Thomas Kemp (shipbuilder)

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 , , "Patapsco", "Chasseur", and "Lynx".
Early Career as a Shipbuilder.
Thomas Kemp moved to Baltimore in 1803 from the Eastern Shore. It is not known where he learned the shipbuilding, but 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.
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.