Kemble, Peter
Kemble, Peter
KEMBLE, PETER. (1704–1789). New Jersey Loyalist. Born in Smyrna of an English father who was a merchant in Turkey and a Greek mother, he was well educated in England before settling in New Jersey around 1730 to become a prosperous, respected, and politically prominent citizen. He was connected by marriage to the Schuylers, De Lanceys, and Van Cortlandts, and the seven children of this union included Stephen and Margaret Kemble, the latter the wife of Thomas Gage. Kemble's home in Brunswick was a stopping place for distinguished travelers between Philadelphia and New York. About 1765 he built the manor near Morristown that was used by Washington's army during the winter quarters of 1779–1780 and 1780–1781. During this time the old Loyalist was treated with the utmost respect by Washington, who had known him before the war. He died at his home in 1789.
SEE ALSO Gage, Thomas; Kemble, Stephen.
revised by Michael Bellesiles