Finding Your Folks: The Kempsons of Line Creek, Part 2

I'm going to try and wrap up this Kempson family this week with, hopefully, some info many didn't have. It is always helpful to know what court documents exist on a particular family and that's what I've been doing - checking with the courts in Coweta and Meriwether to see which Kempsons left a will or whose estate was administered here, and, if land was purchased, where it was located. Last week I checked Meriwether and this week Coweta.

I also found out that there is a very old grave marker for Harmon Kempson of Germany, South Carolina and Georgia at Mt. Carmel Methodist Church on Ga. Hwy. 362 between Alvaton and Hollonville. Why this marker is not listed among the graves in the Meriwether County cemeteries book is unknown to me or to anyone I spoke with. My thanks to Valerie Freeman, Brenda Kempson Sims and Phil Tidwell for making available to me the photos of this marker.

Unlike some families I have researched, these Kempsons didn't do much business with the courts and didn't buy and sell a lot of property. When I did the Tidwells last year I thought I'd never get through copying deed and probate records. The Kempsons were much easier on me.

The Kempsons of the Line Creek area appear to be descendants of only two of Harmon Kempson's children, Peter and Benjamin, who, as you may remember, married sisters. Peter married Mary Ursula Long and Benjamin married Elizabeth Long. Both were daughters of George Long and Elizabeth Catherine Stairley/Stearley. Peter and Mary had 14 children and Benjamin and Elizabeth had 10 (see last week's column). In addition, following Elizabeth's death, Benjamin married Nancy Bell and had three more children, for a total of 13.

Harmon Kempson had another son, Frederick Harmon, who remained in South Carolina and had seven children. Harmon's two daughters, Elizabeth and Susan Kempson, appear to have died unmarried but were here in Georgia for the 1850 census. They lived with their brother, Peter, as did their father, Harmon Kempson.

In Coweta probate records there was only one Kempson entry in the 1800s and that was Benjamin (the elder) requesting guardianship of four of his minor children in August of 1860 because they had inherited about $1,000 from their (maternal) grandfather, George Long in South Carolina. The children were all girls - Martha Ann Kempson, Susan Ann Kempson, Margaret Sophia Kempson, and Matilda Caroline Kempson. The key word here is “minor,” since all Benjamin's other children were over the age of majority in 1860. It is specifically stated that Benjamin's wife was Elizabeth Long, daughter of George Long, and that she was presently deceased. Benjamin posted bond in the amount of $2,000 with Joel J. Herndon as his security and guardianship was granted 6 Aug. 1860 in Coweta County.

The next Kempson probate activity didn't occur until 1902 when much the same situation occurred with Albert, Herbert and Mary Kempson, minor children of George A. Kempson, who inherited $609.21 from their uncle, J.L McKnight. George was married to Ester M. McKnight. George petitioned the court for guardianship of his children in order to manage their inheritance, posted $1,218 bond, and guardianship was granted 3 Feb. 1902.

Coweta land records show that Peter Kempson neither bought nor sold land in Coweta. All of his land activity was confined to Meriwether County in the Upper Ninth District. Peter's brother, Benjamin, however, both bought and sold land in Coweta, all of it in the First District … which just happens to adjoin the Upper Ninth District of Meriwether.

Benjamin's first purchase was on 24 Sept. 1852 when he bought an entire land lot (202.5 acres) in Land Lot 328 of the First District of Coweta from Joel Rice for $1,825. Witness for the sale was David Gable. Benjamin made one other purchase, but not until 2 April 1870, from James Bell, consisting of 300 acres in Land Lots 328 and 325, also in the First District. All this land is just a few hundred yards west of Line Creek and Spalding County and about the same distance north of the Meriwether County line.

All the other land purchases in Coweta, up through 1920, were made by descendants of Peter's son, George A. Kempson.

One very interesting (and expensive) Kempson purchase (at least for those days) was the purchase in 1920 of one half acre of land in Senoia fronting on Pylant Street located in lots 2 and 3. The purchase was made by Mrs. J.A. Kempson (Minnie Estelle Scott) from C.F. Hollberg for $2,050.

Benjamin's land sales were few and far between also. On 4 Aug. 1866, he sold some of the land in Land Lots 328 and 325 back to James Bell for $2,000. In 1879, he sold more land in those same land lots to Hosea Gray for $1,100. This must have been when Benjamin was getting ready to move to Carroll County. Benjamin died there in 1887.

Again, the remainder of the Kempson land sales in Coweta, up through 1930, were made by descendants of Peter, not Benjamin.

Although some of these Kempson family members moved west or to other counties and states, many remained here and are still here. They remain in the same area of Coweta-Meriwether-Spalding where their ancestors settled more than 150 years ago.

Next week, another prominent family of the Line Creek area - the Gray family. As this series developed, I heard from Carol Hoyt who lives in Kansas but who is descended from one of these Line Creek families. Carol has been kind enough to contribute a story about the Gray family.