Thomas Kemp (28 February 1779 – 2 March 1824) was a Baltimore shipbuilder, known for building some of the fastest and best known privateers of the War of 1812, such as Rossie, Comet, Patapsco, Chasseur, and Lynx.
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Early Career as a Shipbuilder
Thomas Kemp moved to Baltimore in 1803 from near Saint Michaels, Maryland on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He is thought to have learned at least some of his shipbuilding skills at the Dawson's wharf shipyard in St. Michaels. In 1804, he built a schooner with his brother Joseph. In the next few years his shipyard was mostly involved in making repairs to Baltimore vessels. He made some repairs for Isaac McKim on the schooner Maryland, the brig Samuel and the Chesapeake, for Henry Craig on the Vigilante and the schooner Eclipse and for John Conway on the schooner Nonsuch.
Building Baltimore Clippers
On July 6, 1805, Kemp purchased additional property bounded by Fountain, Fleet, and Washington streets at Fell's Point, expanding his business and establishing his own shipyard.
It is important to noticed that some of the vessels built by Kemp were attributed to different shipbuilders, partially because Kemp did not put his name on those ships, as it was against Quaker principles.
Ships Built by Thomas Kemp's Shipyard
Thomas and Joseph (1804), a schooner Kemp built with his brother, Joseph
Lynx (1806), 99 tons, a Baltimore clipper schooner for Henry Craig
Maria (1806), a schooner for Henry Craig
Eidue (1806), 190 tons, a brig for Captain Christopher Deshon
Unnamed schooner (possibly Breezio) (1806), 114 1/3 tons, for Captain Christopher Deshon
Hawk (or Mohawk) (1807), 124 tons, a schooner for Henry Craig
Leo (1807), 244 1/4 tons, a brig for Henry Wilson.
a pilot boat (1807) for William Harrow
five ships (1807) for Isaac McKim, Henry Wilson, James Barry, John McKee, and Henry Craig
Rossie (1808), a schooner and a privateer of the War of 1812.
a schooner (1808), 146 1/2 tons, for John McFadon
two gunboats (1808) for John Strieker for the United States
Experiment (1808), 108 tons, a schooner for Captain Christopher Deshon
two schooner brigs (1808) for Henry Wilson and John McKee
Aut (1809), a schooner for Charles Kalkman
a pilot boat schooner (possibly Wasp) (1809) for James Taylor and Curtis
After the War of 1812
After the War of 1812 demand on shipbuilding declined and Kemp returned to the Eastern Shore to live at his farm, Wade's Point. He only built a few vessels after the war.