Using the ABC method described in Using Artificial Intelligence In the Ancestor Biography Creation (ABC) Process, here is another ancestor couple biography using the Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 AI tool.
3) The Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 biography (lightly edited), after requesting more detailed information, is:
The Kemp Family: From Mystery to Loyalty
John Kemp and Anna Van Vorst: A United Empire Loyalist Family
A Man of Unknown Origins
John Kemp's life began shrouded in mystery. Born around 1723, his origins remain uncertain despite extensive research. A 1783 military record identified him as being from the "Country of Merriland," which researchers have speculated could refer to the American state of Maryland, the township of Maryland in New York, or perhaps even a location in the British Isles or Europe. His nationality and birthplace have never been confirmed with total certainty. Some researchers think that he was born in Maryland, the son of John and Johanna (Peake) Kemp of Maryland Colony.
For the first thirty-eight years of John Kemp's life, virtually nothing is known. He may have served as a soldier in the British Army stationed in New York before 1760 during the French and Indian Wars, though this remains speculation. The military record from 1783 listed his age as 60, supporting the estimated birth year of 1723.
A New Life in New York
John Kemp's documented life begins in the Albany/Schenectady area of New York along the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers around 1760. His name first appeared on the records of the First Dutch Reformed Church of Schenectady in 1761, on the baptismal record of his eldest son, Joseph. At this time, he would have been approximately 38 years old.
Around 1759, John married Anna Van der Bogart (née Van Vorst), becoming her second husband. Anna had been born before October 22, 1732, in Schenectady, the daughter of Jacobus Jillise Van Vorst and Anna Beck. She was christened on October 22, 1732, at the Dutch Reformed Church in Schenectady. As a widow of Nicolaas Van der Bogart, Anna brought her son Francis Van der Bogart into the marriage.
On early New York State records, John's name appeared variously as "John Camp" or "John Camps," reflecting the fluid spelling conventions of the era. In March 1765, a "John Kempe" signed a petition requesting a minister for St. George's Anglican Church in Schenectady. This petition, submitted by a group of Englishmen who wanted someone to "administer to the needs of the English," may or may not refer to our John Kemp, though the timing and location make it plausible.
Growing Family and Community Life
Between 1761 and 1770, John and Anna had five children together, with the first three recorded in the First Dutch Reformed Church records in Schenectady:
Joseph Kemp (baptized July 20, 1761)
Jacobus James Kemp (baptized January 9, 1763) — Jacobus being the Dutch name for James
Rachel Kemp (baptized August 23, 1767)
John Kemp Jr. (born March 3, 1768)
Nancy Anna Kemp (born 1768)
By 1767, John Camp appeared on the list of Captain Daniel Campbell's Company of Militia in Schenectady. The family later moved to Guilford township in the district of Ballston, Saratoga County, where the 1772 census recorded "John Camps" with a wife and eight children. The December 31, 1779 tax list for Ballston District showed John Camp with an assessment of 87 pounds and a tax amount of 3 pounds, 15 shillings, 6 pence.
Loyalty to the Crown
When the American Revolution erupted, John Kemp made a fateful choice that would alter his family's destiny forever. He and two of his sons, along with his stepson Francis Van der Bogart, fought for the British. They joined the King's Rangers, a Provincial corps that played a crucial role in the British military effort during the Revolution.
The King's Rangers was a unit of scouts and rangers commanded by the famous (and controversial) Robert Rogers, who had gained renown during the French and Indian War for his Rogers' Rangers. During the American Revolution, Rogers formed a new Loyalist regiment in His Majesty's Service under the designation "King's Rangers." These were not regular British Army troops but rather Provincial forces composed of American colonists who remained loyal to the Crown. The Rangers served as scouts, conducted reconnaissance missions, and engaged in frontier warfare — dangerous and demanding service that required men familiar with the terrain and conditions of North America.
John Kemp did not enlist until October 13, 1780, when he was approximately 57 years old — a remarkable age to join active military service, especially in a unit known for its rigorous scouting duties. He served as a Private in Captain Samuel Hayden's Company under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Commandant Robert Rogers. For the next two years, he was stationed in the occupied zone around New York City, which the British held throughout most of the war as their primary base of operations.
His sons and stepson had enlisted earlier and spent most of the war at the strategic post of St. Jean (then called St. John's), Quebec, located on the Richelieu River. This fort served as a vital link between the St. Lawrence River and Lake Champlain, making it a key defensive position for protecting the route to Montreal and controlling movement between Canada and New York.
By January 1783, with the war effectively over, John was reunited at St. John's with his two eldest sons, Joseph and James, and his stepson Francis. The January 21, 1783 return of Major James Rogers's detachment of the King's Rangers quartered at St. John's provides our only physical description of John Kemp: he stood 5 feet 5 inches tall and was listed as 60 years old, having served one-half month at that posting.
A New Beginning in Upper Canada
When the British lost the war, the consequences for Loyalists were severe. The King's Rangers disbanded at Cataraqui, Ontario (near Kingston) in October 1784. A muster roll taken between September 1783 and May/June 1784 listed "Jno. Kimp" as having one incorporated man and one woman, totaling two people, formerly from New York, occupation: farmer. A January 27, 1784 return showed John Kemp with four family members at St. John's.
Because of their loyalty to King George III of England, John Kemp and his family were bestowed the title of "United Empire Loyalists" (UEL) — an honor that entitled each family member to 200 acres of free land. John Kemp appeared on the Provision List of Kingston in 1786 and received his land grant in Fredericksburgh Township, Addington County, Ontario, on Concession 4, Lot 2, which he shared with Oliver Church Jr.
John was not content with his initial allotment. On March 11, 1790, he petitioned for additional land, noting he had already received 100 acres but requesting 200 acres in Richmond Township. He also prayed for 100 acres for his wife and child, seeking 300 acres in total. In February 1793, John Kemp Sr. petitioned again from Adolphustown, identifying himself as a soldier in the King's Rangers commanded by Major James Rogers. Having drawn only 100 acres, he asked for two lots of 200 acres in Richmond Township, County of Lennox. His memorial for 400 acres was partially granted at 200 acres.
John Kemp served on the Land Board of Mecklenburgh in both 1790 and 1793, a position of responsibility in the growing community. The family attended the Anglican and/or First Reformed Church, reflecting both John's possible Anglican connections and Anna's Dutch Reformed heritage.
Final Years
Tragedy struck the family on July 15, 1789, when Anna Kemp died in Fredericksburgh at approximately 56 years of age. She was buried the same day. John survived his wife by more than five years, continuing to farm and serve his community.
John Kemp died before January 15, 1795, at approximately 72 years of age, in Fredericksburgh, Lennox, Upper Canada. He was buried on January 15, 1795 (though one source records his death as January 31, 1795). He left behind a legacy of service, loyalty, and the beginnings of a substantial Canadian family line.
The Next Generation
The Kemp children built their own lives in Upper Canada:
- Joseph Kemp married Catherine Bovee on December 3, 1787, in Ballston, Saratoga, New York, had seven chldren, and lived until after 1836 in Upper Canada.
- Jacobus James Kemp married twice — first to Phoebe Van Siclen on December 26, 1790, in Fredericksburgh, and after her death to Jane Anderson on August 19, 1799, also in Fredericksburgh. He died on March 23, 1803, in Fredericksburgh.
- Rachel Kemp died young in 1795 at just 28 years of age, the same year as her father.
- John Kemp Jr. married Mary Dafoe on January 26, 1795, in Fredericksburgh, had nine children, and lived a remarkably long life, dying on May 25, 1861, in Fredericksburgh at age 93.
- Nancy Anna Kemp married Abraham Loucks around 1788 in Fredericksburgh, had two children and died in 1851.
Legacy
The story of John and Anna Kemp embodies the experience of thousands of United Empire Loyalists who sacrificed their homes, property, and established lives for their loyalty to the British Crown. From John's mysterious origins to his final resting place in the Canadian wilderness he helped settle, the Kemp family represents the determination, resilience, and adaptability that built early Upper Canada. Their descendants spread throughout Ontario and beyond, carrying forward the UEL designation and the legacy of a family that chose loyalty over convenience and built a new life from scratch in the Canadian frontier.
Sources
This biography is based on research compiled by Cheryl Kemp Taber and documented in various historical records, including:
Baptism records of Schenectady Reformed Church, 1694-1811
British Military C Series records (C1862, MG13)
Haldimand Papers
Ontario Historical Society Papers and Records (William Briggs, 1899)
Upper Canada Land Petitions
Various church records and genealogical databases
Note: Despite extensive research, John Kemp's parents remain unknown, and questions about his origins persist. The Muster Rolls of New York Provincial Troops, 1755-1764, were checked but contained no listing for any Kemp or Camp.
Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.
Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver
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