Tilman Kemper is a direct descendant of four of the twelve German families that settled the original Germanna Colony in Virginia in 1714 including Kemper, Utterbach, Weaver and Cuntze lines. All four grandparents and six of his eight great grandparents were Germanna colonists. Most likely he was named after Tilman Weaver, his maternal grandfather.

"Tilman Kemper was a soldier of the Rev. war. He settled first in Culpepper Co., VA., where he married DINAH HITT, by whom he had 15 children. He subsequently removed to Bryan's station, in KY., with 3 of his children, Thomas, Anna and Benjamin.

Service: Enlisted under Capt Leonard Helm of III Reg in Fauquier Co., Va. Marched with George Rogers Clark. Served under Capt Bowman, Vincennes and St. Louis. Marched under Capt Weaver to Williamsburg, Va., and Capt Bell to Richmond, Va. Served under Capt Conway and Gen LeMarquis LaFayette. Later he marched against the Indians in Ky.

Children:

1. Thomas (1780-????)
2. Anne (1782-1858) m. Levi Bowyer
3. Benjamin James (1783-1859) m. Sally "Tulip" Adams
4. Sarah "Sally" (1786-after 1860) m. Kinzer Hardesty
5. Jonathan (1788-1865) m. Francis M. "Fanny" Chowning
6. Nimrod (1789-1865) m1 Polly Matthews, m2 Lucy A. Searcyt
7. Elizabeth (1791-????) m. Joseph Swiggart
8. Polly (1793-1855) m. Samuel Matthews
9. Nancy (1795-1880) m. Samuel Marsh
10. Charles Weaver (1797-1977) m Philadelphia "Depha" Yancy
11. Joel Hitt (1799-about1880) . Rebecca Matthews
12. Peter (1802-1873) m. Rebecca Crosthwait
13. Meriam (1804-1860) Thomas Goodnight
14. Levi Bowyer (1806-1882) m1 Nancy Robinson, m2 Sarah Hardesty
15. Reuben (1808-1872)

GRAVESITE: Many publications site "Old Lexington Cemetery" as the site of the graves of Tilman Kemper (Camper) and his wife Dinah. Some say the location was paved over - - graves and all - - to make way for a new street in Lexington. The best lead I have found, and believe to be correct, is from a 1949 series of articles in the Lexington Herald Leader on locations of Rev War soldier graves. It says that Tilman Camper's grave is located in the Lexington area , "one mile from Briar Hill on Muir Station Pike." The second best lead I have found needs to be fully explored: An old publication (c1960s maybe?) by the Mary Desha Chapter of the D.A.R., entitled "Fayette Co. Graves by Mary Desha Chapter D.A.R. lists names of Rev War soldiers with a number indicating where they are buried. Tilman Camper is on page 141 and the gravesite number is 129 which translates to three locations including the J W Denton farm, the Porter Farm, Cemetery Alleghan and Lexington Cemetery (see page 142). This suggests that some or all may have been reinterred at other sites over the years. Others listed as buried at location 129 include William Adams, David Allen, Richard Allen, Ambrose Armstrong, Nathaniel Ashby, William Barker, Thomas Barr, John Barton, Abraham Bird, Samuel Serg Blair, Robert Boggs, Samuel Boone, George Boswell, James Bourne, Col Abraham Bowman, William Boyce, John Boyd, Desha Breckenridge, Hon John Breckenridge, Daniel Boone Bryan, Capt William Bryan, C L Bullock, James Bullock, Robert Campbell, Col William Campbell, Tilman Camper, Obadiah Carter, Elijah Cartmell, John Carty Sr, Andrew Christian and others.