Comfort Oldham is believed to be the mother of Sarah Kemp. While no sources have been found to prove this relationship outright, the following gives strong evidence supporting this conclusion:

1) Per 1850 and 1860 census, Sarah Kemp was born in Tennessee (which was Davidson County, North Carolina in 1785. Tennessee did not become a state until 1796.)*
2) Land records for Comfort Oldham in Dickson County, Tennessee*, place Aaron Kemp in that location prior to 1811 where he is documented as making improvements to her land. (Tennessee, U.S., Early Land Registers, 1778-1927, Series 02: Entries
1808 - 1811, image 120 on Ancestry.com)
3) Milford Baptist Church Records place Comfort Oldham and Aaron and Sarah Kemp in the same church in 1832 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Milford Baptist Church Meeting Minutes, Membership list for 15 January 1832, p 2-3)
4) 1820, 1830 and 1840 census records for Greenville, SC, all show a female about 20 years older than Aaron Kemp's wife in their household.
5) Aaron Kemp purchased 64 acres of land in Greenville County, SC, from Henry Oldham on 2 April 1808. (Book H, Entry 156, Greenville, SC, Land Registers)
6) Headstone for Comfort Oldham is located in the Aaron and Sarah Kemp plot right behind their headstones at Old Hightower Baptist Church in Ball Ground, Cherokee County, Georgia, (just over the Forsyth County line). The headstone reading simply "In Memory of Comfort Oldham" is very old and difficult to read. The grave is also marked by a footstone reading "C. O."
7) Aaron and Sarah named a daughter Comfort Preley Kemp, and they had 3 granddaughters named Comfort as well (Comfort Preley Keeler, daughter of Timothy Keeler and Nancy Mariah Kemp, Comfort Penina Kemp, daughter of Pleasant and Emorenda Kemp and Comfort P Kemp, daughter of Andrew Jackson and Faith Melissa Kemp), presumably in honor of Sarah's mother.
8) DNA research has produced 6-8 shared matches between DNA testers who are descendants of Aaron and Sarah Oldham Kemp and documented descendants of Henry Oldham of Greenville, South Carolina. These matches were confirmed to be on the same chromosome and segment location, thereby confirming a common ancestor bearing the surname Oldham.
9) On 11 March 1795 in Washington District (later Washington County, Tennessee) Henry Oldham conveyed ownership of a negro girl named Perey to Sarah Oldham (who would have been 10 years old at the time) for the sum of $500, $499.75 of which had been previously received and $.25 paid at time of conveyance, (implying Sarah paid the 25 cents). The previous January, Henry had conveyed, in similar manner, a negro girl to Ruth Oldham. Other Washington County, TN court records prove Henry to be the father of Nancy Oldham, wife of Joshua Cox. These records give sufficient evidence to assume Henry Oldham to be the father of Ruth, Nancy and Sarah Oldham, and hence, the husband of Comfort Oldham. 1808 land records in Greenville, SC present strong evidence that he had an additional daughter or daughter-in-law named Mary . Henry Oldham is listed in the 1800 census for Greenville, SC:
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10: 1 (Henry E, either son or grandson)
Free White Persons - Males - 26 thru 44: 1 (unknown son or son in law)
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over: 1 (Henry)
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25: 4 (Ruth, Mary, Sarah and either unknown daughter or daughter-in-law)
Free White Persons - Females - 45 and over: 1 (Comfort)
His son-in-law Joshua Cox is listed in the adjacent household.

Patti Kemp, 24 July 2023