John Kemp (antiquary) facts for kids

John Kemp (born 1665, died 1717) was an English expert in old things, also known as an antiquarian. He loved collecting ancient objects.

Kemp was a wealthy man. He lived in London, in an area called St. Martin-in-the Fields. He became a member of the Royal Society on March 20, 1712. The Royal Society is a famous group for scientists. John Kemp never married and passed away on September 19, 1717.

Kemp's Amazing Collection

John Kemp had his own special museum filled with ancient treasures. These treasures are called antiquities. Many of these items were first collected by a Frenchman named Jean Gailhard. Gailhard was a teacher for George Carteret, 1st Baron Carteret.

Gailhard sold his collection to Carteret. Later, Kemp bought this entire collection. Some items in the collection originally came from another collector named Jacob Spon. A visitor named William Nicolson wrote about seeing the collection in 1712.

What Was in the Collection?

One very interesting item in Kemp's museum was a flint axe. This ancient stone tool was found by John Conyers in 1679. It was a very old and important discovery.

What Happened to the Collection?

When John Kemp passed away, he left instructions in his will. He wanted his museum, along with his books, to be offered to Lord Oxford or his son. The price was £2,000, which was a lot of money back then! However, they decided not to buy it.

A scholar named Robert Ainsworth wrote a detailed book about Kemp's collection. It was called Monvmenta vetustatis Kempiana. Another scholar, John Ward, helped by describing statues and other objects for the book.

The collection was later sold at an auction. This auction happened at the Phœnix tavern in Pall Mall, London in March 1721. The items were sold in 293 separate parts. Six ancient stone carvings, called classical inscriptions, were bought by Dr. Richard Rawlinson. These carvings then went to Oxford University.