Role in The Rum Rebellion
Kemp returned to Sydney in 1807, where he was to play an important part in 1808 in the rebellion against Governor William Bligh. On 25 January, Kemp was the senior military officer on the Court of Criminal Jurisdiction, which had been called to try John Macarthur for the charge of sedition. Kemp was second most senior member of the bench; the senior member was the deputy judge advocate Atkins. Atkins was a drunk and also owed Macarthur and others great deals of money. At the trial, Macarthur with 'a great torrent of threats and abusive language' alleged that Atkins was unfit for the bench.
Atkins threatened to commit Macarthur for contempt, but Kemp threatened to commit Atkins for contempt himself. Atkins adjourned the court and left for the safety of the governor's office, whilst Kemp and his fellow officers wrote reporting the matter to Bligh. Bligh reminded the officers that the court could not be constituted without Atkins' presence and that the court papers should be returned. When Kemp and the others refused, Bligh recommended that they be charged for treasonable practices.
The following day, Kemp and other officers informed Bligh that he should resign as governor and that his safety would be guaranteed out of the colony. Bligh refused, and Johnston removed Bligh from office.
Johnston then removed Atkins from the position of deputy judge advocate and appointed Kemp in his stead. One of the cases in the Court of Criminal Jurisdiction to be tried by Kemp was that of provost-marshal William Gore who was charged with perjury. Interestingly, Kemp did not consider disqualifying himself from the case even though he was one those accusing Gore of perjury. Kemp was also part of the court that subsequently acquitted Macarthur of the earlier charges, an outcome predictable even if Atkins had been allowed to sit on the bench. Kemp did not to remain in office and was replaced by Grimes when Kemp was posted as the commandant at Parramatta.
Kemp returned to England in 1810 and was a witness at the court martial of Johnston for the rebellion. Kemp escaped being court martialled himself, but he was allowed to sell his commission, and his land grants in Sydney were canceled. He became a partner in a commercial venture in England, but later went bankrupt.
Read more about this topic: Anthony Fenn Kemp
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