 274; ASPIA, 2:718.
(2)Payments from, the Chickasaw Fund, 0IA.
(3)Deed Book 4:223, Monroe County, Ms.
(4)Deed Book 1:418, Pontotoc County, Ms.
(5) Ibid.
(6) Payments from the Chickasaw Fund.
(7)Deed Book 2:179, Pontotoc County, Ms. Polly Kemp was patented S7 and 8 T1l
R5W In Yalobusha County on February 9, 1836 (Duke and Morgan, passim). She later made a deed
to James Brown there (Deed Book 1, Yalobusha County). Polly’s reserve was suspended in 1848 (Chickasaw Reserves, OIA, roll
148, frame 431).
(8)There is thus far no documentation to prove that these were Levi’s children.
Source: WHO WAS WHO AMONG THE • SOUTHERN INDIANS a genealogical notebook,
1698-1907
by Don Martini ©1998. Don Martini Falkner, Ms.