The Family of KemmisThe Family of KemmisKemeys of Co. Kildare
XIX. Charles Kemeys: 4th. son of Rhys Kemeys of Llanvair (second son of David Kemeys (XVII) of Cefn Mably - see which branch) by Wilsophet his wife: of lands in Kevengelly, parish of Llanvaches, Co. Monmouth, by will of his uncle Edward Kemeys: of Cardiff at the time of his death: admitted as a Student to the Inner Temple 1612: Will dated 11th. November 1630 and proved at Llandaff 25th. February 1631: married Mary, daughter of Thomas Morgan of Llanrhymny: father of 1. Edward: ? of Cardiff and probably father of Edward who was buried at St. John's Church Cardiff on 23rd. November 1723 as "Mr. Edward Kemis" and whose will, administered at Llandaff on 11th. March 1723-4, mentions his wife Anne and his daughter Anne (271). 2. David. 3. Charles: probably the Charles Kemeys whose administration as "bachelor and Esquire of St. Mellons" Co. Monmouth, was taken out in London on 3rd. July 1652 by his brother David Kemeys, of St. Mellons, Esq. 4. Barbara. 5. Margaret. 6. Winifred or Wiliiford.
XX. David Kemeys: of St. Mellons, Co. Monmouth in 1652 probably father of I. Edward, who obtained a Commission (272) as Ensign on 20th. June 1685 in the Duke of Beaufort's Regiment of Foot (Captain Wm. Wolsely's Company), which was later known as the 11th. or Devonshire Regiment. Possibly he was father of the Edward Kemeys who on 25th. March 1706 obtained a supplementary Commission (272) in Colonel Soames' Regiment of Foot (273) as Ensign in Colonel Soames' own Company: appointed (274) on 5th. March 1708 Captain "en second" in Colonel Richard Gorge's Regiment of Foot (275): placed on half pay (274) in 1713 as Captain in Major General Evan's Regiment of Foot. 2. Lewis. 3. Nicholas: obtained a Commission (272) on 13th. October 1688 as Captain (Grenadier Company) in Colonel John Carne's Regiment of Foot (277): probably the Nicholas Kemeys, Major in the 11th. Regiment of Foot(279), who died prior to 25th. March 1714 and whose widow Mary - as much - was in receipt of a pension of #30 per annum (279) from prior to 25th. March 1714 down to 1765 (280).
XXI. Lewis Kemeys: Lieutenant Colonel in Colonel Soame's Regiment of Foot: purchased the moiety of a lease for lives on a farm in the parish of Kilmeague or Isle of Allen, Co. Kildare, the other moiety of this lease being probably purchased by Richard Povey Esq., who in 1702 was appointed Serjeant at Arms to the Irish House of Commons; of a freehold estate known as Highfield, in the township of Falsgrave near Scarborough, Yorks, which he purchased from "his brother and sisther Betson": obtained a Commission in November 1687 as Ensign in Viscount Montgomery's Regiment of Foot (Captain Wm. Wolseley's Company) later known as the 11th. or Devonshire Regiment (281): 22nd. March 1689 Captain Lieutenant in Sir John Hanmer's Regiment (11th.); the same year promoted Captain: 5th. September 1702 Major in 11th. Regiment: September 1706 Lieut: Colonel in Soame's Regiment (282). In 1695-8 of the parish of St. Andrews, and in 1701 of the parish of St. Peter's, both in Dublin: in 1698 bracketed with Richard Povey of Kilmeague Co. Kildare, a Commissioner to applot a Poll Tax for Co. Kildare (283): in 1706 with Lieut. Colonel James Clayton, he was recruiting in the West of England for the 11th.; died whilst on active service in Lisbon: will dated 18th. July 1706 and proved in London 4th. February 1708-9, to which is appended his seal bearing the arms of Kemeys differneced for a second son; married 1st. Mary, daughter of ?..... Betson of Yorkshire, and 2nd., as "Lewis Kemeyes of the parish of St. Peter's Dublin", at the parish Church of Callan Co. Kilkenny, Mary Merry, of that parish, by license (284) dated 27th. May 1701; in 1710-11 she was residing in St. Anne's parish, Westminster, and was prosecuting a suit against one Alexander Stephenson, a paymaster of the 11th. Regt., to recover a sum of #52. 16. 0 the property of her late husband. She died prior to 9th. August 1724: Issue by his first wife 1. Lewis. 2. Edward: baptised 27th. June 1697 at St. Andrew's parish Church Dublin: (285) of the parish of St. Luke's Dublin: died .....; married Jane, daughter of .... Issue (285a) (a) Michael, baptised 1st. October 1727, father of a son William Kimmis and three daughters, all of whom were baptised at St. Luke's Church between 1754-61; one of the latter, as "Jane Kimmas", being married there to James Rollins 2nd. February 1787. (b) Edward, baptised 15th. June 1730 and buried 2nd. February 1736. (c) William, baptised 29th. November 1731. (d) Elizabeth, baptised 1st. July 1734. (e) Anne, baptised 16th. February 1736; and probably (f) Judith Kimmis and (g) Elenor Kimis, who were buried at St. Luke's in February 1744 and 9th. October 1752 respectively. 3. Margaret: baptised 27th. June 1697 at St. Andrews parish Church Dublin (285). 4. Charles: born in Dublin 1698: educated in Co. Kildare "sub domine Jackson", matriculated at Trinity College Dublin 28th. January 1715 in his 18th. year: scholar 1718: B.A. spring 1720: M.D. Midsummer 1730 (286): admitted to the Royal College of Physicians Dublin 14th. December 1730, of which College he later became a Fellow, and in 1732 Professor of Botany. In 1729 "Dr. Kimish" was rated at #15 for a new dwelling house in Digg Street North, parish of St. Peter's, Dublin. Died 11th. September 1733 "at his house in Motte Street", Dublin (287), probably without issue. By his second wife 5. Nicholas: whence Kemeys of New York (see which branch). XXII. Lewis Kemeys: Surgeon: baptised 1st. June 1695 at the parish church of St. Andrews Dublin (288): held his father's moiety of the lease of the Kilmeague estate, under the latter's will, on the death of his mother: held other lands in the parish of Kilmeague from John Bonyng: had a proportionate interest, under his father's will, in the Highfield estate, Yorks, with his brothers and sister on attaining the age of 21: died prior to 10th. July 1728 (288a): will dated 9th. August 1724 and proved in Dublin 25th. November 1731: married Alice, daughter of .....: she had the Kilmeague property for life under her husband's will. Issue, 1. John. 2. Mary: living 1724, married (?).... Bonyng, and had issue a daughter Alice who was living in 1798 and who married Charles Bury Esq.
XXIII. John Kemeys: a child in 1724: of the Kilmeague estate on his mother's death: had a moiety of the Highfield Estate: of Downings, Co. Kildare: held in fee simple the town lands of Lenachundalin, Comagh, and Faughagh Co. Kildare: Trustee, in 1751, of the road from Bally-nager, King's Co. to Clane, Co. Kildare: killed by the Rebels 26th. March 1798, dying s.p. Will dated 2nd. May 1797 and proved in Dublin 19th. April 1798, by which he left his property to his niece Alice Bonyng for life (289), with reversion to his nephew Mathew Johnstone and then to his nephews Bartholomew Williams, John Williams and Thomas Williams, and his plate, furniture etc. to Mathew Johnstone and Alice Bonyng in equal shares.
Footnotes to Kemeys of Co. Kildare
(271) From this branch probably descended Catherine Kemeys of the parish of Michaelston-y-Vedw, Glamorganshire, who on 2nd. June 1761 married Thomas John of Basseleg-Vide parish registers of Michaelston-y-Vedw.
(272) English Army Lists and Commission Registers by Charles Dalton.
(273) This Regiment was raised in England in 1705.
(274) List of Half pay Officers, English Establishment 1714, - by Chas. Dalton.
(275) Colonel Gorge's Regiment was raised in Ireland in 1703.
(276) English Army Lists and Commission Registers - by Chas. Dalton.
(277) This Regiment has 14 companies and was raised in Wales 1688, being exclusively Welsh. It was disbanded in 1689.
(279) War Office, Sec. of States Entry Books; Public Record Office England, - in a list of widow of Officers killed or died in the Service and therefore pensioned by Queen Anne.
(280) Letter from the Librarian, War Office, to L.G.N. Kemmis, dated 20th. June 1902.
(281) The 11th. Regiment was raised in 1685 and was chiefly composed of Somerset and North Devon men. In 1688 whilst in garrison for six months at Hull the Regiment declared for William of Orange; at this time Captain Wolsely's Company was stationed at Scarborough. In May 1689 it was embarked for the relief of Londonderry, the next year being at the battle of the Boyne: and it served in Ireland during the Rebellion in 1689-91. In 1697 the Regiment was stationed in Dublin, being moved that year to Roscrea, the Isle of Allen and four other stations near those places for about 18 months, and in 1699 was put upon peace establishment in Ireland, being stationed at Galway from 25th July of that year to 5th. August 1701, when it was ordered to Cork, but in April 1703 it was embarked for active service in Holland. It was again on active service in Portugal the next year, returning to England in the spring of 1705; but on 13th. August 1706 was re-dispatched to Lisbon under Earl Rivers, whose troops were 11,000 strong. It appears to have remained in Spain on active service until the treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The above movements of the 11th. Regiment in Ireland are taken from various Military M.S.S. at the Public Record Office, Dublin. On 27th. March 1700 and again on 11th. October 1701, Captain Lewis Keymis obtained two months leave of absence.
(282) English Army Lists and Commission Registers - by Chas. Dalton.
(283) Irish Statues. 1665-98. These Commissioners were appointed under the Statute 10 Wm. III. cat: 3. They were to meet on 1st. March 1698 and their office appears to have been honorary. The amount raised in Ireland was #120,000 and was levied on lands, tenements, and hereditaments, being payable in four half yearly installments, the first falling due on 24th. June 1699.
(284) Marriage Licenses, Public Record Office, Dublin.
(285) Registers of St. Andrews.
(285a) Registers of St. Luke's. They are there described as the children of "Edward and Jane Kimmis".
(286) Matriculation Rolls etc.: Trin: Coll: Dublin; in which he is described as "filius Ludovici Kemeys, Trib: Milit".
(288) Registers of St. Andrews, Dublin.
(288a) On which date his widow Alice obtained an Exchequer judgement for #100 against John Bonyng.
(289) By the marriage of Alice Bonyng to Mr. Bury the Downing Estates passed into the hands of the latter's family. In 1900 it was the property of C.M. Bury Esq. the house, a large old mansion, still standing.
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Table of Contents
Kemys of Cefn Mably
Kemeys of New York, U.S.A.
John L. & Irene Kemmis
E-mail: john.kemmis@kemmisfamily.info