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3  1833  01811  5912 


GENEALOGY 

9E9.g 

K3E1K 


V 


John  Kempe,  Cardinal,  AKCHBisHor  of  Canterbury. 
Lord  Chancellor  of  England. 


A 

_^GENERAL    HISTORY 

OF    THE 

Kemp  and  Kempe 

i  ^= 

FAMILIES 


Of  Qreat  (Britain  and  Her  Colonies 


Arms,   Pedigrees,  Portraits,  Illustrations  of  Seats,   Foundations, 
Chantries,  Monuments,  Documents,  Old  Jewels,  Curios,  ^c. 

BY 

Fred.  Hitchin- Kemp 

ASSISTED   BY 

Daniel  Wm.  Kemp,  J.P.,  Edinburgh  (Author  of  works  on  Sutherland,  <&c.), 

AND 

John  Tabor  Kemp,  M.A., 

AND   WITH   THE   SUPPORT   OF 

Sir  Kenneth  Hagar  Kemp,  Twelfth  Baronet  of  Gissing  ;    George  Kemp,  Esq.,  M.P.,  Rochdale ; 

J.  A.  Kempe,  Esq.,  C.B.,  Deputy  Chairman  of  H.M.  Customs  ; 

Rev.  Prebendary  Kempe,  M.A.,  Chaplain  in  Ordinary  to  the  late  Queen  Victoria  ; 

Charles  N.  Kempe,  late  of  the  Admiralty  ; 

Alfred  Bray  Kempe,  Esq.,  F.R.S.,  Chancellor  of  the  Dioceses  of  St.  Albans,  Newcastle  and  Southwell 

AND   WITH    ILLUSTRATIONS    BY 

Miss  Lucy  E.  Kemp -Welch 

AND    OTHERS. 


LONDON:   PUBLISEIED  BY 

THE  LEADENHALL  PRESS,  Ltd  :  50,  LEADENHALL  STREET,  E.C. 

New  York:  Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  153-157,  Fifth  Avenue. 


The  Leadenhall  Press,  Ltd: 

50,  leadenhall  street,  london,  e.c. 

T  4,753. 


1198182 

PREFACE 


I  HE  question  has  so  constantly  been  asked,  with  whom  did  the  idea  of 
compiling  a  history  of  the  Kemps  originate  ?  that  it  seems  fitting  to 
preface  the  work  with  a  brief  account  of  its  inception  and  achievement.  In 
order  to  simplify  matters  the  chief  writer  will,  with  the  reader's  leave,  speak  in 
the  first  person  singular. 

I  was  on  a  visit  to  an  elderly  cousin,  living  near  Ashford,  in  1896,  when, 
finding  that  the  topics  of  modern  conversation  failed  to  interest  him,  I  sought 
something  to  read  in  an  old  library  adjacent,  of  which  my  relative  was  trustee. 
My  first  inspection  of  the  shelves  inclined  me  to  think  that  the  ancient  volumes 
with  which  they  were  loaded  would  afford  me  no.  entertainment,  for  I  was 
neither  an  antiquarian  nor  interested  in  historv  or  genealogy.  I  came,  however, 
to  a  copy  of  Hasted's  "  History  of  Kent,"  which  I  took  down  with  some 
curiositv  as  to  what  it  might  say  about  the  places  of  interest  around  my  cousin's 
home,  and  finding  that  I  had  thus  dropped  upon  an  account  of  a  great  man  of 
my  own  name — Archbishop  Kemp — I  read  page  after  page  concerning  him  and 
his  relations.  This  exhausted  I  turned  to  the  index  for  the  name  of  Kemp  in 
order  to  discover  more  information  concerning  my  namesakes.  ,    ■     •- 

During  the  next  few  days  I  frequently  returned  to  the  library  and  found 
that  the  name  of  Kemp  appeared  prominently  in  numerous  volumes,  while  the 
crest  and  arms  closely  resembled  those  granted  to  my  father  on  accession  to 
certain  Kemp  estates.  What  connexion,  I  naturally  asked,  was  there  between 
this  Kentish  familv  and  those  of  Hendon,  Middlesex,  from  whom  we  were 
descended  ? 


ii.  Preface. 

On  my  return  to  town,  after  visiting  Wye  College,  Chilham  Castle,  and 
other  places  connected  with  the  Kemps,  my  desire  to  determine  this  question 
took  definite  shape,  and  I  made  enquiries  at  the  Heralds'  College.  The  officials 
could  not  give  a  ready  reply,  as  the  pedigree  of  my  people  was  not  recorded 
when  the  present  arms  were  granted.  I  then  sought  admission  to  the  British 
Museum  Library  intent  upon  a  search  which  might  solve  the  problem.  I  did 
not  anticipate  that  this  would  be  a  very  difficult  matter,  for  "  The  History  of 
Hendon  "  (by  E.  T.  Evans,  1890)  mentioned  our  Kempes  as  being  at  Hendon 
in  1 6 10,  the  very  year  in  which  Ollantigh  and  other  Kentish  property  was 
distributed  among  the  four  daughters  of  the  last  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  of  Wye. 
This  Kentish  Knight  had  no  sons,  but  as  he  had  brothers  and  uncles,  I  reasoned 
might  not  one  of  these  have  founded  the  family  at  Hendon  ?       . 

Genealogists  will  smile  at  this,  for  the  longer  one  studies  pedigrees  the  more 
one  realises  how  difficult  it  is  to  adduce  conclusive  evidence  in  proof  of  descent 
from  a  family,  or  individual,  living  at  a  remote  period.  They  will  not  wonder 
that  1  soon  collected  a  mass  of  information  pertaining  to  various  Kemps  and 
Kempes  which  in  no  way  threw  light  on  my  family's  connexion  with  Wye.  This 
collection  must,  however,  relate  to  various  living  representatives  of  the  name,  I 
thought !  Why  not  offer  it  to  them  ?  So  I  took  the  libeiLy  of  addressing  Sir 
Kenneth  Kemp,  Baronet,  and  one  or  two  others,  saying  that  I  had  a  collection 
of  notes  relating  to  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  families  which  I  thought  might  be 
printed  privately  for  those  whom  it  might  interest. 

Lady  Kemp  favoured  me  with  an  interview  in  London  the  following  year 
(1897),  and  shortly  after  this  I  was  delighted  with  an  invitation  to  Mergate  Hall, 
near  Norwich,  to  have  a  look  at  the  deeds  and  records  relating  to  the  long 
pedigree  and  large  estates  of  the  Kemp  Baronets.  Sir  Kenneth  most  kindly 
gave  me  access  to  his  great  chests  full  of  Manorial  Rolls  and  documents  ranging 
from  the  reign  of  King  John  to  the  present  time.  It  need  hardly  be  said  that 
these  records  contain  the  most  valuable  genealogical  evidence,  but  to  examine 
them  fully  would  require  close  attention  for  quite  a  year,  and  I  was  unable  to 
do  much  more  than  note  each  series  and  the  dates,  except  where  a  definite  query 
suggested  a  closer  investigation.     With   the  assistance   of  Sir  Kenneth  I  have 


Preface.  iii. 

reproduced  in  this  history  a  few  of  the  documents  which  are  of  the  chief  general 
interest  to  Kemps. 

After  this  first  visit  to  Mergate  and  Gissing  Halls,  George  Kemp,  Esq.,  M.P. 
for  the  Heywood  Division  of  Lancashire,  helped  the  project  of  publishing  the 
result  of  my  researches  by  handing  me  a  cheque  which  covered  the  cost  of 
addressing  circulars  to  Kemps  and  Kempes  throughout  England.  In  response 
to  the  first  issue  of  about  one  hundred  some  twenty-five  replies  were  received 
warmly  supporting  the  scheme.  The  chief  result,  however,  of  this  circular  was 
the  very  unexpected  news  to  me  that  Mr.  Daniel  W.  Kemp,  of  Edinburgh,  had 
issued  a  somewhat  similar  circular  a  year  or  two  previously,  saying  that  having 
collected  Kemp  items  for  some  tw^enty-five  years  he  proposed  to  issue  in  periodical 
form  "  Notes  on  Kemps  of  Great  Britain."  To  this  circular  he  had  had  many 
replies,  but  having  other  literary  work  in  hand,  as  well  as  numerous  municipal 
and  business  engagements,  he  had  postponed  the  publication  indefinitely.  He 
therefore  offered  to  hand  over  to  me  the  whole  of  his  collection  for  me  to  deal 
with.  This  very  generous  offer  was  gladly  accepted,  and  a  visit  to  Scotland  in 
the  interests  of  the  Scottish  Kemps  followed.  By  this  time  the  work  assumed 
large  proportions,  and  I  felt  it  necessary  to  obtain  the  services  of  some  gentle- 
man who  had  both  the  time  and  the  means  to  render  me  assistance  in  the  great 
work  of  arranging,  selecting  and  editing  the  matter.  I  deem  myself  fortunate 
in  having  found  Mr.  John  Tabor  Kemp,  M.A.  (Camb.),  willing  to  devote  a  great 
deal  of  his  time  to  this  honorary  work. 

The  second  circular  was  addressed  in  1899  to  Kemps  in  India,  Australia, 
United  States  and  elsewhere,  and  advertisements  calling  for  information 
concerning  Kemp(e)s  abroad  were  inserted  in  the  Times  and  several  American 
and  Colonial  papers.  The  letters  received  were  so  numerous,  and  requests 
for  special  researches  so  many,  that  the  whole  of  my  time  for  more  than  two 
years  was  devoted  to  the  necessary  correspondence  and  to  researches  at 
Somerset  House,  the  Record  Office,  British  Museum,  Provincial  District 
Probate  Courts,  ancient  libraries  and  other  store-houses  of  historical  and 
genealogical  facts.  The  notes  personally  collected  from  these  sources  fill 
forty-eight  octavo  manuscript  books,  each  of  over  one  hundred  pages,  while  the 


iv.  Preface. 

annotations  and  indexes  relating  to  these  fill  another  twenty-five  books,  half  of 
which  are  quarto,  and  amount  to  an  aggregate  of  1,500  pages  of  manuscript. 
In  addition  to  this  bulk  of  matter  requiring  sorting  and  arrangement,  the 
collection  of  manuscript  and  books,  by  and  concerning  Kemps,  sent  by  Daniel 
William  Kemp,  J. P.,  weighs  about  one  hundredweight.  Mr.  John  Tabor  Kemp 
has  also  gathered  a  valuable  amount  of  useful  information,  but  the  work  for 
which  Kemps  and  Kempes  in  general  must  be  indebted  to  him  is  his  editorial 
share  of  the  work,  for  while  it  has  fallen  upon  myself  to  write  the  matter,  space 
at  our  disposal  has  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  cut  down  to  the  lowest 
consistent  form  the  histories  of  the  numerous  distinct  families  of  the  names  of 
Kemp  and  Kempe. 

Subscribers  will,  I  trust,  find,  that  where  possible,  some  details  of  their 
family  are  included,  and  I  hope  will  realise  that  we  have  treated  their  family 
traditions  with  respect,  even  where  evidence  was  against  them.  History, 
however,  is  valueless  if  not  true,  and  we  have  in  a  few  cases  to  show  that  errors 
have  been  found  in  some  ancient  as  well  as  modern  pedigrees,  while  others 
lack  documentary  evidence. 

To  all  subscribers  and  others  (Kemps,  Kempes,  Kempts,  and  even  Camps 
and  Campes)  I  may  here  say  that  the  mass  of  information  in  our  hands  is  far 
greater  than  space  permits  us  to  print  in  full.  Those  interested  in  making 
further  research  concerning  their  family  historv  should  communicate  with  me, 
and  I  will  place  other  details  at  their  disposal.  I  may  add,  also,  that  where  any 
statement  in  this  work  is  found  to  be  in  error,  I  shall  welcome  correction  or 
addition  in  view  of  a  possible  reprint  of  the  work. 

In  conclusion  I  may  be  permitted  to  say  the  cost  of  research  has  fallen 
almost  entirely  upon  the  joint  compilers.  Mr.  Daniel  W.  Kemp,  two  years  ago, 
found  that  he  had  expended  /  100  in  research,  collecting  and  circulars.  Mr. 
John  Tabor  Kemp  has  travelled  extensively  in  quest  of  records,  the  cost  of  all 
fares  and  hotel,  as  well  as  other  incidental  fees,  being  borne  bv  himself.  My 
own  time  devoted  to  the  work  represents  five  years  of  close  studv  and  journevs 
all  over  England,  and  a  visit  to  the  Record  House,  Edinburgh.  In  most  cases 
the  illustrations  in  this  work  are  from  photographs  taken  personally,  but  I   am 


Preface. 


V. 


also  greatly  indebted  to  Miss  Lucy  Kemp-Welch  for  giving  her  valuable  time  to 
reproduce  (in  black  and  white)  some  portraits  and  the  tomb  of  Archbishop 
Kempe. 

To  many  gentlemen  who  have  considerable  collection  of  Kemp(e)  notes  I 
also  owe  my  thanks,  but  their  names  being  many  I  omit  the  list  here,  as  in  most 
cases  their  loans  are  mentioned  in  the  text. 

Fred.    Hit  chin- Kemp, 

6,  Beechfield  Road,  Catford, 
London,  S.E. 
June,  IQ02. 


Willirim  Kempe,  Shakespeare's  Comedian,  the  celebrated  Morris  Dancer  who 
danced  from  London  to  Norwich  in  nine  days. 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


CHoATTETi    I. 

INTRODUCTORY    BY    JOHN    TABOR    KEMP,    M.A. 

THE  name  Kemp  or  Kempe  is  widely  distributed  among  the  population  of  the  British 
Islands.  Nevertheless,  except  in  certain  regions,  it  cannot  be  considered  a  very  common 
surname.  It  abounds  chiefly  in  the  eastern  and  southern  counties  of  England,  notably 
in  Norfolk,  Suffolk,  Essex,  Kent,  Middlesex  and  Sussex,  to  which  may  be  added  Surrey  and 
Hampshire.  It  is  also  tolerably  frequent  in  the  adjacent  counties.  In  these  parts  families  bearing  the 
name,  or  recognised  variants  thereof,  have  dwelt  since  the  period  of  the  earliest  existing  records. 
For  a  thousand  years,  it  is  safe  to  assert,  the  stock  of  the  modern  Kemps  *  has  occupied  an 
important  place  among  the  people  of  East  Anglia.  Although  no  contemporary  documents  as 
old  as  this  are  extant,  the  earliest  references  to  the  name  (dating  from  a  period  soon  after  the 
Norman  Conquest)  testify  its  representatives  as  being  above  the  class  of  villeins.  The  popular 
etymology  of  Kemp,  countenanced  by  the  high  authority  of  Prof.  Skeat,  regards  it  as  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  word  Cempa,  a  champion,  in  modern  spelling.  Reasons  for  doubting  whether  this  is  the 
true  explanation  are  set  forth  in  the  chapter  on  the  origin  of  the  name  (Chapter  II.)  One  point, 
however,  in  favour  of  the  accepted  derivation,  is  the  early  period  at  which  Kemps  came  to  the 
fore  in  the  social  life  of  the  nation.  If  champions  they  were,  the  qualities,  to  wit,  strength  of  limb 
united  with  force  of  character,  which  gave  them  that  position  naturally  fitted  them  to  be  leaders 
in  other  affairs  than  war. 

But  the  name  is  not  by  any  means  confined  to  East  Anglia,  either  in  early  or  modern  times. 
In  the  south  it  extends  to  Wales  and  Cornwall.  It  is  sparsely  disseminated  throughout  the 
midland  and  northern  counties,  and  even  reaches  the  Highlands  of  Scotland.  The  Scottish 
Kemps,  though  few  in  numbers,  have  been  far  from  undistinguished.  Some  of  these  scattered 
families,  no  doubt,  migrated  from,  the  south-east  of  England  at  various  periods.  In  very 
many  cases,  however,  there  is  no  evidence,  apart  from  their  name,  to  connect  them  with  the 
Kemps  of  the  south.  We  may  not  designate  them,  after  Jewish  analogy,  as  "  the  Kemps  of 
the  Dispersion  "  on  the  assumption  that  they  are  descendants  of  one  original  stock.  In  all,, 
probability  the  name  has  arisen  independently  in  different  localities.  It  may  also  have  had  more? 
than  one  derivation. 

Among  the  vast  English-speaking  populations  beyond  the  seas,  in  the  United  States  of 
America,  in  South  Africa  and  Australia,  the  name  of  Kemp  is  well  known.  References  to  the 
career  of  the  more  distinguished  bearers  of  the  name  outside  the  British  Islands  will  be  found  in 

*  In  order  to  avoid  needless  repetition  of  the  phrase  '•  Kemps  and  Kempes,"  and  the  like,  it  will  be  convenient  to  state  once  for  all  that,  except 
where  the  contrary  is  indicated  by  the  conte.xt,  the  term  Kemps  includes  the  Kempes. 


2  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

other  parts  of  the  present  work.  Some  of  the  Colonial  and  American  Kemps  are,  however,  not  of 
English  origin  at  all,  but  are  the  descendants  of  emigrants  from  the  Low  Countries.  This 
meeting  and  commingling  of  English  and  Dutch  Kemps  is  no  new  event,  for  the  ancestors  of  many 
of  the  Kemp  families  of  the  old  country  are  known  to  have  come  over  from  Flanders  at  various 
periods.  A  noteworthy  man  was  John  Kemp,  the  weaver,  who  settled  at  Carlisle  about  1335. 
The  name  is  frequent  among  weavers  in  many  parts  of  Great  Britain  till  quite  recent  times.  The 
entries  in  the  Scottish  Registers  relating  to  the  Kemps  often  specify  the  occupation  as  that  of  a 
weaver.  It  is  a  somewhat  curious  coincidence  that  "  kemp  ''  is  a  technical  term  in  connexion  with 
weaving,  denoting  a  bristly  hair  often  found  among  wool.  "Kemb"  is  an  old  spelling  of  comb. 
Referring  to  the  English  and  Dutch  Kemps,  it  may  here  be  noted  that  they  have  fought  against 
one  another  in  the  present  war. 

Families  vary  enormously  in  the  proportion  of  distinguished  individuals  which  they  have 
produced  to  the  total  number  of  bearers  of  the  name.  It  is  customary  to  speak  of  those  families 
whose  members  were  persons  of  importance  centuries  ago  as  "old"  families.  "Historic"  would 
be  the  more  correct  term,  since  it  is  equally  certain  that  the  obscurest  of  the  poor  at  the  present 
day  are  descended  from  individuals  who  lived  a  thousand  years  ago,  as  that  the  representatives  of 
the  noblest  houses  are  so  descended.  Their  "simple  annals"  have  not  been  recorded  except  in 
very  fragmentary  form  in  the  parish  registers  of  the  land  or  the  tenant  rolls  of  estates,  and  now 
and  again  in  the  records  of  crime.  More  rarely  have  the  memories  of  their  simple  goodness 
been  handed  down  in  such  stories  as  "The  Shepherd  of  Salisbury  Plain"  and  the  "Dairyman's 
Daughter."  Some  families  are  distinguished  by  many  illustrious  names.  Others,  like  the 
Shakespeares  and  the  Bunyans,  have  flashed  forth  in  glory  once  and  for  all  ;  the  posterity,  if  any, 
of  their  one  famous  name  is  hardly  more  noted  than  was  his  ancestry.  The  Kemps  do  not  fall 
exactly  under  any  of  these  categories.  Their  families  are  unquestionably  "  historic,"  for  their 
records  reach  back  unbroken  for  at  least  five  hundred  years.  They  are  by  no  means  lacking  in 
famous  names  as  the  following  pages  amply  testify.  Yet  they  have  produced  no  celebrity  of  the 
first  rank — no  name  which  stands  for  an  epoch  in  the  annals  of  his  own  vocation,  like  Milton, 
Newton,  Darwin,  Wellington  or  Nelson.  Not  a  few  of  them  have  received  marks  of  honour  from 
their  Sovereign  for  their  services  to  the  State.  Though  they  do  not  stand  foremost  among  the 
truly  great  families  of  the  land — families  that  are  great  on  account  of  the  noble  deeds  of  their 
members,  and  not  because  the  creatures  of  some  early  king — they  do  claim  rightly  that  they  have 
enriched  the  nation's  life.  And  herein  lies  the  justification  for  the  publication  of  the  present 
history.  Every  man  or  woman  who  takes  any  delight  in  the  records  of  worthy  actions,  or  who 
cares  to  know  anything  of  the  personality  of  the  authors  of  inspiring  utterances,  must  feel  a  special 
pleasure  in  becoming  acquainted  with  such  memorials  when  connected  with  their  own  ancestors  or 
namesakes.  "  I  hope  for  light,"  expresses  the  feeling  with  which  many  readers  will  open  the 
present  work,  light  which  will  reveal  to  them  fragments  of  history  in  which  they  may  justly  feel 
a  peculiar  pride.  "  Lucem  spero,"  again,  may  voice  the  hope  that  something  herein  recorded 
may  in  some  way  be  helpful  in  their  own  lives,  if  only  by  directing  their  attention  to  forgotten 
worthies. 

The  rest  of  this  chapter  will  be  devoted  to  brief  references  to  some  of  the  more  notable  Kemps 
in  various  walks  in  life.  The  connexion  of  Kemps  with  the  Courts  of  the  English  Kings  and 
Queens  is  noticed  /;/  limine,  because  earliest  in  date,  while  the  names  of  some  deservedly  famous 
individuals  can  be  introduced  here  who  do  not  come  under  any  of  the  subsequent  categories. 

Kemps  appear  in  close  association  with  royalty  almost  from  the  first  known  appearance  of 
the  name  to  the  present  day.     One,  Stephen  Kempe,  was  fined  for  leaving  the  Court  in   11 27. 


Introductory.  3 

Archbishop  Kempe,  of  Canterbury,  in  virtue  of  his  office,  was  necessarily  much  in  touch  with  the 
king,  as  was  also  Thomas  Kempe,  his  nephew,  the  Bishop  of  London.  The  Archbishop  was 
frequently  sent  abroad  by  the  king  on  important  missions.  For  many  years  he  held  the  office  of 
Lord  Chancellor.  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Robert  Kempe  of  Gissing,  was  Lady  of  the  Bedchamber 
to  Elizabeth  of  York,  the  Consort  of  Henry  VIL  Sir  Thomas,  Sir  William  and  Lady  Kempe  of 
Wye,  attended  the  Court  of  Henry  VHL  in  various  capacities,  and  were  present  at  the  Field  of  the 
Cloth  of  Gold.  A  Lady  Kempe  was  prominent  at  the  Court  of  Queen  Mary.  During  the  long 
reign  of  Elizabeth,  at  least  a  dozen  Kempes,  both  of  Norfolk  and  Kent  were  active.  A  Robert 
Kempe  of  Gissing  was  gentleman  of  the  Bedchamber  to  Charles  L,  who  first  knighted  him  and 
afterwards  raised  him  to  the  dignity  of  a  baronet.  He  raised  arms  for  the  King  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  Cromwellian  troubles,  sacrificing  much  of  his  property  in  so  doing.  John  Kemp,  of  Boldre, 
a  representative  of  the  Kentish  stock  was  a  prominent  Roundhead.  Various  Kemps  of  minor  note 
from  time  to  time  appear  at  Court  under  the  Georges.  At  the  present  time  two  Kempes  are 
Chaplains  to  the  King.  Some  of  the  living  branches  of  the  Kemps  possess  royal  blood.  Pedigrees 
of  their  descent  will  be  found  in  other  chapters. 

The  Kemp  families  have  given  some  very  high  dignitaries  to  the  church,  including  the 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  the  Bishop  of  London  above  mentioned.  The  second  Bishop  of 
Maryland  was  James  Kemp,  a  native  of  Scotland.  Various  Kemps  have  held  canonries  and 
prebends.  But  while  Kemps  have  risen  to  fame  in  the  church  none  of  them  can  be  claimed 
as  great  divines  in  the  restricted  sense  of  the  word  as  applied  to  Hooker  or  Pearson.  They  make 
up,  however,  for  any  lack  of  distinction  in  scientific  theology  by  the  fervent  piety  and  practical 
philanthropy  which  many  of  them  have  exhibited.  One  of  the  earliest  productions  of  the  printing 
press,  issued  by  Wynkyn  de  Worde,  was  "A  Short  Treatyse  of  Contemplacyon  taught  by  the 
Lorde  Jhesu  Cryste,  taken  out  of  the  Boke  of  Margerie  Kempe  of  Lyn."  Her  writings  resemble 
those  of  the  Ouietists  and  Quakers.  Grover  Kemp  was  a  leading  member  of  the  Society  of 
Friends.  Among  the  victims  of  the  Boxer  massacres  in  China  was  Mrs.  T.  W.  Pigott,  ne'e  Kemp, 
murdered  Avith  her  husband  and  son  at  Tai-Yuen-Fu. 

Kempt  is  a  well  ascertained  variant  of  the  name  Kemp  as  will  appear  in  the  pages  of  this 
history.  It  is  specially  frequent  in  Scotland,  but  is  known  elsewhere.  This  being  the  case  it  is 
legitimate  to  name  here  Sir  James  Kempt,  G.C.B.,  Governor-General  of  Canada  from  1828  to 
1830.  He  served  under  the  Duke  of  Wellington  in  the  war  against  Napoleon,  when  he 
distinguished  himself  on  many  occasions,  including  the  Battle  of  Waterloo,  and  was  frequently 
mentioned  in  despatches.     He  was  of  Scottish  parentage. 

The  most  eminent  Kempe  who  ever  served  in  the  Navy  was  Admiral  Arthur  Kempe 
of  the  Cornish  stock.  A  Kempe  sailed  with  Captain  Cook  in  his  celebrated  voyages  of  discovery. 
Another  individual  of  the  same  family  was  granted  by  royal  patent  the  privilege  of  catching 
whales.  The  late  Mr.  Dixon  Kemp,  the  celebrated  yachtsman  and  writer  on  ship  building,  may 
be  mentioned  here.     He  was  yachting  editor  to  the  Field  newspaper. 

Art,  science,  and  literature  claim  a  considerable  number  of  Kemps.  A  lady  of  the  name  still 
living  is  the  only  woman  artist,  any  of  whose  paintings  have  been  purchased  by  the  Chantrey 
Trustees  for  the  National  Gallery.  As  a  connoisseur  in  the  fine  arts  John  Kemp,  who  died  in 
1717,  was  renowned.  The  contents  of  his  collection  of  antiquities  was  described  in  a  volume 
written  in  Latin  and  published  after  his  death  entitled,  "  Monumenta  Vetustatis  Kempiana." 
Alfred  John  Kempe,  who  died  in  1846,  was  the  author  of  many  articles  in  the  Gentleman'' s 
Magazine  on  antiquarian  subjects.  As  an  architect  John  Meikle  Kemp,  designer  of  the  Scott 
Monument  at  Edinburgh,  occupies  a  distinguished  place.     The  most  noted  musician  bearing  the 

B  2 


4  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Keuipe  Families. 

name  is  Joseph  Kemp,  some  time  organist  of  Bristol  Cathedral.  His  brother,  James,  was  a  minor 
poet.  One,  Andrew  Kemp,  who  has  left  a  setting  of  the  Te  Deum,  was  master  of  the  Song 
School  at  St.  Andrew's  in  1575.  A  William  Kemp,  contemporary  with  Shakespeare,  achieved 
fame  as  a  comic  actor  and  dancer. 

John  Kemp,  F.R.S.,  Edin.,  a  native  of  Aberdeenshire,  was  a  noted  mathematician.  Other 
Kemps  have  also  distinguished  themselves  in  the  same  study.  Medical  science  has  been  advanced 
by  several  Kemps  who  have  written  upon  different  subjects  in  connexion  therewith.  Two 
brothers  named  Kemp  taught  chemistry  at  Edinburgh  University  during  the  first  half  of  the 
nineteenth  century.     Both  were  cut  off  under  forty  years  of  age  after  careers  of  great  promise. 

To  conclude  this  review  it  may  be  added  that  a  valuable  dictionary  of  the  Maori  language 
was  compiled  bv  a  Kemp,  who  abandoned  civilised  society  and  took  up  his  residence  among  the 
natives  of  New  Zealand,  who  recognised  him  as  a  chief,  using  his  portrait  on  their  tribal  banner. 

Kemps  have  taken  their  full  share  in  mercantile  pursuits.  Many  noted  business  houses  bear 
their  name.  For  several  generations  they  have  likewise  been  connected  with  banking.  Of  late 
the  name  has  become  famous  in  connexion  with  sport.  References  to  living  Kemps  who  have 
in  any  wav  distinguished  themselves,  and  to  existing  firms  founded  by  Kemps,  will  be  found 
elsewhere  in  the  present  work. 

The  compilers  of  this  history  would  here  express  the  hope  that  their  readers  who  possess  the 
ability  and  leisure  to  continue  the  researches  which  they  have  begun  will  do  so.  Much  work 
remains  to  be  done  in  the  patient  examination  of  ancient  records  of  many  kinds.  The  systematic 
search  of  parish  registers  would  probably  repay  the  time  and  labour  spent  on  it  in  clearing  up 
many  doubtful  points  in  descent.  Of  the  relationship  of  some  of  the  famous  Kemps  little  or 
nothing  is  known.  To  discover  their  family  connexion  would  be  to  earn  the  gratitude  of  future 
biographers  and  historians.  Again,  to  trace  out  the  migrations  of  the  families  of  any  one  name 
would  be  a  distinct  addition  to  the  history  of  the  social  life  of  the  nation,  still  more,  if  the 
causes  which  determined  the  movement  could  also  be  ascertained.  The  history  of  a  family  if  truly 
written  is  no  mere  monument  of  that  selfish  pride  known  as  snobbery,  but  a  valuable  contribution 
to  human  knowledge. 


^. ..  ■'^"\;. 


The  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families  of  Kent. 


CHcA'PTETi    11. 

(By    John    Tabob    Kkmp,    M.A.) 
ORIGIN  OF  THE  NAME. 


THE  prevalence  of  the  surname  Kkmp  in  the  eastern  counties  of  England  indicates  it  as  of 
probably  Saxon  origin.  Students  of  old  English  ballads  are  familiar  with  the  word 
"  kemp,"  signifying  a  fighting  man  or  champion,  derived  from  the  Anglo-Saxon  Cempa, 
a  soldier.  Since  warfare  occupied  an  important  place  in  ordinary  life  during  the  period  when 
surnames  were  coming  into  vogue,  there  is  an  antecedent  likelihood  that  such  a  word  as  ''kemp  " 
would  be  found  among  them..  Arguing  from  these  premises  many  writers  have  concluded 
somewhat  hastily  that  the  question  of  the  origin  of  the  name  was  settled  beyond  dispute,  Kemp 
the  surname  and  "  kemp "  the  soldier  being  certainly  regarded  as  one  and  the  same  word. 
Plausible  as  what  we  may  term  the  accepted  derivation  appears  at  first  sight,  some  weighty 
evidence  against  its  validity  will  be  adduced  in  the  sequel.  It  is  almost  certain,  however,  that  the 
name  has  arisen  in  more  than  one  way.  The  divergent  physical  types  presented  b}'  its  bearers 
afford  clear  evidence  of  descent  from  more  than  one  racial  stock.  ,The  Kemps  of  the  east  of 
England  belong  generally  to  the  Saxon  and  Danish  types,  with  light  hair  and  skin  and  blue  or 
grey  eyes.  In  the  west  Kemps  are  met  with  distinguished  by  the  dark  features  which 
characterize  the  modern  Kelts. 

The  English  language  presents  numberless  instances  of  identical  collocations  of  letters  ha\-ing 
divers  meanings  and  derivations.  For  example,  "  host "  in  its  different  senses  represents  the  three 
Latin  words  hostis  (enemy,  hence  multitude),  hostia  (victim),  and  hnspes  (entertainer).  Another 
and  even  better  instance  is  furnished  by  the  word  "lime"  in  "quicklime,"  "birdlime,"  "lime-tree," 
and  "  lime-fruit."  Similar  instances  are  not  unknown  among  English  surnames,  while  it  is 
very  probable  that  they  would  be  found  more  common  than  they  appear  in  the  light  of  present 
knowledge  had  as  much  attention  been  bestowed  on  personal  names  as  on  the  language 
generally.  The  surname  Samson  may  represent  either  a  contraction  of  Samuelson,  i.e.  son  of 
Samuel  or  Sam,  or  it  may  point  to  the  exceptional  strength  of  some  remote  ancestor  recalling  the 
prowess  of  the  hero  and  judge  of  that  name.  Craven,  again  may  be  and  probably  is  in  many 
cases  equivalent  to  coward  ;  its  frequency  in  the  north  of  England,  however,  points  to  the  Craven 
district  of  Yorkshire  whence  the  Earls  of  that  ilk  derive  their  title.  With  regard  to  the  name 
Kemp,  it  is  well  within  the  compass  of  possibility  in  the  case  of  different  families  bearing  it,  that  it 
may  be  taken  in  some  instances  from  the  calling  of  some  remote  ancestor,  in  others  from  his  place 
of  abode,  in  others  from  some  physical  or  moral  characteristic,  and  in  others  again  from  somg 


6  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp  e  P ami  lies. 

object  adopted  as  a  tribal  or  family  badge  or  used  as  a  sign  for  some  purpose.  Etymologically  the 
modern  name  may  represent  Saxon,  Danish,  Keltic  or  other  appellatives.  Apart,  however,  from 
any  prepossessions  or  suspicions  which  the  philologist  may  entertain  his  first  duty  is  to  collect  and 
examine  the  various  forms  through  which  the  name  has  passed  wherever  it  is  found. 

Before  dealing  more  particularly  with  the  question  of  derivation  it  will  be  convenient  to 
mention  the  fact  that  in  Anglo-Saxon,  as  in  modern  Welsh,  likewise  in  Gaelic  and  Irish,  the 
symbol  c  universally  possessed  the  sound  of  k.  Hence,  as  would  naturally  be  expected,  many  of 
the  early  forms  of  the  name  Kemp  are  written  with  a  C  even  before  the  vowels  e,  z,  and  ;>»,  in  which 
positions  modern  usage  gives  c  the  sound  of  s.  The  spelling  Cemp  met  with  in  early  documents 
survived  as  late  as  the  latter  half  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Among  the  wills  proved  in  the 
Norwich  Consistory  Court  is  that  of  Mary  Cemp,  of  Great  Yarmouth,  who  died  in  1759. 

The  earliest  examples  of  the  forms  Kemp  or  Kempe  date  from  about  the  middle  of  the  twelfth 
century,  but  the  spelling  with  a  k  did  not  become  frequent  till  considerably  later.  One  Gotfred 
Kemp  is  recorded  as  living  at  Norwich  in  1154.  No  Kemp  is  found  in  Domesday,  the  nearest 
I  approach  being  de  Canipo. 

Much  uncertainty  prevails  as  to  the  connexion  between  the  forms  Kemp  and  Kempe  and  the 
earlier  forms  from  which  they  certainly  arose,  which  the  researches  of  the  present  writers  have 
only  partially  enabled  them  to  clear  up.  Many  names  which  may  have  passed  into  Kemp  are  met 
with  in  early  registers  and  other  documents,  but  the  proof  that  they  actually  did  so  is  often 
wanting.  Only  in  very  few  cases  can  we  discover  the  individual  who  changed  the  spelling  of  his 
name,  or  whose  name  was  changed  for  him  by  the  officials  of  the  time.  In  Domesday  and  other 
ancient  records,  prior  to  the  period  when  surnames  had  come  into  general  use,  we  find  various 
descriptive  terms  relating  to  place  of  abode  or  occupation,  appended  to  baptismal  names  for  the 
purpose  of  distinguishing  the  bearers  from  others  of  the  same  name.  Among  instances  may  be 
mentioned  de  Campo,  de  Campis,  de  Combes  or  Compes,  and  Campio.  In  the  sixteenth  century 
we  find  their  place  taken  by  the  regular  surnames  Camp,  Kemp,  Campion  and  so  forth.  The 
inference  is  that  the  latter  are  the  historical  successors  of  the  former,  but  it  is  only  rarely  that  the 
transition  can  be  traced  in  any  given  family  line. 

According  to  the  Roll  of  Battle  Abbey,  Radulphiis  de  Campis  held  land  at  Wye  from  the 
Abbey.  He  is  also  known  as  Ralph  Kemp,  of  Wye.  The  same  Roll  contains  the  names  of  several 
tenants  called  de  Cumbe,  de  Combe  and  Kempe. 

Edmund  Canipian,  the  Jesuit,  executed  in  1581  for  treasonable  correspondence,  was  arrested 
and  tried  as  Edmund  Kemp. 

The  family  of  John  Kemp  the  Archbishop,  are  known  to  have  changed  the  spelling  of  their 
name  from  de  Campis. 

As  late  as  1624  the  author  of  a  will  signed  his  name  Thos.  Chatnpe,  while  his  son  witnessing 
the  same  document  wrote  Thomas  Kempe. 

The  author  of  the  '•  Worthies  of  Devon  "  (1701)  says  the  members  of  the  Champernown  family 
formerly  wrote  their  name  "  De  Campo  Arnidphi  from  a  certain  Champion  Country  where  one 
Arnulphus  lived  or  had  his  seat."  The  Inquisitio  30,  Edward  I.,  records  that  Lady  John 
Champernown  granted  land  for  the  celebration  of  masses  for  her  father  William  de  Campo 
Amu/phi,  and  her  husband  Ralph  de  Willington.  If  the  following  entries  in  the  Probate  Registry 
of  Canterbury  represent  mere  coincidencies  they  are  sufficiently  curious.  Under  Archdeaconry  of 
Canterbury,  1403  (fol.  b.)  is  mentioned  the  will  of  one  Arnolphus  Kempe,  of  Boughton  Aluph. 
In  1517  (lib.  12)  we  find  Amoldus  Kempe  of  Newenden.  Another  Arnold  Kempe  is  mentioned  in 
the  Norwich  Charter  Rolls  temp.  Edward  I. 


Origin  of  the  Name.  -     '  7 

Among  the  Essex  wills  is  one  dated  1539  of  Henry  Camp  al.  Kamp  of  Nasing,  and  another 
dated  155 1  of  John  Camp  al.  Kempe  of  the  same  place. 

Many  Kemps  and   Kempes  in  various   parts  of  England  are   met  with  in  early  documents 
claiming  descent  from  the  Earls  of  Warwick,  who  had  the  title  of  de  Bello  Campo.     The  number 
of  Kemps  known  to  have  been  tenants  or  recipients  of  patronage  from  the  House  of  Warwick  is  . 
certainly  remarkable. 

In  the  Canterbury  Probate  Registers  (1396-1496)  the  earliest  spelling  is  Combe.  No  spelling 
with  an  a  occurs. 

In  Esse.K,  Combes  seems  to  be  the  chief  early  spelling,  giving  place  to  Kemp  about  1370. 
Compes  is  known  as  an  alternative  form  in  connexion  with  the  Kemps  of  Finchingfield. 

In   Norfolk,   Campe  or  de  Campo  is  said  to  give  place  to  Kemp  about  1270.     Comp  occurs 
frequently  in  the  fifteenth  century  in  the  records  of  the  Norwich  Consistory  Court. 
In  Wiltshire,  de  Catnpo  appears  to  be  the  forerunner  of  the  name  Kemp. 
The  will  of  John  Compos  is  preserved  in  the  Archdeaconry  of  St.  Albans. 
Among  the  Archers  of  the  Vale  of  Revill  the  name  of  Thomas  atte  Campe  is  recorded. 
Arnaldus  de  Campiswz?.  Master  of  the  Knights  Hospitallers  in    1160.     Bertrand  de  Campis 
succeeded  to  the  office  in  1231. 

No  Kemps  are  known  in  Cornwall  till  about  1400,  but  Kemys,  Camois,  Cames  and  similar 
forms  occur  from  the  time  of  the  Norman  Conquest.  The  pedigree  of  the  Cornish  Kempes 
commences  in  1544.  They  claim  descent  from  the  Kemps  of  Kent.  The  Manors  of  Blisland  and 
Liskeard  belonged  to  the  Earls  of  Warwick.  In  the  Manorial  Rolls  the  form  Kympe  (rare  in 
other  parts  of  England)  occurs  repeatedly  from  1500  to  1618.  The  name  Kemys  and  its  variants 
occur  in  the  Battle  Abbey  Roll. 

In  the  Exchequer  Receipts  for  1185  the  name  of  Umfrid  de  la  Cumb  occurs  in  the' 
Buckinghamshire  section. 

''  Kemp  "  was,  as  has  been  already  mentioned,  an  old  English  word  signifying  a  soldier,  also 
a  contender  in  single  combat,  being  the  philological  successor  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  Cempa. 
Examples  of  its  use  may  be  found  in  the  Ballad  of  King  Estmere,  printed  in  Bishop  Percy's 
"  ReHques  of  Ancient  Poetry." 

"  They  had  not  ridden  scant  a  myle  ■' 

A  myle  forthe  of  the  towne. 

But  in  did  come  the  kyng  of  Spayne,  .  ^ 

With  kempes  many  one." 
And  again — 

"  '  And  how  nowe,  kempe,'  said  the  kyng  of  Spain 
'  And  hcAv  what  aileth  thee  ?  '  " 
In  the  same  ballad  the  derivative  kempery  occurs  more  than  once  : — 
"  Downe  then  came  the  kemperye  man. 
And  looked  him  in  the  eare." 
Again — 

"  And  aye  their  swords  soe  sore  can  fyte. 
Through  help  of  gramaryd 
That  soone  they  had  slayne  the  kempery  men. 
Or  forst  them  forth  to  flee." 
"  Kemp  "  being  an  actual  Enghsh  word,  and  moreover,  one  designating  an  occupation  or 
profession  of  universal  importance,  it  would  seem  a  priori  probable  that  it  would  be  met  with 


8  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

among  modern  surnames.  As  the  case  of  Edmund  Campian,  alias  Kemp,  above  quoted  shews,  the 
accepted  derivation  possesses  some  historical  support.  In  early  Latin  documents  such  entries 
as  Galfredus  Campio^  Ricardus  Campio  are  frequent,  where  Campio  signifies  a  champion  or 
fighting  man,  being  the  nearest  equivalent  of  "  Kemp."  The  frequent  occurrence  of  such  phrases 
as  de  Campo,  de  Campis,  atte-Campe  and,  we  may  add,  Champe  to  designate  members  of  the 
Kemp  family,  indicates  that  the  name  was  regarded  as  having  reference  to  abode  rather  than 
occupation.  In  other  Avords  the  name  Kemp  represents  the  Anglo-Saxon  Cempa  only 
exceptionally,  not  universally  as  many  have  supposed. 

The  "  Historical  English  Dictionary  "  has  not  yet  reached  the  word  Kemp.  We  are,  therefore, 
unable  to  obtain  any  direct  assistance  from  it  on  the  present  subject.  There  are,  however,  six 
distinct  words,  "  Camp,"  viz.,  four  substantives  and  two  verbs,  under  more  than  one  of  which 
information  is  given  which  may  guide  us  to  the  origin  and  meaning  of  the  name  Ke.mp.  The  four 
substantives  are  designated  Camp,  sb.\  sb.",  sb."  and  sb.*.  We  shall  consider  them  in  the  reverse 
order. 

''Camp,  sb.^ "  is  a  rare  obsolete  word  defined  as  meaning  "whiskers  of  a  cat,  stout  bristl}- 
hairs  "  The  only  known  example  of  its  use  dates  from  the  fifteenth  century.  It  would  seem  to 
have  no  bearing  on  the  present  subject  but  for  the  significant  note  "  Cf  Kemp  sb." 

''  Camp,  sb.^  "  is  a  modern  dialect  word  of  uncertain  origin  and  history,  signifying  "  a  conical 
or  ridge-shaped  heap  of  potatoes  or  turnips  in  the  open  air,  co%''ered  Avith  straw  and  earth  for 
winter  storage." 

The  earliest  known  example  of  the  word  in  use  is  dated  17 13.  Could  the  word  be  traced 
back  to  the  twelfth  or  thirteenth  century  with  some  such  sense  as  a  hill  or  ridge,  it  were  plausible 
to  conjecture  that  it  and  the  surname  Kemp  might  be  one  and  the  same  word,  the  Latin  scribe 
being  guided  by  sound  rather  than  sense  when  he  rendered,  say,  "  John-atte-Camp  "  by  Johannes- 
de-Campo." 

"  Camp  sb.-  "  is  the  military  camp.  The  following  quotation  from  the  "  Historical  Dictionary  " 
disposes  of  the  hvpothesis  that  Camp  in  this  sense  can  have  given  rise  to  the  surname  Ke.mp. 
"  Although  camp  was  the  Norman  form  of  champ,  no  trace  of  it  appears  in  ME.,  which  had  only 
Champ  from  central  OF.,  in  the  senses  of  field  of  due!  or  tournament  and  heraldic  '  field.'  Camp 
was  fntroduced  early  in  the  i6th  c,  from  contemporary  Fr.  and  with  the  sense  castra,  but  was  also 
at  first  used  to  render  L.  campus  in  other  senses,  as  well  as  occasionally  in  the  sense  of  the 
earlier  champ  '  field  of  combat.'  "  Camp  in  this  sense,  not  having  been  introduced  into  the 
English  language  until  centuries  after  Kemp  had  become  a  well  established  name,  cannot  be  the 
original  of  it. 

One  other  substantive  Camp  distinguished  in  the  Historical  English  Dictionary  remains  to  be 
noticed.  This  word  was  sometimes  spelled  comp  during  the  period  1000- 1300  ;  komp  is  found  in 
the  thirteenth  and  kamp  in  the  fourteenth  century.  The  sense  is  given  as  "Martial  contest, 
combat,  fight,  battle,  war."  The  latest  illustrative  quotation  is  taken  from  the  Morte  Arthur 
which  was  composed  ante  1400,  and  runs  thus  : — "  Alle  the  kene  mene  of  kampe,  knyghtes  and 
other."  The  same  word  enters  into  the  compound  camp-ball,  "  an  ancient  form  of  football  in 
which  large  numbers  engaged  on  both  sides."  The  earliest  quoted  instance  of  the  word  is  dated 
circa  1600,  but  under  the  verb  "  camp  "  much  earlier  references  to  the  game  are  found. 

Of  the  two  verbs  "  camp,"  one  corresponds  to  the  military  camp  and  therefore  possesses  no 
further  interest  in  the  present  connexion. 

The  etymology  of  the  Old  English  verb  "  camp  "  is  thus  stated,  "  OE.  campian,  compian, 
from  camp,  fight."     The  prirriary  signification  of  the  word  is  "  To  fight  ;  to  contend  in  battle." 


Origin  of  the  Name.  '  9 

The  Morte  Arthur  has  the  following  : — "  There  es  no  kynge  undire  Criste  may  kempe  with  hym 
one  !  "  It  is  also  applied  to  contending  in  athletic  sports.  Enclosures  where  such  contests  were 
wont  to  be  held  Avere  known  as  "  camping  closes."  The  sense  was  further  extended  to  include 
any  kind  of  competition,  e.g.  in  drinking.  Sir  James  Melvill  (1587)  mentions  a  "  banquet  of  wat 
and  dry  confectiones,  with  all  sortes  of  wyne  wharat  his  Majestie  camped  verie  mirrelie  a  guid 
whyll  !  "  The  game  camp-ball  gave  rise  to  another  use  of  the  word.  Thus,  Tusser  in  his  Five 
Hundred  Good  Points  of  Husbandry  : — 

"  Get  campers  a  ball  to  campe  therewithal  ;  '' 
and  again — 

"  In  meadow  or  pasture  (to  grow  the  more  fine)         :  n  • 
Let  campers  be  camping  in  any  of  thine." 
Tusser,   it  may  be  noted,  spent  his  life  chiefly  in  the  eastern   counties.      Sir  Thomas  Browne, 
author  of  Religio   Medici.,   who    practised   as   a   physician   at    Norwich,   and    who   had    travelled 
extensively  in  England,  speaks  of  camp  as  a  Norfolk  word. 

None  of  the  words  passed  in  review  appears  at  first  sight  to  furnish  a  completely  satisfactory 
explanation  of  the  surname  Kemp.  Further  consideration  may  possibly  modify  this  conclusion. 
It  should,  however,  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  name  has  almost  certainly  more  than  one  origin. 

The  grand  objection  to  the  popular  derivation  from  the  Anglo-Saxon  Cempa  is  that  early 
forms,  whether  Latin,  English,  or  French  point  to  the  name  as  possessing  a  local  signification. 
Two  of  the  substantives  "  camp,"  as  we  ha\'e  seen  above,  designate  places  or  features  of  the  ground. 
Unfortunately,  however,  as  far  as  is  known,  they  only  came  into  use  as  English  words  centuries 
after  the  surname  of  Kemp  was  well  established. 

"  Camp,"  with  the  meaning  contest,  requires  further  notice.  In  this  sense  which  appears  to 
be  the  only  one  known  to  literature,  it  scarcely  meets  the  necessities  of  the  case  as  the  original  of 
the  name  Kemp.  It  seems,  however,  extremely  probable  that  the  word  may  have  been  transferred 
from  the  contest  itself  to  the  place  where  contests  were  accustomed  to  take  place.  Whether  this 
be  so  or  not,  plots  of  ground  on  which  athletic  contests  were  held  used  to  be  known  as  ''camping 
closes."  A  deed  of  1466  relating  to  Hawsted  in  Suffolk  speaks  of  the  "  camping  pightel  joined  to 
the  east  side  of  the  churchyard."  These  terms  correspond  accurately  with  one  of  the  uses  of  the 
Latin  word  campus.,  meaning  originally  a  level  place,  but  which  came  specially  to  be  applied  to  such 
places  as  adapted  for  battles  or  athletic  contests.  A  John  or  Richard  distinguished  by  having  his 
dwelling  by  a  "  camping  close  "  or  "  pightel  "  would  naturally  be  described  in  Latin  as  Johannes  or 
Richardus  de  Campo,  even  if  the  old  English  substantive  camp  were  not  appHed  to  such  a  locality. 
The  descriptive  phrase  noted  above,  viz.,  "  atte  camp  "  [i.e.  at  the  camp)  favours  the  presumption 
that  the  substantive  was  used  in  the  sense  indicated.  In  schoolboys'  slang,  about  r6i2,  the 
"  campo  "  was  a  term  for  the  playground.  Examples  of  this  usage  are  given  in  the  "  Historical 
English  Dictionary  "  under  that  word. 

"  Camp  "  is  an  element  in  many  English  place  names.  In  Cambridgeshire  are  the  parishes  of 
Castle  Camps  and  Shudy  Camps.  Camps  End  and  Camps  Green  are  localities  in  the  said  parishes. 
Camp  is  a  hamlet  of  Miserden  in  Gloucestershire.  In  the  same  county  are  Chipping  Campden 
with  Broad  Campden.  Campsall  is  a  parish  in  Yorkshire,  Campton  one  in  Bedfordshire.  Near 
Hatfield  is  a  place  named  Camfield.  There  is  a  Camping  Hill  in  the  parish  of  Stiffkey  in 
Norfolk.  Many  other  instances  might  be  adduced.  In  some  cases  the  syllable  camp  has  evident 
reference  to  the  existence  of  an  ancient  entrenchment  near  the  spot  so  named.  Most  Scottish 
examples  must  be  thus  explained. 

We  have  seen  that  comp  is  a  variant  of  camp  with  the  sense  of  contest.     The  question   at 


lO 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


once  suggests  itself  whether  the  syllable  ''  comp  "  in  place-names  such  as  Compton  be  the  same 
word.  Most  of  the  places  so  designated  are  situated  in  narrow  valleys,  "  combes  "  they  are  called 
in  the  West  of  England,  where  also  the  majority  of  Comptons  are  found.  It  is  evident,  therefore, 
that  Compton  means  the  town  m  the  combe.  There  is,  however,  a  hamlet  named  Comp  in  the 
parish  of  Leybourne,  Kent,  and  another  called  Great  Comp  in  the  parish  of  Wrotham,  in  the 
same  county.  In  these  instances  it  is  very  possible  that  comp  may  be  a  variation  of  camp.  Comp 
appears  as  an  early  surname  in  the  county. 

In  favour  of  the  accepted  derivation  it  may  be  submitted  (i)  that  the  Anglo-Saxon  Cempa 
actually  gave  rise  to  the  English  word  "  Kemp  "  ;  (2)  that  Camp  survived  as  a  variant  of  Kemp 
till  a  verv  late  period  ;  (3)  that  Campian  is  found  as  an  alias  of  Kemp.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
forms  de  Campo  and  de  Campis  with  "  atte  Campe  "  shew  that  the  name  was  certainly  regarded  as 
taken  from  a  place  of  some  sort.  With  this  also  agrees  the  alias  Champ.  In  early  documents  as 
already  mentioned,  we  find  Campio  used  to  distinguish  certain  individuals.  This  word  is 
undoubtedly  a  Latin  translation  of  Cempa.  From  it  comes  the  modern  surnames  Campion  and 
Champion,  which  are,  therefore,  the  true  representatives  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  Cempa,  rather  than 
Kemp,  though  it  may  be  freely  conceded  without  detriment  to  the  vaHdity  of  other  proposed 
derivations,  that  the  latter  name  in  some  ca.ses  probably  comes  ultimately  from  the  same  source. 

Among  the  early  representatives  of  the  name  Kemp  the  phrases  "  de  Combes ''  or 
'•  de  Compes"  occur  frequently  in  the  eastern  counties.  In  Suffolk,  is  a  parish  named  Combs, 
while  Sussex  has  a  parish  of  Coombs.  There  is  evidence  that  in  a  few  instances  "  de  Combes  "  or 
"  de  Compes"  passed  into  Kemp,  but  it  is  more  probable  that  these  forms  are  represented  by  the 
modern  surname  Coombs. 

The  early  spelling  of  the  name  of  the  Cornish  Kempes  appears  to  have  been  Camois,  Kemys 
or  Cames,  variants  of  the  Welsh  place-name  Cemmaes  or  Cemmes.  Kemes  is  the  name  of  one  of 
the  hundreds  of  Pembrokeshire.  There  are  two  parishes  named  Kemeys  on  the  River  Usk  in 
Monmouthshire,  viz.,  Kemeys  Commander  and  Kemeys  Inferior.  Kemmaes  or  Cemmaes  Head  is 
a  promontory  on  the  north  of  Pembrokeshire.  Cemmaes  is  a  hamlet  of  Llanbadrig,  Anglesey.  In 
Montgomeryshire  is  a  parish  and  village  of  Cemmes.  In  Pughe's  Welsh  Dictionary  Cemmaes  is 
defined  as  an  amphitheatre  for  games,  while  Maes  is  stated  to  signify  "  that  which  is  spacious,  clear 
or  open  ;  an  open  region  ;  a  plain,  an  open  field."  Kemeys  appears,  therefore,  to  have  nearly  the 
same  meaning  as  Kemp,  in  the  sense  of  camping  close.  Possibly  it  may  be  a  translation.  Cornwall 
is  a  county  with  a  peculiar  history.  The  Keltic  language  there  survived  till  the  latter  half  of  the 
ei<^hteenth  century.  Yet  the  landholders  in  the  time  of  Edward  the  Confessor  as  recorded  in 
Domesday  without  exception  possess  Saxon  names.  Nowhere  else  did  such  a  large  Keltic 
population  pass  under  Saxon  rule.  Under  such  circumstances  it  is  reasonable  to  think  that  names 
may  have  been  translated  from  one  language  to  the  other.  Where  a  similarity  in  sound  between 
the  forms  occurred  such  translations  would  be  almost  certain  to  "  catch  on  "  and  become  better 
known  than  the  original.  It  will  be  noted  that  the  Kempes  of  Cornwall  being  known  as  Kemys 
favours  the  theory  set  forth  in  this  chapter  as  to  the  origin  of  the  name  Kemp.* 

As  it  has  been  shewn  highly  probable  that  Kemys  is  a  translation  of  the  name  Kemp,  it  is 
possible  that  the  name  Kemys  may  have  in  turn  given  rise  to  Kemp  through  hasty  pronunciation. 
Kemys,  Kemmis,  Kemms  and  Kemps  are  all  existing  surnames.  When  it  is  remembered  that 
Pepys  and  Sandys  are  pronounced  as  Peps  and  Sands,  the  transition  from  Kemys  to  Kerns  appears 
natural.     Kemps  again  illustrates  the  tendency  to  insert  an  unnecessary/  after  the  letter  m  as  in 

*  An  actual  instance  of  Kemp  giving  place  to  Kemys  occurs  on  p.  22. 


.'^V-w---'  Origi7i  of  the  Name.    ■'        '  ii 

Thompson.     Finally,  what  can  be  more  probable  than  the  dropping  of  the  final  s  by  bearers  of 
the  name  Kemps,  thus  making  it  identical  with  a  well-known  English  surname  ? 

But  an  s  may  have  been  cut  off  at  the  beginning  of  a  name  making  it  into  Kemp.  Skemp, 
like  Kemps,  represents  an  e.xisting  English  name.  Kemp,  it  will  at  once  be  admitted,  is  more 
euphonious  than  Skemp.  It  is  also  more  easily  understood  when  spoken.  "My  name  is  Skemp"; 
"Kemp  did  you  say?"  "No,  Skemp"  is  a  dialogue  with  which  bearers  of  the  name  Skemp  must 
be  painfully  familiar.  The  name  is  moreover  suggestive  of  Scamp,  to  which,  indeed,  it  may  be 
equivalent.  Thus  on  many  grounds  Skemps  would  be  disposed  to  transform  themselves  into 
Kemps.  It  should  perhaps  be  added  that  the  writers  have  not  met  with  any  actual  instance  of  the 
transition  from  Skemp  or  Kemps  to  Kemp. 

The  Danish  word  Kimpe^  a  giant  has  been  suggested  as  a  possible  original  of  the  name  Kemp, 
but  no  evidence  of  much  weight  has  been  adduced.  The  spelling  with  an  /  or  a  v  in  place  of  e  is 
very  rare  in  old  documents  except  in  Cornwall  as  above  noticed.  Among  the  Gloucester  wills  is 
that  of  William  Kympe,  alias  Kempe,  of  Maismore,  dated  1566.  The  absence  of  such  variant 
spellings  in  the  eastern  counties  where  the  Danes  principally  settled  is  an  objection  to  this 
derivation. 

Among  the  Flemish  weavers  of  whom  many  have  settled  in  England,  Kemp  was  a  common 
surname.  It  is  at  least  a  curious  circumstance  that  more  than  one  technical  term  connected  with 
their  industry  suggests  a  plausible  origin  of  the  name.  "  Kemb  "  was  an  old  spelling  of  comb. 
From  it  was  derived  the  word  "  kembster  "  or  "  kempster,"  signifying  a  woolcomber.  Kemb 
is  found  as  a  surname  at  Bristol  in  the  sixteenth  century.  It  may  very  probably  have  been 
exchanged  for  the  better  known  Kemp.  If  Kemb  the  surname  be  the  same  word  as  kemb,  a 
comb,  its  adoption  as  a  family  appellation,  most  probably  arose  through  the  ancestors  of  its  bearers 
being  engaged  in  wool  or  perhaps  flax  combing  and  using  the  chief  implement  of  their  trade  as  a 
sign  of  their  abode. 

Kempt  is  a  variant  of  Kemp  occasionally  met  with.  Among  the  Lincoln  wills  is  that  of 
Thomas  Kempt  of  Dunston,  who  died  in  1558.  The  form  also  occurs  frequently  in  Scotland. 
"  Kempt  "  is  the  past  participle  of  the  old  English  verb  kemb,  signifyiiig  to  comb.  "  Unkempt  " 
is  still  in  use  in  the  sense  of  rough  or  shaggy-haired.  Kempt  would  thus  be  the  sobriquet  of  a 
man  who  paid  more  than  usual  attention  to  his  personal  appearance,  "  well  groomed  "  as  we  say. 
As  a  surname  the  final  t  would  almost  certainly  tend  to  be  dropped  in  course  of  time. 

The  stiflF  coarse  hairs  which  grow  among  the  finer  wool  and  prevent  it  becoming  matted  are 
known  as  "  kemps."  They  are  very  brittle  and  will  not  take  any  dye.  Hence  they  have  to  be 
carefully  removed  before  the  wool  is  manufactured.  It  will  be  noted  that  this  word  is  evidently 
identical  with  "Camp  sb* "  previously  mentioned.  "Kemp"  or  "kempe"  appears  also  to  have 
been  used  as  an  adjective  in  the  sense  of  shaggy  or  rough.  Thus  in  Chaucer's  Knights'  Tale 
1.  1276,  it  is  said  of  the  King  of  Thrace  : — 

"  Lik  a  grifphon  looked  he  aboute 
With  kempe  heeris  on  hise  browes  stoute." 
It  should  be  added,  however,  that  there  is  a  variant  reading  "  kemped  "  found  in  some  copies  of 
the  "  Canterbury  Tales." 

According  to  the  "Century  Dictionary"  the  word  kemp,  besides  being  used  in  the  above- 
mentioned  senses,  is  applied  to  (i)  an  eel  ;  (2)  a  boar  ;  (3)  various  species  of  plantain.  It  is  possible 
that  each  one  of  these  senses  may  have  caused  the  adoption  of  the  word  as  a  surname  in  some 
cases,  though  we  have  no  proof  that  it  did  so.  Many  surnames  are  taken  from  fishes.  Herring, 
Roach,  Salmon,  Sturgeon  are  examples.     Eel  as  a  surname  is  nQt  known  to  the  present  writers, 


1 2  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

though  they  have  met  with  Eeles.  Quadrupeds  furnish  another  important  category,  including 
Bull  and  Bullock,  Fox,  Hare,  Lyon,  Pigg.  A  small  class  of  names  are  taken  from  plants. 
Examples  are  Fennel,  Moss,  Parsley,  Rose  and  Primrose.  It  would  be  out  of  place  to  enter  into 
the  reasons  for  which  such  names  were  originally  bestowed.  The  fact  of  their  being  so  numerous 
is  a  proof  of  the  possibility  of  the  word  "  Kem.p  "  in  the  senses  here  enumerated  having  been  so 
applied. 

■'  Kempie "  is  a  term  of  reproach  applied  in  Scotland  to  a  contemptible  rascally  fellow. 
Among  the  Edinburgh  wills  is  preserved  that  of  John  Kempie.  Maltman,  Burgess  of  Perth,  who 
died  in  mg.S.  In  the  same  collection  is  the  will  of  William  Kempyew  proved  in  1569.  Kempie 
is  another  name  which  would  naturally  tend  to  be  changed  into  Kemp.     (See  Scottish  section.) 

Kemp  (with  its  variants)  is  used  throughout  northern  Europe  as  a  surname,  and  from  at  least 
as  early  as  the  time  of  Edward  III.  Kemps  from  the  Continent  have  frequently  settled  in  this 
country.  Holland  and  Germany  have  given  many  Kemps  to  Britain  whose  descendants  little 
imagine  that  their  ancestors  were  of  foreign  .stock.  From  the  lowlands  of  Scotland  the  name  has 
almost  disappeared,  through  migration  to  other  parts  of  the  kingdom  or  the  colonies.  At  the 
present  time  numerous  Dutch  Kemps  are  living  side  by  side  with  Scottish  and  English  Kemps  in 
the  Transvaal,  and  it  will  be  well  nigh  impossible  in  the  future  to  trace  their  origin,  unless  the 
present  generation  take  the  trouble  to  record  their  facts.  The  compilers  of  the  present  History 
will  gladly  welcome  information. 

Appendix  to  Ch.apter  IT. 
I. 

Since  this  chapter  was  written  a  note  has  appeared  in  Notes  and  Queries  (gth  S.  \'Iir.  August  3rd,  1901,  p.  113)  bj- 
Dr.  G.  Krtieger,  of  Berlin,  in  reply  to  an  inquiry  by  the  writer  in  a  previous  issue. 

Dr.  Kruecer  states  that  the  Latin  word  campus,  with  the  primary  meaning  field,  passed  into  the  Old  English,  Frisian 
and  Low  German  languages  as  well  as  French.  It  formerly  denoted  an  enclosed  piece  of  land  belonging  to  a  single  owner 
as  distinguished  from  one  belonging  to  the  community.  In  Westphalia  it  now-a-da3-s  simply  signifies  a  field.  It  is  found 
in  various  place  names.  Many  surnames  contain  it  as  one  of  their  elements,  especiall)'  in  Westphalia,  of  which  the  Doctor 
cites  numerous  instances.  His  conclusion  is  that  the  name  has  reference  to  the  place  of  abode  only,  being  the  original  usage 
of  the  word. 

II. 
An  important  event  has  occurred  in  the  publication  of  the  fifth  volume  of  the  "  Historical  English  Dictionary,"  which 
includes  the  letters  H,  I,  J,  K. 

The  Dictionary  gives  no  less  than  five  substantives  "  kemp  "  — 

Kemp  sb'^champion.     It   also  signifies  a  reaper.     From  a  game  with  the  seed-stalks  of  the  ribwort  plantain, 
in  which  each  competitor  tried  with  his  own,  of  which  he  held  a  certain  number,  to  strike  off  as  many  heads 
as  possible  from  the  stalks  held  by  his  opponent,  the  word  w'as  transferred  to  this  plant. 
Kemp  sb'=:a  coarse  hair. 
Kemp  sb'  is  given  as  doubtfull}'  =ignif3"ing  a  barrel  or  cask.     Illustrative  quotations   mention  "  kemps  "  of  ale 

(1391)  and  also  of  herrings  (c  1440). 
Kemp  sb-'=a  kmd  of  eel.     Its  use  belongs  to  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries. 
Kemp  sb^=a  contest  of  reapers. 
Kemb  appears  in  the  sense  of  comb  as  a  substantive  and  as  a  verb.     From  the  latter   comes   the   participle  adjective 
kempt  found  in  use  soon  after  the  year  looo.     The  surname  Kempt  is  doubtless  the  same  word. 


% 


CHoATTETi^    III. 

THE     EARLY     KEMPES     OF     WYE. 

(  A  LFRED  JOHN  KEMP,  the  antiquary,  who,  perhaps,  took  more  trouble  in  comparing  the 
/-\  Kempe  pedigrees  with  original  and  authoritative  sources  of  information  than  any  previous 
-*■  ■*-  compiler,  had  not  the  facilities  for  verifying  and  correcting  them  which  we  enjoy  to- 
day. Had  the  Record  Office  been  as  advanced  towards  order  as  it  is  now,  there  is  little  doubt 
that  he  would  have  made  good  use  of  its  wealth  of  documents  before  writing  the  interesting 
articles  on  the  family  which  appeared  in  the  Gentleman^ s  Magazine  in  1823,  1829,  and  1845. 

With  regard  to  the  Kentish  Kempes  he  seems  to  have  relied  on  the  statement  contained  in 
a  chart  pedigree  of  the  family  privately  printed  in  1808  for  the  use  of  the  Cornish  Kempes,  the 
information  in  which  is  apparently  drawn  from  the  printed  pedigree  of  the  family  given  in 
"  Stemmata  Chicheleana  "  (1765),  which  is  repeated  in  Berry's  "  Kent  Genealogies  "  (1830). 

"  Stemmata  Chicheleana  ''  is  a  work  which  is  generally  accepted  as  an  authority,  but  is  not 
without  important  errors.  Its  full  title  is  "  Stemmata  Chicheleana  :  A  Genealogical  Account  of 
some  of  the  Families  derived  from  Thomas  Chichele,  of  Higham  Ferrers,  Co.  Northampt.,  all  whose 
descendants  are  held  entitled  to  Fellowships  in  All  Souls'  College."     The  author  was  Dr.  Buckler. 

Hasted  in  his  "  History  of  the  County  of  Kent,"  published  in  179S,  gives  as  his  authorities 
for  the  ancestors  of  the  Kempe  family  a  book  in  the  Heralds'  Office  marked  "  h.  2.  Kent,"  a 
manuscript  in  the  possession  of  Thomas  Knight  of  Godmersham  Park  and  the  "  Stemmata 
Chicheleana." 

Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing,  about  1680  collected  the  various  pedigrees  of  Kempe  families. 
These  in  his  own  hand-writing  are  now  in  the  British  Museum  (Harl.  mss.  901). 

Other  MSS.  might  be  mentioned,  but  as  they  appear  to  have  been  derived  from  the  same 
sources,  and  vary  little  in  their  main  features,  it  is  not  necessary  here  to  specify  their  differences. 

The  general  statement  made  by  A.  J.  Kempe  that  the  first  known  ancestor  of  the  Kempes 
of  Wye  came  "  from  the  North,"  and  that  he  was  "  connected  with  the  Nevils  of  Raby  "  appears 
never  to  have  been  satisfactorily  proved  or  disproved.  It  will  be  well,  therefore,  first  of  all  to 
inquire  what  is  meant  by  the  very  indefinite  "  North,"  and  how  the  Nevils  and  the  Kempes 
were  connected. 

Northumberland  would  seem  to  be  the  region  probably  indicated  as  the  "  North,"  for  we 
know  of  a  Kempe  there  to  whom  King  John  in  1205  gave  land  at  Newcastle  of  the  annual  value 
of  50.y.  "  till  he  could  provide  for  him  in  marriage."  This  Kempe,  whose  Christian  name  is  not 
given,  was  balistai-ms,  or  bowmaker  to  the  King.  Evidently  he  had  powerful  family  connexions 
since  the  King  considered  it  necessary  thus  to  provide  for  him.  How  long  he  enjoyed  the  above- 
named  provision,  or  what  other  lands  he  eventually  obtained,  we  have  not  traced  ;  but  we  find 
from  the  Pipe  Rolls  for  Northumberland  that  in  1277  the  lands  at  Newcastle  which  had  belonged 
to  "  Kempe  the  bowmaker,"  were  then  held  by  the  burgessess  of  the  town,  who  paid  _^5  los.  6d. 
per  annum.  As  the  Nevills  were  Earls  of  Northumberland,  the  bowmaker,  an  important  follower 
of  the  King,  would  certainly  be  familiar  with  them.  It  may  be  possible  some  day  to  prove  that 
the  families  were  linked  by  marriage.  Meanwhile  we  can  show  many  later  instances  of  Kempes 
being  associated  with  the  Neville  family.  The  tradition  as  to  the  origin  of  the  Kempes  of  Wye 
recorded  by  A.  J.  Kempe,  though  not  proven,  is  easily  credible.     As  Kempe  is  by  no  means  a 


14  History  of  the  Kemp  afid  Kempe  Families. 

common  name  in  the  North  of  England  the  probability  that  Kempe  balistarhis  was  of  the  same 
family,  if  not  a  progenitor,  of  the  Kempes  of  Wye  (admitting  the  truth  of  the  tradition),  is  distinctly 
strengthened.  Long  before  this  day,  however,  Kempes  had  settled  in  Norfolk,  and  it  is  probable 
that  the  north  country  Kempes  came  originally  from  the  East  Anglian  stock. 

The  Kempes  and  Nevilles  may  have  been  linked  in  another  way.  A.  T.  Kempe,  as  above 
noted,  specifies  the  "  Nevilles  of  Eaby."  Now  Isabel  de  Neville,  daughter  and  heiress  of  Geoffrey 
de  Neville,  Governor  of  Berwick-on-Tweed,  married  Robert  Fitz  Maldred,  Lord  of  Raby,  in  the 
Countv  of  Durham,-.pf  the  stock  of  the  Earls  of  Northumberland.  Her  son,  who  assumed  the 
name  of  Neville,  was  an  ancestor  of  the  Earls  of  Westmoreland  and  of  the  Marquises  of 
Abergavenny.  From  the  Kalendar  of  Inquisitions,  post  mortem,  of  i6  Edward  IV.  (1477),  we 
learn  that  Edward  Nevill,  Knight,  Lord  Abergavenny  owned,  among  other  real  estate,  land  at 
Morley  and  Birlingham  in  Norfolk,  of  which  one,  Roger  (or  Robert)  Kempe  was  tenant.  These 
lands  had  descended  to  the  Nevills  from  William  de  Bello  Campo,  Knight  and  Lord  Bergaveney, 
of  the  family  of  the  Earl  of  Warwick,  who  died  possessed  of  them  in  1436  when  the  above  Roger 
or  Robert  was  already  tenant. 

When,  therefore,  we  find  Thomas  de  Bello  Campo,  the  powerful  Earl  of  Warwick,  interceding 
on  behalf  of  a  Thomas  Kempe  of  Rochester,  who  had  lost  his  estates  for  misdemeanour,  we  can 
hardly  doubt  that  this  was  a  case  of  an  influential  man  assisting  an  unfortunate  relative.  It 
was  in  February,  1381,  that  Thomas  Kempe,  having  failed  to  render  an  account  to  William  de 
Gadesby  for  his  stewardship  was  outlawed,  and  his  goods  forfeited.  In  the  following  April  a 
petition  was  presented  to  the  King  on  his  behalf  by  the  Earl  with  the  result  that  a  pardon  was 
obtained  and  the  estate  restored.  This  interesting  episode  is  recorded  in  the  Patent  Rolls,  while 
the  existence  of  Thomas  Kempe  is  further  attested  by  the  Inquisition  made  at  the  time  which  is 
given  in  the  Escheat  Rolls,  where  he  is  called  "  Thomas  Kempe  atte  Raven,"  "  de  Ravene  "  *  or 
"  de  Rochester."  He  was  found  to  possess  a  tenement,  "  Bogham  de  Boldye,"  and  ten  acres  of 
arable  land  in  "  Bowte-walle,"  both  in  Kent,  though  these  places  have  not  been  certainly 
identified. 

The  identity  of  this  Thomas  Kempe  is  involved  in  obscurity.  He  may  be  the  father  of 
Archbishop  Kempe,  who  was  born  in  1380.  If  he  was  a  kinsman  of  the  Kempes  of  Wye  at  all 
(for  even  this  is  uncertain)  the  above  event  shows  that  this  family  are  probably  connected  with 
those  Norfolk  Kemps  who  held  land  from  the  Earls  of  Warwick,  the  Bello  Campo  and  Neville 
families. 

There  is  another  point  from  which  our  inquiries  into  the  origin  of  the  Kempes  of  Wye  might 
start. 

The  pedigrees  above  mentioned  generally  agree  in  stating  that  the  head  of  the  family  held 
Billing  (or  Biletingj  with  Ollantigh,  as  early  as  the  time  of  Edward  III.,  both  of  which  manors 
are  in  Wye.  x'\Ithough  Wye  is  but  a  village  to-day  it  was  a  place  of  considerable  importance  at 
that  period.  The  Conqueror  bestowed  it  on  his  newly-founded  Battle  Abbey  by  the  name  of  the 
Royal  Manor  of  Wye,  which,  it  is  said,  contained  twenty-two  towns.  Fortunately  the  Custumals  of 
Battle  Abbey  from  Edward  I.  to  Edward  III.  are  in  existence,  the  substance  of  the  earlier  portion 
(1283-13 1 3)  having  been  printed  by  the  Camden  Society.  These  show  the  various  properties 
held  by  the  Abbey  with  the  names  of  the  chief  tenants.  On  pp.  101-136  are  given  the  tenants 
of  the  Royal  Manor  of  Wye.  Among  them  is  Radulphus  de  Campis,  who  is,  of  course,  identical 
with  Ralph  Kempe,  the  accredited  ancestor  of  the  Wye  Kempes.     In  Sussex  they  had  a  tenant 

*  The  Bishop  of  Rochester  still  signs  himself  "  Roffen,"  v.c,  Roffensis. 


The  Kempes  of  Wye.  15 

named  Galfridus  [i.e.^  Geoffrey)  Kempe  holding  "  messuagium  et  dimidiam  acram."  One, 
Johannes  de  Campo,  is  their  tenant  in  Wilts.  Willielmus  de  Combe,  or  Coumbe,  is  also  at  Wye 
with  Hamo  de  Cambe.     All  these  names  occur  before  1312  when  the  spelling  Kempe  was  rare. 

Another  origin  is  suggested  by  the  author  of  the  "  Scotts  of  Scott's  Hall,"  who  tells  us  that 
the  Kempes  of  Wye  were  probably  descendants  of  John  Kempe,  the  Flemish  weaver,  who  settled 
in  this  country  under  Royal  protection  in  1331.  In  support  of  this  vieAv  he  tells  us  that  a  John 
Kempe,  who  witnessed  a  Scott  deed,  described  himself  as  a  "  scissor,"  which  the  author  of  that 
work  says  means  a  cutter  and  hence  a  tailor.  The  fact  of  the  Kempes  having  been  established 
at  Wye  before  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  Flemish  weaver  and  his  relatives  of  the  same  name 
sufficiently  refutes  this  theory,  which  but  for  the  distinguished  support  it  has  received,  would  be 
unworthy  of  notice. 


CHcA'PTETi    W. 

THE    KEMPES    OF    WYE. 

THE  earliest  ancestor  of  the  Wye  Kempes,  of  Avhose  existence  and  relationship  to  the 
house  we  possess  any  certain  knowledge,  is  Radulphus  de  Campis,  otherwise  Ralph 
Kempe,  whose  name  occurs  among  the  tenants  of  the  manor  from  1283  to  1313.  He  is 
the  first-known  holder  of  OUantigh. 

He  left  a  son,  Sir  John  Kempe,  of  Wye,  who  held  Boxley,  Birling,  Stentor,  and  other  estates. 
The  Christian  name  of  his  wife  is  unknown.  But  among  the  deeds  at  the  Public  Record  Office 
is  one  dated  5  May,  3  Edward  III.  (1330),  granting  pieces  of  land  called  "  Kingscroft,"  in  the 
parish  of  Maidstone,  and  "  Bromfield  alias  Freynhill,"  in  the  parish  of  "  Boxle,"  to  "Agnes 
Kempe,  widow,"  John  Payne  and  William  Harding,  the  grantors  being  John  Scot  and  Stephen 
Wolf.  This  is  the  earliest  known  deed  relating  to  the  Kentish  Kempes.  Although  historians 
have  not  told  us  the  name  of  Sir  John  Kempe's  wife,  we  know  that  he  married  a  daughter  of  Sir 
Thomas  Aldon,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons,  Roger  and  Peter,  and  possibly  others. 

Sir  Roger  Kempe  inherited  OUantigh.  He  died  without  issue  leaving  his  property  to  his 
next  of  kin,  viz.,  his  brother,  Peter,  who  appears  as  already  possessed  of  a  portion  of  Brabourne. 
Now  Brabourne  was  at  this  time,  and  for  many  generations,  a  seat  of  the  Scots  with  whom  the 
Kempes  intermarried  several  times.  The  John  Scot  above  mentioned  was  undoubtedly  of  this 
family.  Peter  Kempe  was  certainly  living  at  Brabourne  in  1352,  for  at  Michaelmas  in  that  year 
he  made  a  perpetual  grant  of  a  plot  with  a  messuage  at  "  Colmannes,"  in  the  parish  and  in  the 
tenure  of  Brabourne  (?  Manor)  ;  also  an  acre  near  the  Rectory  of  which  he  was  presumably 
proprietor.  This  deed  is  quoted  in  brief  in  the  history  of  the  Scotts  of  Scott's  Hall.  It  was 
Avitnessed  by  one,  Rado  Kempe.  As  Ralph  Kempe  of  Wye  must  have  been  dead  by  this  time,  this 
must  have  been  a  relative  of  whom  we  have  no  other  record.  He  may  have  been  the  ancestor  of 
one  of  the  lines  which  are  found  existing  soon  after. 


i6 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


David,  King  of  Scotland:^Ma.ud  of  Xorthumberland. 

Adama  de  VVarrene=Henry,  Prince  of  Scotland,  Earl  of  Huntingdo 

Maud  de  Meschines=David,  Earl  of  Huntingdon,  went  with  King  Richard  I  to  the  Crusades,  died  1 2 19. 

Hugh  Balliol.  Lord  of  Teesdale  and 
..Marwood  Forests,  temp.  Henry  HI. 

Allan,  Lord  of  Gallo\vay=iIargaret,  of  Huntingdon.     Isabelle,  of  Scotland,     Ada,  of  Huntingdon:=Henry  Hastings. 
Steward  of  Scotland      I  mar.  Robert  de  Ros.  Lord  Hastings^ 

I  died  1230. 

John  Balliol,  Lord  of  Bywell,:=Dornagieen,  of  Galloway. 
Founder  of  Balliol  College,  I  . 

Oxford  ;  died  1269. 

Sir  William  Balliol,  called  le  Scott= 

I 
John  Scott,  of  Brabourne,  Kent. 

I 
Sir  William  Scott,  of  Brabourne.  ... 

Michael  Scott^Emma. 

I 
WilUam  Scott=Matilda. 

....  the  heiress  of  Cumbe,  Brabourne=:John  Scott. 


William  Scott,  of  Scott's  Hall,  Smeeth,  East  Kent, 
:^l5abel  Herbert  or  Fynche. 
I 
Sir  John  Scott,  of  Scott's  Hall:=Agnes  Beaufitz. 

Sybilla  Lewknoi-=Sir  William  Scott,  of  Scott's  Hall. 

Anne  Pympe=Sir  John  Scott,  of  Scott's  Hall  and  of  Iden,  Sussex. 
I 
Sir  Reginald  Scott,  of  Scott's  Hall=EM.MELINE  Kempe. 


Sir  Robert  Scott. 

Alice  Scott^WiLLiAM  Kempe. 


■  ^"■'  '■  '  The  Kempes  of  Wye.     '    ' '  1.7 

The  connexion  of  the  Kempes  with  the  Scots  is  of  great  interest,  both  because  it  is  through 
this  Hne  that  some  of  the  Kempes  inherit  royal  blood,  and  because,  apart  from  all  such 
considerations,  some  members  of  the  Scot  family  were  persons  of  great  personal  distinction.  The 
pedigree  of  the  Scots  from  David,  King  of  Scotland,  who  married  Maud  of  Northumberland,  to 
Sir  Reginald  Scott,  who  took  as  his  wife  Emmeline  Kempe,  is  here  given,  having  been  kindly 
supplied  with  other  royal  descent  by  Herbert  Robertson,  Esq.,  author  of  "  Stemmata  Robertson  et 
Burden."  Further  reference  to  this  subject  will  be  made  when  we  come  to  speak  more 
particularly  of  the  marriages  between  the  families. 

Peter  Kempe  probably  moved  to  Ollantigh  on  the  death  of  his  brother.  His  wife's  name  is 
unknown.  He  left  two  sons,  viz..  Sir  Roger  Kempe,  who  like  his  uncle  died  without  issue  in 
1425,  and  Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  who  consequently  succeeded  to  the  family  property. 

This  TffOMAS  Kempe  appears  to  have  been  escheater  to  the  King,  for  we  find  that  one  of 
this  name  living  at  "  Wy  "  was  frequently  called  upon  in  and  about  1388  to  admit  clergy  and 
others  to  lands  which  had  escheated  to  the  Crown.  It  was  usual  for  sheriffs  and  others  of 
standing  in  a  county  to  undertake  this  office.  "  Thomas  Kempe  of  Wy  "  must  therefore  have 
been  known  as  a  fit  person  for  this  responsibility.  According  to  the  Close  Rolls  recently  printed 
his  jurisdiction  was  not  confined  to  Kent,  for  we  have  his  name  mentioned  in  connexion  with 
Middlesex.  He  died  in  1428.  He  probably  held  some  minor  office,  in  the  discharge  of  which  he 
distinguished  himself  before  he  became  escheater  to  the  Crown,  and  was  consequently  regarded 
as  likely  to  rise  to  some  much  higher  position,  for  long  before  he  could  have  entertained  any 
prospect  of  being  heir  to  the  chief  estates  of  the  family  he  made  a  very  good  match,  securing 
as  his  wife  Beatrice,  the  daughter  of  Sir  Thomas  Lewknor,  whose  family  exceeded  his  own  in 
importance  and  extent  of  possessions.  Roger  Lewknor  had  been  Sheriff  of  Sussex  in  1284,  while 
his  son,  Roger,  was  Sheriff  for  the  same  county  in  the  14th  and  20th  years  of  Edward  III.  The 
latter  married  Barbara  Bardolph,  whose  arms  he  quartered  with  his  own,  and  whose  coat  is 
quartered  by  the  Kempes  of  Gissing.  By  her  he  had  a  son,  Thomas,  who  was,  we  believe,  father 
of  the  Thomas  Lewknor,  whose  daughter,  Beatrice,  wedded  Sir  Thomas  Kempe.  The  date  of 
this  marriage  is  not  precisely  known.  John  Kempe,  who  became  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  was 
their  second  son.     The  date  of  his  nativity  is  given  as  1380. 

Some  authorities  state  that  Beatrice  Lewknor  was  also  married  to  a  Ralph  Roper,  but  as  to 
whether  before  or  after  her  union  with  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  they  differ.  In  "  Segar's  Baronao-e  " 
It  is  said  that  her  daughter  married  this  individual,  which  seems  far  more  likely.  In  any  case, 
the  pedigree  makers  are  right  in  stating  that  both  Kempes  and  Ropers,  who  were  subsequently 
jointly  interested  in  certain  estates,  were  equally  descended  from  her. 

Sir  Thomas  Kempe's  eldest  son,  Roger,  succeeded  to  the  Wye  estates.  Besides  the  somewhat 
hypothetical  Beatrice,  or  Joan,  who  married  Ralph  Roper,  he  undoubtedly  had  a  daughter, 
Isabelle,  who  married  Sir  Robert  Strelley.  A  separate  chapter  is  devoted  to  the  life  of  Archbishop 
John  Kempe. 

Camden  and  others  describe  the  parentage  of  the  Archbishop  as  "  mean,"  by  which  they 
did  not,  of  course,  intend  to  convey  the  idea  of  contemptible  or  really  low  rank.  But  when  after 
a  succession  of  archbishops  drawn  from  the  noblest  families  of  immense  wealth  John  Kempe 
was  appointed,  a  host  of  disappointed  expectants  must  have  relieved  their  feelings  by  gibing  at 
the  comparative  obscurity  and  poverty  of  his  family.  The  Cardinal  was  certainly  not  of  this 
opinion,  judging  both  from  the  fact  that  all  the  time  he  could  snatch  from  the  onerous  and 
multifarious  duties  of  state  he  delighted  to  spend  under  the  parental  roof.  The  monument 
which  he  erected  in  Wye  Church  confirms  the  esteem   in  which   he  held  his  home.     The   tomb 


i8 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families, 


disappeared  when  the  church  was  destroyed  by  fire,  but  the  inscription  which  follows  is  given  in 
Parson's  "  Monuments  of  Kent  "  : — 

HIC    SISTUNT    OSSA   THOMjE    KEMPE    MARMORE   FOSSA 

emus  OPUS  PRONUM   SE   PROBAT   ESSE  BONUM. 

DUM   VIXIT   L.-ETUS   FUIT   ET   BONITATE   REPLETUS 

MUNIFICUS    VIGUIT,    PAUPERIBUS   TRIBUIT. 

JUNGITUR    HUIC    SATRIX    VIRTUTUM,    SPONSA    BEATRIX 

QU^    PARTITUR    OPES,    SPONTE   JUVANS   INOPES. 

EX    HIS    PROCESSIT,    UT    RAMUS    AB    ARBORE    CRESCIT 

CLERI   PRESIDIUM,    DUX    SAPIENS   OVIUM. 

christi(anus)   lector  CUNCTIS  SUPPLICET  HORIS 

UT    PATRIS    DEITAS   LUMINET    has   ANIMAS. 


CHoATTETi   V. 


THE    KEAiPES    OF    WYE— contvmed. 

THE  biography  of  John  Kempe  we  shall  give  in  subsequent  chapters.  We  now  pass  to' 
the  elder  brother  Robert. 
The  name  of  this  brother  has  been  omitted  in  several  pedigrees,  as  also  the  name 
of  his  wife,  while  some  entirely  ignore  him  and  make  his  son  William  brother  to  the  Cardinal. 
Certainly  there  seems  no  satisfactory  evidence  of  his  holding  Ollantigh.  If  he  did  so  it  was 
probably  for  but  a  short  period,  for  we  find  no  Robert  as  a  payer  of  subsidy  in  the  Lathes  of 
Scray  or  Saint  Augustine  in  the  year  1440,  by  which  time  the  nephew  of  the  Archbishop  had 
come  into  the  estates. 

The  Subsidy  Roll  for  that  year  is  still  in  e.xistence  at  the  Record  Office,  and  the  Kempes  on 
it  include  the  following  :  — 

In  St.  Augustine's  Lathe. 

Hundred  of  Ringslow.     Simon  Kempe  paid,   12  pence. 
Do.  12 


Do. 

,, 

Do. 

,, 

Do. 

Stephen 

Do. 

,, 

Do. 

„ 

Do. 

,, 

Do. 

Thomas 

Do. 

Nicholas 

Do. 

(L 

ake  or 

?)         „ 

Hundred  of  Bier 

gate 

,, 

Do. 

John 

Do. 

14 


The  Kempes  of  Wye.  19 

Lathe  of  Shipway.  ■  .•     ■  ■ 

(Hundred  doubtful) 

John      Kempe  paid     8   pence. 


William 


6 


Hundred  of  Bircholt.         John 
In  some  cases  the  individuals  of  the  same  name  may  be  identical,  being  rated  in  each  of  the 
parishes  where  they  held  lands.     The  William  and  John  in  the  Lathe  of  Shipway  may  represent 
William  Kempe  of  Wye  and  Archbishop  Kempe,  but  if  so  it  is  singular  that  they  do  not  appear 
under  the  Lathe  of  Scray. 

It  will  be  noticed  from  the  above  that  the  names  in  each  case  occur  more  than  once,  and  this 
may  indicate  that  since  1418,  when  only  three  Kempes  occur  on  the  Kentish  Subsidy  Roll,  the 
property  had  descended  to  the  sons,  nephews  and  grandsons  of  the  then  holders,  according  to  the 
custom  of  gavelkind.  The  amounts  are  all  small  compared  with  others  paid  at  this  time,  but  it 
does  not  necessarily  follow  that  these  Avere  all  poor  people.  In  the  Subsidy  Roll  of  141 8  Hamo 
Kempe  of  Ringslow  hundred  paid  two  shillings.  It  was  a  common  practice  to  name  two  sons 
alike  ;  hence  it  is  probable  that  the  Simons,  Stephens,  Thomases  and  Nicholases  of  Ringslow  in 
1440  were  his  descendants.  Hugh  Kempe  appears  in  the  hundred  of  Heane  in  1418.  This 
hundred  lies  around  Hythe,  which  ancient  port  was  in  constant  communication  with  Romney. 
Hence  the  Kempes  of  the  latter  may  thus  have  originated  here  as  they  crop  up  soon  after  this 
date.     Of  them  we  shall  give  some  account  in  due  course. 

Neither  in  1418  nor  in  1440  does  a  Roger  or  Robert  appear,  and  no  inquisition  post  mortem, 
or  a  will  is  forthcoming  ;  but  it  is  yet  early  for  these  documentary  evidences  to  be  obtainable. 
We  must  merely  credit  the  existence  of  this  elder  brother  of  Cardinal  Kempe,  who  was  father  of 
William  Kempe  the  next  heir,  and  Thomas  Kempe,  who  became  in  time  Bishop  of  London. 

This  William  Kempe  married  Alice,  daughter  and  heiress  of  Sir  Robert  Scott.  By  her  the 
Manor  of  Hinxhill  (between  Brabourne  and  Ashford),  passed  to  the  Kempes,  but  it  was  alienated 
by  her  grandson.  Sir  William  Kempe,  about  the  end  of  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  Her  father  was 
Lieutenant  of  the  Tower  of  London  in  1424,  and  hence  a  man  of  considerable  importance. 

William  and  Alice  had  at  least  two  sons,  Thomas  and  William.  The  latter  was  educated 
for  the  church,  and  is  mentioned  in  the  will  of  Bishop  Thomas  Kempe  in  1488.  It  was 
doubtless  due  to  the  influence  of  this  uncle  that  he  obtained  his  preferments  in  the  church. 
Newcourt  in  his  "  Repertorium,"  in  giving  a  list  of  his  livings,  calls  him  "doubtless  a  relation  of 
Thomas  Kempe,  at  this  time  Bishop  of  London."  He  may  in  early  life  have  had  one  of  the 
Kentish  churches  of  which  his  relations  were  patrons.  He  first  appears,  however,  in  the  Diocese 
of  London  in  1473,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  Prebend  of  Hoxton  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral.  This 
stall  derives  its  stipend  from  Shoreditch,  in  which  parish  a  family  of  Kempes  were  settled  for  a 
very  long  period,  as  will  be  seen  under  that  head.  (Middlesex,  Shoreditch.)  In  February,  1476, 
he  was  made  Rector  of  Stepney.  On  March  2,  1478,  he  was  transferred  to  the  Prebendal  Stall  of 
Kentish  Town,  that  stall  being  worth  about  three  times  as  much  as  his  former  one.  Before  his 
death  Kempes  had  established  themselves  at  Kentish  Town  and  St.  Pancras,  in  which  the  corpus 
of  this  prebend  lies.  Noticing  how  frequently  this  settlement  of  Kempes  follows  the  course  of 
the  favoured  ecclesiastics  of  the  family,  one  cannot  fail  to  infer  that  they  thus  obtained  leasehold 
property  on  very  easy  terms.  On  the  28th  March,  1489,  being  then  B.D.,  William  was  presented 
to  the  Rectory  of  Orset  in  Essex,  which  he  retained   with  Stepney  until  the  end  of  December, 

C3 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


1^2 


He,  perhaps,  died  at  this  time,  as  we  find  no  further  trace  of  him.  His  will  has  not  been 
discovered  ;  it  would  in  the  ordinary  way  have  been  proved  in  the  Court  of  the  Dean  and  Chapter 
of  St.  Paul's.     The  first  extant  register  of  Probates  belonging  to  this  court  commences  in  1535. 

His  brother,  Thom.^s  Kempe,  was  Sheriff  of  Kent  in  1493  and  again  in  1506.  At  the 
marriage  of  Prince  Arthur,  the  eldest  son  of  Henry  VH.,  in  15 10,  he  was  made  a  Knight  of  the 
Bath,  and  in  1508  he  rebuilt  his  mansion  at  Ollanty.  He  married  Emelyn,  daughter  of  Sir 
Valantyne  Chiche,  by  Phillippa,  daughter  and  heir  of  Robert  Chichley,  who  was  son  of  Sir  Robert 
Chichlev,  Knif^ht,  Lord  Mayor  of  London,  and  nephew  of  Henry  Chichele,  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  and  Founder  of  All  Souls'  College,  Oxford. 

This  marriage  was  one  of  very  great  importance  to  the  succeeding  generations  ;  as  being 
descendants  of  the  "  Founder's  Kin  "  they  were  entitled  to  election  as  Fellows  of  All  Souls,  a 
privilege  which  was  eagerly  claimed  for  hundreds  of  years,  not  only  by  the  Kempes  but  by  the 
innumerable  other  descendants  of  this  marriage.  The  College  at  last  sought  to  limit  the  claim, 
but  litigation  failed  to  relieve  them  of  this  wide-spreading  bequest  of  the  founder,  and,  providing 
claimants  were  in  a  position  to  show  their  lawful  relationship,  their  claim  could  not  be  set  aside. 

The  arms  of  the  family  of  Chicheley,  who  were  descended  from  Thomas  of  High  Ferrars, 
Northamptonshire,  were  :— Azure,  three  lions  rampant  and  a  bordure  argent.  The  tomb  of 
Archbishop  Chichley  is  the  most  resplendent  in  Canterbury  Cathedral.  It  stands  exactly  opposite 
that  of  Archbishop  Kempe,  and  has  recently  been  most  gorgeously  regilt  and  highly  coloured  by 
Charles  Eamer  Kemp,  M.A.  (the  noted  stained  window  manufacturer),  at  the  expense  of  All 
Souls'  College.  On  the  tomb  is  the  very  fleshy  form  of  the  Archbishop  in  full  episcopal  vest- 
ments, and  beneath  in  striking  contrast  is  a  ghastly  representation   of  his  skeleton,  devoid  of  all 

earthly  pomp. 

Emelyn  Chiche  presented  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  with  a  numerous  family,  at  least  seven  sons 
and  half  a  dozen  daughters.  There  is,  however,  a  curious  error  in  the  pedigrees  widely  printed. 
It  has  been  standing  now  so  many  years,  and  having  received  even  the  apparent  approval  of  Sir 
Edmund  Burke  in  his  "  History  of  the  Commoners  of  England,"'  it  is  difficult  to  set  this  right 
without  hurting  the  susceptibilities  of  some  who  feel  themselves  bound  to  stand  up  for  their 
family  traditions.  The  editors  would  infinitely  have  preferred  to  confirm  such  traditions  rather 
than  to  upset  them,  but  the  sacred  duty  of  the  historian  is  to  administer  the  truth,  so  far  as 
possible.  The  error  to  which  we  refer  is  the  insertion  of  the  name  of  Edmund  Kempe,  "  Citizen 
and  Mercer  of  London  "  among  the  children  of  Sir  Thomas  Kempe.  This  Edmund  Kempe  was, 
in  fact,  a  native  of  Suffolk,  bore  the  arms  of  that  family,  with  the  quarterings  of  his  father,  who 
resided  at  Gissing,  and  is  shown  in  the  visitation  of  London  made  in  1563  to  be  son  of  Robert 
Kempe,  of  Weston,  in  Suffolk,  by  Anne,  daughter  of  John  Clifford,  of  Holmdale,  Kent.  This 
association  with  Kent,  coupled  with  the  fact  that  he  married  Bridget,  daughter  of  John  Style, 
sister  to  Sir  Humphrev  Style,  of  Beckenham,  in  Kent,  was  quite  sufficient  to  lead  to  the  mistake. 
Consequently  persons  mentioned  in  his  will  (1542)  were  added  to  the  pedigree  of  Kentish  Kempes 
as  well  as  himself,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  in  the  Harleian  MSS.  (1154)  he  is  said  to  be 
"  Heire  elect  to  Robert  Kempe  of  Gissing  and  "Weston."  This  Edmund  had  two  sons,  both 
mentioned  in  his  will.  James,  the  eldest,  was  of  Acton,  Middlesex,  and  was  married  in  1 544  to 
Anne  Powle.  Humphry  Kempe,  the  second  son,  was  evidently  not  married  till  some  years  later, 
hence  it  is  quite  impossible  for  this  Edmund  to  have  been  ancestor  to  the  Kempes  of  Cornwall, 
as  stated  by  Burke,  for  Richard  Kempe  was  at  Levethan  with  a  family  in  1544.  Added  to  which 
is  the  statement  of  Sir  John  Maclean  in  his  "  History  of  Trigg  Minor,"  that  the  seat  of  the 
Kempes   of  Cornwall   was  at  Trevelver    in    1475,    in    which   year   they   removed   to   Levethan. 


The  Kempes  of  Wye, 


21 


Edmund  Kempe.  Citizen  and  Mercer  of  London,  will  be  therefore  more  fully  dealt  with   under 
the  Kempes  of  Norfolk,  and  the  Cornish  family  by  themselves. 

We  now  give  the  names  of  those  who  are  duly  authenticated  as  children  of  the  above  Sir 
Thomas   Kempe  and  Emelyn  Chiche,  which  are  as    follows  :— Christopher,   William,    Richard, 

26 


Brass  to  the  memory  of  John  Toke,  in  the  Church  of  Great  Chart,  near  Ashford. 

John,  Andrew,  Edward,  George,  and  Cecilia,  the  last  of  whom  married  John  Toke  of  Godinton. 
To  their  memory  there  is  still  a  fine  brass,  with  figures  and  inscription,  in  the  Church  of  Great 


2  2  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Chart,  near  Ashford,  of  which  an  illustration  is  given  in  "Belcher's  Kentish  Brasses."  It  must 
not  be  taken  for  granted  that  these  figures  are  actual  likenesses  of  the  persons  they  commemorate, 
for  a  number  of  brasses  were  often  made  from  the  same  drawing.  In  this  case  the  effigies  of 
seven  children  of  this  couple  are  also  represented.  Cecilia  died  in  1559,  her  husband  on  7th 
November,  1568,  aged  eighty.  In  this  church  there  are  other  monuments  to  the  Tokes,  extending 
faom  1 513  to  1680. 

The  arms  and  pedigree  of  this  family  are  given  in  the  "  Visitation  of  Kent."  Their  initial 
coat  is  : — Per  chevron  sable  and  argent,  three  griffins'  heads  erased  counterchanged.  To  this  eight 
quarterings  are  attached. 

Christopher  Kempe,  the  eldest  son  of  Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  by  Emelyn  Chiche,  married  Mary, 
daughter  of  Sir  Richard  Guildford,*  Knight. 

By  her  he  had  a  daughter,  Mary,  born  in  1508,  who  married  Lawrefice  Finch  of  the  Mote 
(brother  to  Sir  Thomas  Finch,  of  Eastwell).  She  became  heir  to  her  father  (who  died  without 
leaving  a  son)  before  15  18,  as  appears  from  the  will  of  Sir  Thomas.  Mary,  his  widow,  afterwards 
married  Sir  William  Haut,  or  Hawte.  There  are  in  the  British  Museum  (Add.  Char.,  F49  & 
54-5)  two  deeds  e.xecuted  when  Christopher's  daughter  was  eighteen,  at  which  Kentish 
maidens  come  of  age.  These  deeds  are  chiefly  interesting  for  their  seals,  one  of  which  has  the 
initials  "  I.  C,"  which  it  is  quite  possible  was  the  signet  of  John  Kempe.  The  signatures  and 
seals  of  William  and  Mary  Haute  are  appended.  By  the  will  of  Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  proved  in 
1520,  "Mary,  wife  of  William  Haute,  Esq.,  formerly  wife  of  Christopher  Kempe,"  was  bequeathed 
certain  tenements  in  Warehorne,  Newchurch,  Roking,  and  Snave,  in  accordance  with  some 
indenture  made  27th  June  in  the  second  year  of  Henry  VIII.  (1511)-  We  are  unable  to  say 
who  were  the  parties  to  this  deed,  perhaps  it  was  executed  by  way  of  provision  for  his  child  in 
accordance  with  the  will  of  Christopher  Kempe,  but  there  is  no  such  will  registered  at 
Canterbury  or  in  the  Perogative  Court  of  that  See. 

William  Klmpe,  the  second  son  of  Sir  Thomas  and  Emelyn,  became  heir  to  the  Ollantigh 
estates,  and  of  him  we  shall  speak  later  ;  Richard  Kempe,  the  third  son,  under  his  father's  will, 
was  to  receive  the  reversion  of  the  family  mansion  and  chief  lands  in  the  case  of  this  William 
dying  without  male  heir  ;  this,  however,  did  not  occur,  and  Richard  seems  to  have  left  the 
neighbourhood.  Possibly  it  was  he  who  obtained  a  licence  to  marry  Katherine  Catesby,  of  the 
Diocese  of  Worcester  in  1547.  She  was  one  of  seven  daughters  of  Will.  Willington,  a  wealthy 
merchant  of  Oxford,  Barcheston,  in  Warwickshire,  and  other  places.  Her  first  husband  was 
William  Catesby,  of  Lapworth  ;  after  the  death  of  Richard  Kempe  she  married  Anthony 
Throckmorton,  a  younger  son  of  Sir  George  Throckmorton.  Richard  Kempe,  who  describes 
himself  as  of  Longdon,  in  the  Parish  of  Treddington,  and  Diocese  of  Worcester,  made  his  will  in 
the  fifth  year  of  Edward  VII.  (P.  C.  C.  17  Bupk).  In  it  he  mentions  his  wife,  Katherine,  Anthony, 
his  son,  his  daughter  Ann,  John  Bradley,  son  of  William  Bradley,  sisters  named  Anne  and  Jane, 
and  Phillip  Rawlins.  The  will  of  his  wife  as  JKatherine  Throckmorton,  proved  1594  (P.  C.  C. 
6q  Dixy),  mentions  her  cousin  "  Rawlins,"  her  "  brother's  sons,  Richard  and  Anthony  Kemys," 
and  many  other  relatives.  She  desired  to  be  buried  in  the  Church  of  St.  Martin  Orgar,  London, 
with  the  body  of  her  late  husband,  Anthony  Throckmorton.  {Sec  Throckmorton  under  Norfolk 
Kempes.) 

It  is  open  to  doubt,  however,  if  Richard  of  Longdon,  Treddington,  was  of  the  Wye  family. 
Possibly   the  following   will    may   represent  the  third    son    of   Thomas    and    Emelyn    Kempe 

•  Arms  of  Guildford,  with  quarterly  of  four,  as  given  in  the  Visitation  of  Kent  are:    Or,  a  saltire  between  four  martletts,  sable.     Crest;  a  tree 
couped  or,  from  the  three  branches  fire  issuant  proper. 


■    ■'•   ■       The  Kempes  of  Wye.  23 

Richard  :— Richard  Kempe,  of  London,  dated  9th  March,  1547,  proved  the  last  day  of  that  month 
(P.  C.  C.  5  Popuwell),  leaves  "  to  myne  hoste  John  Barton  the  goodman  of  the  '  George  '  besides 
Fleet  Bridge  40/-,  to  Harry  Bennet  20/-  and  the  residue  to  Nicholas  Udall  of  London  gentleman. 
Nicholas  Udall,  M.A.,  was  a  celebrated  schoolmaster  and  playwright  in  the  employ  of  Stephen 
Gardiner,  Bishop  of  Winchester.  The  latter,  in  his  will  of  1557,  bequeathes  £^  to  Francis 
Kempe,  who  witnessed  the  will. 

A  third  Richard,  who  might  prove  to  be  the  son  of  William  of  Ollantigh,  was  a  husbandman 
of  WhatUngton,  Sussex,  whose  will  was  proved  in  1558.     {Vide  Sussex  Section.) 

John,  the  fourth  son  of  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  and  Emelyn  Chiche,  was  an  "  F.S.A."  in  1541  ; 
this  does  not  mean  that  he  was  a  Fellow  of  the  Society  of  Antiquaries,  as  some  writer  in  the 
Genileman's  Magazine  supposes  "  Berry's  Pedigrees "  to  have  inferred,  but  that  he  became  a 
Fellow  of  All  Souls'  College  in  virtue  of  his  descent  from  Chichley  before  explained.  It  may 
have  been  this  individual  who,  after  being  a  preacher  throughout  Kent  and  Essex,  was  parson 
of  Freshwater,  and  a  friend  of  John  Foxe,  with  whom  we  shall  deal  under  the  Isle  of  Wight 
Kempes. 

Andrew,  the  fifth  son  of  Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  is  probably  the  same  as  one  of  that  name  who 
constantly  appears  as  a  Notary  Public  engaged  in  making  probate  valuations  in  London,  as  given 
in  Inquisitones  Post  Mortem,  1485-1561,  but  the  identity  is  not  clear.  There  is  a  will  proved 
in  1575  (Arch,  of  London,  No.  I.,  139)  of  an  Andrew  Kempe,  whose  profession  and  parish  are 
not  given  ;  he  mentions  his  sister,  Margaret  Lynicke,  his  sister,  JuHan  Viggas,  Joan  Hill,  his  wife's 
sister,  and  Sara,  the  wife  of  John  Spylsbury,  his  kinswoman  ;  also  a  Robert  Kempe,  who  is  to 
divide  the  chief  part  of  his  estate  with  one,  John  Hankes,  a  barber  surgeon  ;  and  some  other 
names  occur. 

No  definite  account  is  given  of  Edward  and  George  Kempe,  the  two  youngest  sons  of  Sir 
Thomas  Kempe,  except  that  Edward  was  not  to  inherit  any  estates  (even  if  his  elder  brothers  died 
without  issue)  if_he  became  a  priest.  There  is  an  Edward  Kempe  in  the  "Alumni  Oxonienses  " 
who  became  B.A.  26th  January,  1519-20,  and  was  a  Fellow  of  Merton  (where  Archbishop  and 
Bishop  Kempe  were  educated)  in  1521.     This  looks  like  the  son  who  desired  to  enter  the  church. 

The  name  of  George  was  not  very  common — at  least  among  the  Kempes — so  early  as  this  ; 
we  do  not  find  another  in  Kent  till  the  next  generation.  There  was  a  George  Kempe  at 
Hampstead,  in  Middlesex,  in  1523  ;  there  is  nothing,  however,  to  connect  the  one  name  with  the 
other. 

Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  by  deed  dated  4th  March,  1503,  gave  all  the  trees  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Church  of  Crundal,  as  a  succour  of  defence  to  that  church.  He  served  as  Sheriff  of  the 
County  of  Kent  for  the  fourth  time  in  1513-4.  In  1520,  the  year  of  the  "  Field  of  the  Cloth  of 
Gold,"  the  Kempes  were  well  to  the  front.  Mistresses  Margaret  and  Margery  Kempe  attended  the 
Queen  of  England  at  the  interview  with  the  French  King,  while  John  Kempe  was  master  of  the 
Les%e  Barke^  one  of  the  chief  ships  fitted  out  for  this  great  State  function.  The  identity  of  these 
individuals  is  uncertain,  but  they  were  most  probably  connected  in  some  way  with  the  distin- 
guished Kentish  family.  Sir  Thomas  made  his  will  in  15 18,  and  it  was  proved  in  1521,  he  having  died 
in  1520-  His  chief  mansion  house  of  "Ollanty  "  and  estates  were  strictly  entailed  to  his  heirs 
male.  His  wife,  Emelyn,  was  to  have  the  lease  of  the  messuage  in  the  town  of  Wye  known  as 
the  "  Bell,"  held  from  the  Master  and  brethren  of  the  College  of  Wye.  She  is  also  to  enjoy  the 
use  of  all  the  furniture  and  other  goods  at  "  Olantye."  Cecile,  his  daughter,  is  to  receive  300 
marks  on  her  marriage,  100  in  cash  on  her  wedding  day,  and  the  remainder  from  the  income 
derived  from  the  testator's  Manor  of  Boughton  Aluph.     William,  the  eldest  surviving  son,  is  to 


24  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

pay  out  of  this  manor  to  each  of  his  five  brothers  five  marks  every  half  year  ;  if  he  fail  to  do  so 
the  brothers  have  right  of  entry,  or  to  a  grant  of  sufficient  demise  to  satisfy  this  bequest.  The 
tenements  and  lands  in  Warehorn,  Newchurch,  Roking  and  Snave,  after  the  decease  of  the 
widow  of  Christopher  Kempe  are  to  revert  to  William  Kempe  and  his  heirs.  The  testator  desires 
to  be  buried  in  the  Parish  Church  of  Wye,  in  the  chancel  of  Our  Lady,  "  beside  the  sepulchres 
of  my  grandfadres  and  grand-dams."  He  leaves  the  usual  bequests,  for  the  good  health  oi  his 
soul  and  "  all  Christian  souls,"  and  donations  to  the  poor.  Sir  Lawrence  Broke,  parson  of 
Boughton  Aluph,  with  the  eldest  son,  is  to  be  executor.  Elinor,  the  wife  of  William  Kempe,  is 
mentioned,  and  the  will  is  witnessed  by  John  Roos,  Esq.,  John  Hales,  Christopher  Hales  and 
Humphrey  Gage. 

Sir  Thomas  gives  his  widow  the  option  of  using  that  part  of  "  Olantye  ''  within  the  Mote, 
contaming  the  "  chamber  wherein  I  usually  lye,"  for  her  own  habitation,  on  the  south  side  of  the 
mansion.     She  is  also  to  have  an  acre  in  Boughton  Wood  cleared  for  her  fowls. 


CHqATTE-K    VI. 

THE    KEMPES    OF    WYE— continued. 


As  we  have  said  William,  the  second,  but  eldest  surviving  son,  succeeded  to  Ollantigh  and 
/— \  the  chief  Kempe  estates  in  1520-  He  had  married  some  time  before  this  Lienor, 
daughter  and  coheir  of  Sir  Robert  Browne,  Knight,  and  widow  of  Thomas  Fogg,  Esq., 
Sergeant  Porter  of  Calais. 

This  marriage  was,  like  that  of  his  grandfather  with  Alice  Scot,  of  Scotshall,  the  means  of 
bringing  more  royal  ancestors  to  the  family,  and  the  subsequent  generations  were  always  anxious 
to  claim  the  connection  with  the  Earls  of  Arundel,  as  shown  in  the  accompanying  sketch  of  this 
Elenor's  descent.  It  is  interesting  to  notice  that  the  Kemp  baronets  of  Gissing,  by  a  later 
intermarriage  with  these  Brownes,  enjoy  the  same  line  of  royal  descent  as  the  issue  of  this 
Kentish  Kempe-Browne  alliance.     fSee  Chart. J 

We  cannot  dwell  upon  the  honours  and  distinctions  of  the  Brownes  of  Betchworth  Castle  ; 
their  history  will  be  found  in  Surrey  county  works.  Many  illustrations  have  appeared  of  their 
fine  seat.  Their  arms  were  : — Sable,  three  lions  passant  in  bend  between  two  double  cotises 
argent.  And  their  crest  : — A  griffin's  head  erased  or.  Their  pedigree  was  duly  registered  at  the 
Visitation  of  Surrey,  and  is  printed  by  the  Harleian  Society,  and  appears  also  in  Berry's  Surrey 
pedigrees.  William  Kempe  is  said  to  have  been  born  in  1487.  In  1523  he  paid  a  subsidy  as  one 
of  the  persons  in  the  Royal  Household  (his  kinsman,  John  Roper,  being  also  in  that  favoured  list). 
This  John  Roper  was  steward  of  the  Liberty  of  "Battle  Abbey  in  the  town  of  Wye  "  {sic),  and  in 
this  capacity — as  well  as  because  of  his  relationship — he  was  much  concerned  with  the  late  Sir 
Thomas  Kempe  and  the  present  William  Kempe  in  the  control  of  their  estates,  and  was  party 
with  them  and  other  influential  landed  gentry  of  Kent  in  petitioning  for  amendments  in  the  laws 


RFOLK. 


(f  the  Conqueror. 


I 

Walter  Fitzallan, 
Lord  High  Steward 
of  Scotland,  ancestor 
of  the  Stuart  Kings  of 
Scotland  &  England. 


Will'lo  Campo,  of   Elmley   Castle:=Emme!ine  de  Abitot  or  Dispenser, 
(otherwise  called  Beauchamp)   I 

William  de  Bello  Campo,  Lord  of  Elmley=:Maude  de  Broase. 


William  be  Bello  Campo,  Lord  of  Elmley=Joan,  dau.  of  Sir  Thomas  Walerie. 


Walter  de  Bello  Campo,  Lord  of  Elmley,  died  l235=:Bertha  de  Broase. 


Hamelin  Plantagenets 


William  de  Warren  Plantagei 
married  Maud  Marshall.     I 

John  de  Warren  Plantag 
6th  Earl  of  Warren  &  Su 


Walcheline  de  Bello  Campo,  Lord  of  ElmIey=:Joan  de  Mortimer. 


William  de  Bello  Campo,  Lord  of  Elmlej'=Isabelle,  heiress  of  Earldom  of  Warwick. 


William  de  Bello  Campo,  Ear!  of  Warwick=Maud  Fitzjohn. 


^^Isabelle  de  Bello  Campo — Hugh  Despenser,  Earl  of  Winchester. 


)ispenser  married  Hugh  Despenser^Alianor  de  Clare, 

[astings,  Lord  Hastings, 
fourite  of  Edward  11. 


Edward  Despenser,  died  l343=Anne  Ferrers,  d.  of  Baron 
I         Ferrers  of  Groby. 


Sir  Anthony  Browne,  created 
Coronation  of  Richard  H,  I 


Edward  Despenser^Elizabeth  Burghersh. 
'      Lord  Despenser, 


Sir  Richard  Browne,         Sir 

living  /<?»!/>.       I 11,  Earl  of  Westmoreland. 

Henry  V. 


Alice  de  Joni^Guy  de  Beauchamp  or  Bello  Campo, 
I  Earl  of  Warwick. 


Sir 


Catherine  de  Mortimen=Thomas  de  Beauchamp,  Earl  of  Warwick. 
Joan  Fitzallan,  sister  to  John=Sir  William  Beauchamp,  Lord  Abergavenny,  by 


Fitzallan,   Marshall  of 
England. 


bequest  of  Lord  Hastings,  Earl  of  Pembroke, 
Lord  of  Abergavenny. 


Richard  Beauchamp,  Earl  of  Warwick=lsabelle  Despenser,  dau.  of  Baron 

I         Despenser,  Earl  of  Gloucester. 

Edward  Nevil,  Baron=Elizabeth  Beauchamp,  heiress  of  Abergavenny. 
Abergavenny. 


;rnon,  Surrey,  Knight. 


24  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

pay  out  of  this  manor  to  each  of  liis  five  brothers  five  marks  every  half  year  ;  if  he  fail  to  do  so 
the  brothers  have  right  of  entry,  or  to  a  grant  of  sufficient  demise  to  satisfy  this  bequest.  The 
tenements  and  lands  in  Warehorn,  Newchurch,  Roking  and  Snave,  after  the  decease  of  the 
widow  of  Christopher  Kempe  are  to  revert  to  William  Kempe  and  his  heirs.  The  testator  desires 
to  be  buried  in  the  Parish  Church  of  Wye,  in  the  chancel  of  Our  Lady,  "  beside  the  sepulchres 
of  my  grandfadres  and  grand-dams."  He  leaves  the  usual  bequests,  for  the  good  health  o£^  his 
soul  and  "  all  Christian  souls,"  and  donations  to  the  poor.  Sir  Lawrence  Broke,  parson  of 
Boughton  Aluph,  with  the  eldest  son,  is  to  be  executor.  Elinor,  the  wife  of  William  Kempe,  is 
mentioned,  and  the  will  is  witnessed  by  John  Roos,  Esq.,  John  Hales,  Christopher  Hales  and 
Humphrey  Gage. 

Sir  Thomas  gives  his  widow  the  option  of  using  that  part  of  "  Olantye  "  within  the  Mote, 
containing  the  "  chamber  wherein  I  usually  lye,"  for  her  own  habitation,  on  the  south  side  of  the 
mansion.     She  is  also  to  have  an  acre  in  Boughton  Wood  cleared  for  her  fowls. 


CH(iATTE%_    VI. 

THE    KEMPES    OF    WYE— continued. 


As  we  have  said  William,  the  second,  but  eldest  surviving  son,  succeeded  to  OUantigh  and 
/— \  the  chief  Kempe  estates  in  1520-  He  had  married  some  time  before  this  Elengr, 
daughter  and  coheir  of  Sir  Robert  Browne,  Knight,  and  widow  of  Thomas  Fogg,  Esq., 
Sergeant  Porter  of  Calais. 

This  marriage  was,  like  that  of  his  grandfather  with  Alice  Scot,  of  Scotshall,  the  means  of 
bringing  more  royal  ancestors  to  the  family,  and  the  subsequent  generations  were  always  anxious 
to  claim  the  connection  with  the  Earls  of  Arundel,  as  shown  in  the  accompanying  sketch  of  this 
Lienor's  descent.  It  is  interesting  to  notice  that  the  Kemp  baronets  of  Gissing,  by  a  later 
intermarriage  with  these  Brownes,  enjoy  the  same  line  of  royal  descent  as  the  issue  of  this 
Kentish  Kempe-Browne  alliance.     fSee  Chart.) 

We  cannot  dwell  upon  the  honours  and  distinctions  of  the  Brownes  of  Betchworth  Castle  ; 
their  history  will  be  found  in  Surrey  county  works.  Many  illustrations  have  appeared  of  their 
fine  seat.  Their  arms  were  : — Sable,  three  lions  passant  in  bend  between  two  double  cotises 
argent.  And  their  crest  : — A  griffin's  head  erased  or.  Their  pedigree  was  duly  registered  at  the 
Visitation  of  Surrey,  and  is  printed  by  the  Harleian  Society,  and  appears  also  in  Berry's  Surrey 
pedigrees.  William  Kempe  is  said  to  have  been  born  in  1487.  In  1523  he  paid  a  subsidy  as  one 
of  the  persons  in  the  Royal  Household  (his  kinsman,  John  Roper,  being  also  in  that  favoured  list). 
This  John  Roper  was  steward  of  the  Liberty  of  "  Battle  Abbey  in  the  town  of  Wye  "  [sic],  and  in 
this  capacity — as  well  as  because  of  his  relationship — he  was  much  concerned  with  the  late  Sir 
Thomas  Kempe  and  the  present  William  Kempe  in  the  control  of  their  estates,  and  was  party 
with  them  and  other  influential  landed  gentry  of  Kent  in  petitioning  for  amendments  in  the  laws 


ROYAL     DESCENT     OF     THE     KEMJES     OF     KENT     AND     NORFOLK. 


I  heiress=Alaii,  obtained  the  Castle  o(  Oiivestry  from  William  I. 

! 


William  Fitzallan,  died  before  I  i6o=Isabelle  de  Say,  Lady  of  Clun,  grand-daughlet  of  I  lenry  I. 
William  Fitzallan,  died  1172. 


Waller  Fitzallan,     . 

Lord  High  Steward 

of  Scotland,  ancestor 

of  theStuart  Kinesof  1     „  ..    ,  ,     ,    ,  ,     ,,i_-  ■  i_  ■  t  l    ^    .1 

Scotland  &  England.  John  Fitzallan,  Lord  of  Clun  4  Oswestry,  died  I239=lsabej  jie^  Albim,  heiress  of  the  Caslle 


and  Earldom  of  Arundell. 


Hugh  de  Bello  Campo,  Companloi  of  the  Conqueror. 


Hamelin  Planlagcnel=lsabel  de  Warrennc. 

William  de  Warren  Planlagenet         l»abcl=Roger  Bigod, 

married  Maud  Marshall.     I  Earl  of  Nor-     Isabel  de  Mo: 


I  ot  E.T^I.  II, l^Maud  of  Scotland. 


William  be  Bello  Campo,  Lord  of  Elmle)=Joan,  dau.  of  Sir  Thomas  Walerit 


Geoffrey  Pl.mi.ic.;!.  .     ,_,junt  of  Anjou=Matilda  ot  England,  Empress  Mau.  .     Waller  de  Bello  Campo,  Lord  of  Elmlcy,  died  l:3S=Bcrlha  de  Bi 


=John  Fitzallan,  6th  Earl  of  Arundel,  died  1:69. 


John  (le  Warren  Plantagenet^Alice  de  la  Marche.  I 

6th  Ear!  of  Warren  &  Surrey  I  Alice,  d.  of  a  Marquis=Richard  Fitzallan,  7th  Earl  of  Ai  undel,  died  1 302. 


John,  King  of  En  gbnd=lsabelle  of  Angoulei 


111,  King  of  England=Eleanor  of  Provenc. 


Walcheline  de  Bello  Campo,  Lord  of  Elmley=Joan  de  Mo: 
William  de  Bello  Campo, 
Wniiam  de  Bello  Ca: 


,  Lord  of  E 


npo,  Earl  of  \ 


I  de  Saluce  in  ttaly. 

'Varren  Plant 

L 


Edmund  Plantage  let,  E;iri  of  Lai 


William  de  Warren  Plantagi 

heiress  of  house  of  War 


,  Chester  &  Derby.      Peter  Chawoi  S=Isabelle  de  Bello  Campo— Hugh  Despenscr.  Earl  of  Winchester, 


;n=Maud  Chaworth. 


Isabel  Dispenser  married              Hugh  Despenser=Alianor  de  Clare 
John  Hastings,  Lord  Hastings.  I 

F  ^ourite  of  Edward  11.  \ 


I  3nd  wife         I        - 

Richard  Fitzallan,  gth  Earl  of  Arundel,  born  i3o6,=:Elenor  Plantagen  u[, 
sold  his  right  to  the  Stewardship  of  Scotland  I 
to  King  Edward  III,  in  1355.  I 


Sir  Richard  Browne,         Sir  Stephen  Browne,  Lord  Mayor  of  London,  1438.  I  |  snc*,  husband  I 

living  temfi.      I "  John  Fitzallan,  born  1365,  died  i392=Elizabeth  Despenser=Hugh  J  ,jrd  Zouch.         Richard  Di5temper=Elizabeth,  d.  of  Ne  ill,  Earl  of  Westmoreland. 

Henry  V.  '  "  ... 


Sheriff  of  Kent  1440  and  1460,  died  1460 


Fredeswith.  dau.of  Sir  Richard  Guildford=Sir  Mathew  I 


Catherine  de  Mortimer=Thoma3  de  Beauchamp,  Earl  of  Warwick. 

loan  Fitzallan  sister  to  John:=Sir  William  Beauchamp,  Lord  Abergavenny,  by 
Fitzallan,  'Marshall  of  I  bequest  of  Lord  Hastings,  Earl  of  Pembroke, 
England.'  Lord  of  Abergavenny. 

Richard  Beauchamp,  Earl  of  Warwick=[3abelle  Despenser,  dau  of  Baron 
I         Despenser,  Earl  of  Gloucester. 

Edward  Nevil,  Baron=Elizabeth  Beauchamp,  heiress  of  Abergavenny. 
Abergavenny. 


Sir  Matthew  Browne,  of   Beechwood,  di(  .j  i6o3^ane,  dau.  of  Sir  Thomas  Vincent,  of  Stoke  Da  ( 


The  Kempes  of  Wye.  ■    ^  25 

of  gavelkind,  by  which  much  of  their  land  was  held.  This  petition  resulted  eventually  in  certain 
land  belonging  to  the  Kempes  being  disgavelled  in  the  31st  year  of  Henry  VIII.  under  an  Act 
of  Parliament.  {See  Patent  iz  Henry  VIII.,  p.  2,  m.  I4d.  ;  Ped.  Fin.,  11  Henry  VII.  Hil.). 
There  is,  in  the  Beaney  Institute  at  Canterbury,  a  printed  volume  on  the  law  of  gavelkind,  and  to 
this  we  would  refer  those  of  our  Kentish  readers  who  are  interested  in  the  subject.  To  others  it 
may  be  well  to  explain  that  this  ancient  law  was  peculiar  to  a  few  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom. 
It  has  been  abolished  by  Statute  in  Ireland  and  Wales,  but  it  still  exists  in  Kent  where  the  custom 
is  recognised  by  4  &  5  Vic.  c.  35.  It  appears  to  be  a  survival  of  the  ancient  Saxon  law  of  landed 
property.  The  continuance  of  the  custom  is  due  to  the  demand  of  the  men  of  Kent  backed 
by  the  supreme  resistance  which  they  offered  to  the  Conqueror.  The  chief  features  of  this  are 
that  all  lands  (held  under  that  law)  were  divided  equally  among  the  male  issue,  ajad  in  absence 
of  male  issue  among  the  daughters.  The  heirs  entered  their  estates  at  fifteen  years  of  age, 
and  they  had  a  right  to  part  with  their  share  by  sale,  gift  or  otherwise.  This  practice  must  in  the 
case  of  landowners,  whose  property  was  extensive,  have  tended  to  keep  the  younger  members  of 
the  family  from  seeking  their  fortunes  at  a  distance  from  the  paternal  home. 

By  his  wife  Elenor  Browne,  Sir  William  Kempe  had  a  large  family.     Five  daughters  Uved  to 
be  married  as  follows  : — 

Mary,  to  Sir  Nicholas  Boughton,  son  of  Sir  Edward  Boughton,  of  Plumstead  ; 
Faith,  to  Francis  Neale  (or  Mayall,  or  Naylor),  of  Lancashire  ;  ,{■,'. 

Emelyn,  to  Sir  Reginald  Scott,  of  Scott's  Hall  and  Netsted,  Kent ;  , 

Margaret,  to  Sir  George  Fogg — related  to  her  mother's  first  husband,  and 
Cecilia  or    Cicily,  to  William   Latham,  whose  wife  she  was  in   1558,  and  afterwards   to 
William  Strangeman,  of  Hadley  Castle,  Essex.  .   ..    , 

He  had  also  six  sons  living  at  his  death,  as  follows  : — 

Thomas,  his  heir,  of  whom  later  ;  .     :  .   ,        1     '   . 

John  (the  second  son),  of  Wye,  who  died  wealthy  in  1598  ; 

Edward  (the  third),  who  went  to  live  in  the  New  Forest,  and  died  in  1605,  leaving  issue  ; 
Anthony,  an  important  man  at  Court,  and  founder  of  the  Slindon  Kempes  ;  {See  Sussex.) 
Francis  Kempe,  a  lawyer,  who  had  no  male  issue,  and 

George,  the  youngest,  who  appears  to  have  lived  in  London,  and  died  in  1588. 
Of  each  we  have  some  account,  but  first  we  must  say  that  after  serving  as  Sheriff  of  his 
County  in   1529  and    1538,  Sir   William   Kempe  died  on   Tuesday,   28th   January,  and   was 
buried  at  Wye,  30th  January  1538-9- 

His  will  was  dated  28th  November,  30  Henry  VIII.,  and  describes  him  as  Knight  of  "  Olenty." 
The  usual  items  of  money  "  for  tythes  negligently  forgotten,"  and  the  Church  come  first.  He  then 
bequeaths  to  his  daughter  "  Ciceley  "  300  marks  on  her  marriage,  and  the  same  sum  each  to  Faith 
and  Mary.  A  like  amount  is  given  to  Margaret,  provided  she  be  "  putt  owte  of  the  house  where 
she  is  now  Nunn,  and  then  she  be  disposed  to  marry."  The  testator  doubtless  felt  convinced  that 
the  monasteries  must  all  go,  as  he  had  witnessed  the  dissolution  of  that  of  Wye  and  many  others. 
The  daughter  we  have  seen  did  leave  her  nunnery  and  become  a  mother  of  a  family,  one  of  whom 
Ezecias  Fogg  was  presented  by  his  uncle.  Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  to  the  church  of  Chiiham.  The 
will  proceeds  to  provide  for  the  maintenance  of  Elenor,  the  testator's  widow,  for  which  purpose 
the  messuage  of  "  Olenty  "  has  been  demised  for  twenty  years  to  Reginald  Scott,  Esq.  and  John 
"Took"  Gent,  to  raise  the  1,200  marks  above  given  to  the  daughters,  and  40J.  per  annum  to 
each  of  the  five  younger  sons,  Elenor,  the  widow,  to  have  the  use  of  the  mansion  for  the  term  of 
her  life  after  providing  for  the  above  payments  from  this  Estate. 


2  6  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

She  is  further  to  have  the  profits  arising  from  the  estates  of  Henry  Idon  during  his  nonage, 
she,  meanwhile,  providing  his  keep.  The  reversion  of  Ollantigh  and  the  residue  of  the  estate 
passes,  of  course,  to  the  eldest  son,  he  paying  to  his  five  brothers  ^lo  each  per  annum.  (This 
is  doubtless,  by  way  of  giving  them  a  share  equivalent  to  what  they  should  receive  under 
the  law  of  gavelkind.  The  inquisition  showing  his  estates  is  number  34  in  "31st  Henry 
Vni.  Kent." 

Elenor,  the  relict  of  Sir  William,  may  have  continued  to  live  at  Wye  for  a  time,  but  it 
doubtless  was  her  pleasure  to  be  amidst  the  Court,  and  her  will  is  dated  from  the  Savoy,  where  at 
the  time  the  ladies  of  Oueen  Mary  had  apartments.  It  is  dated  21st  August,  1560,  and  bears 
witness  to  the  Roman  faith  to  which  she  and  her  son  Anthony  Kempe  were  staunchly  attached. 
She  desires  to  be  buried  in  the  Savoy  according  to  the  rites  of  the  "  Catholic  Church  of  Christ." 
She  left  a  rather  liberal  sum  to  be  expended  on  her  funeral,  and  for  distribution  among  the  poor 
and  the  prisoners  at  Ludgate,' Newgate,  and  Fleet  Prison,  and  the  poor  of  the  "  Galdhouse  "  of 
Westminster.  To  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  she  left  her  "  ring  with  diamonds,"  and  a  pair  of  gilt 
saltcellars  weighing  twenty  ounces.  To  Anthony,  a  gilt  bowl  weighing  twenty-two  ounces,  a  great 
flat  standard  (family  banner)  and  furniture.  Francis  Kempe  was  also  to  have  a  standard,  a  ring 
set  with  a  ruby,  a  gilt  goblet  of  twenty-one  ounces  and  tapestry.  To  Edward,  her  son,  she 
bequeathed  six  spoons  with  gilt  ends  ;  to  John,  a  little  gilt  saltcellar,  and  to  George,  her  youngest 
son.  the  bed  which  she  "lay  in  at  Court  "  and  more  gilt-ended  spoons.  To  her  daughters,  Cecily 
Latham  and  Mary  Boughton  (as  well  as  her  daughters  by  her  first  husband  whose  names  appear 
in  the  will  as  Pollard  and  Ann  Cross),  she  left  a  large  quantity  of  dresses  and  finery,  the  list  of 
which  is  too  long  to  insert  here  ;  furs,  velvet,  damask,  silk,  satin,  and  fine  linen,  with  chests 
of  household  linen  and  blankets  are  included.  The  daughters,  like  their  brothers,  each  are  to  have 
a  piece  of  plate  weighing  about  twenty-two  ounces. 

She  does  not  forget  to  reward  her  faithful  servants  ;  those  mentioned  being  William  Bowth, 
Francis  Hitchcock,  and  William  Kitt  or  Kyttes.  The  latter  is  to  enjoy  his  "lease  of  the  manor 
of  Marie  Court,"  and  the  others  are  provided  with  pensions.  Her  other  manors  are  Morris  Court, 
Kent  (which  had  belonged  to  the  Brownes  from  the  time  of  Henry  IV.),  Tonge,  Redmersham, 
Murston  and  Lynsted,  all  of  which  she  settled  on  her  son  John  and  his  heirs,  failing  issue  to  revert 
to  his  brothers  in  succession  and  their  issue. 

Others  mentioned  are  the  Vicar  of  Colman  Street,  Mrs.  Brent,  Mrs.  Cisley  Barnard,  Master 
Robert  Alee,  William  Roper  of  Eltham  (her  overseer),  and  Sir  Thomas  Oxenbridges,  who  was  one 
of  her  Executors,  and  the  husband  to  one  of  her  daughters,  Fogge. 

John  Kempe,  the  second  son,  and  chief  legatee  of  his  mother,  who  thus  received  the  manors 
of  Morris  Court,  Tonge,  Redmersham,  Murston  and  Lynsted,  married  a  woman  named  Jane  .  .  . 
who  died  in  1597.  He  was  buried  at  Wye  30th  July,  1598,  and  his  will  dated  27th  November, 
1507,  was  proved  on  8th  September,  1599  (Arch.  Cant.,  51.  fo.  360),  the  executors  being  his 
nephew,  Thomas  Kempe,  of  "  Olentigh,"  and  Ezechias  Fogge,  of  Chilham.  The  will  is 
remarkable  for  the  number  of  pieces  of  silver  bearing  "  the  Kempe  sheaves  "  which  he  distributed 
among  his  brothers  and  other  relatives.  He  left  the  house  in  which  he  was  living  called 
"  Fancocke,"  in  "  Wie,"  to  his  nephew,  Thomas  Kempe.  To  his  brother,  Francis  Kempe,  he 
bequeathed  ^100;  to  the  wife  of  his  nephew  Thomas,  a  "  jewell  of  gold  with  two  diamonds 
therein  ;  to  their  daughters,  Ann  (the  eldest),  Dorothy,  and  Mary,  silver  pieces  and  "  fine  Holland 
sheets  "  ;  to  his  nephew,  "  Raynold  "  (Reginald),  /50  instead  of  "  my  household  stuff  which  I 
purposed  to  have  given  him,"  also  a  "  deaths-head  ring  of  gold  "  and  a  cloak.  To  his  godson, 
John  Kempe,  a  great  silver  saltcellar  and  a  dozen  silver  spoons  "  with  the  Kempe  Sheaves  graven 


''"■'  The  Kempes  of  Wye.  27 

on  them."*  It  is  not  stated  whose  son  this  John  was  ;  Reginald  had  a  son  of  that  name  by  Mary 
Argyll,  who  was  married  to  him  in  1590.     Possibly  this  is  the  relative  intended. 

Unfortunately  the  testator  does  not  mention  any  of  his  estates  by  name  except  the  above 
house  at  Wye.  We  do  not,  therefore,  know  whether  these  were  disposed  of  by  him  or  passed  to 
his  nephew  under  the  "  residue  "  clause. 

Space  will  not  permit  us  to  give  details  of  the  numerous  legacies,  but  a  list  of  the  other  names 
occurring  in  the  will  may  prove  of  interest.  They  are  briefly  as  follows  : — Mr.  Jackson,  Minister 
of  Wye  ;  Mr.  Nicholls,  Parson  of  Eastwell  ;  his  nephew,  Anthonie  Broughton,  and  his  daughter, 
Marie  Broughton  ;  his  niece,  Richard  Fogge's  daughter,  and  William,  the  son  of  nephew  Ezichias 
Fogge  ;  nephew  Duddlie  Lullgrave  ;  Mr.  Thomas  Moile,  of  Molash  ;  Francis  Hill  and  wife ; 
Goodwife  Evans  (?)  of  Wye  ;  Mrs.  Morehouse,  Roger  Moste,  Richard  Cooke,  John  Tittenden, 
Edward  Earnet  and  Thomas  Cottum.  To  his  servant,  Miss  Drewe,  he  left  a  tenement  near 
"  Knockseale,"  which  he  bought  from  Henrie  Bronde,  of  Canterbury.  His  other  servants 
mentioned  are  Alice  Marsh  and  William  Carter  ;  witnesses  to  the  document  are  John  Kempe, 
Thomas  Hall  or  (Haull)  and  Terras,  and  Thomas  Cock  or  Cocke.  The  will  is  duly  registered  in 
the  Archdeaconry  Court  of  Canterbury.     (Liber  51,  folio  360). 

The  further  details  of  Edward  Kemp,  the  next  brother  to  this  testator  will  be  given  under 
Hampshire  Kempes. 

For  the  account  of  Anthony  Kempe,  the  next  brother,  see  under  Sussex. 

Francis  Kempe  was  Clerk  of  the  Hanaper,  and  Attorney  of  Court  of  Chancery.  Amongst 
the  Stowe  Manuscripts  in  the  British  Museum  (415  f.  86)  is  a  complaint  of  the  Clerk  of  the 
Hanaper  concerning  his  grievances  against  Sir  Nicholas  Bacon. t  The  date  is  1564;  the  matter  is 
as  to  the  profits,  which  had  provided  a  very  handsome  income  to  these  officers,  whose  clerks 
practically  did  all  the  work.  Sir  Nicholas  Bacon's  reply  is  worded  with  much  caution  and  with 
evident  justice,  to  the  effect  that  it  is  quite  time  that  the  office  should  be  reformed  and  regulated. 
Francis  Kempe,  therefore,  does  not  appear  to  have  gained  by  his  petition. 

Francis  Kempe  appears  to  have  held  some  \oh  acres  of  pasture  and  "  appertenances '"  in 
Mitcham  I  about  1592,  and  he  certainly  had  a  share  of  some  200  acres  of  land  at  Plumstead  in 
Kent,  which  he  held  with  his  brother  Edward.  Of  the  latter  we  shall  have  to  give  further  notice, 
as  in  and  around  it  the  Kempes  held  lands  from  a  much  earlier  date,  while  as  we  have  said  a  sister 
of  this  lawyer  had  married  a  Boughton  who  held  the  manor. 

The  land  at  Mitcham  he  doubtless  held  in  right  of  his  wife  who  was  Elianor,  daughter  and 
coheir  of  Henry  Carew,  brother  to  Wymond  Carew,  whose  family  long  had  property  here. 
Sir  Francis  Carew  in  1592  was  directed  by  Her  Majesty  to  hold  an  inquisition  of  the  property 
here  belonging  to  John  Gage  (related  to  the  Gage  who  married  Anthony  Kempe),  whose  estates 
were  forfeited  owing  to  his  having  concealed  a  Roman  Catholic  missionary  named  Beesley. 
By  this  wife  Francis  had  two  or  more  daughters  who  were  his  coheirs,  he  having  no  surviving  son. 
One  of  them,  named  Ann,  married  Gamaliel  Jerins  of  Letheringset,  in  Norfolk,  who  was  living  in 
1634  :  they  also  had  a  son,  Richard  Jerins,  who  was  then  18,  the  "  only  son  and  heir  apparent.'' 

*  John  had  a  definite  tight  to  both  the  arms  of  his  father,  viz  :  three  sheaves  on  a  red  ground  surrounded  by  a  border  engrailed  and  the 
crest,  the  pelican  "  vulning,"  i.e.,  peeking  her  breast,  providing  merely  that  the  cadence  marks  were  added ;  but,  like  the  archbishop,  he  deemed 
it  sufficient  to  use  the  sheaves  merely,— in  allusion  to  his  arms.  Families  who  believe  themselves  entitled  to  arms  will  do  well  to  follow  this 
ancient  custom  of  using  a  badge  in  allusion  thereto  instead  of  the  crest  which  they  consider  theirs  by  descent.  Then,  should  they  find  that  the 
arms  of  their  ancestors  were  not  the  same  as  those  they  had  believed  to  be  theirs,  they  v/i\\  not  have  the  ignominy  of  haviug  to  retract  when  their 
veritable  arms  have  been  discovered  or  a  new  coat  granted  to  them  by  the  Heralds.  A  badge,  it  may  be  mentioned,  is  distinguished  from  a 
crest  by  the  omission  of  the  wreath  on  which  a  crest  always  stands.  Kemps  of  to-day  may  use  any  badge  they  please  without  infringing  on  the 
rights  of  the  Heralds,  but  the  use  of  a  crest  or  arms  without  the  sanction  of  the  College  of  Arms  and  Royal  consent  is  as  wrong  and  foolish  as 
one  styling  himself  "  Lord"  or  "  Baronet"  without  such  authority.  It  may  also  be  noted  here  that  it  is  quite  wrong  for  ladies  to  use  a  crest. 
+  It  is  singular  that  Bacons  and  Kempes  of  Norfolk  were  related  and  much  connected  \vith  the  law  at  this  time.  (See  Norfolk  section.) 
I  "  Collectanea  Top.  et  Genealogiwa,"  vol  iii.    An  account  of  the  Manor  of  Hayling,  in  the  parish  of  Croydon,  Surrey. 


28  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Sir  Wymond  Carew  was  of  Anthony  in  Cornwall,  and  was  connected  by  marriage  also  with 
the  Kempes  of  Gissing.  Indeed,  it  is  singular  to  notice  how  closely  the  four  chief  Kempe  families 
of  Kent,  Norfolk,  Essex  and  Cornwall  were  drawn  together  at  about  this  period  by  inter-marriages 
with  the  same  families,  and  by  their  various  properties. 

In  later  times  certain  Kempes  have  purposely  sought  to  purchase  lands  and  houses  formerly 
connected  with  others  of  their  name,  but  at  this  time  the  distinct  families  actually  exchanged  and 
bought  one  from  another,  and  have  made  the  matter  of  distinguishing  one  from  the  other  very 
puzzling. 

Among  the  manuscripts  of  Lieut. -Colonel  Carew  at  Crowcomb  Court,  Somerset,  a  notice  of 
which  is  given  by  the  Historical  MSS.  Commission  (Report  4th,  p.  371),  mention  is  made  of 
letters  concerning  Francis  Kempe,  but  the  actual  date  is  unfortunately  not  stated. 

George,  the  youngest  brother  to  this  Francis  Kempe,  inherited  jointly  with  his  brothers  the 
Manor  of  Chelworth,  out  of  which  his  mother  ordered  that  (40.S.)  forty  shillings  yearly  should  be 
paid  to  her  servant,  William  Bowth,  during  his  life.  Edward  seems  to  have  released  his  share 
of  this  manor  to  George,  and  perhaps  the  other  brothers  did  the  same.  His  will  is  dated 
28th  February,  1567,  but  was  not  proved  till  1588,  and  we  fairly  conclude  that  he  did  not  die 
much  before  then,  although  we  have  no  direct  evidence  to  establish  this  as  a  fact.  He  does  not 
mention  any  wife  or  children,  but  gives  back  to  his  brother  Edward  the  fifth  part  of  the  manor 
which  he  had  acquired  by  "bargain,  sale,  or  gift"  from  him.  This  brother,  Edward  and  Anthony 
were  the  executors,  and  employed  Thomas  Wheeler,  a  notary,  to  prove  the  will  on  their  behalf. 
(P.C.C.  37  Rutland). 


CHqATTET^   VII. 

KEMPES    OF    WYE,    1539-1591. 

SIR  THOMAS  KEMPE,  who  succeeded  to  Olantigh  in  1539,  was  perhaps  the  most  active 
and  illustrious  of  the  Kentish  Kempe  knights,  much  of  his  power  being  but  the  outcome 
of  position  he  had  gained  by  a  line  of  knightly  ancestors  and  the  prestige  obtained  from 
his  mother,  Lady  Ellenor  Browne.  He  was,  doubtless,  a  capable  governor  and  good  man  of  business, 
otherwise  he  would  not  have  kept  himself  so  much  in  the  foreground  of  the  Royal  Court  and  field 
of  politics.  His  marriages  were  all  apparently  the  outcome  of  negotiation,  rather  than  prompted 
by  passion.  He  first  married  Katherine,  daughter,  and  eventually  co-heir,  of  Sir  Thomas 
Chaney,  K.G.,  who  was  Treasurer  of  the  Royal  Household  ;  a  favourite  and  privy  councillor  to 
four  successive  Kings  and  Queens  ;  twice  Sheriff  of  Kent  ;  proxy  to  Queen  Elizabeth,  as  godparent 
to  the  Dolphin  of  France  ;  Governor  of  Rochester  Castle,  and  one  of  the  challengers  of  all  men  at 
the  "Field  of  the  Cloth  of  Gold";  besides  numerous  other  offices  of  distinction  and  profit. 

Katherine's  mother,  too,  was  the  heiress  to  a  famous  name  and  considerable  estates,  which 
must  be  mentioned  as  having,  in  time,  some  effect  on  the  issue  of  her  daughters.  She  was 
Frideswide,  daughter  of  Sir  Thomas  Frowick,  her  father  being  the  last  of  his  name  and  family. 
His  will,  dated  14th  October,  1505,  leaves  his  Manor  Place  and  messuage  at  Finchley,  Middlesex, 


Kempes  of   Wye,  ijjg-i^gi.  29 

to  his  wife,  and  large  estates  at  South  Mimms  and  other  places  devolved  upon  his  daughters. 
Thus,  from  Frowick  to  Chaney,  and  Chaney  to  Kempe,  certain  property  passed.  A  sister  to  this 
Catherine  (or  Katherine)  Chaney,  named  Margaret,  married  to  George  Nevill,  Lord  Bergaveney, 
a  descendant  of  the  Bello  Campo  or  Beau-Champ  family,  Earls  of  Warwick,  whose  consanguinity 
with  these  Kempes  we  have  before  remarked  upon  and  shown  in  the  descent  of  Browne. 

Thomas  Chaney  had  the  honour  of  entertaining  King  Henry  VIII  at  his  house  at 
Eastchurch,  and  was  buried  at  Minster,  in  the  Isle  of  Sheppey,  in  1558,  where  a  brass  to  his 
memory  still  remains. 

By  Katherine  Chaney,  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  had  several  children,  of  whom  short  notices  are 
appended  : 

Fryswyde  was  baptized  at  Wye  26th  December,  1544  (doubtless  named  after  her  grand- 
mother.) 
Margaret,   married    Sir   Thomas   Shirley,  at   Wye,  20th  February,   1560,   to    whom    Sir 
Thomas   Kempe  conveyed   the   Manor   of  Wadling,    in    Ripple,    Walmer,    Deal   and 
Monham  (which  had  formed  the  marriage  portion  of  Amy  Moyle,  his  second  wife.) 
This  Sir  Thomas  Shirley  was  treasurer  of  the  war  in  the  Low  Countries.     He  rebuilt  his 
family  seat  of  Wiston  Manor  House,  in  Sussex,  in  which  the  Countess  of  Phillip,  Earl 
of  Arundell,    was   committed   to   his    wardship,    and    where   subsequently   was    born 
Elizabeth,  the  Earl's  only  daughter.    Sir  Thomas  Shirley  died  in  1507,  aged  sixty-seven. 
Portions  of  his  mansion  are  still  in  existence,  and  many  of  his  families'  tombs,  from  an 
early  period,  will  be  found  in  Wiston  Church. 
Alice  (the  third  surviving  daughter  of  Katherine  and  Sir  Thomas  Kempe)  married  Sir 
James  Hales,  of  the  "  Dungeon,"  Canterbury.     His  family  had  a  grant  of  the  Nunnery 
of  St.  Sepulchres,  in  the  same  city,  at  the  suppression  of  the  monasteries,  and  this 
property  he  sold  to  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  about   1572-     He  seem.s  to  have  died  at  sea, 
for  on  the  fine  mural  monument  to  his  memory,  still  in  the  nave  of  the  Cathedral,  he 
is  represented  as  being  lowered  into  the  deep,  over  the  side  of  a  ship,  wearing  his  full 
armour.     On  this  monument  his  wife  Alice  Kempe  is  mentioned,  and  the  various  arms 
of  his  family  are  shown. 
Katherine  had  died  before  1550,  for,  on  the  iqth  January  of  that  year.  Sir  Thomas  Kempe 
married,  at  Eastwell  Church,  Amy  daughter  of  Sir  Thomas  Moyle,  of  Eastwell  Place,  ancestor  of 
the  Earls  of  Winchelsea,  who   died  in  1560,  leaving  considerable  landed  estates  in  Kent  and 
Somerset.     By  his  will  he  devises  the  property  as  follows  :  to  his  son-in-law.  Sir  Thomas  Kempe, 
Knight,  the   lease  of  Rokyng  Court  ;    to  Thomas,  the  son  of  the  latter,  his  Manors  of  Preston, 
Grandisons,  Waldyslands  in  Kent,  and  lands  at  Dartford,  Sutton-at-Hone  and  Chatham,  also  in 
Kent,  and  the  Manors   of  King's  Weston,   Wythys  and   Lottsham,  in  Somerset.      His  house  at 
Newgate,  in  London,  he  left  between  his  grandsons,  Reginald,  Moyle  and  William  Kempe  ;  and 
Moyle,  Thomas  and  Henry  Finch.     Sir  Thomas  Kempe  and  Sir  Thomas  Finch,  Knight,  were  the 
executors,  Anthony  Kempe  being  a  witness.     This   Sir  Thomas   Finch   had   married   the  other 
daughter  and  coheir  of  Sir  Thomas  Moyle  (and  was  brother  to  Thomas  Finch  who  married  Mary, 
daughter  of  Christopher  Kempe)  and  they  were  ancestors  of  the  Earls  of  Winchelsea. 
By  Amy  his  second  wife  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  had  : 

Thomas  Kempe,  his  eldest  son,  baptized  at  Wye,  7th  November,  15  51,  who  became  his  heir, 

and  of  whom  we  shall  give  further  details  later. 
Reginald  Kempe,  baptized  at  Eastwell  on  i8th  May,  1553,  and  who  also  eventually  owned 
Olantigh,  and  died  in  1612. 


30  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Moyle  Kempe,  baptized  at  Wye,  24th  August,  1554,  buried  there  in  December. 
*  Moyle  Kempe,  baptized  also  at  Wye,  30th  September,  1555,  who   was  entered  at  Exeter 
College  in  1573,  aged  eighteen  (?  and  was  "recusant"  in  Cornwall  in  1590),  buried  at 
Wye,  17th  March,  1585. 
William  Kempe,  baptized    17th   February,  1556,   (?)   buried  at   Wye,   22nd   March,   1597  ; 

probably  the  founder  of  the  Dartford  Kempes. 
George  Kempe,  baptized  24th  January,  1557  ;    possibly  identical   with  George  Kempe,  of 
Northaw,  in  Middlesex,  in  1593,  assessed  at  thirty  pounds  for  the  defence  of  the  Kingdom, 
and  who  was  prosecuted  as  a  Jesuit  concerned  in  Clerkenwell  and  Edmonton  plots. 
Lady  Anne  Kempe  appears  as  buried  at  Wye  on  August   17th,  1557  ;    this  is  doubtless  Amy 
Kempe,  for  she  had  died  before  the  Will  of  Sir  Thomas  Moyle  was  made. 

Sir  Thomas  Kempe  was  created  a  Knight  of  the  Carpet  on  Tuesday,  22nd  February,  1546, 
and  was  Sheriff  of  his  County  in  1548,  1549  and  again  in  1563-  In  1565  the  "History  of 
Juan  de  Mendoca,"  was  dedicated  to  him,  so  we  may  presume  that  he  was  a  patron  of  literature. 

In  1567  he,  with  the  other  chief  gentlemen  of  Kent  (many  of  whom  were  his  relatives),  met 
at  Ashford  as  Commissioners  for  the  defence  of  the  sea  coast.  They  developed  a  definite  arrange- 
ment of  signalling  by  means  of  fire  beacons,  and  provided  for  the  raising  of  an  organised  force  of 
"  Hobelers  "  or  light  horse.  The  long  and  careful  report  of  this  Commission  to  the  Privy  Council 
is  considered  one  of  the  most  praiseworthy  schemes  for  defence  ever  suggested,  and  even  two 
hundred  years  later  the  precedents  then  made  were  followed,  when  a  descent  on  the  English  coast 
was  expected  under  the  first  Emperor  Napoleon.     {Vide  "Scott  of  Scott's  Hall.") 

In  1588  Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  Sir  Thomas  Scott  (his  nephew)  and  others,  were  officers 
commanding  these  bands  of  Kentish  men-at-arms  on  the  approach  of  the  Spanish  Invincible 
Armada.  We  know  that  their  fighting  qualities  were  not  actually  put  to  the  test,  but  half  the 
difficulties  of  war  consists  of  organizing  and  arming,  in  suitable  manner,  a  well-trained  army. 
This  we  know  they  had  duly  and  most  successfully  accomplished,  largely  at  their  own  costs  ;  and 
the  fact  that  they  were  ready  and  able  to  back  up  the  work  of  their  felloAv  defenders  on  the  high 
seas,  doubtless  had  much  to  do  with  the  tremendous  victory  which  our  first  line  of  defence  then, 
and  ever  since  have,  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  most  glorious  to  the  credit  of  our  nation. 

It  will  be  seen  that  this  Sir  Thomas  Scott  was  the  son  of  Sir  Reginald  Scott  by  Emelyn 
Kempe.  A  fine  portrait  of  him  in  armour  was  in  the  possession  of  Thomas  Fairfax  Best,  Esq.,  of 
Chilston  Park,  Kent.  His  helmet  still  hangs  in  Brabourne  Church,  where  he  was  first  buried  ;  and 
an  epitaph,  with  si.xteen  verses  telling  of  his  fame,  was  erected  in  Scott's  Chapel  where  his  body 
was  removed.     One  verse  must  suffice  as  a  specimen,  as  follows  : 

"  Here  lyes  Sir  Thomas  Scott,  by  name  ; 
O  happy  Kempe  that  bore  him 
Sir  Raynold,  with  four  knights  of  fame, 
Lyved  lyneally  before  him." 

He  was  called  by  his  contemporaries,  "Father  of  Romney  Marsh  and  Founder  of  Dover 
Haven";  having,  as  said,  protected  the  district  of  the  former  and  been  chief  commissioner  in  the 
construction  of  the  latter.     He  died  in  15Q4. 

We  may  here  say  that  this  marriage  between  Reginald  and  a  daughter  of  the  Kempes  was 
the  outcome  of  an  interesting  family  agreement,  duly  attested  by  deed,  dated  9th  December,  1522, 
between  Sir  William  Scott  and  William  Kempe  and  Elenor,  the  latter's  wife.     It  was  agreed  that 

*  Perhaps  there  was  a  third  son  baptized  Moyle,  who  was  thus  living  in  1590. 


Kempes  of  IVye,  i^jg-i^gi. 


31 


in  the  event  of  either  Edward  Scott,  son  of  Sir  William  Scott,  or  of  the  eldest  son  of  Sir  John 
Scott  (who  was  eldest  son  of  Sir  William)  marrying  either  of  the  daughters  of  William  Kempe  and 
Elenor,  these  Kempes  would  settle  land  of  the  annual  value  of  ^fso  upon  the  Scott  during  his  life, 
on  his  wife  after  his  decease,  and  eventually  on  the  children  of  the  marriage.  Edward  Scott 
married  Alice  Fogge,  who  was  the  daughter  of  this  Elenor  by  her  first  husband,  Thomas  Fogge  ; 
at  the  making  of  this  agreement  she  seems  to  have  been  but  twelve  years  of  age,  she  was  therefore 
placed  under  the  wardship  of  Sir  William  Scott,  who  paid  X-°°  f°^  ^^^  grant  of  her  custody  till 
she  reached  the  age  of  fourteen,  when  her  consent  to  the  marriage  was  considered  valid,  Thomas 
Fogge  at  his  death  held  the  Manor  of  Walmer  (as  the  Manor  of  Folkestone),  and  during  the 
minority  of  his  children  this  and  other  estates 
were  administered  by  William  and  Elinor  Kempe. 

Anne  Fogge  married  William  Scott,  a 
brother  of  Sir  Reginald  Scott,  so  the  families 
were  related  in  very  many  ways. 

Sir  Thomas  Kempe  married  for  his  third 
wife  Dame  Joan,  the  daughter  of  ...  .  Far.mer, 

of and  widow  of  Lord  Mordant.     She 

was  recusant  with   her  stepson,   Moyle   Kempe, 
residing  in  Cornwall  in  1592. 

The  Mordant  arms  were  argent,  a  chevron 
between  three  estoiles  sable,  which  closely 
resembles,  in  all  but  the  tinctures,  the  arms 
used  by  the  Kempes  of  Spain's  Hall,  Finching- 
field,  Esse.x.  So  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  how- 
ever, there  was  no  reason  for  the  two  coats  to 
be  in  any  way  associated  ;  there  are  over  a 
dozen  such  coats,  varied  by  tinctures  and  minor 
changes,  all  or  most  dating  from  before  the 
visitations  of  the  sixteenth  century.  Indeed  it 
would  hardly  be  worth  mentioning  the  fact  but 
for  the  chance  of  the  coats,  when  appearing 
without  the  tinctures  being  indicated,  giving  a 
wrong  impression. 

The  descent  of  the  Mordants  is  given  on  a 
very  curious    and   handsome  tomb    in   Fulham 

Church,  an  illustration  of  which,  with  much  concerning  the  family,  is  given  in  Feret's 
Old  and  New." 

By  this  wife  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  seems  to  have  left  no  issue.  He  was  buried  at  Wye  on  22nd 
March,  1590.  His  Post  Mortem  Inquisition  is  dated  1591  (No.  49  Kent,  Anno  33  Elizabeth.) 
Where  his  will  was  proved  does  not  appear. 

(There  is  a  grant  of  administration  in   1587  (P.C.C.  loth  June)  to  John  Kempe,  husband  of. 
Elizabeth  Mordant  alias  Kempe,  late  of  the  parish  of  St.  Dunston's-in-the-West,  London.) 

Before  recording  the  details  known  concerning  the  issue  of  this  Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  we  must 
revert  to  an  earHer  period,  as,  although  his  sister  and  he  were  both  interested  in  fresh  acquisitions 
of  land  at  Plumstead,  Kempes  had  long  before  this  held  property  around  that  place  which  lies 
between  the  great  ancient  Manor  of  Lewisham  and  Greenwich. 


Arms  claimed  by  the  Kempes  of  Wye  but  not  fully 
authorized' by  the  Heralds'  College. 


Fulham 


32  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


CHoA'PTETi    VIII. 

BLACKHEATH    HUNDRED. 

THE  name  of  Kempe  is  said  by  Hasted,  in  his  ''  History  of  Kent,"  to  be  frequently  met 
with  in  the  Court  Rolls  of  Lewisham.  It  is  rather  singular,  therefore,  in  so  large  a 
parish  that  from  1558  to  1750  no  Kempe  or  Kemp  appears  in  the  church  register, 
neither  does  the  name  occur  on  any  of  the  innumerable  monuments,  the  inscriptions  of  which 
have  been  printed. 

Greenwich  was  anciently  the  harbour  of  the  Danes,  and  the  early  occurrence  of  the  name  of 
Kempe  here  and  along  the  shores  of  the  Thames,  where  they  settled,  or  wintered,  has  given  rise 
to  the  claim  of  some  Kempes  of  Teddington  that  they  owe  their  origin  to  these  early  invaders. 
The  word  kimpe  in  the  Danish  language  means  a  giant.  It  is  just  possible  that  the  word  in  that 
sense  survived  down  to  the  period  that  surnames  became  customary  in  England,  but  extremely 
improbable  that  these  humble  fisherfolk  and  watermen  passed  down  the  surname  continuously 
from  such  an  early  time.  "  Kempe's  Tenement  "  was  the  name  of  a  house  at  Fulham  before  the 
time  of  Edward  III.  In  this  ancient  town  the  Danes  were  for  long  resident  ;  but  when  we 
consider  the  other  occupants  of  the  place  subsequently,  and  recall  the  fact  that  some  400  years 
intervened  before  the  first  known  mention  of  this  messuage  as  "  Kempes,"  it  seems  the  more 
absurd  to  ascribe  such  an  origin  to  the  name. 

At  Greenwich,  however,  so  early  as  the  i6th  year  of  Edward  I.  (1288)  William  Kemp 
held  "Uplands  "  in  East  Greenwich.  At  a  later  date  Ranulph,  Vicar  of  Greenwich,  paid  to  the 
Abbot  and  Convent  of  Gand  the  sum  of  fourpence,  being  quit  for  a  field  called  ''  Uplands  "  or 
"  Upfield,"  in  the  V^iUe  of  Lewisham,  receivable  from  the  heirs  of  William  Kempe.  Blackheath 
is  certainly  high  land  and  adjoins  the  manor,  if  it  was  not  actually  in  it.  And  in  the  hundred  of 
Blackheath,  which  included  Lewisham,  Greenwich  and  other  manors,  we  find  a  John  Kempe 
paid  one  shilling  and  a  halfpenny  as  his  assessment  in  the  subsidy  collected  in  the  first  year  of 
Edward  III.  (1327)-  Compared  with  other  items,  which  vary  from  iid.  to  25J.  40^.,  this  amount 
is  but  small.  The  fact  of  this  holding  being  from  the  Convent  of  Gand  or  Ghent  is  interesting 
as  suggesting  a  connection  between  the  Kempes  of  Ghent  from  whom  descended  the  great 
Flemish  weaver,  John  Kempe  of  Flanders  (of  whom  see  under  Kendal)  and  the  Kempes  of 
Wye.     (Chapter  III.) 

Communication  between  Kent  and  the  opposite  coast  was  very  frequent  at  this  period. 
L'nder  the  auspices  of  the  various  abbots  even  humble  individuals  found  frequent  opportunity  of 
transit,  and  as  even  now  practised,  those  connected  with  a  monastery  or  convent  would  travel 
provided  with  a  recognised  introduction  to  a  fraternity  of  the  same  order  in  a  foreign  land,  or 
those  who  held  lands  or  office  under  them. 

Humphrey,  Duke  of  Gloucester,  built  a  noble  palace  here,  which  eventually  became  a  much 
frequented  royal  residence  in  the  time  of  Henry  VI.  and  Henry  VII.,  aiid  both  Queens  Mary  and 
Elizabeth  were  born  there.  During  this  time  the  Bishops  Kempe  must  have  often  been  here,  and  it 
was  on  the  adjoining  "  Blackheath  "  that  the  two  rebels,  Wat  Tyler  and  Jack  Cade — whose 
insurrections  marked  the  beginning  and  the  end  of  the  life  of  Archbishop  Kempe— gathered  their 
bands  of  malcontents.  In  the  following  of  Cade  in  1450  there  was  a  John  Kempe,  a  labourer, 
from  Mundefeld   in   Sussex,  and   from  the  same  county  a  husbandman  named  Richard  Roper  ; 


Blackheath  Hundred.  33 

perhaps  these  claimed  the  other  Kempes  and  Ropers  as  kin,  and  personal  ill-will  actuated  their 
taking  part  in  a  feud  which  was  largely  aimed  at  the  aged  prelate. 

Except  for  these  passing  Kempes  we  know  of  none  at  Greenwich  from  about  1299  till 
14-99.  In  the  latter  year  Henry  Hurst,  a  citizen  and  tailor  of  London,  having  property  in 
Greenwich,  made  Thomas  Kempe,  Esq.,  and  John  Roper,  respectively,  executor  and  overseer  to 
his  will. 

About  this  time  (i  Henry  VII.  or  ?  VIII.)  Thomas  Kempe,  Gent.,  William  Kempe,  Clerk, 
John  Fineaux  (Justice  of  the  King's  Bench),  John  Woode,  John  Roper,  and  Richard  Stevens, 
conveyed  lands  at  Greenwich,  Charlton,  Plumstead,  Woolwich  and  Westerham  to  John  Pole  and 
Margery,  his  wife  (Ped.  Fin.) 

*  (In  the  12  of  Henry  VIII.  Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  John  Roper,  Steward  of  the  Liberty,  John 
Fineaux,  Sir  William  Scott,  and  others,  are  mentioned  as  having  obtained  a  grant  under  Royal 
Patent  concerning  property  in  the  town  of  Wye.) 

The  Manor  of  Plumstead  belonged  to  Sir  Nicholas  Boveton  or  Boughton,  who  died  possessed 
of  it  in  1517,  leaving  it  to  his  son.  Sir  Edward  Boughton.  The  latter  married  Joan,  daughter  of 
Sir  William  Scott,  by  Sibbela,  a  daughter  oi  Sir  Thomas  Lewknor.  His  will  was  proved  in 
1550,. and  left  the  bulk  of  his  local  property  to  his  son.  Sir  Nicholas  Boughton,  who  as  we  have 
said,  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Sir  William  Kempe  of  OUantigh.  This  Sir  Nicholas  left  by  his 
will,;  proved  9th  February,  1559  (14  Maellershe)  lands  called  Shooter's  Hill  in  Plumstead,  and  . 
his  residence  called  ''  Plumstead  Park,"  providing  for  the  maintenance  of  his  wife,  Mary,  his  four  ; 
sons  and  a  daughter.     He  made  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  and  Sir  Robert  Oxenbridge  his  overseers. 

It  may  be  that  part  of  this  estate  passed  by. subsequent  will,  by  sale  or  gift  to  Anthony, 
Francis  and  Edward  Kempe,  sons  of  Sir  William  Kempe  of  OUantigh,  who  held  over  200  acres  of 
land  there  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  the  details  of  which  will  appear  under  their  respective  names. 

There  are  in  the  registers  of  the  Rochester  Probate  Court  two  Wills,  both  proved  in  1548, 
relating  to  the  little  estates  of  a  couple  named  Jasper  and  Jertrude  Kempe  of  Greenwich.  These 
individuals  do  not  appear  on  any  pedigree  we  have  seen,  and  may  not  be  connected  with  the  Wye 
family  ;  there  is,  however,  some  chance  of  their  being  traced  to  that  origin.  The  husband's  will 
is  dated  6th  July,  1548,  he  makes  his  wife,  "Jertrude,"  executrix,  and  mentions  his  two 
kinswomen,  Jermyn  and  PoweU  (i'/c).  Henry  Hall,  Vicar  of  Greenwich,  and  Erasmas  Kyrknor 
(?  Lewknor)  are  witnesses. 

The  widow's  will  is  dated  6th  May  the  same  year.  She  mentions  many  relatives  and  friends, 
among  whom  she  distributes  silver  spoons,  rings,  clothes  and  "  angels  " — which,  of  course,  are 
pieces  of  money.  The  list  is  a  long  one  and  cannot  be  given  fully  here,  but  the  following  names 
may  lead  to  identification.  Some  names  certainly  are  Dutch,  the  name  of  Conelius  Jansen  occurs 
and  is  given  as  the  painter  of  the  portrait  of  Sir  Nicholas  Kempe  who  married  a  daughter  of  Roger 
James  of  Holland  (in  Essex). 

,  She  mentions,  "  my  brother  Barnard,  wholemaker,  if  he  be  alive."  Many  Johnsons  are 
named, — Corneles  or  Cornilis  and  his  wife,  Christopher,  Alls,  Peter,  Garrett,  Egbart,  Jasper,  his 
son,  his  mother,  and  Perter's  children,  Leonard  Vanwanary,  Hans  Mitris,  Lucas  Goldsmyth, 
Leonard  Gibbes'  wife,  Agnes  Powell.  The  will  is  witnessed  by  the  same  Vicar  of  Greenwich, 
Roger  -Rogerson  of  London,  Hans  Myter,  John  Mylles  and  others. 

Cornelius  Johnson  and  Henry  Blewe  were  the  executors.  No  real  estate  is  mentioned,  and 
the  testator's  rank  or  trade  is  not  mentioned.     The  mention  of  Roger  Rogerson  of  London  would 

..■ *  This  flote  flight. 4e_em  rathej  put  of  place  here,  but  the  Dames  being  almost  the  same  as  in  the  preceding  it  is  inserted.  .    . 


34  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

lead  us  to  suppose  relatives  might  be  found  there.  Powell  or  Powle  was  the  surname  of  the  wife 
of  James  Kempe  of  London  and  Acton,  belonging  to  the  Suffolk  Kempes,  while  the  names  of 
Hall,  Johnson,  and  Gybbes  were  all  connected  with  the  Kempes  of  Willesden  and  that  part  of 
Middlesex. 

Perhaps  Garret  Kempe,  of  Slinden,  derived  his  name  from  the  Garrets  mentioned  in  the 
will,  as  his  father,  Anthony  Kempe,  in  addition  to  having  the  property  at  Plumstead  close  by,  was 
much  at  Greenwich  Palace. 

We  find  that  an  Agnes  Kempe,  of  Poplar,  married  Thomas  Loone,  of  Woolwich,  at  St. 
Dunstan's,  Stepney,  in  1588.  But  of  them  we  have  no  further  knowledge.  These  riverside 
places  had  a  large  proportion  of  migratory  people,  and  there  is  frequently  an  intermarriage  of 
mariners'  families  extending  from  Stepney  right  down  the  river  and  round  the  coast  to  Ry£. 

The  Rochester  Calendars  of  Wills  commence  in  1440.  The  surname  of  Kent  is  from  the 
first  found  at  Mailing,  Cowling,  Charlton,  West'ram  and  Hadlow,  and  many  similar  names  occur, 
such  as  Kemby,  Combe,  Kempsay,  Kene,  Kember,  and  Kempall.  The  present  work  cannot  enter 
into  these,  although  some  might  prove  to  be  actual  corruptions  or  variants  of  Kempe. 
Particularly  should  we  suspect  this  to  be  the  case  at  Lewisham,  Charlton  and  Westerham. 

Francis  Bacon,  who  was  closely  related  and  most  intimate  with  the  Gissing  Kempes,  had 
much  property  in  Woolwich,  and  had  the  Queen's  licence  to  alienate  130  acres  there,  and  at  East 
and  West  Ham,  in  Essex,  to  Francis  Kempe  and  his  heir,  in  1583.  At  this  time  there  was  a 
Fiancis  Kempe  belonging  to  each  of  the  principal  families,  and  all  three  were  more  or  less 
frequently  concerned  with  London  ;  it  is  not  certain  which  of  these  was  the  purchaser  of  this. 

The  manor  and  advowson  of  Charlton  were  conveyed  to  Sir  Henry  Puckering,  als  .  Newton, 
in  1658,  by  Henry  Kempe,  Gent.,  and  others. 

Close  by  Lewisham  is  Deptford,  at  which  "place  Kempes  have  been  a  numerous,  if  not  a  long 
staying  family.  This  part  must  be  given  some  consideration  later,  as  we  must  now  return  to  the 
remaining  generation  of  the  Kempes  of  Wye,  who  we  have  shown  to  be  definitely  associated  with 
this  neighbourhood  in  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries. 


CHqA'TTET^   IX. 

THE    KEMPES    OF    ^YY.— continued. 


SIR  THOMAS  KEMPE  (the  son  of  the  previous  one  of  his  name,  by  Amy  Moyle)  inherited 
Olantigh  in  or  about  1591-  He  was  knignted  at  Charterhouse  in  1603-  He  took  some 
part  in  county  affairs  and  also  provided  suitable  husbands  for  his  daughters.  He  has, 
however,  left  no  record  of  any  great  service  to  the  community,  and  seems  to  have  lived  a  rather 
uneventful  life.  He  married,  as  his  second  wife,  Dorothy,  daughter  of  John  Thompson  or 
Tomson,  Esq.,  of  London.  The  surname  of  his  first  wife  is  unknown  ;  she  was  the  mother  of  his 
daughters  Mary  and  Anne. 

It  was,  doubtless,  a  great  sorrow  that  there  was  no  son  to  continue  the  knightly  line  of  these 
Kempes.     By  the  second  marriage  there  were  only  two  daughters,  whose  names  were  Dorothy  and 


The  Kempes  of  Wye.  35 

Amy  Kempe.  Of  these  we  will  give  a  few  particulars,  but  before  doing  so  we  append  the 
inscription  which  was  placed  on  the  tomb  of  this  last  Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Ollantigh,  in  Wye 
Church.    The  original  has  now  been  lost,  and  the  following  is  taken  from  "  Archseologia  Cantiana," 

vol.  5,  p.  117.  1198482 

"  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  of  Olantigh  Knt.  Heir  male  of  the  Kempes  of  Olamigh,  by  Dame  Emelj-n  Daughter  and  Coheyr 
of  Sr.  Valentine  Chich,  by  the  Heir  of  Sr.  Robt.  Chichley,  left  his  Heyre  Sir  William  Kempe,  that  by  dame  Eleanor  widdow 
of  Sir  Thomas  Fogge,  being  ye  Heir  of  Browne,  by  an  heir  of  Sr.  Thomas  Arundel  left  his  heyie  Sr.  Thomas  Kempe  Knt., 
that  by  Dame  Amie  Daur.  and  cohejT  of  Sir  Thomas  Moyle,  left  his  Heyr  this  last  Sir  Thomas  Kempe." 

He  died  in  1607  and  was  buried  in  the  family  chapel  with  his  ancestors.  His  Inquisition 
Post  iVIortem  is  registered  in  the  7th  year  of  James  I. 

The  Subsidy  Roll  of  1593-4  for  the  Hundred  of  Wye  gives  an  idea  of  the  then  comparative 
values  of  his  own  and  other  local  Kempes'  estates. 

The  Hundred  of  Wye,  with  Hundreds  of  Folkestone,  Oxney  and  Stowting.  At  the  head  of 
the  lists  of  landholders  at  Wye  is — 

Thomas  Kempe,  Esquire,  in  land,  ^40,  for  which  he  pays  £'i. 

The  second  name  under  Wye  is  — 

Reginald  Kempe,  Esquire,  in  goods,  ^4,  for  which  he  pa3's  lis.  ^d. 

Their  uncle  John  Kempe,  Esquire,  in  Wye,  has  _^i8  in  lands,  for  which  he  pays  ^3   ij^s. 

There  is  on  this  Roll,  but  under  which  hundred  is  not  quite  clear,  a  Roger  Kempe  whose 
goods  are  rated  at  _^8,  and  he  pays  21s.  j\d. 

In  the  Hundred  of  Aloes  Bridge  there  is  a  William  Kempe  rated  for  goods  at  ^3,  paying  Si'. 

The  above  Reginald  either  inherited  Olantigh  as  heir  male  under  the  entailing  clause  in  the 
will  of  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  proved  in  1520,  or,  having  lost  it  under  the  law  of  gavelkind,  acquired 
it  by  purchase,  as  appears  by  his  will  hereafter  given. 

The  above  John,  as  we  have  said,  died  in  1599,  and  we  can  identify  Roger  as  one  who  was 
living  at  Boughton  Aluph,  and  his  will,  proved  in  1602  will  be  given  under  Boughton  Aluph 
Kempes. 

In  the  Hundred  of  Aloes  Bridge  is  New  Romney,  where  there  was  a  William  Kempe  whose 
will  was  proved  in  1600,  and  whose  family  will  be  mentioned  under  Lydd. 

Mary,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  was  baptized  at  Wye,  14th  March,  1590, 
and  married  Sir  Dudley  Digges,  who  was  the  son  of  Thomas  Digges,  of  Digges  Court,  Barham,  Kent, 
by  Ann,  daughter  of  Sir  Warren  St.  Ledger.  Both  his  father  and  grandfather,  Leonard  Digges, 
had  been  great  mathematicians  and  he  had  a  decided  bent  in  that  direction.  He  was  born  in  1583 
and  matriculated  at  Oxford  in  1601.     In  his  early  life  he  travelled  a  good  deal. 

In  16 18  he  was  sent  by  James  I.  as  Ambassador  to  Russia,  and  in  1620,  with  Sir  Maurice 
Abbott,  was  commissioned  to  go  to  Holland  to  obtain  restitution  of  certain  goods  seized  by  the 
Dutch  from  some  Englishmen  in  the  East  Indies  ;  he  was  at  this  time  a  director  of  the  Virginia 
Company,  of  London,  and  was  associated  in  the  East  India  Company  with  Sir  Nicholas  Kempe, 
who  had  ^2,500  invested  in  East  India  Stock.  Sir  Dudley  was  a  member  of  the  third  Parliament 
of  Charles  I,  and  was  made  Master  of  the  Rolls  in  April,  1636. 

On  the  distribution  of  the  Kempe  property  in  16 10,  his  wife  secured,  by  arrangement  with  her 
sisters,  the  castle  and  lands  at  Chilham,  which  her  grandfather,  Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  had  bought 
from  his  first  wife's  relative — Henry,  Lord  Chaney — and  to  the  church  of  which  the  Kempes  had 
presented  clergy. 

Mary  Kempe  found  the  Castle  in  decay  and  set  about,  at  considerable  expense,  to  rebuild  it. 
This  she  took  some  years  to  accomplish,  and  she  thought  it  desirable  to  record  the  fact  by  inserting 

D3 


36  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempc  Families, 

a  prominent  memorial  stone  on  which  her  name  appears,  and  the  text,  "The  Lord  is  my  house  of 
defence  and  my  castle.'' 

The  castle  is  still  standing  in  very  much  the  same  state  as  then  built,  and  the  above  inscription 
may  be  seen.  The  entrance  to  the  castle  forms  one  side  of  the  picturesque  village  square,  the 
church  standing  to  the  rear  of  the  old  houses  which  face  the  castle  grounds.  On  either  side  the 
square  are  httle  primitive  shops  and  a  typical  Kentish  inn.      The  church,  which  is  very  full  of 


Chilham  Castle,  Kent,  rebuilt  by  Mary  Kempe — Lady  Digges — about  1610. 


interest,  contains  a  lofty  and  handsome  tomb  to  the  memory  of  "Mary  Kempe — Lady  Digges." 

A  well-known  antiquary  remarks  that  this  entirely  spoils  the  appearance  of  the  south  aisle,  others 

rtiay   be  of  his   opinion,   but   the  inscription,    with    its   quaint  pomposity,   will  be  none  the  less 

interesting  : 

"  Mary  Kempe,  Lady  Digges  Daughyer  and  Coheire  of  Sr  Thomas  Kempe  of  Olentigh  Knight  by  Sir  Thomas 
Moyle's  Daughter  and  Coheire,  Son  of  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  Knight,  b}'  an  heir  of  Brown  and  Arundel,  Son  of  Sir  William' 
Kempe  Knight,  who  by  Emelyn  daughter  and  coheir  of  Sir  \''alentine  Chichley  and  Phillipa  daughter  and  heire  of  Sir 
Robert  Chiche,  Ma3'or  of  London,  and  brother  to  Henry  the  Archbishop,  was  son  of  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  Knight,  nephew 
to  Thomas  Kempe,  Bishop  of  London,  the  nephew  of  John  Kempe  Archbishop  of  York,  then  of  Canterbury,  Cardinal,  Lord 
Chancellor,  L)'es  here  buried  to-gether  with  Francis  her  4th  and  Richard  her  eighth  son." 

Several  coats  of  arms  with  various  impalements  and  quarters  are  displayed  on  the  tomb.     The 
three  sheaves  within  a  bordure  engrailed,  duly  occur  in  the  usual  manner,  and  for  Digges,  Gules, 
on^a  cross  argent,  five  eagles  displayed,  sable. 
'      Sir  Dudley  became  one  of  the  administrators  of  the  estates  of  the  last  Sir  Thornas  Kenipe  and 


The  Kempes  of  Wye,       ...  .37 

.his  widow  Dorothy,  on  the  death  of  the  latter  in  1629-     He  died  8th  March,  1639,  and  on  .his 

monument  the  following  eulogy  is  given  : 

"  He  was  a  pious  son,  a  careful  father,  a  loving  husband,  a,  fatherly  (j/c)  brother,  a  courteous  -neighbour,  a  merciful 
landlord,  a  liberal  master,  a  noble  friend." 

By  his  will  (said  to  have  been  proved  in  1638)  he  left  a  sum  for  the  winners  of  a  competition 
to  be  contested  for  on  the  19th  of  May  yearly.  Two  young  men  and  two  maidens  between  the 
ages  of  sixteen  and  twenty-four  ran  a  tye  on  "  Old  Wives  Lees,"  the  winners  receiving  £10  each. 
This  sum  has  been  appropriated  to  the  National  Schools.  The  will,  which  has  been  recently 
required  in  connexion  with  the  charity,  appears  to  be  missing,  and  we  understand  that  a  search  in 
the  P.C  C.  and  Canterbury  Courts  has  failed  to  trace  the  probate  of  this  important  will. 

Dorothy  (the  first  daughter  by  the  second  wife)  married  Sir  Thomas  Chichley,  of  Wimpole, 
Cambridgeshire.  He  died  before  1626,  as  appears  from  the  will  of  Lady  Dorothy  Kempe.  The 
latter  mentions  her  ^r^wo'-daughter,  Dorothy  Chichley,  and  other  children  of  her  daughter  Lady 
Dorothy  Chichley.  The  eldest  son,  Sir  Thomas  Chichley,  died  old  at  Bloomsbury  Square, 
London,  in  1698. 

This  family  were  descended  from  the  same  stock  and  bore  the  same  arms  as  the  Chichleys,  of 
Higham  Ferrers.*  Thus  a  second  time  they  were  connected  by  marriage  with  the  Kempes  of  Ollantigh. 

Amy  Kempe,  the  fourth  co-heiress  of  Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  had  for  her  husband  Sir  Henry 
Skipworth,  Baronet.  Their  children,  William  and  Elizabeth  Skipworth,  as  well  as  Lady  and  Sir 
Henry,  were  mentioned  by  Lady  Kempe  in  her  will  as  living  in  1626. 

Sir  Thomas  Kempe  had  also  a  son  by  his  second  wife,  whose  baptism  is  entered  in  Wye 

Register  as  Isaac,  son  of  Thomas  Kempe  and  Anne,    ist  October,    158b.     We  know   that  this 

son  did  not  live  to  succeed  his  father,  but  the  date  of  his  burial  or  death  is  unknown.     The  surname 

of  this  wife  is  not  given  in  the  usually  recognized  pedigrees,  although  it  generally  appears  that 

Dorothy  Thompson  was  his  second  wife. 

Anne  Kempe  was  baptized  at  Wye,  19th  June,  1589,  and,  as  we  have  said,  married  Sir  John 
Cutts,  an  Alderman  of  London,  who  served  the  ofHce  of  Lord  Mayor.  Tliere  is  an  amusing  story 
told  concerning  some  Spanish  Grandees  who  were  invited  to  meet  him  ;  it  is  said  that  they  were 
deeply  aggrieved  'at  being  asked  to  a  banquet  by  a  man  with  so  short  a  name,  for  they  reasoned 
that  a  man  with  so  brief  a  title  could  not  be  a  man  of  importance,  when  however  they  saw  the 
sumptuous  provision  made  for  them,  they  changed  their  opinion. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  an  inscription  to  Anne  Cutts,  which  is  to  be  seen  in  Swavesey 
Church,  Cambridge,  for  which  we  are  indebted  to  Captain  William  Kemp,  of  Arundel  : 

"Anne  Kemp.  —  Lady  Cutt, 
"eldest  daughter  and  co-heir  of  Thomas  Kempe  of  Ollantigh  Knt.  by  Sir  Thomas  Moyles  daughter  and  co-heir,  sonne  of 
Sir  Thos.  Kempe  Knt.  by  Ann  heire  or  Browne  and  Arundell  sonne  of  Sir  William  Kempe  Knt.  who  by  Emline  daughter 
and  coheire  of  Sir  Valentine  Chich  and  PhiKp(a)  daughter  and  heire  of  Sir  Robert  Chichley,  Mayor  of  London  and  brother 
to  Henry  the  Archbishop,  was  sonne  of  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  Knt.  Nephew  to  Thomas  Kempe  Bishop  of  London,  the 
nephew  of  John  Kempe,  Archbishop  of  York,  then  of  Canterbury,  Cardinal,  Lord  Chancellor,  lies  buried  here,  she  lived 
48  years  and  dyed  the  13th  March  1631." 

Dorothy  Kempe,  the  mother  of  this  Anne  Cutts,  mentions  several  treasures  which  she  had  at 
Swavesey,  perhaps  these  had  been  left  there  when  visiting  this  daughter. 

Lady  Dorothy  Kempe  {nee  Tomson  or  Thompson)  had  a  grant  of  administration  of  Sir 
Thomas  Kempe's  estates  on  loth  December,  1607,  and  this  was  re-granted  23rd  June,  1609. 

She  Uved  till  1629,  and  by  her  will,  dated  14th  November,  1626  (P.C.C.  49  Ridley,  1629), 

*  For  the  line  see  "  Burke's  Commoners  "  and  the  "  Northamptonshire  County  Histories." 


38  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

she  desired  to  be  buried  "  decently  but  not  sumptuously,"  in  the  parish  church  of  Wye,  "  by  the 
ashes  of  my  dear  husband  Sir  Thomas  Kempe."  Being  in  London  at  the  time  the  will  was  made, 
she  provided  ^^loo  for  the  conveyance  of  her  body  to  Wye,  an  amount  which  seems  extremely 
large  for  mere  conveyance.  Doubtless  this  would  include  something  of  a  state  funeral  by  easy 
stages.  Dr.  Jackson,  who  we  take  to  be  the  then  Vicar  of  Wye,  is  bequeathed  £\<:>  for  a  gown, 
and  a  considerable  sum  is  distributed  among  her  relations  and  others  for  ''  blacks  "  (i.e.  mourning.) 
Sums  of  money  are  left  to  her  four  daughters,  the  three  living  sons-in-law,  and  several  grand- 
children, as  well  as  to  the  poor  at  Shelford,  Childerley,  Lolworth  and  Swavesey  in  Cambridgeshire. 
The  list  of  chests,  jewels  and  clothes  would  afford  interesting  reading,  but  space  is  limited, 
and  we  will  only  mention  that  "  the  Great  Standard,"  doubtless  the  family  banner  borne  by  the 
successive  Kempes  when  Sheriffs  of  Kent  and  at  other  functions,  was  left  to  Sir  Dudley  Digges, 
who  was  the  most  distinguished  of  the  four  sons-in-law. 

Her  pe'-'-.onal  effects  were  evidently  scattered  at  the  various  residences  she  frequented. 
''  Olenty,"  of  course,  contained  the  bulk  of  her  personal  treasures,  but  some  were  at  Shelford 
House  and  others  at  Childerly.  There  is  a  mention  of  "  russet  curtains  at  Shelford  with  Sir 
Thomas  Kempe  his  colours,"  and  his  armour,  these  also  going  to  the  Digges. 

Others  whose  names  appear  in  the  Avill  are  briefly  as  foNows  :  Marie  Charnworth,  Lady 
Bowles,  Mr.  Jacob  Bridgeman  and  Mr.  Thomas  Adye,  Mr.  John  Marchinoff,  Thomas  Osbourne 
and  John  Collier. 

Nothing  is  said  of  real  estate,  only  "  residue  to  be  divided  "  between  the  four  daughters. 
Reginald  Kempe,  the  next  younger  brother  of  the  last  Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Ollantigh,  was, 
as  we  have  said,  born  in  1553,  and  baptized  at  Eastwell,  his  mother's  native  place  a  few  miles 
from  Wye.  We  have  also  shown  that  when  only  some  seven  years  of  age  he  had  a  legacy  from  his 
grandfather.  Sir  Thomas  Moyle,  in  the  form  of  a  share  in  his  town  house  in  Newgate  Street, 
London.  Under  this  will  his  elder  brother  inherited  lands  at  Dartford,  Sutton-at-Hone  and 
Chetham,  which  property  seems  to  have  also  come  to  him.  He  married  Mary,  the  daughter  of 
Richard  Argyl  or  Argall,  of  East  Sutton  (by  licence  from  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury)  in  1590. 

The  licence  is  dated  nth  December;  he  is  described  as  a  "gent,  of  Wye,"  and  she  as  "of 
Sutton,  virgin."  The  one  Sutton  is  quite  distinct  from  the  other,  the  former  being  by  Dartford, 
in  the  north-west  of  the  county,  and  the  latter — with  Sutton  Valance  and  Chart  Sutton — near 
Maidstone  and  within  some  twelve  miles  of  Wye. 

The  pedigree  of  Argal  is  given  in  the  "Visitation  oi  Essex  ^''  of  1612. 
By  his  wife  he  had  the  following  children  : 
Thomas,  who  was  to  inherit  Olantigh. 
John,  baptized  at  Wye,  26th  March,  1594,  to  have  the  reversion  of  Ollantigh  under  certain 

limitations. 
Ann,  baptized  at  Wye,  20th  January,  1595,  married  Josias  Clarke,  to  whom  she  conveyed 
the  Manor  of  Stowting,  Kent,  in  1622-  She  died  at  Wethersfield,  Essex,  her 
husband  having  letters  of  administration  for  her  estate  12th  May,  1623- 
Amy,  baptized  at  Wye,  1st  October,  1598,  married  Maurice  Tuke,  Esq.,  of  Layer  Marney, 
Essex,  whose  family  had  held  that  manor.  She  left  a  daughter  (who  inherited  her 
portion  of  the  Kempe  property)  named  Dorothy.  The  latter  married  Sir  Robert 
Filmer,  Baronet,*  of  East  Sutton.  He  died  22nd  March,  1675-6,  and  Dorothy  died 
10th  June,  1 67 1. 

♦  Arms  of  Filmer  ;  Sable,  three  bars   and  in  chief  as  many  cinquefoils  or  crest.     On  a  ruined  tower  or  a  falcon  argent,  wings  expanded  proper 

beaked  and  belled  or.    See  "  Visitation  of  Kent." 


The  Kempes  of  Wye.  39 

Dorothy,  baptized  at  Wye,  17th  February,  159Q,  married  Sir  William  Denny,  of  Gray's 
Inn,  Knight,  by  licence  from  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  dated  i8th  February, 
1632-3-  This  gentleman  wrote  the  "Shepherd's  Holiday,"  which  he  dedicated 
to  "  Lady  Kemp." 

We  have  seen  that  in  1593-4  Reginald  Kempe  was  assessed  at  ^18,  and  that  in  1599  he 
received  a  legacy  that  did  not  gi^eatly  increase  his  property,  the  bulk  of  his  estate  therefore  must 
have  come  to  him  on  decease  of  his  father  and  brother,  but  there  is  little  to  prove  the  exact  means. 
Hasted  says  he  died  at  Tremworth  and  was  buried  at  Crundell,  close  to  Wye.  His  will  was 
proved  in  the  Archdeaconry  Court  of  Canterbury,  by  his  widow  Mary,  on  12th  September,  1612- 
It  is  dated  2nd  January,  1610,  and  he  therein  describes  himself  as  "Renold  Kempe,  of  Tremworth, 
in  Co.  Kent,  Esq."  He  desires  to  be  buried  at  Wye,  amongst  the  "  reste  of  my  ancestors."  The 
will  recites  that  he  had,  by  a  deed  dated  26th  November,  3-4  James,  passed  all  his  lands  to  his 
son  Thomas  Kempe,  "for  the  continuance  of  our  Sheefe  (chief)  House  of  Olantye,"  the  testator 
accordingly  leaves  the  lands  and  "  Ollanty  "  to  Thomas,  his  son,  for  his  life  only,  giving  him 
power  to  make  a  jointure  for  his  (Thomas's)  wife  ;  after  her  decease  the  whole  estate  undivided  is 
to  pass  to  the  lawful  heir  male  of  this  eldest  son,  and  for  want  of  an  heir  male  the  whole  undivided 
estate  is  to  pass  to  John  Kempe — the  testator's  second  son.  The  following  abstract  from  the  will 
shows  the  intent,  which  is  briefly  summed  up  in  the  words  "strictly  entailed  to  the  heirs  male": 

"  If  such  son  attempt  or  goe  about  to  do  any  act  or  acts  to  alien  or  discontinue  the  said  howse, 
lands,  tenements,  fe'c."  ....  "so  that  it  cannot,  or  any  part  of  it  be  alienated,  then  their 
interest  to  cease  and  be  thereby  determined  and  extinguished,  that  then  ymediately  and  from 
thenceforth  the  same  shall  remain  and  be  to  such  person  by  this  my  will  is  limited,  fo'c."  .... 
"  the  estate  of  apportionment  to  the  wife  of  John  Kempe  excepted." 

A  second  important  item  in  the  will  is  that  under  date  of  ist  November,  1606,  he  passed  the 
Park  of  Stowting,  hmited  for  certain  uses  to  his  "cousin  "  Thomas  Scott,  of  Eggerton,  and  to  Mr. 
George  Finch,  that  Avhen  his  son  comes  of  age,  or  his,  the  testator's,  "sister  Kempe"  dies,  which 
shall  first  happen,  the  park  is  to  be  sold  and  j^' 1,400  out  of  the  produce  to  be  paid  to  Sir  Dudley 
Digges  according  to  the  purchase  made  by  the  testator  :  meanwhile  the  profits  from  the  manor  to 
go  to  the  advancement  of  his  daughters  in  marriage.  The  daughters  were  also  to  have  the 
overplus  (after  the  payment  of  the_^i,40o)  from  Stowting,  and  of  100  marks  issuing  out  of 
Chilham  by  the  year,  until  the  said  "sister  Kempe"  die  or  marry.  Mr.  Balford  to  have  the  next 
advowson  of  the  church  of  Crondell.  The  will  contrasts  with  the  previous  ones  in  the  absence  ot 
the  religious  bequests  and  petty  legacies.  The  children  being  minors,  their  mother,  doubtless, 
had  the  use  of  all  the  household  effects,  and  her  income  was  presumably  provided  by  a  settlement 
at  the  time  of  her  marriage,  as  the  will  does  not  give  her  anything  more  than  the  reversion  of  the 
daughters'  portions  in  case  of  their  dying  unmarried. 

The  inquisition  of  Reginald  Kempe  appears  in  the  Calendar  in  the  loth  year  of  James  I. 
The  parchment  on  which  the  original  report  of  his  possessions  was  made  has,  however,  been  so 
saturated  with  wet,  at  some  period,  that  Httle  or  nothing  could  be  deciphered  by  an  expert. 

In  1617  (22nd  November)  Commission  was  granted  to  administer  the  effects  of  Mary  Kempe, 
widow,  deceased,  late  of  the  parish  of  St.  Mary  the  Virgin,  in  the  toAvn  of  Colchester,  Anne 
Kempe,  the  daughter,  being  the  grantee. 

Ann  having  married  and  died  before  the  29th  March,  1622,  a  fresh  grant  was  made,  on  that 
date,  of  Mary  Kempe's  estate  to  John  Argall,  Gent.,  brother  of  the  deceased. 

It  may  here  be  noted  that  Mr.  Kempe  was  Head  Master  of  Colchester  School  at  this  time,  his 
term  of  office  extending  from  1598  till  1637.     During  the  last  years  of  his  Hfe  the  school  dwindled 


'40  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Fajnilies. 

down  to  ten  boys,  Avhereas  in  the  following  eighteen  months  eighty  were  admitted.  The  Christian 
name  of  this  master  does  not  appear  in  the  history  of  the  school  (by  J.  H.  Round).  His  identity 
is  at  present  unknown. 

It  is  evident  that  before  161 7  the  sons  of  Reginald  Kempe  were  dead,  otherwise  the  adminis- 
tration of  his  widow's  estate  would  have  been  granted  to  the  eldest  son  instead  of  a  daughter.  The 
date  of  their  death,  however,  is  not  known,  and  we  cannot  taace  the  Kempes  who  ppear  at  Wye 
later  than  this  to  the  same  stock  ;  in  the  adjoining  parish  of  Boughton  Aluph,  however,  a  line  of 
Kempes  continued  to  the  eighteenth  century,  and  there  can  be  little  doubt  as  to  these  being  a 
collateral  line  of  the  Kempes  of  Ollantigh,  although  the  date  at  which  this  branch  started  is  left 
uncertain. 

It  must  not,  however,  be  thought  that,  with  the  co-heiresses  of  the  last  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  of 
Wye  and  Reginald  -Kempe,  the  family  -  became  extinct.  'Those  branches  best  known,  which 
continued  much  later,  are  those  of  Slindon-,  Sussex  ;  the  issue  of  Edward  Kempe,  of  Hampshire, 
who  spread  into  Herefordshire,  Buckinghamshire  and  other  counties  ;  and  it  seems -that  the 
Kempes  of  Dorset,  from  whom  the  Kemp-Welches  descended,  were  also  of  the  Ollantigh  stock,  as 
they  were  landholders  in  Hampshire-  and  the  Isle  of  Wight,  where  their  properties  appear  to  be 
close  tOj  if  not  identical  with,  the  lands  belonging  to  the  known  indivrduals  of  the  Archbishop's 
family.     The  exact  connexion,  however,  has  not  been  traced.  


CHoATTETi    X.  - 

THE  ARCHBISHOP  OF  CANTERBURY,  LORD  CHANCELLOR  OF  ENGLAND. 

JOHN  KEMPE,  who  eventually  became  practically  head  of  both  Church  and  State,  could 
hardly,  even  in  the  moments  of  boyish  enthusiasm,  have  hoped  that  such  positions  w^re  in 
store  for  him.  For  although  his  father  was  of  knightly  family  and  his  mother's  -relatives 
held  large  estates,  both  were  comparatively  poor  people  until  some  years  after  John  had  made  his 
first  great  impression  as  a  man  of  keen  intelligence. 

It  was,  therefore,  the  necessity  of  carving  out  a  position  for  himself  that  stimulated  him  to 
make  the  utmost  use  of  his  opportunities,  and  to  apply  himself  to  study.  Further  than  this  we 
have  ample  evidence  of  his  good  physique,  and,  perhaps,  chief  of  all,  of  his  strong  self-control,  and 
moderation  in  times  of  extravagance  and  passion. 

His  rapid  rise  shows  that  he  possessed  great  abilities,  and  that  his  character  was  one  on  which 
men  could  rely.  The  latter  quality  is  specially  attested  by  his  maintaining  his  high  positions  for 
SCT  many  years,  during  a  period  when  public  opinion  and  court  influence  underwent  such  great 
and  sudden  changes.  Doubtless  he  was  always  ready  to  seize  any  opportunity  of  adding-to  his 
estate,  audit  may  have  been  galling  to  others  when  he  instituted  his  own  km  to  lucrative  posts. 
In  his  times,  and  for  very  long  afterwards,  positions  were  obtained  far  more  by  favour  than  they 
are  in  these  days  of  acute  competition,  with  railways  and  newspapers  providing  communication 
with  the  whole  kingdom.      An  official  would  naturally  have  to  draw  his  subordinates  from  his 


[,    KENT. 


1  thi  parish,  which 
,  beijre  1499. 


=Mi  choir  Sharpe. 


Note. — Cardinal  Kempe  settled  the  Manor  of  Boughton  Aluph 
on  his  College  at  Wye,  1453. 
Bishop  Thomas  Kempe  held  it  at  his  death,  1489. 


Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  Knight,  of  OUantigh,  demised  the 
Manor  to  his  son,  William  Kempe,  in  1 5 18. 


Edward  Kempe  had  power  to  enter  upon  a 
portion  of  the  Manor,  1539. 


tife  2nd  wife.  re-mariied 

rin;  .  .  .  .^Edward  Kempe,   of  Boughton  Aluph, =Mary  Pinner,^Wm.  Watts,  of 
P.A.i  584.  bur.  B.A.  1597.  mar.  B.A.  1584,       Newchurch. 

(?  brother  to  ne.xt  Edward*)  re-mar.  1603. 

t  of  '  homas  Le  Gent  (or  Segent)  and  widow  of  John  Tench, 
1613-1619.  I 

I  Catherine  Tench^William  Ward,  Mayor  of 

I  Dover  in  16 19. 


Wife  died 


Katherine  Kempe, 
of  Ashford. 


i 
Mercy  (.')  Kempe=Wm.  Dodd. 


I            I  I                             I                           I                                               I 

William  B^'g'  y  Dodd.  Elizabeth  Dodd.     John  Dodd.     Stephen  Dodd^Agnes.     Thomas  Dodd. 

died  ante  i"^''  John  mar.                                              of  Selling, 

loru'   of  Wye.  Wm.  Hoone.                                 died  1618/9. 

I 
Johr  Home. 


Edward  rfiton  '\luph  (yeoman  i^Katherine  Hinckley,  of  Harrietsham. 


heir  to  Ec  '63 
afterward'  '^ 
arms  164 


(Perhaps  son 
1597) 


married  161 1. 


Alice  Kener  K;  mp,  of= 
ndo    and 
tenbi  ough, 
/ill  i  .92. 


PP> 


Frances  .  m  R  ^mp, 
bur.  I7<)-  16  ?, 
r.  i6i  7. 


William  Kemp, 
(?  of  Ramsgate) 


Elizabeth  Kemp, 
bap.  1631,  mar. 
=Thos.  Sturafe. 


Hannah  Kemp. 

bap.  1633,  mar. 

^Rowland  Price. 

2nd  husb. 

^Tudman. 


Edward  Kemp,^Catherine  .... 
Adminis.  1706.  |  (re-mar.  Isaacs) 


Hannah  Kemp=Henry  Gould, 
mar.  1676. 


Maltha  Kemp. 


I 
Joyce  Kemp. 


Katherine  Kemp. 


Edward  Ij   VVl  liam  Kemp, 
bap.  B.A.        '  'ap.  1691. 
(?  bur.  I 


Hannah  Kemp, 
bap.  1693. 


Jane  Kemp, 
bap.  1695. 


Roger  Kemp, 
bap.  1699. 
bur.  1725. 


'40  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

down  to  ten  boys,  whereas  in  the  following  eighteen  months  eighty  were  admitted.  The  Christian 
name  of  this  master  does  not  appear  in  the  history  of  the  school  (by  J.  H.  Round).  His  identity 
is  at  present  unknown. 

It  is  evident  that  before  161 7  the  sons  of  Reginald  Kempe  were  dead,  otherwise  the  adminis- 
tration of  his  widow's  estate  would  have  been  granted  to  the  eldest  son  instead  of  a  daughter.  The 
date  of  their  death,  however,  is  not  known,  and  we  cannot  taace  the  Kempes  who  ppear  at  Wye 
later  than  this  to  the  same  stock  ;  in  the  adjoining  parish  of  Boughton  Aluph,  however,-  a  line  of 
Kempes  continued  to  the  eighteenth  century,  and  there  can  be  little  doubt  as  to  these  being  a 
collateral  line  of  the  Kempes  of  Ollantigh,  although  the  date  at  which  this  branch  started  is  left 
uncertain. 

It  must  not,  however,  be  thought  that,  with  the  co-heiresses  of  the  last  Sir  Thomas  Kempe  of 
Wye  and  Reginald -Kempe,  the  family  -became  extinct.  'Those  branches  best  known,  which 
continued  much  later,  are  those  of  Slindon,  Sussex  ;  the  issue  of  Edward  Kempe,  of  Hampsfiire, 
who  spread  into  Herefordshire,  Buckinghamshire  and  other  counties  ;  and  it  seems  -that  the 
Kempes  of  Dorset,  from  whom  the  Kemp-Welches  descended,  were  also  of  the  Ollantigh  stock,  as 
they  were  landholders  in  Hampshire-  and  the  Isle  of  Weight,  where  their  properties  appear  to  be 
close  tOj  if  not  identical  with,  the  lands  belonging  to  the  known  individuals  of  the  Archbishop's 
family.     The  exact  connexion,  however,  has  not  been  traced.     •  


CHcATTETi    X. 


THE  ARCHBISHOP  OF  CANTERBURY,  LORD  CHANCELLOR  OF  ENGLAND. 

JOHN  KEMPE,  who  eventually  became  practically  head  of  both  Church  and  State,  could 
hardly,  even  in  the  moments  of  boyish  enthusiasm,  have  hoped  that  such  positions  w-ere  in 
store  for  him.  For  although  his  father  was  of  knightly  family  and  his  mother's  -relatives 
held  large  estates,  both  were  comparatively  poor  people  until  some  years  after  John  had  made  his 
first  great  impression  as  a  man  of  keen  intelligence. 

It  was,  therefore,  the  necessity  of  carving  out  a  position  for  himself  that  stimulated  him  to 
make  the  utmost  use  of  his  opportunities,  and  to  apply  himself  to  study.  Further  than  this  we 
have  ample  evidence  of  his  good  physique,  and,  perhaps,  chief  of  all,  of  his  strong  self-control,  and 
moderation  in  times  of  extravagance  and  passion. 

His  rapid  rise  shows  that  he  possessed  great  abilities,  and  that  his  character  was  one  on  which 
men  could  rely.  The  latter  quality  is  specially  attested  by  his  maintaining  his  high  positions  for 
so  many  years,  during  a  period  when  public  opinion  and  court  influence  underwent  such  great 
and  sudden  changes.  Doubtless  he  was  always  ready  to  seize  any  opportunity  of  adding-to  his 
estate,  and  it  may  have  been  galling  to  others  when  he  instituted  his  own  ktn  to  lucrative  posts. 
In  his  times,  and  for  very  long  afterwards,  positions  were  obtained  far  more  by  favour  than  they 
are  in  these  days  of  acute  competition,  with  railways  and  newspapers  providing  communication 
with  the  whole  kingdom.      An  official  would  naturally  have  to  draw  his  subordinates  from  his 


PEDIGREE    OF    THE    KEMPES    OF    BOUGHTON    ALUPH,    KENT. 


Note. — C.irdiii.il  Kempe  settled  the  Manor  of  Boughlon  Aluph 


■Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  Kniehl,  of  Ollantigh,  demised  the 
M.inor  to  his  son,  William  Kempe,  in  1518. 


Richard  Kempe  married  tMonasyn  Pett,  at  Boughton  .^luph,  1558. 


William  Kcmpc,  buried  at  Wye  1560. 

I 

.1      ..  .    I      .. 


William  Kempe,  living  I58o,=Maiy  Dein 
>  in.  1569.  I 

>  bap.  at  Wye  1556. 


Aleringe  Sh.^rpe=.'\nne  Kempe.     Dennis  Kempe=Mi  choir  Sharpe. 

mar.  B..A.  1565,  I  I 

living  1602.     I 

'St  wife  2lid  wife.  re-married 

Katheriie  .  .  .  .=Edw;ud  Kempe,  of  Bonghlon  Alupll,=Mary  Piilner,=Wm.  Watts,  of 
bur.  B.A.I  5S4.  bur.  B.A.  IS97.  mar.  B.A.  [5S4,      Ncwchurch. 

t?  biother  to  next  Edw.ird")  re-mar.  1603. 

•  Edward  Kempe,  of  Dover ,=Alice,  dau-  of    liomas  Le  Gent  (or  Segent)  and  widow  of  John  Tench, 
p.  died  before  16 1 3.  j         Will  161 3.1 619.  I 

Catherine  Tench=William  Ward,  Mayor  of 
-  '  I  Dover  in  1619, 


Wife  died  aa/t  1582=John  Kempe,  of         Roger  Kempe,  of  Boughton  Aluph, 
I     Kennington.  Eastwell,  Wve  and  Kennington 

Will  ISS:.  (Yeoman)     Will  I6<i2,  bur.  B.A. 


Edward  Kempe,  of  Maidstone,  Gent.^Katherine,  daughter  of 
and  of  Dover,  Boughton  Aluph  I  Christopher  Bachelor, 
and  Kennin  ton.     Will  1620.  (?  Will  1670/2) 


Mercy  (?)Kempe=Wm.  Dodd. 


William  Kempe,=(?)  Judith  Gibson, 
Maidsl    ' 


1st  husb.  i 

Trindall=Meicy  Kempe, 
I     of  Longham. 

John  Chapman=Mary  Trindall. 


Ann  Kempe.       Mary  Kempe.         F.dwajd  Dodd.     Marg    y  Dodd.     Eliiabelh  Dodd.     John  Dodd.     Stephen  Dodd=Agne5.     Thomas  Dodd. 
(eldest  son)  mar  John  mar.  ofSelhng, 

Horn,  of  Wye.        Wm.  Hoone.  died  1618/9. 


Edward  Kempe,  of  Biddenden,  a  minor  in  l6lS.=(?  Alice  BaseJon,  mar.  at  Maidst; 

heir  to  Edward  ICerape,  of  Maidstone.  (Perhaps  ]      she  re-married,  1668,  Thomas  i 

afterwards  of    Dover   and  obtained  grant   of 

arms  1645) ^ 

I i -■  I 

Alice  Kempe.  Anne  Kempe,=Roljert  Cunis,  Mary  Kemi: 


(These  childrtn  \ 


Edward  Kempe,  of  Boughtor  Aluph  (yeomani^Katherine  Hinclcley,  of  Harrietshai 
Buried  B.A.  1638.  Will  i6}  ,     (Perhaps  son  |       married  1611.     . 
of  Edward  Kemp  bur.  at  B  ',.  1597) 


Edward  ICempe,  of=:Sarah  . 

Boughton  .Aluph, 

(eldesi  son) 

bap.  B.A.  1618, 

bur.  B..A.  1693. 


Katherine  Kempe, 

mar.  1638] 
^Thomas  Fogg. 


^lary  Kempe, 
.P.Will  167a. 


Roger  Kf  mp,  of^  . 

Londo:  and      I 
Oueenbf  ough, 
~  Will  )  ,92. 


William  Kemp,  Elizabeth  Kemp.  Hannah  Kemp. 

C?  of  Ramsgate)  bap.  1631,  mar.  bap.  1633,  mar. 

=Thos.  Sturge,         ^Rowland  Price. 


Roger  Ker.i 
Vfill  1696 


1 

1 

1 

rst  husb.             1                          2nd  husb 

1 

1 

1 

1 

KatLerine 

laiic 

i;s  .  .  .  .= 

=Edw;ird  Kemp 

M 

Booth= 

=Tliumas  Kemp, 

Roger  Kemp, 

John  Hope,^Maiy  Kempe:=Norton 

Saiah  Kemp=Philip  Smith, 

William  h  'mp, 

Martha  Kemp. 

Joyc 

Kemp. 

bur 

1700. 

(yeoman) 
bap.  B.A.  1649, 
bur.  B.A.  1708. 

bap.  1651, 

living  1696, 

"  Felimonger," 

of  Wye. 

bap.  165 z, 
Will  1696, 
Boocmaker, 
of  Homsey. 

mar.  1667.                                      mar. 

-  of  Eastwell. 
mar.  1667. 

bap.  16  1, 
bur.  I&  7. 

Edward  Kemp, 
bap.  B.A.  1670, 
t?  bur.  1700) 


Thomas  Kemp, 
bap.  168 1, 
bur.  1681. 


Roger  Kemp, 
bap.  1699, 
bur.  1725. 


The  Archbishop' of  Canterbury^  Lord  Chancellor  bf  England.  41 

own  acquaintances,  and  he  would,  of  course,  select  those  on  whom  he  could  rely  for  suitable 
service.  Positions  were  sold  frequently  to  the  highest  bidder,  or  arrangements  made  for  the 
reversion  of  an  office  by  payment  of  a  considerable  sum  down  (with  an  indefinite  period  of  waiting 
for  the  -vacancy),  or  by  the  undertaking  to  pay  to  the  retiring  person  the  income  for  a  term  of 
years  during  which  the  new  officer  must  be  dependent  on  other  income,  perhaps  that  raised  by  a 
similar  sale  of  minor  posts,  or  by  the  illegal  enforcement  of  payments.  It  was  this  injustice  which 
prepared  the  way  for  Jack  Cade's  rebellion  of  which  we  shall  have  to  speak  later.  But  looking 
down  the  long  list  of  those  appointed  to  various,  valuable  posts  during  the  long  period  of  his 
governing  of  the  church,  we  do  not  find  a  large  percentage  of  relatives  presented  to  the  "  fat  hvings," 
nor  do- we  find  an  undue  portion  of  the  vacancies  filled  up  by  men  who  were  in  a  position 
to  pay  premiums  to  the  Archbishop.     -It  is  only  fair  to  point  this  out,  as  he  been  has  repeatedly 


The  Norman  Stairs,  Canterbury. 


charged  with  nepotism  and  greed.  The  rules  which  he  so  carefully  compiled  for  the  regulation  of 
his  College  at  Wye,  bear  the  strongest  testimony  in  his  favour.  He  held  his  ecclesiastical 
appointments  with  great  dignity — we  are  incHned  to-day  to  look  upon  his  grave  hauteur,  such  as 
demanding  it  as  his  right  to  sit  before  the  king  wearing  his  cardinal's  hat,  as  popish  arroo-ance. 
Yet  here  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  Roman  Church  was  still  regarded  as  the  chief 
authority  in  matters  concerning  Christian  Religion,  while  in  the  Bishop  of  Rome  was  recognised 
the  faithful  and  inspired  representative  of  Christ.  Archbishop  Kempe  believed  in  the  reality 
and  sacredness  of  his  authority,  and  felt  that  in  maintaining  his  own  position  with  prescribed 
insignia  of  his  various  powers  he  was  upholding  the  dignity  {i.e.  greatness)  and  reaUty  of  Christ 
through  the  church. 

John  Kempe  was  sent  at  an  early  age  to  Canterbury  (some  nine  miles  from  his  home).  Here 
we  are  unable  to  find  that  he  distinguished  himself,  but  he  must  have  shown  an  aptitude  for  study, 
otherwise  being  but  the  second  son  of  a  small  property  holder,  he  would  not  have  been  sent  to 
college.      At  what  age  exactly  he  went  to  Oxford  no  record  shows — probably  at  about  sixteen. 


^.2  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Keinpe  Families. 

There  he  quickly  made  his  presence  felt  as  a  brilliant  debater.  Doubtless  the  puzzles  with  which  he 
embarrassed  his  learned  masters  made  him  popular  among  his  fellow  students.  Eventually,  having 
more  than  mastered  the  legal  conundrums  of  the  day,  and  the  usual  subjects  taught,  he  became 
both  Doctor  of  Divinity  and  Doctor  of  Laws.  He  entered  the  legal  profession  which,  be  it 
remembered  was  then  recognised  as  a  clerical  calling.  At  this  time  he  was  probably  about  twenty. 
We  do  not  know  the  date  of  his  ordination,  but  we  find  him  as  Rector  of  both  Saint  Michael's,* 
Crooked  Lane,  London,  and  of  of  Slapton  in  Bucks,  before  1407,  for  in  that  year  he  resigned  both 
livings.  It  seems  that  about  the  same  time  he  was  also  Rector  of  Southwich,  Sussex,  which, 
perhaps,  was  due  to  his  relatives'  influence  with  the  patron  of  that  living.  It  is,  however,  quite 
possible  that  at  Slapton,  at  least,  he  did  not  personally  officiate,  as  one  of  the  evils  of  the  time  arose 
from  the  fact  that  many  livings  were  held  by  one  man  who  put  a  badly  paid  clerk  in  charge. 
At  his  city  church  he  probably  exercised  his  powers  of  preaching,  and  thus  doubtless  spread  his 
fame.  In  any  case,  he  was  so  well  known  as  a  learned  man  and  clever  barrister  in  1413  that 
Thomas  Arundel,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  engaged  his  services  in  the  most  memorable  trial  of 
Lord  Cobham,  otherwise  called  Sir  John  Oldcastle,  who  was  looked  upon  as  a  dangerous  enemy 
of  the  church. 

This  gentleman,  whose  family  held  considerable  property  in  Kent,  had  imbibed  the  doctrines 
of  John  WycklifTe  (who  died  four  years  after  the  death  of  John  Kempe).  His  chief  offence  was 
that  he  denied  that  the  clergy  had  any  priestly  power  ;  for  this  he  was  brought  before  an  assembly 
of  the  greatest  ecclesiastics,  who  were  soon  deeply  involved  in  discussing  the  matters  which  then, 
and  ever  since,  have  been  such  serious  matters  of  difference  between  Christian  communities. 
The  account  of  the  trial  is  extremely  interesting  ;  we  must,  however,  confine  ourselves  to  the 
questions  put  by  the  young  barrister,  John  Kempe,  and  the  answers  given. 

At  the  trial  of  Lord  Cobham,  t  25th  September,  1413,  it  is  thus  recorded  : 

"  .  .  .  .  When  a  Doctour  of  Lawe,  called  Master  Johan  Kempe,  plucked  out  of  his  bosome  a  copye  of  that  Byll  which 
they  had  afore  sent  into  the  Tower,  by  the  Archbishop's  Council,  thinking  thereby  to  make  shorter  work  of  him.  For  they 
were  so  amased  with  his  answers  ....  that  they  knew  not  well  howe  to  occupye  the  tyme 

'• '  My  lord  Cobham '  (saythe  this  doctor)  '  we  must  brefely  know  your  mynde  concernyng  these  4  poynts  here  following. 
The  first  of  them  is  thys,  And  then  he  redde  vpon  the  Byll.  The  Fayth  and  Determinacion  of  holy  Church  touching  the 
Blessed  Sacrement  of  the  Alter  is  this,  that  after  the  sacramentall  words  be  once  spoken  by  a  pryst  in  hys  masse,  the 
materyall  bread  that  was  before  bread,  is  turned  into  Christes  very  blode.  And  so  there  remaineth  in  the  sacrement  of  the 
Aulter  from  thens  forth  no  materyall  bread  nor  materyall  wyne,  which  were  there  before  the  sacrementall  words  spoken  ; 
Sir,  beluve  ye  not  this  ?  ' 

"  Then  Lord  Cobham  sayed,  '  This  is  not  my  Beleue  ;  but  my  Faith  is  (as  I  sayed  to  you  afore)  that  in  the  worshipful! 
sacrament  of  the  aulter,  is  very  Christes  body  in  fourme  of  bread.'  Than  said  the  Archbishop,  '  Sir  Johan,  ye  must  saye 
otherwise.'  Then  Lord  Cobham  saide,  'Nay,  that  I  shall  not,  if  God  be  vpon  my  syde  (as  I  trust  he  is)  but  that  there  is 
Christes  bodye  in  fourm  of  bread,  as  the  comon  beleue  is.' 

"  Then  redde  the  doctor  again.  '  The  second  Point  is  this  :  Holy  Churche  hath  determined  that  euery  Christen  man 
lyuing  here  bodely  vpon  earth,  ought  to  be  shryen  to  a  priest  ordained  by  th'  church,  if  he  may  come  to  him.  Sir,  What 
say  ye  to  this  ?  ' 

"  The  Lord  Cobham  answered  and  said,  '  a  diseased  or  sore  wounded  man  had  nede  to  have  a  sure  wyse  chyrurgion, 
and  a  true  ;  knowing  both  the  ground  and  the  danger  of  the  same.  Moost  necessary  were  it  therefore,  to  be  fyrst  shryuen 
vnto  God.  which  only  knoweth  our  diseases  and  can  help  us.  I  deny  not  in  this  the  going  to  a  priest,  if  he  be  a  man  of 
good  lyfe  and  learning  :  for  the  lawes  of  God  are  toibe  required  of  the  Priest  which  is  godly  learned,  But  if  he  be  an  Ydiote, 
or  a  man  of  viciouse  lyuing  that  is  my  curate,  I  ought  rather  to  flee  him  than  to  seke  vnto  him.  For  souner  might  I  catch 
yll  of  him  that  is  nought,  than  any  goodnesse  towards  my  soule  helth.' 

"  Then  redde  the  doctour  againe,  '  The  third  Point  is  this,  Christe  ordained  Saint  Peter  ye  Apostle  to  be  his  Vicar  here 
in  earth,  whose  see  is  the  church  of  Rome.     And  he  granted  that  the  same  power  which  he  gave  vnto  Peter,  should  succeed 

*  Su  Dr.  Thomas  Kempe  was  also  Rector  of  this  church,  1747-1763,  in  our  Middlesex  section.  The  church  was  pulled  down  in  1832  to 
make  space  for  London  Bridge.  The  Rector  of  that  time,  Dr.  Dakins,  has  published  a  Parish  History  of  it  and  Alfred  J,  Kempe  wrote  an 
account  of  Roman  Antiquities  found  on  the  site. 

t  "  Cobbett's  State  Trials,"  1163-1600,  vol.  i. 


The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury^  Lord  Chancellor  of  England.  43 

to  all  Peter's  successors,  which  we  call  now  Popes  of  Rome.  By  whose  special  power  in  churches  partycular  he  ordained 
prelates,  archbishops,  parsons,  curates,  and  other  degrees  more  ;  vnto  whom  christen  men  ought  to  obeye  after  the  lawes  of 
the  church  of  Rome.     This  is  the  determination  of  Holy  church  ;  Sir,  belieue  ye  not  this  ?  ' 

"  To  this  he  answered,  and  said,  '  He  that  followeth  Peter  moost  nighest  in  pure  lyuing,  is  next  vnto  him  in  succession  ; 
but  your  Lordly  ordre  estemeth  not  greatly  the  lowly  behauer  of  pore  Peter  ;  what  soeuer  ye  prate  of  him  :  neither  care 
you  greatly  for  the  humble  maners  of  them  that  succeeded  him  tyll  the  lime  of  Sylvester,  which  for  the  most  part  were 
martirs,  as  I  told  ye  afore.  You  can  lett  all  their  good  condicions  go  by  you,  and  not  hurt  your  selues  with  them  at  all ;  all 
the  world  knows  thys  well  enough  by  you,  and  ye  can  meke  boast  of  Peter.' 

"Then  redde  the  Doctor  again  :  'The  fourth  Pointe  is  this,  holy  Church  hath  determined,  that  it  is  meretorious  to  a 
chrysten  manne  to  go  on  pilgrimage  to  holy  places,  and  there  specially  to  worship  holy  relicks  and  images  of  saintes,  apostles, 
martirs,  confessors,  and  all  other  saintes  besides,  approued  by  the  Church  of  Rome  ;  Sir,  what  say  ye  to  this  ?  ' 

"Whereunto  he  answered  :  '  I  owe  them  no  seruice  by  any  commandent  of  God,  and  therefore  I  minde  [?you]  not  to 
seke  them  for  your  coueteovsness  ;  It  were  best  ye  swept  them  fayre  from  cobwebs  and  duste '  " 

John  Oldcastle  was  condemned  to  be  burnt  as  a  heretic,  in  accordance  with  a  law  made  in 
1401  for  the  suppression  of  the  Lollard  doctrines.  He,  however,  escaped  into  Wales,  and  it  was 
not  until  141 7  that  he  was  executed.  A  most  ghastly  picture  of  his  execution  is  given  in  "  Foxe's 
Book  of  Martyrs,"  it  depicts  the  Lollard  hung  in  chains  nude,  over  a  great  pile  of  burning  faggots, 
an  aged  bishop  on  horseback,  and  many  clergy  and  officers  are  represented  as  looking  on. 

The  able  way  in  which  John  Kempe  had  conducted  the  prosecution  led  to  the  next  step  in 
his  now  rapid  promotion.  Archbishop  Chichele  introduced  him  to  King  Henry  V.,  who  soon  made 
use  of  his  services.  In  July,  141 5,  he  was  sent,  attended  by  a  large  retinue,  and  provided  with 
what  seems  an  enormous  amount  of  plate  and  money  to  negotiate  with  the  King  of  Arragon  for 
peace,  and  for  the  hand  of  his  daughter.  Princess  Catherine.  It  was  not  unusual  for  clerics  to  be 
sent  on  State  negotiations,  but  the  very  delicate  and  difficult  task  entrusted  to  him  in  his  thirty- 
fifth  year — when  older  and  more  experienced  men  were  available — shows  how  greatly  the  king 
and  great  officers  of  State  esteemed  his  talents.  Although  these  desired  objects  were  not  attained, 
he  was  soon  dispatched  on  a  second  mission  to  France,  and  afterwards  to  Burgundy  in  141 7  and 
1418.  In  April,  141 9,  Henry  V.  made  him  keeper  of  his  Privy  Seal,  and  in  less  than  two  years 
he  was  appointed  Chancellor  of  the  Duchy  of  Normandy,  during  which  office  he  on  one  occasion 
at  least  held  a  review  of  the  troops,  he  being  the  inspecting  general  !  He  had,  meanwhile,  been 
successively  appointed  Archdeacon  of  Durham,  Dean  of  Arches,  Vicar-General  to  Archbishop 
Chichele,  and  Chief  Justiciary  of  the  Province  of  Canterbury.  In  the  same  year  he  was  appointed 
Bishop  of  Rochester,  the  Papal  provision  being  dated  26th  June,  1419,  and  the  temporalities  of  the 
see  being  delivered  to  him  by  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  on  the  9th  December  following. 
It  is  probable  that  his  consecration  as  bishop  took  place  at  Rouen  at  the  same  time  as  that  of 
Bishop  Morton,  who  about  this  time  was  appointed  Bishop  of  Winchester,  and  who  it  is  known 
was  consecrated  at  Rouen  Cathedral  on  3rd  December  that  year.  In  this  see  he  remained  till 
142 1,  when  he  was  appointed  to  that  of  Chichester  ;  he  was,  however,  never  enthroned  there,  nor 
did  he  perform  any  episcopal  act  in  that  diocese,  as  the  more  important  bishopric  of  London 
becoming  vacant,  he  claimed  that  see  under  a  Papal  provision  dated  17th  November,  1420.  This 
provision,  however,  was  felt  by  the  London  clergy  to  be  an  encroachment  on  the  right  exercised 
by  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  St.  Paul's,  of  selecting  a  candidate  and  submitting  his  name  to  the 
Pope.  They  had  in  this  case  elected  Thomas  Polton,  Bishop  of  Hereford,  and  thus  to  compromise 
matters  the  Pope  translated  the  latter  to  the  See  of  Chichester,  while  John  Kempe  received  the 
spirituals  of  London  from  the  Archbishop  on  20th  May,  1422,  and  the  temporals  from  the  King 
on  the  20th  of  the  following  month.  It  is  interesting  to  notice  as  one  of  the  results  of  this  struggle 
between  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  St.  Paul's  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  Pope  on  the  other,  for  the 
right  of  nominating  a  new  Bishop  to  the  See,  that  at  the  Court  General  of  the  Manor  of  Fulham 
held  on  2nd  October,  1421,  it  was  decreed  as  follow   :— 


44  -"     ■    'History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families.         .    - 

•  .     "Presented  that  the  Dean  and  Chapter  claim  one  shilling  during  the  vacancy  of  the  See  as 
recognizance  from  the  Customary  Tenants,  and  the  same  to  be  levied  forthwith." 

When  at  length  John  Kempe  was  presented  to  the  temporalities  pertaining  to  his  Bishopric 
of  London,  all  the  tenants  of  his  manors  had  to  attend  to  do  fealty.  We  may  here  digress  to  note 
the  very  considerable  lands  which  the  Bishop  of  London  then  held,  in  addition  to  his  chief  seat, 
Fulham  Palace.  The  Manor  of  Fulham  alone  included  Hammersmith  and  Finchley  covering 
about  4,000  acres.  The  Bishop  held  the  manors  of  the  following  places  in  Middlesex,  Herts,  and 
Essex  with  the  advowson  of  several  of  them  : — Acton,  Ealing,  Ashwell,  Drayton,  Peering, 
•Greenford,  Hanwell,  Rtckmansworth,  Hornsey,  Hadham,  Kelvedon,  Layndon,  Steavenage, 
Stortford,  Wickhara,  and  Paddington.  Granting  that  both  the  Kempe  bishops  were  guilty  of 
remembering  their  relatives  and  introducing  them  to  positions  of  advantage,  it  will  be  interesting 
for  us  to  bear  in  mind  these  places,  with  those  which  they  held  personally,  and  others  like  the 
lands  held  by  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  St.  Paul's  to  which  the  bishops'  influence  doubtless 
extended.  In  many  cases  the  ancient  Manor  Rolls  go  back  to  their  times  or  nearly  so,  and  we 
may  thus  obtain  a  trace  of  Kempes  who  settled  down  on  these  episcopal  lands  during  the 
period  over  which  the  Kempes  were  Lords  of  these  Manors.  This  subject  will  be  followed  in  our 
Middlesex  section  more  particularly,  and  it  will  seem  evident  that  the  Kempes  of  Norfolk  were 
recognized  as  kinsmen  by  both  John  and  Thomas  Kempe,  although  even  then  the  connexion 
between  the  two  families  of  Norfolk  and  Kent  must  have  been  remote  and  merely  supported  by 
tradition.  In  any  case,  both  Kentish  and  Norfolk  Kempes  became  holders  of  land  in  some  of  the 
above  manors  (indicated  by  italics)  within  a  short  time. 

In  his  London  bishopric,  John  Kempe  couid  have  found  but  little  time  to  devote  to  the 
improvement  of  his  manorial  residence  at  Fulham,  his  numerous  offices  must  have  necessitated  his 
being  much  in  London,  and  frequently  he  was  away  on  missions,  so  that  his  stay  at  Fulham  could 
not  have  been  prolonged,  yet  it  seems  that  at  least  he  had  meditated  the  alterations  and 
improvements  which  his  nephew  eventually  carried  out.  This  rebuilding  of  the  episcopal  seat 
will  therefore  be  mentioned  at  a  greater  length  under  our  notice  of  Bishop  Thomas  Kempe. 

On  the  accession  of  Henry  VI.  Bishop  John  Kempe  resigned  the  post  of  Chancellor  of 
Normandy  in  order  to  become  a  member  of  the  Council  appointed  to  act  for  the  boy-king  during 
his  minority.  In  this  he  took  no  small  part,  for  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  who  had  been  appointed 
Protector,  tried  to  ignore  the  Council,  and  it  was  necessary  to  check  his  arrogance.  This  duty 
fell  upon  Kempe,  and  Bedford  was  summoned  to  the  Star  Chamber  at  Westminster.  At  first  he 
refused,  then  he  made  excuses  for  non-attendance,  but  eventually  he  appeared,  and  before  a  great 
gathering  of  noblemen,  prelates,  and  the  King's  Council  Bishop  Kempe  addressed  him  with  a  long 
and  powerful  reprimand.  The  whole  is  too  long  to  be  given  here,  but  the  opening  sentences  as 
recorded  in  the  Parliament  Rolls,  will  afford  an  idea  of  its  tone  : — 

"  tuiste,  after  protestation  made,  that  it  is  in  no  wyse  th'entent  of  my  said  Lordes  of  the  Counsaille,  to  with  drawe 
from  the  saide  Lorde  of  Bedford,  Worship,  Reverence,  or  enything  that  thei  owe  unto  him,  considering  his  birth,  the  state 
that  God  hath  sette  hymne  ynne  ;  but  to  do  him  all  Worship,  Reverence,  and  Pleasure  ;  it  was  rememboud  howe  that  after 
the  time  of  his  last  coming  unto  this  land,  he  had  made  unto  the  saide  Lordes  of  the  Counsaille  many  notable  good  and 
great  exhortations."     .     .     . 

With  many  such  polished  speeches  Kempe  made  it  distinctly  understood  that  the  noble  lord 
must  not  trifle  with  the  Council,  and  great  and  powerful  as  was  the  Duke  of  Bedford  he  had  to 
at  least  nominally  assent  to  the  rulings  of  this  "  Kempe  of  mean  origin." 

The  King's  education  was  one  of  the  chief  concerns  of  this  Council.  In  the  British  Museum 
IS  an  mteresting  document  relating  to  this  subject,  in  which  directions  "  for  the  better  rule  and 
government  of  the   King  "  are  laid   down.      It   is  signed  by  all  the   members  of  the  Council. 


The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  Lord  Chancellor  of  England.  45 

Kempe,  who  had  by  the  date  when  the  document  was  drawn  up  become  Archbishop  of  York, 

signs  himself  "  J.  Ebor." 

At  the  assembling  of   Parliament   in   the   Painted   Chamber,  Westminster,  in    1428,  John 

Kempe,  then  being  Archbishop  of  York  and  Chancellor  of  England,  opened  the  Cause  of  the 

Summons  with  a  sermon  based  on  the  words,  "  Sine  Providentia  Regali  impossibile  est  Pacem 

Rebus  dare,"  from  the  Book  of  Maccabees,  deducing  therefrom  two  heads  of  discourse  which  are 

given  in  the  Parliamentary  History,  vol.  ii.,  para.  201,  as  follows  : — 

"  The  first  was  the  duty  of  the  Prince  towards  his  Subjects,  and  the  other  the  duty  of  the  Subjects  to  their  Prince. 
The  first  of  these  he  again  subdivided  into  three  other  points  that  the  Subjects  should  be  defended  from  any  foreign  invasion  ; 
that  Justice  should  be  indifferently  administered,  and  that  Peace  should  be  kept  within  the  Realm.  Three  things  he  said 
also  belonged  to  the  subjects  ;  first,  that  they  should  grant  large  supplies  for  their  better  defence  in  time  of  war  ;  in  Peace, 
that  they  should  readil}'  obey  their  Majesties  and  meekly  to  submit  themselves  to  the  known  Laws  of  the  Land.  All  which 
the.  better  to  accomplish,  the  King  had  called  this  Parliament  and  confirmed  all  their  Liberties  ;  and,  that  business  might  be 
sooner  begun  and  ended,  he  desired  the  Commons  to  make  choice  of  a  Speaker  and  present  him  the  ne.xt  da}'  before  the 
Kiiig."     (John  TjTrel,  Esquire,  was  the  Speaker,  who  was  then  accordingl}'  presented.) 

At  the  opening  of  Parliament  at  Westminster,  in  1429,  Archbishop  Kempe  addressed  the 
assembly,  taking  for  his  text  the  words  "  Ouomodo  stabit  Regnum ''  (Lk.  xi.,  18),  from  which  he 
argued  "  That  in  the  Realm  of  England  three  Causes  were  to  be  noted  which  hindered  its 
advancement  : 

1.  "Want  of  Faith,  which  is  the  root  of  all  good- works  :  quod  sine  Fide  impossibile -esl  placere  Deo  ; 

2.  "Want  of  Fear,  which  was  the  chief  in  every  good  mind  :  Nam  qui  timet  nihil,  negliget  ; 

"And  lastly.  The  want  of  upright  Justice,  the  pillar  of  every  Kingdom,  for.  Ex  Justitia  sequitur  Pa.\  et  Pace  Rerum 
Abundantia  maxime  procreatur. 

"  Instead  of  these  three  virtues  three  abominable  Vices,"  he  said,  "were  sprung  up,  namel}-.  Infidelity,  through  Errors 
and  Heresies  ;  Obstinac)',  instead  of  fear  ;  and  Oppression  in  place  of  Justice.  Through  infidelit}'  he  told  them  that  the 
troubles  in  Germany  had  happened.  Fear  he  again,  divided  into  two  parts,  the  one  Spiritual  and  virtuous,  as  fearing  God 
and  man  for  God,  the  other,  Carnal  and  A'icious,  from  whence  sprung  murmurs  and  rebellion  which  would  procure  such 
destruction  as  happened  to  Dathan  and  Abiram. 

"  From  oppression  ensued  the  transferring  of  the  King's  arms,  according  to  the  Wise  Man,  '  Regnum  a  gente  in  gentem 
transferetur  propter  Injustitias  aut  Injurias  !  But  that  if  true  Faith,  due  Fear  and  strict  Justice  were  restored,  there  was 
then  no  doubt  but  this  would  be  a  flourishing  Kingdom.'  He  concluded.  That  as  the  Prince  was  bound  to  defend  the 
Subjects  and  to  keep  Peace,  so  ought  the  Subjects  to  grant  lar^el}'  to  the  Prince  out  of  their  goods  that  he  might  be  enabled 
to  perform  the  same,  to  which  end  the  said  Parliament  was  called."     (Pari.  Hist.,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  205-6.) 

The  substance  of  the-  addresses  at  the  Assembling  of  Parliament  here  recorded  are  given  in 
the  Pari.  Hist.  II.,  258  and  II.,  262  in  the  years  1428-9.  During  the  years  of  his  office  Kerape- 
seems  to  have  opened  Parliament  each  year  with  only  one  exception,  when  illness  prevented  him- 
from  doing  so.  '  -  .  : 

John  Kempe,  soon  after  the  address  to  the  Duke  above  recorded,  was  sent  to  the  Duke,- 
then  acting  as  Regent  of  France,  and  was  employed  to  treat  for  the  release  of  the  King  of 
Scots  (Acts  of  Privy  Council,  III.,  83,  137.)  On  i6th  March,  1426,  he  was  raised  to  the 
Chancellorship  of  England,  and  on  the  8th  of  April  '  following  was  elected  Archbishop  of 
York.  As  Lord  Chancellor  he  remained  for  nearly  six  years,  resigning  the  Great  Seal  on 
25th  February,  1432.  This  resignation  is  believed  to  have  been  due  to  the  friction  between  the 
two  factions  of  the  governing  powers — Bedford  and  Gloucester.  The  Archbishop  was  one  of 
those  who  signed  the  "  Answers  "  of  the  latter  Duke  resisting  the  other's  claim  to  govern  at  his- 
own  will  and  pleasure  and  explaining  the  limitation  of  his  authority  as  Protector  (Rot.  Pari.  IV.,- 
327).  He,  however,  continued  to  take  an  active  part  in,  and  assiduously  attended  the  Council; 
notwithstanding  his  relinquishment  of  the  Purse.  - 

We  have  mentioned  that  Kempe  held  for  a  time  the  post  of  Chancellor  of  Normandy,  and  it 
will  be  of  interest  to  further  note  that  when  his  other  duties  prevented  his  personally  executing 
the  acts  of  that-  position  his  -s.eal  was  affixed  -by  Jehan  Brinkley, -his  Esquire^  Lieutenant  at  Caen. 


46  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempc  Families. 

The  impression  of  this  seal  is  preserved  among  the  additional  charters  in  the  British  Museum 
(No.  114),  though  slightly  damaged  it  will  be  found  to  bear  the  inscription  "  myn.  J.K."  in  old 
English  characters  and  ''an  eagle  displayed,''  which  being  similar  to  his  badge,  "  a  bird  in  her 
piety,"  may  be  also  a  cognizance  worn  by  the  personal  following  of  the  Chancellor  in  Normandy. 
We  may  here  venture  to  say  that  just  as  our  regiments  wear  the  present  Royal  badges  in  various 
forms,  so  the  servants  of  a  lord  possessing  numerous  seats  and  offices  would  frequently  be 
distinguished  by  a  badge  which  would  serve  readily  to  identify  the  individual  both  with  his  lord 
and  also  with  the  seat  or  office  to  which  he  was  attached.  Such  badge  was  not  subject  to  the 
decrees  of  the  Heralds  as  Arms  were  and  still  are,  thus  many  badges  have  passed  out  of  mind  and 
are  entirely  unrecorded.  Archbishop  Kempe  used  as  his  badge  when  Archbishop  of  York  and 
Canterbury  a  pelican  or  similar  bird  plucking  her  breast,  commonly  termed  a  "  bird  in  her  piety," 
and  so  frequently  used  in  churches  to  allude  to  the  self-sacrifice  of  Christ.  It  was  probably  due 
to  his  using  this  as  a  badge  that  a  crest  of  such  a  bird,  standing  on  a  wheatsheaf,  was  adopted  by 
his  family  and  the  Kempes  of  Norfolk,  who  had  previously  used  "a  hooded  hawk"  as  their  crest. 


CHoATTETi    XI. 

ARCHBISHOP    KEMVE—contmited. 

As  at  his  appointment  to  the  See  of  London,  there  was  opposition  to  John  Kempes'  translation 
Z— \  to  the  Archbishopric  of  York.  In  this  case  the  Pope  had  preferred  Richard  Fleming 
■*■  -^  of  Lincoln  to  this  province,  but  the  King,  with  the  Dean  and  Chapter,  taking  advantage 
of  the  law  against  the  usurpations  of  Rome,  stoutly  opposed  him,  and  the  Pope  had  practically 
to  withdraw  his  nominee.  Again,  however,  the  Rom.an  Pontiff  did  not  acknowledge  that  the 
King  had  either  the  right  or  power  to  instal  any  to  the  See  without  his  direct  sanction  ;  thus 
obliged  to  give  way  to  the  King  he  yet  claimed  the  prerogative,  and  issued  a  letter  to  the  clergy 
of  the  province  directing  in  rather  odd  terms  that  Kempe  should  be  acknowledged  as  the 
Archbishop  of  York. 

During  the  long  period  of  twenty -six  years  which  he  occupied  this  position  he  was  so  occupied 
with  the  more  secular  offices  connected  with  the  State  politics  that  suffragan  bishops  discharged 
most  of  his  episcopal  functions.  He,  however,  seems  to  have  been  very  mindful  of  his  parishes, 
and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  out  of  his  revenues  he  spent  yearly  large  sums  in  restoring  the 
churches  in  his  province  which  specially  required  such  outside  help.  He  made  good  use  of  his 
nephew,  Thomas  Kempe,  as  we  shall  presently  see,  and,  doubtless,  this  relative  was  the  factotum 
who  was  entrusted  with  the  administration  of  the  Archbishop's  charitable  funds.  Perhaps  it  was 
to  acknowledge  the  generosity  of  this  Archbishop,  or,  perhaps,  out  of  esteem  for  his  personal 
qualities,  that  many  churches  displayed  some  allusion  to  his  name  or  arms.  For  instance,  in 
the  Church  of  St.  George,  at  Doncaster,  over  the  principal  eastern  arch  of  the  interior,  there  is 
a  demi-figure  archangel  in  ecclesiastical  vestments,  pall,  &c.,  the  right  hand  raised  in  the  act  of 


The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  Lord  Chancellor  of  England.  47 

benediction,  in  the  left  an  episcopal  mitre,  and  on  a  shield  supported  by  two  smaller  figures  the 
coat  of  arms  of  the  See  of  York  impaling  the  coat  of  Cardinal  Kempe  (three  sheaves  within  a 
bordure  engrailed).  Over  the  angels'  heads  the  sacred  monogram  I.H.S.  And  there  also  was  a 
carving  in  the  masonry,  representing  a  woolsack  with  the  letter  K,  in  allusion  to  Archbishop 
Kempe  being  Lord  Chancellor  of  England.* 

Archbishop  Kempe  left  various  material  memorials  of  his  occupation  of  the  See  of  York  He 
beautified  Southwell  Minster,  and  to  a  great  extent  rebuilt  it.  He  built  the  Gatehouse  to  the 
Palace  of  Cawood,  which  he  adorned  inside  and  out  with  his  arms  and  insignia  as  Cardinal  and 
Archbishop.  His  arms,  badges,  and  motto  are  also  to  be  seen  in  the  now  decayed  woodwork  of 
the  palace  itself.  Kx\  illustration  of  the  gateway  is  given  in  Drake's  "  Eboracum,"  page  443, 
showing  the  shield,  three  sheaves  within  an  engrailed  border,  being  supported  by  birds— possibly 
meant  for  hawks,  presumably  in  allusion  to  the  early  crest  of  his  family.  In  the  engraving  the 
birds  appeared  to  be  strangled  by  a  cord,  but  this  line  may  be  the  lower  edge  of  a  hood  such  as 
the  hawk  crest  often  had.  The  Cardinal's  hat  was  used  here  and  in  other  places  as  Kempe's  crest. 
His  personal  motto  was  "  Loue  soit  Dieu,"  i.e.,  God  be  praised.  We  have  not,  however,  actually 
seen  these  relics  at  Southwell  Palace,  and  are  relying  upon  Drake  for  these  details.  He  also 
speaks  in  the  above-mentioned  work  of  the  existence  of  "  vestry  furniture  cloth  "  at  York  Minster 
bearing  Kempe's  arms.     These  may,  however,  have  disappeared  before  now. 

The  beautiful  window  of  Bolton  Percy  Church,  near  York,  contains  in  the  centre  section  a 
portrait  figure  of  Archbishop  Kempe,  which  was  doubtless  placed  there  at  the  cost  of  Thomas 
Kempe  when  rector  of  that  church  in  recognition  of  his  uncle's  generosity  and  patronage. 
Unfortunately  the  glass  with  the  head  of  the  figure  is  modern.  Hence  it  cannot  be  relied  on  as 
an  actual  likeness.  We  give  a  small  illustration  of  the  whole  window  which  will  give  an  idea  of 
the  figure,  and  below  may  be  seen  a  shield  bearing  his  arms. 

The  Archbishop  was  prepared  to  attend  the  Council  at  Basle,  and  his  credentials  and  passport 
were  made  out  and  permission  given  him  to  take  _^2,ooo  sterling,  with  plate  valued  at  1,000 
marks,  in  1433,  when  a  change  in  the  policy  of  the  Kingdom  occasioned  a  delay.  He  addressed 
letters  to  the  Council  in  consequence.  These  are  said  to  be  very  verbose  in  character.  They 
may  be  seen  in  the  British  Museum  Library  (Harl.  MS.,  826).  The  year  is  not  mentioned,  but 
the  month  is  July,  probably  1433. 

In  X435  he  represented  England  at  the  great  European  Congress  held  at  Arras,  when  he 
declared  with  immense  vigour  and  dignity  the  King's  desires,  which  were  for  peace.  As  repre- 
senting the  King,  rather  than  in  his  Ecclesiastical  capacity,  he  went  on  this  important  mission 
in  greater  state  than  before.  The  gold,  silver  plate  and  jewels  which  he  took  with  him  on  this 
occasion  were  valued  at  three  million  marks.  Other  officials  he  took  with  him  must,  according 
to  the  permission  granted  to  them,  have  taken  altogether  more  than  twenty  million  marks  in 
similar  valuables.  His  principal  commission  was  to  arrange  a  marriage  between  one  of  the 
daughters  of  Charles  of  Valois  and  Henry  VI.,  but  this  he  failed  to  accomplish.  On  his  return 
he  resumed  his  many  State  duties  within  this  realm. t 

In  1439  he  was  again  engaged  in  a  fruitless  mission  to  France  with  the  object  of  arranging 
peace. 

The  embassy  consisted  of  the  Duke  of  Norfolk  with  a  long  retinue  of  nobles,  prelates,  lawyers 
and  their  respective  suites,  with  a  following  of  armed  soldiery.  Dr.  Thomas  Beckington  was 
secretary  to  Archbishop  Kempe,  and  Sir  Thomas  Wotton,   Knight  (formerly  esquire   to  King 

♦  "  History  of  St.  George's,  Doncaster,"  by  Rev.  Jackson,  1855. 
t  "  Foedera,"  v,  i,  18.    "  Acts  of  Privy  Councils,"  iv,  302. 


4S  History  of  the  Kemp  mid  Kempe  Families. 

Henry  VI.),  was  now  one  of  his  esquires.  The  secretary  kept  a  voluminous  diary,  and  the 
minutes,  of  which  three  contemporary  copies  are  extant.  *  From  these  a  book  might  be  written  ; 
we  must,  however,  give  here  but  few  of  the  graphic  details  to  enable  us  to  enter  a  little  into  the 
reality  of  this  long-forgotten  but  memorable  mission. 

It  was  on  Friday,  the  26th  June,  that  the  Ambassadors  landed  at  Calais,  where  on  the 
following  Sunday  they  received  news  of  the  approach  of  the  French  Embassy,  headed  by  Count 
de  Vendome  and  Archbishop  of  Rheims,  and  accordingly  rode  out  in  great  state  to  meet  them. 
Next  day  both  parties  dined  with  the  Archbishop  of  York  at  ten  o'clock,  excepting  the  Count  de 
Vendome,  who  made  the  excuse  that  on  that  day  he  kept  a  fast.  The  arrangements  for  the 
conference  were  made  on  a  magnificent  scale,  the  preparations  requiring  over  a  week  to  complete. 
On  Monday,  6th  July,  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  English  Legation  left  Calais,  a  sufficient 
guard  being  stationed  there  to  prevent  the  town  being  taken  unawares  in  order  to  rescue  the  Duke 
of  Orleans,  who  was  then  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  English.  At  eight  o'clock  they  arrived 
at  the  place  of  Convention,  the  Gravelines  being  seven  miles  distant,  when  refreshments  were  in 
readiness  for  the  whole  cavalcade,  the  chief  of  the  party  being  entertained  in  the  tent  of  the 
Archbishop  of  Rheims.  The  Duchess  of  Burgundy  on  the  one  side  and  Cardinal  Beaufort  on  the 
other  were  the  appointed  mediators,  and  before  them  the  Ambassadors  of  England  and  Charles 
laid  their  proposals.  Great  friction,  however,  again  prevailed,  and  each  party  was  so  little  assured 
of  the  other's  honour  that  their  camps  were  surrounded  by  trenches  in  which  the  armed  soldiers 
kept  continual  watch,  ready  for  an  outbreak  of  hostilities  at  any  moment.  The  object  of  the : 
Council  was  not  accomplished,  but  the  Archbishop  of  York  was  not  held  to  have  erred  in  judgment- 
or  ability,  for  not  only  did  he  continue  to  hold  his  many  high  offices,  but  further  dignities  were' 
conferred  on  him. 

In  the  December  of  the  same  year  (143Q)  Pope  Eugenius  IV.,  at  his  third  creation  of- 
Cardinals,  made  John  Kempe  Cardinal  Priest  of  Santa  Balbina.  This  Ted  to  a  controversy 
between  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  (Stafford)  and  himself  as  to  which  provincial  had  the 
precedence.  On  this  matter  being  referred  to  the  Pope  it  was  decreed  in  favour  of  Archbishop - 
Kempe,  on  the  ground  that  an  Archbishop,  even  in  his  own  province,  must  go  after  a  Cardinal, - 
the  latter  office  being  second  in  the  church  only  to  the  papacy. 

Some  two  years  later  Cardinal  Kempe,  with  Archbishop  Chichley  and  Cardinal  Beaufort,  had  ■ 
to  judge  Alenor  or  Elenor  Cobh-am,  \vho  was  charged  with  conspiracy,  with  her  acquaintance, 
Roger  Onley,  otherwise  called  Bolingbroke,  for  planning  to  cause  the  King's  death.  This  lady - 
was  the  daughter  of  Reginald,  Lord  Cobham,  and  -wife  of  Humphry,  Duke  of  Gloucester.  She 
is  said  to  have  been  a  weak-minded  person  and  the  dupe  of  Bolinbroke,  who  is  called  a 
necromancer.  The  ignorance  of  the  time  is  shown  by  these  three  learned  men  judging  her  for 
the  offence  of  procuring  a  wax  effigy  of  the  King,  by  burning  which  she  would  cause  the  King's 
actual  body  to  waste  away  in  death.  Both  she  and  Bolingbroke  protested  that  they  had  never 
intended  more  than  to  foretell  when  the  King  should  die  by  means  of  the  wax  figure.  This  trial 
was  held  in  St.  Stephen's  Chapel,  Westminster,  where  she  had  taken  sanctuary,  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  times.  The  verdict  was  that  she  should  be  imprisoned  at  Leeds  Castle,  in  Kent, 
but  the  villainy  of  her  enemies  (her  husband),  who  sought  by  this  charge  to  get  rid  of  her, 
having  been  foiled  by  this  comparatively  mild  sentence,  they  soon  brought  her  to  the  Guildhall, 
London,  where,  on  a  false  chnrge  of  having  by  means  of  witchcraft  induced  her  betrayer,  the 
Duke,  to  marry  her,  she  was  condemned  to  do  public  penance  (1441J.  

*  "  Hari.  .M.S.,"  86i  snd  4,763.     "  Cotton  M.S.  Tiberius,''  B.  xii. 


The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  Lord  Chancellor  of  England.  49 

In  1443  Cardinal  Kempe  granted  an  indulgence  to  those  who  gave  to  the  building  of  a  bridge 
at  Oxhead,  Norfolk,  the  charter  concerning  which  is  among  the  Stowe  MSS.  (Charter  608.)* 
Oxhead  is  a  parish  on  the  River  Bure,  about  nine  miles  north  of  Norwich,  and  close  to  Brampton. 
It  will  be  noticed  in  our  Norfolk  section  of  this  work  that  Alice,  the  daughter  of  Robert,  Duke 
of  Brampton,  married  John  Kempe  of  Weston.  It  is  just  possible  that  Archbishop  Kempe 
recognised  these  persons,  or  rather  their  ancestors,  as  kinsmen  and  the  senior  line  of  his  own 
family,  and  that  consequently  he  was  easily  induced  to  render  this  favour.  Archbishop  Kempe 
was  one  of  those  who  signed  the  great  Charter  granted  to  the  City  of  Norwich  in  1452,  and  this 
act  may  also  indicate  that  he  used  his  influence  to  obtain  the  advancement  of  a  place  so  intimately 
connected  with  Kempes. 

On  31st  January,  1450,  Kempe  was  again  called  upon  to  fill  the  offices  of  Chancellor  and 
received  the  Great  Seal  on  the  resignation  of  John  Stafford,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 

In  1450,  M'hen  the  Cardinal  was  seventy  years  of  age,  he  had  to  go  forth  to  meet  the 
formidable  rising  headed  by  Jack  Cade.  This  rebellion  was  supposed  to  have  been  instigated  by 
the  Yorkists,  and  had  it  been  successful  the  king  would  probably  have  been  deposed.  But  timely 
warning  was  carried  to  the  City  of  London,  which  immediately  turned  out  its  pikemen  and  sent 
tor  the  venerable  Chancellor  and  Archbishop  to  come  to  direct  their  operations.  The  insurgents 
were  met  at  the  south  side  of  London  Bridge,  where  the  two  forces  met,  and  a  furious  but 
indecisive  fight  occurred.  It  was  then  arranged  that  Cade  and  Kempe  should  hold  a  parley  in 
St.  Margaret's  Church,  Southwark  (now  Southwark  Cathedral),  and  the  Archbishop  Kempe  agreed 
that  Jack  Cade  should  be  pardoned,  provided  the  rising  was  quelled.  The  pardon  was  dated 
Monday,  r2th  July,  1450,  but  it  took  the  Council  a  full  month  before  all  concerned  in  the  rising 
had  been  brought  to  justice.  During  that  time  a  Commission  was  issued  in  Kent  to  enquire  by 
whom  the  disturbances  had  been  instigated  ;  the  Cardinal  was  naturally  one  of  this  Commission 
and  opened  the  proceedings  at  Canterbury.  Eight  men  were  executed  at  that  City  as  the  outcome 
of  the  enquiry,  and  many  minor  offenders  punished. 

Archbishop  Stafford  having  died  on  6th  July,  1452,  John  Kempe  was  elected  Primate  in 
his  stead  on  the  21st  of  the  same  month.  The  Pope  again  demurred,  for  he  held  that  this 
appointment  rested  with  the  Pontiff,  as,  however,  he  had  every  reason  to  approve  of  the  elected 
bishop,  he  issued  his  usual  mandate,  and  Cardinal  Kempe  was  duly  enthroned  at  Canterbury  on 
December  nth  that  year. 

At  this  time  the  Pope,  doubtless  in  recognition  of  his  powerful  influence  in  England  created 
an  extraordinary  cardinal  bishopric  by  separating  the  See  of  Porto  from  that  cf  Salva  Candida,  or 
Santa  Rufina,  and  constituted  Kempe  Cardinal  Bishop  with  the  latter  title.  He  received  the  Pall 
at  the  hands  of  his  nephew,  Thomas  Kempe,  Bishop  of  London,  at  Fulham  Palace,  on  24th 
September,  1452. 

Still  retaining  the  Great  Seal,  he  remained  till  his  death,  both  head  of  the  Church  and 
Lord  Chancellor  of  the  Kingdom.  His  age  led  his  enemies  to  hope  for  more  power,  and  getting 
impatient  for  his  death,  it  appears  that  the  rival  political  parties  were  preparing  for  hostilities 
which  they  felt  must  follow.  Thus  we  find  that  only  two  months  before  he  died  the  aged 
Archbishop  was  actively  trying  to  stave  off  nobles  and  others  who  desired  the  King's 
dethronement.  In  a  letter  privately  sent  to  John  Mowbray,  Duke  of  Norfolk,  and  one  of  the  most 
powerful  of  the  Yorkist  Lords,  written  by  some  paid  spy,  within  the  Court  at  Windsor,  we  find 
trace  of  the  plotting  of  these  enemies.  The  letter  is  quoted  in  "  Annals  of  Windsor,"  and  contains 
the  following  "  item  "  : — 

*  This  Charter  may  now  be  seen  in  the  Castle  Museum,  Norwich,  bearing  the  signature  of  Archbishop  Kempe. 


50 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 


"  The  Cardinalle  (Kempe)  hathe  charged  and  commanded  alia  his  servaunts  to  be  redy  with 
bowe  and  arwes,  swerd  and  bokeler,  crosse-bowes  and  alle  other  habillements  of  Werre,  suche  as 
as  thei  kun  meidle  wt.,  to  awaite  upone  the  safe  guard  of  his  persone."  (^See  "  Archaeologia," 
vol.  XXIX.,  p.  310). 

Another  war-Hke  duty  which  fell  upon  Cardinal  Kempe  in  his  declining  years  will  be  worthy 

of  mention.  A  warrant  was 
issued  in  the  name  of  the 
King  in  1453,  addressed  to 
"  the  moost  revend  flFadre  in 
god  Joh'n  Cardinal  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,"  com- 
manding him  to  erect  barriers 
for  a  battle  upon  an  appeal 
of  High  Treason.  The  ap- 
pellant in  this  case  was  John 
Hatton,  and  the  defendant 
Robert  Norreys.  Doubtless 
the  Archbishop  had  to  be 
present  at  this  "Battle"  or 
tournament,  which  took  place 
in  London. 

This  may  have  been  his 
last  public  function,  for  on 
22nd  March,  1453,  the  aged 
Archbishop  died.  The  King 
was  at  the  time  lying  ill  at 
Windsor,  suffering  from  that 
strange  disorder  of  mind, 
bordering  on  insanity,  which 
caused  him  to  evince  no 
interest  in  events.  In  the 
letter  above  mentioned,  for 
instance,  it  is  recounted  how, 
when  his  infant  son,  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  was  brought 
to  him  for  the  first  time,  the 
King  looked  upon  the  babe 
without  the  smallest  change 
of  countenance  or  word. 
When,  however,  the  Bishops 
of  Winchester,  Ely  and  Ches- 
ter, with  other  Lords  deputed 
by  Parliament,  told  the  King  of  the  Lord  Chancellor  Kempe's  death,  the  King  for  a  moment  awoke 
from  his  protracted  silence  and  indifference  and  remarked  with  emphasis  :  "  One  of  the  wisest 
Lords  in  this  Land  is  dead."  The  detailed  account,  written  as  a  report  to  the  House  of  Lords  by 
this  deputation,  will  be  found  in  the  "Annals  of  Windsor"  and  in  the  "  Parliamentary  History." 


Canopy  over  Tomb  of  Archbishop  Kempe  in  Canterbury  Cathedral, 
Specially  drawn  by  Miss  Luc)-  Kemp-Welsh. 


The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  Lord  Chancellor  of  England.  51 

During  the  closing  years  of  his  life,  Archbishop  Kempe  took  steps  to  found  and  endow 
liberally  a  College  for  Secular  Priests— a  Collegiate  Church  and  School  in  his  native  town  of  Wye, 
and  we  can  feel  sure  that,  from  the  time  of  his  becoming  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  he  was  as 
frequently  resident  in  Kent  as  his  duties  of  state  would  allow.  He,  doubtless,  was  frequently  the 
guest  of  his  nephew  at  Ollantigh,  and  thence  watched  the  rebuilding  of  the  church  and  the 
erection  of  his  college  and  schools  ;  to  the  subject  of  his  foundations  we  shall,  however,  give  a 
separate  chapter. 

One  other  important  item  should  be  mentioned  here.  Some  accounts  tell  us  that  Archbishop 
Kempe  performed   the  ceremony  of  marriage  between  the  King  and  Margaret  of  Anjou,  on  the 


Cardinal  Kempe's  Tomb,  Canterbury  Cathedral. 


continent.  It  seems  well  within  reason  that  he  should  be  the  officiating  bishop  at  this  marriage, 
but  there  is  some  doubt  about  it.  The  King  was  represented  by  the  Earl  of  Suffolk,  and  the 
wedding  was  solemnized  in  the  Cathedral  of  Tours,  i8th  April,  1445,  the  King  and  Oueen  of 
France  being  present.  There  is  a  celebrated  picture  of  the  marriage,  by  Jan  Mabuse,  which  was 
m  the  Walpole  collection  at  Strawberry  Hill.  This  picture,  and  the  portrait  of  Archbishop  Kempe, 
passed  to  the  present  Duke  of  Sutherland,  and^both  have  been  reproduced,  the  wedding  having 
appeared  in  "England's  History,"  by  A.  G.  Temple,  F.S.A.,  in  1897-8. 

In  the  picture  of  the  marriage  Archbishop  Kempe  is  represented  in  full  Ecclesiastical  Vest- 
ments-Albe,  Tunicle,  Chasuble,  Pall,  Cope,  Amice,  and  a  jewelled  M.tre.    The  Archbishop  is  said 

E2 


52  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

to  have  worn  yellow  gauntlets,  but  from  the  reproduction  one  would  judge  that  the  painting  merely 
represented  his  old  wrinkled  hands.  The  Morse  worn  on  the  Cope  is  apparently  a  very  large 
example,  like  a  cruciform  broach  of  gold  with  pictures  in  enamel.  If  it  is  somewhat  doubtful  if 
this  marriage  was  actually  performed  by  Cardinal  Kempe,  we  have  at  least  a  reliable  record  of  his 
having  stood  as  god-father  for  the  Prince  of  Wales,  who  was  born  in  1453. 


With  the  death  of  Archbishop  Kempe  the  political  troubles,  which  are  known  as  the  Wars  of 
the  Roses,  commenced,  and  within  a  few  years  the  House  of  Lancaster  was  succeeded  bv  the 
House  of  York. 


The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  Lord  Chancellor  of  England. 


53 


John  Kempe,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  Cardinal  of  the  Church  of  Rome  and  Lord 
Chancellor  of  England,  was  buried  in  the  Chancel  of  Canterbury  Cathedral,  on  the  south  side  and 
just  opposite  the  tomb  of  his  friend  and  patron,  Archbishop  Chichele.  The  tomb  erected  over 
him  is  a  fine  example  of  fifteenth  century  work,  and  it  is  greatly  to  be  regretted  that  it  has  been 
allowed  to  fall  into  decay.  In  1899  the  editor  of  The  Kentish  Gazette  and  Canterbury  Press 
called  attention  to  the  urgent  need  of  repair  in  which  the  handsome  canopy  of  this  tomb  stood. 
Dean  Farrar  was  approached  on  the  subject  and  expressed  his  desire  to  see  the  restoration 
accomplished  ;  there  had,  however,  arisen  much  discussion  among  antiquaries  as  to  the  manner  in 
which  this  work  should  be  carried  out,  the  exceedingly  gorgeous  colours  and  amount  of  gold 
recently  used  to  re-decorate  Archbishop  Chichele's  tomb  having  given  rise  to  much  dissatisfaction, 
the  general  opinion  being  that  the  high  colours  were  entirely  out  of  harmony  with  the 
surroundings.  Doubtless  Mr.  Charles  Eamer  Kempe,  who  had  been  entrusted  with  this  restoration 
by  the  authorities  of  All  Souls'  College,  carried  out  their  wishes,  but  as  this  gentleman  is  a  well- 
known  designer  of  church  furniture  and  stained  glass  he  would  be  conscious  of  this  and  would 
treat  Archbishop  Kempe's  tomb  in  a  suitable  manner  if  funds  for  the  restoration  were  placed  at 
his  disposal. 

With  the  sanction  of  the  Dean  it  was  proposed  to  start  such  a  fund,  and  the  compiler  of  this 
work  volunteered  to  send  out  an  appeal  for  donations  for  this  object  to  every  Kemp  and  Kempe 

in    the   Directories  of  Great 

Britain  and  her  Colonies  and 

the    English-speaking   world. 

The  outbreak  of  the  war  in 

South  Africa  at  this  moment, 

and     the    many    calls    upon 

the    charitable,    was  deemed 

a    reason    for    delaying    this 

appeal  ;  now,  however,  those 

who  feel    disposed  to   aid  in 

the  restoration  of  this  ancient 

memorial  of  the  greatest  man 

of  the  name  of  Kempe,  should 

intimate  the    amount   which 

they  are  prepared  to  subscribe 

to  the  editors  of  this  history, 

and  should  more  than  suffi- 
cient be  received   to  accom- 


•?txiitmg3iBmiTaim^iuu!iaiii^x-m^^^^ 


^vj;fi^i^ii^iaiin:^ii\nmimiiItou^^.TO>^TO 


•j^dxrK[rani5]MgiWIu^touiig?titit!ii^^^ 


^ 


•i?iinijjiiffy£aiOiUiiiUa>^iji.ijir  n  (ib 


^Siuiiuianauri:BHi\ 


/^H^lUIh^^lmlmi^i^uCTla?IT^^ 


'Biinii^o  nuiniilTdmnunT??;^'  tur' .£i]?ii.s 


(iiuiiir  jJiuinarnii- oai5^;lgR^v-i^Tf~x 


Rubbing  of  Inscription  on  Tomb  of  Archbishop  Kempe,  1452. 


plish  this  restoration,  the  surplus  would  be  devoted  to  similar  restoration  of  other  Kemp  or 
Kempe  relics. 

The  inscription  round  the  bevelled  edge  ot  the  tomb  is  deeply  cut  in  abbreviated  Latin,  the 
annexed  illustration  being  from  a  rubbing  specially  made  for  this  work,  with  the  Dean's  kind 
permission.  It  will  be  noticed  that  sheaves  occur  at  the  end  of  the  principal  lines  in  allusion 
to  the  arms  of  his  family.  The  cross  at  the  commencement  probably  has  reference  to  his  office 
as  bishop. 

The  inscription  on  the  tomb,  if  given  in  full,  would  read  as  follows  : 

Hie  jacet  Reverendissimus  in  Christo  Pater  et  dominus  Johannes  Kempe  tituli  *  Sanctae 
Rufinae  sacrosanctae  Romanae  Ecclesiae  Episcopus  Cardinalis  Archiepiscopus  Cantuariensis  Qui 


^4  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

obiit  vicesimo  secundo  die  Mensis  Marcii  Anno  Domini  Millesimo  CCCC  liij.  Cuius  animae 
propicietur  Deus.     Amen. 

Neither  the  actual  will  of  the  Archbishop  nor  even  a  copy  has  been  found,  but  it  appears 
that  it  was  duly  proved  in  1454.  The  executors,  however,  having  declined  to  act  as  such,  the  Prior 
of  Christ  Church,  "auctoritate  prerogativa  Ecclesiae  Xpi,  que  hac  vice  ad  nos  plenarie  spectat " 
appointed  as  administrators,  the  Bishop  of  London  (Thomas  Kempe,  the  Archbishop's  nephew), 
Judge  Fortescue,  two  Kentish  Knights,  Dr.  Packenham  and  Robert  Ballad,  a  priest,  in  their  place. 

In  the  ordinary  course  an  "  inquisition  "  was  held  to  ascertain  what  lands  and  property  the 
Archbishop  held  at  the  time  of  his  decease.  This  document,  recording  his  possessions  and 
personal  effects,  is  extant,  and  the  following  details  are  given  in  the  appendix  to  the  ninth  volume 
of  the  "Historical  MSS.  Report,"  pages  104-5.  ^^'^  do  not  know  if  any  books  are  in  existence 
which  can  be  identified  as  having  been  in  his  collection  when  this  inventory  was  prepared,  but 
possibly  a  few  may  be  found  in  the  Bodleian  and  other  libraries  of  Oxford,  to  which  university  he 
is  likely  to  have  bequeathed  them. 

"  Inventarium  Dm.  Johis  Kempe  Cardinalis." 
The  ready  money  amounted  to 
The  Vestments  in  the  Chapel 
The  Silver,  Jewels  and  Ornaments  of  the  Chapel 
The  Gold  Plate  of  the  Chapel  and  Pantry     - 
The  Silver  Vessels  in  the  Cellarer's  Office 
The  Silver  V^essels  used  for  Spices     - 
The  (Silver)  in  the  Pantry     - 
The  Linen  in  the  Pantry 
The  Silver  Vessels  for  Water 
The  Silver  in  the  Kitchen 
The  Books  for  the  Chapel 
The  Books  of  Divinity  and  Law 
Brass  and  other  ware 
Horses  and  other  property  in  the  Stables 

Total 

This  is  certainly  a  large  sum,  but  it  must  not  be  taken  to  be,  as  has  been  said,  a  reflection  on 
his  greed  or  love  of  display  ;  he  had  to  keep  up  an  official  and  palatial  retinue,  not  only  as 
Archbishop  but  as  Lord  Chancellor,  and  yet  Archbishop  Arundel's  Liventory  for  similar  effects 
was  half  as  much  again  1 — _^6,ooS    12^-.  ']\d.  in   1413. 

\n  a  Metrical  History  of  the  Archbishops  of  York  the  following  lines,  commemorating 
Archbishop  Kempe,  occur,  and  are  thence  quoted  by  Weever  in  his  "  Funeral  Monuments,"  from 
wh        we  take  them  : 

Tunc  Johannes  nobilis  Kemp  vociferatus 

Prius  in  Londoniis  presul  instalatus. 
Et  erectus  pontifex  metropolitan  us, 

Presul  Archipresulem  confinnat  Romanus, 
Mandans  sibi  pallium  Martini  ;  erectus 
Sagax  Cancellarius  regis  est  effectus. 
Cardinalis  presbyter  digne  sublimatur 


/8q9 

10 

II 

827 

I 

6 

398 

I 

4i 

501 

15 

10 

485 

0 

1 1 

60 

5 

2h 

74 

2 

5 

33 

4 

4 

i;s 

4 

3 

234 

13 

II 

98 

16 

8 

-S5 

18 

10 

19 

9 

- 

-3 

13 

4 

;^4,o6q 

18 

8 

Wye    College.  55 

Sub  Balbinae  titulo  ;  sic  laus  cumulatur. 
In  Suthwell  manerium  fecit  preciosum, 

Multis  artificibus  valde  sumptuosum. 
Annis  multis  prospere  curam  sui  gregis, 

Rexit  per  insticiam,  et  per  normam  legis. 
Tandem  Archiepiscopus  est  inthronizatus 

Apud  Lambeth.     Abiit,  labor  iam  finitur, 
Et  in  Cantuaria  corpus  sepelitiir. 

Licet  prohibuerit  abbas  rigorose. 
lacet  ibi  condita  gleba,  gloriose. 


CHqA'PTET^   XII. 


WYE    COLLEGE. 

OF  Ollantigh  we  have  no  illustration.  The  present  structure  is  modern  and  possesses  no 
feature  of  special  interest.  There  is  nothing,  we  believe,  in  evidence  at  the  mansion  con- 
necting it  with  the  Kempes,  but  there  is,  or  lately  was,  a  bell,  marked  Thomas  a  Kempis, 
which  had  evidently  been  purchased  as  a  suitable  relic.  We  need  hardly  say  here  that  Thomas,  the 
reputed  author  of  "  The  Imitation  of  Christ,"  was  in  no  way  connected  with  Archbishop  Kempe, 
but  was  living  a  monk  on  the  continent  when  Kempe  was  flourishing  in  this  country,  both  having 
been  born  about  1380. 

The  Church  of  Wye  is  also  disappointing.  Through  fire  and  lightning  the  church  as  built 
by  Archbishop  Kempe  has  disappeared,  and  the  present  erection  on  its  site  would  not  be 
recognised  by  those  who  knew  it  in  the  days  of  the  founder.  No  tomb  marks  the  long  connexion 
of  his  family  with  the  parish,  all  having  been  destroyed. 

The  graveyard  is  rather  a  large  one.  Adjoining  it  at  the  east  end  of  the  church  is  what  remains 
of  the  college  and  school  founded  by  Archbishop  Kempe,  with  numerous  additions  in  red  brick, 
easily  distinguished  from  the  original  buildings. 

A  fine  view  of  the  church,  college,  and  the  mansion  and  grounds  of  Ollantigh  may  be 
obtained  from  the  train  when  travelling  from  London  to  Margate  on  the  South  Eastern  Railway. 

The  college,  as  an  institution,  was  doomed  to  but  a  short  career,  for  founded  with  much  care 
by  a  man  with  good  foresight  in  1447,  it  fell  into  the  grasping  hands  of  Henry  VIII.  in  iS45i 
thus  existing  less  than  a  century.  The  Thornhill  family,  who  afterwards  lived  at  Ollantigh, 
established  a  school  in  the  building,  but  this,  too,  fell  into  disuse,  and  the  old  buildings  are  utilised 
for  an  agricultural  college.  We  are  indebted  to  the  secretary  of  this  institution  (Mr.  Hall)  for 
the  illustrations  and  for  much  of  our  information.  Those  who  have  an  opportunity  to  visit  the 
vicinity  should  not  fail  to  call  at  the  college,  where,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  they  will  be 
permitted  to  see  the  library,  in  the  window  of  which  are  the  genuine  arms  of  the  founder.     This 


56 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


fragment  of  glass  was  found  by  Mr.  Parsons  in  one  of  the  windows  of  a  farmhouse  at  Wye, 
whither  it  had  doubtless  been  carried  for  safety  ;  perhaps  at  the  time  when  a  battle  between 
Royalists  and  Roundheads  occurred  in  the  parish.  Mr.  Parsons  effected  its  return  to  the  college. 
The  fragments  include  a  shield,  on  which  the  arms  of  the  See  of  Canterbury  impale  three  sheaves 
within  a  border  (all  yellow)  the  field  being  red.  (The  border  is  not  engrailed,  possibly  this  was 
effected  by  painting  out  in  black  by  hand,  which  painting  would  be  likely  to  wear  off  in  time.) 
In  addition  to  the  chasuble  and  cross  of  Canterbury  there  is  a  cross  of  yellow,  which  we  take  to 
represent  that  the  founder  was  Primate  of  all  England  as  well  as  Bishop  of  that  See,  while  a  red 
circle  below  the  chasuble  was  intended,  we  believe,  to  represent  the  Cardinal's  hat,  as  that  appears 
above  his  arms  in  the  chief  boss  over  the  Martyrdom  in  Canterbury  Cathedral. 


NORTHEAST   FRONT. 


SOUTH    FRONT. 


I  Views  ^  OF  ilyE  I  College  S^^E. 


— =^^^ 


SOUTH-EAST  FRONT. 


We  have  not  space  to  describe  the  building,  the  illustrations  giving  a  good  idea  of  the  original 
structure  before  the  alterations  of  the  last  century.  The  chief  interior  features  are  the  staircase, 
library  and  kitchen.  For  further  details  we  must  refer  our  readers  to  "  The  History  of  Wye,"  by 
Dr.  W.  Leliven  Morris,  F.R.C.S.,  a  copy  of  which  is  at  the  Canterbury  Public  Library. 

In  the  Library  of  the  British  Museum  there  is  a  bound  manuscript  entitled,  "  Wye  College  : 
Being  an  Abstract  of  Statutes  made  for  the  Good  Government  of  the  said  College."  In  addition 
to  the  statutes  this  manuscript  gives  details  of  the  college  history  and  possession,  collected  by  Dr. 
Brett,  of  Wye,  and  written  down  to  about  1735. 


Bishop    Thomas  Kemp.  ej 


ow 


Space  at  our  disposal  prevents  us  printing  the  statutes,  which  are  most  interesting,  and  sh 
that  Archbishop  Kempe  took  the  greatest  care  to  establish  his  college  on  scriptural  lines.  He 
frequently  refers  to  Apostolic  teaching,  and  strongly  enforces  sobriety  upon  the  clergy  and 
choristers  forming  the  staff.  He  directs  that  their  dress  shall  not  be  of  a  dark,  dull  colour  nor  yet 
glaring.  The  outer  garment  is  to  reach  to  their  heels  and  to  have  proper  sleeves,  but  not  unduly 
long  ones.  Their  shoes  are  not  to  have  "  beaks."  In  the  other  parts  they  are  to  be  hke  other 
grave  clergymen.  The  cost  of  their  clothes,  which  are  to  be  renewed  annually,  is  as  follows  : 
the  Master,  thirteen  shillings  and  fourpence  per  year  ;  Fellows,  ten  shillings,  and  Clerks,  seven 
shillings.  The  choristers'  clothing  and  keep  is  not  to  exceed  forty  shillings  a  year.  The  members 
of  the  college  are  not  even  to  look  upon  others  playing  with  dice  or  other  games  of  chance,  are 
never  to  go  into  taverns,  nor  even  the  town  unless  accompanied  by  another  member  of  the 
college.  "  Honest  women  are  not  to  be  admitted  to  the  college  unless  for  some  necessary,  useful, 
or  lawful  cause,  those  of  suspicious  character  never." 

Every  person  admitted  to  the  college  as  a  member  must  have  been  born  in  lawful  wedlock. 
The  entertainment  of  guests  and  visitors  of  other  orders  is  allowed,  and  a  scale  fixed  for  the  cost 
of  feasting  such.  The  member  intoducing  the  guest  is  required  to  defray  half  the  cost  out  of  his 
stipend.  When  guests  are  present  at  meals  conversation  is  permitted  in  English,  but  at  other 
times  only  necessary  speaking  is  allowed  at  such  times,  and  then  only  in  Latin.  When  desired, 
one  of  the  staff  may  read  or  lecture  to  the  others  while  at  dinner.  All  food  must  be  taken  in  the 
common  hall  to  avoid  private  gluttony  or  tippling.  The  time  for  meals  and  daily  services  may 
be  given  generally  as  follows  :  Fellows  were  to  rise  at  five  and  begin  mattins  at  six,  to  have  mass 
at  eight  o'clock,  and  finish  all  canonical  hours  by  eleven  to  have  a  convenient  hour  for  dinner. 
Vespers  were  to  be  said  at  three  or  four  and  to  finish  at  five.  In  the  interval  of  these  services 
study  or  manual  labour  were  to  form  part  of  the  day's  occupation.  Fines  had  to  be  paid  for 
absence  from  services,  the  amounts  of  which  helped  to  swell  the  property  of  l;he  college  and  also 
to  benefit  those  who  most  regularly  attended  to  their  duties. 


CHcATTETi^   XIII. 


BISHOP     THOMAS     KEMP. 

THOMAS  KEMP,  who  eventually  became  Bishop  of  London,  had  certainly  better  prospects 
at  his  birth  than  had  his  uncle,  who  at  that  time  had  already  become  famed  as  a  lawyer. 
The  son  of  Sir  Roger  Kempe  of  Ollantigh,  he  was  probably  born  at  the  chief  mansion 
of  the  family,  Ollantigh,  in  1405.  His  education  was  similar  to  that  of  his  uncle.  At  first  he 
daily  attended  at  the  old  school  of  Christ  Church,  or  the  "  King's  School." 

He  was  in  due  time  entered  at  Merton,  Oxford,  and  there  his  benefactions  to  the  University, 
both  during  his  lifetime  and  after  his  death,  caused  him,  like  his   uncle,  to  be  designated  the 


^S  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families, 

Macaenas  of  the  University,  while  special  prayers  were  ordered  to  be  recited  for  them  at  the 
Commemoration  of  Benefactors. 

He  was  elected  proctor  of  his  college  in  1437,  to  which,  as  well  as  to  the  Divinity  Schools  he 
was  a  liberal  benefactor.  Weaver  states  that  it  was  this  Bishop,  and  not  Humphry,  Duke  of 
Gloucester,  as  it  is  commonly  supposed,  who  was  the  chief  builder  of  the  "  Divine  School  "  as  it 
stood  before  Bodley's  foundation.  Weaver  enlarges  on  its  beautiful  "walls,  arches,  vaults,  doors, 
towers  and  pinicales,  all  of  square,  smooth  polisht  stone  and  artificially  depainted."  He  also 
speaks  of  "  the  Doctor's  chair  "  and  the  "  lively  representation  of  the  glorious  frame  of  the  celestial 
globe."  It  was,  indeed,  as  old  drawings  show,  a  handsome  building,  but  looking  on  such  as  this 
and  the  College  at  Wye  and  the  schools  there,  we  cannot  but  feel  that  these  were  after  all  but 
small  institutions  compared  with  the  great  buildings  which  the  modern  supporters  of  education  put 
up.  Yet  in  their  day  the  money  expended  was  a  fair  proportion  of  the  donors'  fortunes,  and  must 
be  appreciated  as  works  of  very  useful  charity. 

Speaking  of  his  munificent  gifts  to  the  University,  we  are  bound  to  say  that  the  latter  was 
not  always  content  with  freewill  offerings,  and  seems  to  have  pressed  for  funds  for  this  purpose, 
even  threatening  to  throw  aside  the  prayers  for  the  Kerapes  unless  a  large  sum  was  given. 

It  appears  that  a  Thomas  Kemp  was  Rector  Warden  of  the  hospital  called  Eastbridge  or 
Kingsbridge,  in  Canterbury,  sometime  between  1429-45.  We  do  not  know  whether  such  an 
office  could  be  held  without  the  holder  residing  in  the  house,  but  it  seems  likely  that  this  was 
one  of  the  many  positions  which  he  filled.  In  any  case  we  may  remark  here  that  this  hospital 
had  as  part  of  its  endowment  two  salt  pits  near  Whitstable,  and  the  windmills  at  Reculver  and 
West-Halimot,  in  Thanet,  as  well  as  the  tithes  of  Westgate  Mill  (Canterbury).  This  may  have 
something  to  do  with  the  later  Kempes  of  those  places  settling,  as  they  could  under  his  influence 
obtain  their  leases  on  very  favourable  terms. 

By  this  time  his  uncle  had  become  Archbishop  of  York,  and  thus  it  was  that  Thomas  Kempe 
was  made  a  Canon  of  that  Cathedral  in  1431.  In  April,  1435,  he  received  the  Prebend  of 
Stillington,  which  he  vacated  on  the  7th  July  following  on  being  presented  to  the  Prebendal 
Stall  of  Driffield  ;  he  was  subsequently  made  Prebendary  of  Langtoft.  From  1439  till  1442  he 
held  the  Stall  of  Southcore,  resigning  this  in  the  latter  year,  but  was  again  admitted  to  it  in  1447. 
On  his  first  resignation  he  had  been  made  Archdeacon  of  Richmond,  and  afterwards  Chancellor 
of  the  See  of  York.  During  this  time  he  was  also  Rector  of  Bolton  Percy — a  very  fine  church 
some  six  miles  out  of  York— the  patron  of  which  was  the  Archbishop.  It  is  likely  that 
Thomas  Kempe  made  this  rectory  his  residence  for  a  time,  as  he  took  considerable  trouble  to 
improve  the  church,  erecting  a  large  east  window  of  well  executed  stained  glass,  in  the  centre  of 
which  he  placed  the  portrait  of  his  revered  uncle,  John  Kempe,  with  his  arms.  This  window 
was  taken  out  to  save  it  from  destruction  by  fanatics,  but  has  been  recently  replaced,  and  the 
Bishop  of  Beverley,  who  is  now  rector,  took  much  trouble  to  point  out  to  the  writer  the  various 
ages  of  restoration  indicated.  Unfortunately  the  portion  representing  the  Archbishop's  face  is 
among  the  modern  pieces.     The  accompanying  illustration  shows  the  window  in  its  present  state.* 

To  the  rear  of  the  present  rectory  is  a  great  tythe  barn  of  ponderous  carved  timber,  which 
must  date  back  to  the  time  when  Prebendary  Kempe  stored  his  own  grain  there.  Doubtless  the 
humbler  followers  in  the  train  of  distinguished  visitors  were  frequently  provided  with  a  night's 
shelter  in  this  barn's  upper  story,  which  is  now  often  used  for  parochial  meetings  and  as  a  school. 

About  1442  Thomas  Kempe  was  Archdeacon  of  Middlesex,  but  the  date  of  his  appointment 

*  The  arms  contained  in  the  window  were  noted  by  Sir  William  Dugdale  in  i6,i,  the  book  in  the  Herald's  Office  records  no  less  than  thirty- 
three  coats  m  this  window.     Those  that  were  original  are  noted  in  Drake's  "  Eboracum,"  page  386,  Kempe  being  one. 


Bishop    Thomas  Kemp.  59 

and  resignation  is  not  recorded,  the  probability  is  that  he  resigned  when  he  was  re-admitted  to 
the  Prebendal  Stall  of  Southcore,  and  became  Archdeacon  of  Richmond  in  1447.  This,  however, 
he  did  not  hold  long,  for  by  virtue  of  a  Bull,  published  by  Pope  Nicholas,  he  was  proclaimed 
Bishop  of  London  21st  August,  1448. 

As  in  other  instances  of  presentation  by  the  Pope,  the  English  Church  objected  to  his 
appointment  without  first  being  elected  by  the  Chapter  of  St.  Paul's,  and  afterwards  obtaining 
the  approval  of  the  King.  Thus  it  was  not  until  a  year  and  a  half  after  that  he  was  consecrated 
Bishop  by  the  hands  of  his  uncle,  the  Archbishop  of  York,  assisted  by  five  Suffragans  of  the 
province  of  Canterbury,  the  ceremony  taking  place  at  York  Place,  now  known  as  Whitehall.  It 
is  interesting  to  note  that  while  the  uncle  thus  consecrated  his  nephew,  that  nephew  two  years 
later  (1452)  had  the  pleasure  of  investing  his  uncle  with  the  insignia  of  the  Archbishopric  of 
Canterbury  and  Cardinal  Bishopric  of  Santa  Rufina,  this  function  being  performed  in  the  Bishop's 
Palace  at  Fulham. 

During  his  long  episcopate  he  must  have  lived  the  greater  part  of  his  time  at  that  Palace, 
and  arranged  for  the  restoration  and  alteration  of  this  official  residence  and  manor  house.  The 
work,  however,  was  not  complete,  even  at  his  death,  although  the  arms  of  the  Kempes  were 
the  most  prominent  in  the  Bishop's  Hall  and  the  chief  apartments  as  denoting  that  mnch  of  the 
palace  was  constructed  by  him.  Bishop  Fitz-James,  who  succeeded  to  the  See  in  1 506,  has  the 
credit  for  what  is  now  said  to  be  the  oldest  existing  portions  of  the  palace.  On  this  subject  we 
would  refer  our  readers  to  Feret's  "  Fulham  Old  and  New,"  in  which  full  details  of  the  palace  are 
given,  and  in  which  many  records  of  the  various  Kempes  of  that  ancient  parish  are  included. 
Those  visiting  Fulham  will  not  fail  to  see  the  arms,  mottoes,  badges  and  other  allusions  to  the 
Kempes,  who  together  held  the  manor  longer  than  those  of  any  other  name  or  family. 

In  1456  we  have  an  interesting  specimen  of  the  Bishop's  mode  of  settling  a  dispute,  and  his 
independence  and  originality  in  administering  the  work  of  his  diocese.  The  chapel  of  St. 
Stephen,  in  Coleman  Street,  had  anciently  belonged  to  the  Canons  of  St.  Paul's,  who  annexed  it 
to  St.  Olave's,  Jewry  ;  with  the  latter  it  became  appropriated  to  the  Priory  of  Butley  in  Suffolk, 
and  eventually  a  parish  church.  Between  these  various  bodies  a  contention  had  long  existed  as 
to  the  right  of  presentation  to  the  living  ;  on  the  matter  being  placed  before  Bishop  Kemp  he 
ordered  that  in  future  the  parishoners  should  elect  their  own  pastor^  which  they  have  done 
ever  since. 

Bishop  Thomas  Kempe  set  a  higher  value  on  the  use  of  sermons  than  many  of  his  immediate 
predecessors,  for  he  rebuilt  the  pulpit  of  St.  Paul's  Cross,  which  remained  standing  until  the  Puritans 
ruthlessly  pulled  it  down,  although  it  "  was  guilty  of  no  superstition."  There  are  numerous 
illustrations  of  St.  Paul's  Cross,  differing  much,  but  the  original  materials  have  entirely 
disappeared,  and  we  can  obtain  no  trace  of  any  relics. 

About  the  year  1478  the  Bishop  founded  and  endowed  a  chantry  for  one  priest,  at  the  Altar 
of  the  Holy  Trinity,  and  instituted  the  Office  of  Penitentiary.  To  this  he  united  the  Church  of 
Chigwell,  Essex,  and  the  Prebend  of  St.  Pancras,  from  which  the  prebend  has  since  been  called 
the  "  Office  or  Dignity  of  the  Penitentiary." 

This  chantry  priest  was  to  celebrate  Divine  Service  daily  at  the  High  Altar  of  the  Holy 
Trinity  "  for  the  good  estate  of  the  King,  Queen  Elizabeth,  his  wife,  and  the  Bishop  during  their 
abode  in  this  world,  and  also  after  their  departure.''  We  are  told  that  the  chantry  was  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  in  Old  St.  Paul's  At  the  destruction  of  the  Cathedral  in  the  great  Fire  of  London 
this,  of  course,  perished,  but  among  the  fragments  of  the  old  masonry,  now  treasured  in  the 
present  edifice,  there  are  pieces  of  stonework,  the  carving  of  which  correspond  with  the  illustra- 


6o 


History  of  the  Kemp  cuid  Kempe  Families. 


tion  which  we  give  of  the  fine  tomb  to  this  bishop,  who,  according  to  his  desire,  was  buried  within 
the  chapel.  Doubtless,  the  chapel  and  the  tomb  were  of  uniform  style.  The  inscription  on  Bishop 
Kempe's  tomb  as  given  in  "  Tombs,  Monuments,  fe'c,  in  London  Churches,"  was  as  follows  : 

"  Infra  Capellam  istam  requiescit  corpus  Domini  Thomae  Kempe  quondam  Episcopi 
Londinensis,  Fundatoris  eiusdem,  et  unius  Cantariae  perpetuae  in  eadem  ;  qui  multa  bona  tempore 
vitae  suae  Ecclesiae  S.  Pauli  dedit  et  stetit  XXXIX  Annis  LXXXIV  diebus  Episcopus  Lond.  ac 
obiit  XXVTII  die  mensis  Martii,  anno  Domini  MCCCCLXXXIX.  Cujus  animae  propitietur 
Deus.     Amen. 

This  being  rendered  into  the  following  English  : 

Beneath  this  chapel  resteth  the  body  of  Thomas  Kempe,  sometime  Bishop  of  London  and 
founder   of  this  chapel   and  of  a  chantry  therein,   forever.     In  his  lifetime   he  was  a  bountiful 

benefactor  to  St.  Paul's  Church.  He  sat  as  Bishop  of  London 
thirty-nine  years  four-score  and  four  days,  and  died  28th 
March,  in  the  year  of  Grace  1489.  On  whose  soul  God  have 
mercy." 

The  various  Episcopal  Act  books  in  use  during  Thomas 
Kempe's  Episcopate  are  still  to  be  seen,  but  Ave  know  of  no 
other  impression  of  his  official  seal  than  that  here  illustrated. 
This  original,  which  is  very  imperfect,  is  exhibited  with 
other  seals  of  the  diocese  in  a  large  case  in  the  centre  of  the 
library  over  the  Consistory  Court  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral, 
where  it  is  accessible  to  the  public.  Among  other  im- 
portant documents  existing  which  was  witnessed  and  signed 
by  him,  is  the  Charter  to  the  City  of  Norwich,  which  was 
signed  also  by  his  uncle,  Archbishop  Kempe.  We  have  not 
heard  of  any  portrait  or  effigy  of  this  Bishop,  unless  that 
on  the  seal  represents  himself. 

His  will  was  proved  in  the  Prerogative  Court  of  Canter- 
bury.    The  original   is  lost,  though   the  probate  is  extant. 
It  is  written  in    Latin  and  dated   4th   February,  14S8.     He 
describes  the  chapel  in  St.  Paul's,  where  he  desires  to    be 
buried,    as    St.    Erkinwold's.       To    his    nephew,    William 
Kempe,  he  left  his  missal  ;  he  also   mentions  his   relatives, 
Thomas  Kempe,  John  Kempe  ;  the  latter's  son,  John  Kempe  ; 
Sir  Robert  Strelley,   Knight,  and  his  children  ;    his  kinsman,   William  Upton  ;    John  Read    or 
Reede,  boy  of  his  chapel  ;  the  Archdeacon  of  Essex,  Richard  Lichfield,  Archdeacon  of  Middlesex, 
and  others. 

A  writ  was  issued  for  an  inquisition  of  the  late  Bishop's  estate  on  the  5th  April,  and  the  result 
of  the  inquiry  was  dated  8th  May  in  the  fourth  year  of  Henry  VII.  The  document,  which  is 
given  in  English  in  the  "  Calendar  of  Inquisition  Post  Mortem,"  printed  by  the  British  Record 
Office,  is  too  long  to  be  given  here  in  full.  It  is,  however,  important  as  giving  how  his  various 
properties  were  held. 

A  messuage  or  tenement  called  "  Clente,"  with  200  acres  of  land,  24  acres  of  meadow,  120 
acres  of  pasture,  and  140  acres  of  wood  in  Wye,  Crundel,  Godmersham  and  Walham,  held  by 
the  tenure  of  gavelkind,  whereof  16  acres  in  Crundel  were  held  from  John  Lee,  the  Master  of 
the  College  of  All  Saints'  at  Maidstone  ;  26  acres  of  land  at  Wye,  held  of  Thomas  Combes,  Esq., 


Seal  of  Thomas  Kempe, 
Bishop  of  London,  about  1475. 


Bishop   Thomas  Kemp. 


6i 


as  of  the  Manor  of  Combe  ;  24  acres  of  pasture  in  Godmersham,  held  from  the  Prior  of 
Christ  Church,  Canterbury  ;  7  acres  of  wood  in  Walham,  held  from  the  Prior  of  St.  John  of 
Jerusalem*  and  the  messuage  called  "  Clente,"  and  the  residue  of  land  worth  100^.  of  the  Abbot 
of  St.  Martins,  at  Battle,  Co.  Sussex. 

Besides  these  estates,  which  were  all  in  one  district,  he  held  the  Manor  of  Boughton  Aluph, 
direct  from  the  King,  as  of  the  Manor  of  Boulogne,  by  service  of  one  Knight's  fee  ;  and  the  Manor 
of  Stowting,  from  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  ;  the  Manor  of  Ashemersfield,  from  the  "  Abbott 
of  St.  Augustines  without  the  walls  of  Canterbury  ''  ;  the  Manor  of  Hadlow,  from  Jasper,  Duke  of 
Bedford,  as  of  the  Manor  of  Tunbridge,  Kent  ;  an  acre  of  land  at  Staplehurst  and  the  advowson 
of  the  church  there,  held  from  the  Lordship  of  Merden  ;  60  acres  in  Staplehurst,  called  Henhurst, 
held  from  Alexander  ClifiFord,  Esq.,  as  of  the  Manor  of  Sutton  Valance,  and  other  lands  called 
Sandling,  Saltwood,  Postling.  These  lands  the  Bishop  had  entrusted  to  John  Roper,  Gent., 
Nicholas  Wright,  Clerk,  and  John  Chauncey  to  the  use  of  his  will.  The  estate  to  be  entailed  on 
the  male  heirs  of  his  nephew,  Thomas  Kempe,  with  remainder  to  daughters. 

The  escheators  found  that  the  Bishop  had  died  on  "  Saturday  after  the  Feast  of  Annunciation, 
and  that  Thomas  Kempe,  Esq.,  aged  forty-four  and  more,  is  his  cousin  and  heir,  being  son  of 
William  Kempe,  the  Bishop's  brother. 

*  See  other  Kempe  tenants  under  this  Piiory  in  Norfolk  and  Middl'jse.t  sections. 


Tomb  of  Bishop  Thomas  Kempe  in  old  St.  Paul's. 


Numerous  other  Kentish  Kempes  have  been  traced,  and  all  iheir 
wills  have  been  searched  at  Canterbury  and  London,  but  space  at  our 
disposal  prevents  us  including  details  of  them  here. 


ryaiil^if»inrt^:iSf0L^mJ'^.,LJ>.'mrJJ^  ,^Ji,,'i,t'J!=rtJiM^i,..0,i4^  j(»iii .l.>X■Jt^^i,Jl<waU>i.JJt»>a.^^  ,i^'^',r±±'±±_rVr?,iimi 


mit' 


Sir  Robert  Kempe — First  Baronet. 


Section   II. 


The  Kemp  and  Kempe 
families  of   • 

Norfolk  and  Suffolk. 


The  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families  of  Norfolk  and  Suffolk. 


:.    CHoA'PTETi^    I. 

■     '■  EARLY    NORFOLK    AND    SUFFOLK    KEMPES. 

A  PART  from  tradition  it  is  antecedently  probable  that  the  Kempes  of  Norfolk  and  Suffolk 
/— \  are  of  Saxon  origin.  Many  facts  support  the  belief  which  is  current  in  the  family. 
"*■  ^  The  significance  of  the  name  has  already  been  discussed  in  another  chapter,  but  it  will 
be  convenient  to  refer  to  it  again.  According  to  popular  etymology,  Kemp  and  Kempe  are 
modern  English  forms  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  Cempa,  a  soldier.  Whether  the  name  means  soldier  or 
field  of  contest  (for  which  view  there  is  strong  evidence)  its  Saxon  derivation  is  undisputed. 

A  fact  which  was  not  mentioned  in  the  chapter  on  the  derivation  of  the  name  is  the 
designation  "  Kemping  "  applied  to  competitions  among  reapers  in  the  harvest  field.  This  usage 
is  found  both  in  the  south  of  Scotland  and  East  Anglia,  and  probably  in  other  parts  of  the 
country.  Its  history  has  not  been  traced,  but  were  it  proved  to  have  existed,  as  in  all  probability 
it  did,  earlier  than  the  custom  of  distinguishing  families  by  heraldic  arms  it  would  account  for 
the  adoption  of  the  three  sheaves  in  the  Kempe  coat.  The  country  folk  in  the  eastern  counties 
speak  of  the  best  sheaves  in  a  field  as  "  Battle  "  sheaves,  from  the  belief  that  where  human  blood 
has  been  shed  the  corn  grows  more  luxuriantly.  Whatever  sense  the  invention  of  the  arms 
ascribed  to  the  name  the  appropriateness  of  the  sheaves  is  obvious. 

There  were  in  Norfolk  before  1300,  one  or  more  members  of  the  family  known  as  Belle 
Kempe,  signifying  beautiful  field.  They  survive  to  the  present  as  Belkemps  and  Beauchamps. 
In  Latin  the  name  appears  as  Bello  Campo,  borne  by  the  noble  house  of  Warwick.  By  a  play  in 
words,  though  in  total  defiance  of  grammar,  it  might  be  rendered  battlefield. 

Such  playful  twistings  of  a  name  were  dear  to  our  mediaeval  forefathers.  The  very  motto 
used  by  the  Kempes  of  Norfolk  suppHes  a  rather  far-fetched  pun  on  the  name.  LuCEM  sPero 
(Lucem  Spero)  has  but  a  vague  significance  except  in  allusion  to  the  name.  Perhaps  it  is  worth 
noting  here  that  it  reminds  one  of  the  dying  words  of  Goethe,  "  Light,  more  light,"  the  meaning 
of  which  has  been  variously  interpreted  as  a  request  that  the  window  of  his  chamber  might  be 
opened,  or  as  a  prayer  for  higher  knowledge  of  spiritual  truth.  Even  in  the  latter  sense  the  words 
Lucem  Spero  are  hardly  likely  to  have  suggested  themselves  to  a  warrior  five  hundred  years  ago 
as  a  family  motto.  Such  an  aspiration  would  be  more  likely  to  have  emanated  fi-om  a  monastic 
cell.  The  present  baronet  suggests  that  "  I  hope  for  light  "  was  the  cry  of  the  hooded  hawk  which 
is  one  of  the  crests  of  the  family.  When  the  identification  of  Kempe  with  CEMPA  is  borne  in 
mind  the  word  play  appears  much  more  natural  than  it  does  to  modern  €ars. 

There  is  a  story  current  in  the  family  concerning  the  origin  of  the  shield.  A  king  (whose 
name  is  not  recorded)  with  his  followers,  being  tired  of  falconry,  were  attracted  by  the  shoutings  of 
a  band  of  reapers  engaged  in  gathering  in  their  equally  allotted  portions  of  their  lord's  harvest, 

F  2 


2  Histow  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

this  being  one  of  the  customary  services  in  Heu  of  rent.  "  What  game  is  this  ?  "  inquired  the 
king.  "  Kemping  "  was  the  reply,  followed  by  further  explanation.  The  young  men  goaded  to 
fresh  efforts  by  their  anxiety  to  display  their  skill  before  so  noble  a  company  presented  a  lively 
scene.  His  Majesty,  in  order  to  spur  them  to  yet  keener  contest,  promised  three  hundred  acres 
and  some  kine  to  the  man  who  first  laid  three  sheaves  at  his  feet.  Hardly  had  the  reaper  laid  his 
last  sheaf  down  when  one  of  the  royal  birds  returning  from  his  flight  alighted  upon  it,  whereupon 
the  king  granted  him  as  arms  and  crest  three  sheaves  and  a  hawk,  an  appropriate  memorial  of  the 
incident  whereby  he  obtained  his  estate.  In  the  hall  at  Gissing  there  was  formerly  an  old  picture 
of  unknown  date  representing  the  "  Kempers  "  or  reapers  competing,  but  without  the  royal  party. 
Also  in  the  church  reapers  were  introduced  as  supporters  of  the  Kemp  arms  with  evident  allusion 
to  the  family  tradition. 

There  is  in  Suffolk,  near  Blythburg,  on  the  river  Blyth,  a  locality  known  as  Bulchamp,  with 
a  hamlet  of  the  same  name.  In  the  immediate  neighbourhood  is  the  traditional  site  of  a  fierce 
battle  in  which  the  Christian  Saxons  of  East  Anglia  were  defeated  by  Penda,  the  ruler  of  the  still 
heathen  kingdom  of  Mercia.  From  this  event  the  name  is  supposed  by  some  to  be  derived. 
Camp,  as  stated  in  a  former  chapter,  has  among  other  meanings  that  of  battle  or  contest,  while  the 
syllable  bul  is  believed  to  represent  the  Anglo-Sa.xon  bald,  i.e.^  bold.  Hence,  the  name  would 
signify  "  bold  fight."  It  is  quite  possible  that  the  name  Kemp,  meaning  field  of  contest,  may  have 
reference  to  the  traditional  site  of  this  battle  being  in  the  midst  of  the  ancient  settlements  of  the 
Kemps.  It  may  be  added  that  Kemps  are  known  as  tenants  of  Blythburg  Abbey  as  early  as  1187- 
In  1154,  a  Gotfred  Kempe  was  living  at  Norwich,'  his  daughter  having  married  that  year 
Jevan  Bladwell.  From  this  time  numerous  individuals  of  the  name  occur  in  records  of  Norfolk 
and  Suffolk.  At  Gasthorpe,  on  the  border  of  these  counties  we  know  that  there  was  a  manor  called 
"  Kempes  "  before  1288-  where  at  that  date  was  living  as  its  Lord,  one,  Adam  Kempe,  who  paid 
two  shillings  and  sixpence  annually  to  the  Abbey  at  Bury  St.  Edmunds.  In  the  following  year  it 
was  held  by  Gilbert  Kempe,  and  in  1294  William  Kempe  gave  part  of  it  as  a  marriage  portion  to 
his  daughter  Lettice,  on  her  marriage  with  William,  of  Norwich.  This  husband  having  died  three 
years  later,  she  married  again,  and  her  portion  thus  passed  to  Simon  de  la  Majorwaring  of 
Herling,  and  was  afterwards  considered  part  of  East  Hall  Manor.  The  other  portion  in  1330  is 
recorded  to  have  passed  from  Emma  Kempe,  a  widow,  to  her  son,  John  Kempe  What  remained 
of  the  manor  after  numerous  charitable  gifts  and  other  assignments,  decended  to  William  Kemp 
before  1341. 

This  manor  was  Avithin  ten  miles  of  Gissing,  and  we  suggest  that  Adam  de  Gissing,  a  Knight, 
who  with  Sir  Nicholas  Hastings  founded  and  endowed  the  chapel  to  "All  the  Saints,'"  at  Gissing, 
in  1280,  was  one  and  the  same  with  Adam  Kempe  of  Kempe's  Manor.  We  have  ample  proof  that 
the  Kempe  and  Hastings  families  were  much  together  during  the  fourteenth  century,  and  must 
have  had  interests  in  common,  despite  the  fact  that  their  properties  were  adjacent  might  tend  to 
differences  over  boundaries  and  privileges.  Of  the  marriage  between  Kempe  and  Hastings  families 
we  shall  speak  later,  when  we  come  to  consider  the  recorded  pedigree.  Long  before  the  above 
Kempes  are  known  to  have  had  Kempe's  Manor,  we  find  some  of  the  name  as  land  holders  in 
in  Norfolk  and  Suffolk. 

To  begin  with,  we  may  ask  whether  there  is  any  known  reason  for  the  Kempes  being 
associated  with  the  Abbej'  of  Bury  St.  Edmunds.  In  the  study  of  small  holdings  in  early  times, 
it  is  noticeable  that  the  tenants  were  closely  attached  to  their  greater  owners.  Even  when  they 
removed  from  one  place  to  another  they  generally  remained  on  the  rolls  of  the  same  landlords. 
(We  do  not  refer  here  to  the  vassels  who  were  actually  the  property  of  the  landlord,  and  could  not 


Early  Norfolk  and  Sufolk  Kempes.  .3 

quit  the  manor  without  his  permission.)  If,  therefore,  we  find  other  early  Kempes  associated  with 
the  Abbey  of  Bury,  we  may  infer  a  possible  connexion  with  the  families.  Anyway,  this  Kempe 
Manor  connected  them  with  Suffolk. 

A  William  Kempe  was  a  tenant  under  St.  Augustine's  Priory,  Blythburg,  in  that  county  100 
years  earlier  than  the  first  date  mentioned  at  Gasthorpe.  This  William  and  Ermesent,  his  wife, 
were  living  in  1187,  and  had  a  son  named  Bartholomew,  who  joined  in  the  sale  of  their  property 
at  Darsham,  to  "  Ralph  de  Bulitot;  son  of  Geoffrey." 

Among  other  property  belonging  to  the  Priory  of  Blythburg  were  lands  at  Stubbing, 
Heveningham,  Redisham,  Rushmere,  and  also  at  Canterbury.  At  Little  Redisham,  Robert  Kempe 
was  a  witness  to  a  deed  (now  among  the  Stow  MSS.)  dated  1411-     William  Kempe  was  possessed 


^^  -as"-  ^ 


^ 


y 


1 


Royal  Grant  to  Adam  de  Gissing  and  Sir  Nicholas  Hastings  for  founding  a  Chapel  at  Gissing  in  12S0. 


of  tenements  at  Heveringland,  Norfolk,  in  1343-4,  and  Isabelle  Kempe  had  land  called  Stubbing, 
at  Wenham  Parva,  as  well  as  other  lands  in  Chatsham  and  Belstede  Magna,  in  Suffolk  in  1347, 
which  had  been  settled  upon  her  by  her  son  in  1327.  Deeds  relating  to  these  are  in  the  Record 
Office,  and  with  them  several  which  are  dated  in  1287,  and  witnessed  by  Geoffrey  Kempe, 
Warden  of  Ipswich. 

This  name  brings  us  to  the  first  occurrence  of  the  name  of  Kempe  on  the  Norwich  Charter 
Rolls,  and  although  Kempes  were  even  then  numerous  in  East  Anglia,  we  consider  it  probable 
that  this  Geoffrey  was  connected  with,  if  not  the  same  as  Geofifrey  Kempe,  a  citizen  of  Norwich, 
who,  in  1294,  had  a  grant  of  land  in  the  parish  of  St.  Lawrence.  He  had  a  son  then  hving 
named  Thomas.     The  next  year  Geoffrey  Kempe  le  Gierke  and  Cecilia,  his  wife,  are  mentioned  in 


4  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

St.  John,  "  Woddermarket  "  (?  Maddermarket),  Norwich,  and  twice  more  in  1305-6.  This  couple 
are  also  named  in  connexion  with  land  and  other  property  in  St.  Lawrence  and  the  Market,  which 
had  formerly  belonged  to  Arnold  Kempe.    [See  Arnold  Kempe  under  Boughton  Aluph,  Kent). 

Geoffrey,  we  need  hardly  say,  is  rendered  in  Latin  as  Galfridus,  and  as  such  is  recorded  in 
"  Rotuli  Hundredorum."  He  is  termed  "Clerk  of  Norwich,"  but  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
either  a  city  clerk  or  a  clergyman.  In  the  same  record,  and  at  the  same  period,  "  Galfrid  Kempe 
balli  de  Castello  "  is  entered,  which  may  represent  him  to  be  a  Bailiff  of  the  Castle,  an  office  likely 
to  be  held  by  the  same  individual  as  he  who  was  Warden  of  Ipswich. 

In  1298  and  1305  Richard,  son  of  Geoffrey  Kempe  and  Matilda^  is  mentioned  also  in 
connexion  with  St.  Lawrence,  Norwich,  and  St.  Margaret,  Westwick. 

In  1306,  John  Kempe  appears  with  his  wife  Pleysinica,  who  was  previously  wife  of  Mathew  de 
Swathing,  a  goldsmith  of  St.  John,  Maddermarket. 

From  the  Close  Rolls  we  find  that  one,  Galfrid  Kempe,  was  imprisoned  at  Norwich,  with 
other  persons,  on  a  malicious  charge  of  having  been  the  cause  of  the  death  of  "  Thomas,  the  son  of 
John  de  Ladnes,"  but  the  King  sent  authority  to  the  Sheriff  of  the  County  to  bail  him  out. 

In  1321  Richard  Kempe  was  presented  to  the  fifth  Prebend  or  Provostship  in  Norwich 
Cathedral ;  perhaps  it  was  the  same  Richard  who  was  Rector  of  St.  George's  in  Tombland,  in 
Norwich  in  1326,  and  the  "Sir  Richard  Kempe,''  who  as  Chaplain  of  Hingham,  was  buried  in 
that  Church  as  mentioned  by  Blomfield.     No  monument  now  remains  to  his  memory. 

In  1349  a  Walter  Kempe  was  presented  to  the  Vicarage  of  East  Walton,  from  which  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Rectory  of  St.  Matthew  the  Apostle,  Norwich,  in  1364.  A  Walter  Kempe 
was  also  a  Rector  of  Narborough  in  1370.  From  the  fact  that  the  Kempes  of  Esse.x  were 
constantly  represented  in  the  West  of  Norfolk  from  early  times  until  the  last  centur}^,  it  is 
probable  that  this  cleric  was  one  of  that  family. 

In  1346  Nicholas  Kempe  of  Westwych,  or  West  Winch,  held  a  portion  of  the  manor  called 
Dovedales,  in  Newton,  of  which  Peter  de  Ovedale  was  then,  or  pre\aously,  Lord.  It  was  doubtless 
a  kmsman  of  this  Nicholas,  who  was  in  1612  Rector  of  West  Winch,  both  being,  we  believe,  of  the 
Esse.x  stock,  by  whom  at  an  early  date  the  name  of  Nicholas  was  used.  This  is,  perhaps,  the  first 
Nicholas  Kempe  of  whom  we  find  record,  unless  one  Nicholas  Kempyn,  of  North  Erpingham,  can 
be  claimed  as  a  Kemp.  This  latter  was  living  old,  blind  and  infirm  in  1256,  for  which  reason  he 
could  not  attend  a  court,  to  which  he  owed  homage.  (Crown  Plea  Rolls).  He  may  also  be  the 
first  Kempe  known  in  the  Hundred.  But  it  is  doubtful  if  any  Kempes  were  his  offspring,  for 
nearly  a  century  later  when  the  subsidies  were  collected  we  find  only  two  Kempes  in  the  Hundred. 
These  are  both  found  on  the  coast,  and  pay  but  small  sums  ;  it  is,  therefore,  not  improbable  that 
they  were  foreigners,  who  had  but  recently  settled,  perhaps  relatives  of  the  Flemish  Kempe 
weavers  who  had  license  to  establish  their  craft  in  England  in  the  reign  of  Edward  III.  (the  King 
to  whom  these  subsidies  were  paid).  Their  names  were  Thomas  Kempe  of  Beeston,  who  paid  two 
pence,  the  lowest  amount  collected  in  1334-5.  Roger  Kempe  of  Sherringham,  who  paid  the  same 
amount  in  1327,  when  other  people  paid  from  twelve  to  eighteen  pence  each. 

In  13T4  a.  William  Kew^e  witnessed  the  will  of  Sir  John  de  Reppes,  one  of  whose  daughters 
was  Alice  de  Redisham.  This  testator  mentions  the  Church  of  Antingham,  and  from  the  names 
of  other  witnesses,  it  seems  likely  that  William  was  related  to  him,  thus  for  the  first  time  on 
record,  Kempe  and  Anti7igham  are  brought  together.  It  was  not,  however,  until  two  hundred 
years  later  that  the  Kempes  made  Antingham  one  of  their  favourite  seats. 

In  1379  we  find  that  Richard  Kempe,  a  tanner  of  Fletcham,  was  made  a  Freeman  of  Norwich. 
The  same  honour  was  conferred  upon  Thomas  Kimmppe  in   1405,  and   Gregory  Kempe  soon 


Roots  of  the    Tree.  5 

afterwards.  John  Kempe,  a  carpenter  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VT.,  was  also  a  Freeman  of  this  City  ; 
also  Thomas  Kempe,  a  tailor,  in  1456.  When  we  recall  the  fact  of  the  woollen  industry,  having 
an  early  home  at  Worsted,  and  that  much  of  their  manufacture  was  shipped  from  Norwich  to  the 
Continent,  it  seems  probable  that  these  tailors,  mercers,  and  tanners  were  also  oi  foreign  origin. 

In  145 1-2  Norwich  obtained  the  great  Charter  which  may  still  be  seen  at  the  Castle  Museum. 
This  was  signed  by  John  Kempe,  Cardinal  and  Archbishop  of  York,  and  Lord  Chancellor  of 
England,  and  his  nephew,  Thomas  Kempe,  then  Bishop  of  London.  Among  other  names 
thereon  are  the  Duke  of  Norfolk  as  Marshal  of  England,  and  Duke  of  Somerset  as  Constable  of 
England. 


CHcA'PTETi   II. 

ROOTS    OF    THE    TREE. 

JUST  south  of  Gasthorpe  and  Garboldisham,  but  in  Suffolk,  lie  two  Westons,  Coney  Weston 
and  Market  Weston.  Owing  to  their  proximity  to  "  Kempe's  Manor,"  and  being  on  the 
route  which  must  have  been  taken  by  these  Kempes  when  they  repaired  to  Bury  St. 
Edmunds  to  pay  their  dues,  it  would  be  easy  to  believe  that  one  of  these  was  the  Weston,  which 
according  to  the  pedigree  was  the  earlier  seat  of  the  Kemps  of  Gissing. 

We  have,  however,  evidence  that  it  was  another  Weston  in  the  north-east  corner  of  Suffolk. 
In  the  "  Rotuli  Hundredorum  "  for  the  county,  we  find  that  in  the  time  of  Edward  I.  Alan 
Kempe  was  rated  at  five  shillings  for  land  which  he  held  at  Westo7i  in  the  Hundred  of  Waynesford, 
and  William  Kempe  and  his  sons,  John  and  Alan  are  mentioned.  This  Weston  is  further 
identified  by  the  deeds  now  at  the  Records  Office,  which  as  we  have  said  relate  to  Redisham,  the 
adjoining  parish  to  this. 

For  further  proof  of  the  Kempes  being  here  we  turn  to  the  Suffolk  fines  (for  which  details 
we  are  indebted  to  Mr.  Walter  Rye).  The  most  important  item  touching  the  present  question  is 
an  entry  made  in  the  nth  year  of  Edward  11.  (1318),  which  runs  as  follows  :— "Henry,  son  of 
Robert  le  Clerk,  of  Carlton,  and  Aullina,  his  wife,  V.  Geoffrey,  son  of  Alan  Kempe,  of  Weston, 
in  Carlton,  Rushmere,  Mutford,  Barnaby  and  Honberg." 

The  Carlton  here  referred  to  is,  doubtless,  Carlton  Colville,  which  is  close  to  Mutford  and 
Barneby,  and  Rushmere  is  just  south  of  these.  A  few  miles  southward  again  we  come  to 
Blythburg,  the  priory  at  which  received  dues  or  charities  from  the  Kempes  as  early  as  1187,  and 
as  we  have  said  ovi^ned  land  at  some  of  those  places,  at  which  the  Kempes  also  had  possessions. 

It  would  then  be  reasonable  to  suppose  that  at  some  earlier  period,  for  which  no  records  now 
exist,  an  ancestor  of  the  family  settled  or  bequeathed  a  portion  of  his  lands  on  this  Priory  of 
St.  Augustine,  and  that  others  of  the  family  caused  a  charge  to  be  made  on  their  estates  to  the 
end  that  in  return  for  these  benefactions  the  monastery  would  "  pray  for  the  health  of  their  souls." 

We  have  before  spoken  of  the  custom  of  one  religious  house  entertaining  the  friends  and 
tenants  of  another  of  the  same  order  ;  and  we  suggest  that  in  this  way  these  Suffolk  Kempes 


6  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

were  likely  to  communicate  with  those  in  Kent,  some  of  whom  we  have  seen  were  tenants  of  the 
St.  Augustine  at  Canterbury,  in  which  city  this  Blythburgh  Priory  also  had  property.  The 
frequent  interchange  of  Combe  and  Kempe  in  early  documents  has  been  notified.  We  here  call 
attention  to  the  coincidence,  that  while  Alan  Kempe  held  his  property  at  Weston  the  same 
authority  tells  us  that  Alan  Combe  held  a  messuage  and  lands  in  Kent  from  Alic  de  Schalar,  by 
service  of  three  capons,  and  that  at  this  time  also  "  Barthus  *  de  Combis  "  paid  fourteen  pence  as 
rent  for  his  lands  at  "Blackburn,"  in  Suffolk,  and  another  three  pence  for  other  neighbouring 
property. 

The  Calendars  of  Wills  for  Norfolk  do  not  commence  until  1416,  they  show  that  Comp  was 
the  favourite  spelling  between  that  date  and  1450  ;  Thomas  Comp  of  Ashfield,  there  can  be  little 
doubt,  belonged  to  the  same  family  as  William  Kempe  of  Griston,  who  in  1304  had  some  interest 
in  that  place.     In  course  of  another  half  century  Campe  had  become  a  common  rendering. 

In  the  Calendar  of  Ipswich  Wills,  which  commences  in  1400,  no  Comp  or  Cemp  occurs  at 
this  period,  the  Kempes  there  having  settled  upon  the  spelling,  which  they  continued  uninter- 
ruptedly until  about  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century,  when  they  dropped  the  final  E. 

William  Kempe,  of  Griston,  was  also  concerned  with  lands  in  Walsham  and  Stanton,  as  well 
as  Ashfield  Parva  in  1304,  and  in  131 3  William  and  John  Kempe  paid  a  fine  relative  to  properties 
in  "Elgh  and  Wylyngham,"  which  were  also  the  subject  of  a  fine  in  1327,  the  parties  then  being 
William  Kempe  and  Agnes  Kempe,  with  Walter  de  Blyford.  (Blyford  is  close  to  Blythburgh.) 
The  identity  of  these  places  is  not  quite  clear,  but  we  presume  that  Ellough  and  Wellingham, 
near  Weston,  are  meant. 

It  is  interesting  to  find  that  Ubbeston,  which  was  centuries  later  a  seat  of  the  family,  was  so 
early  as  1311  partly  held  by  one  Roger  Kempe.  He,  with  his  wife,  Alice,  was  concerned  that 
year  with  Adam  Love,  of  Westhale,  in  settlements  of  land  situated  in  Ubbeston^  Laxfield^  and 
Huntingfield.  Laxfield  is  the  place  of  residence  of  the  first  Kempe,  whose  will  is  preserved  in 
the  Ipswich  Probate  Court.  His  Christian  name  was  Godfrid,  the  date  of  proving  being  1444 
or  1445-  The  will  of  AHce  Kempe,  of  Laxfield,  also  appears  in  the  Calendar,  between  1458 
and   1477. 

Summing  up  the  groups  of  Kempes,  so  far  briefly  reviewed  in  Norfolk  and  Suffolk,  we  find 
them  as  follows  : — 

At  Darsham,  as  tenants  of  St.  Augustine's,  Blythburg,  in  1187- 

At  Kempe's  Manor,  Garboldisham,  from  1288  till  1330,  as  tenants  of  the  Abbey  of  Bury 
St.  Edmunds. 

At  Weston,  circa  1300  to  1555. 

At  Norwich,  from  1150. 

At  Ipswich  and  around,  from  1294- 

And  in  and  around  Monks  Eleigh,  from  1372. 
It  is  noticeable  that  Darsham  is  just  equi-distant  from  Norwich  and  Ipswich,  although  not 
in  a  direct  line  between  them.  The  dates,  so  far  ascertained,  would  lead  us  to  suppose  that  the 
Ipswich  family  came  to  Norwich,  and  as  the  land  around  the  former  was  acquired  soon  after  the 
Geoffrey  Kempe  was  Warden  of  that  borough,  it  would  appear  probable  that  his  ofifice  led  to  his 
settling  in  or  near  the  latter  place.  This  supposition  is  in  accord  with  the  suggestion  made  by 
Blomfield,  in  the  "  History  of  Norfolk,"  who,  however,  had  it  seems  even  slighter  evidence  to 
guide   him.      The    other    ancestors  which   he  gives,   as   additional   to   those   authorised  by  the 

*  Contraction  for  Bartholomaeus. 


Roots  of  the   Tree.        .-      '  7 . 

"Heraldic  Visitations,"    he   appears   to  have    obtained    from    the    collections    made    by   Robert 
Kempe  about  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

This  collection  of  matter  relating  to  the  county  families  of  Norfolk  and  Suffolk,  as  well  as  the 
Kempes  of  Kent,  is  now  at  the  British  Museum  (Harl.  MSS.,  901.)  It  has  his  arms  inside  the 
cover — three  sheaves  within  a  bordure  engrailed,  and  a  crescent  for  difference.  On  page  10  he 
starts  the  "  Descent  of  Kempe  of  Weston,  in  Suffolk,"  with  Norman  de  Campo,  Rogerus  de 
Campo,  and  a  remark  to  the  effect  that  these  were  "  vulgarly  called  Kempe."  These  are  followed 
by  Roger  Kempe,  Ralph  Kempe,  William  Kempe,  and  then  the  Allan  Kempe,  the  latter  being  the 
first  on  the  pedigree  of  "  Herald's  Visitation." 

It  is  certainly  rather  curious  if  the  family  at  so  early  a  date  attributed  their  name  to  their  Sa.xon 
origin,  as  Blomfield  states,  that  they  should  have  started  their  pedigree  with  a  Norman  Kempe. 

Accepting  for  the  moment  these  ancestors,  we  find  Ralph  Kempe  to  be  the  grandfather  of 
Allan  Kempe  of  Weston.  The  latter  we  have  shown  was  living  in  1318,  and  he  is  said  to  have 
married  before  1324.  At  that  time  his  grandfather  might  reasonably  be  living  ;  but  he  does  not 
so  far  as  we  have  traced  appear  as  a  land-holder  in  Norfolk  or  Suffolk.  Now  we  find  from  the 
cuslumals  of  Battle  Abbey  that  Radulphus  de  Campis,  otherwise  Ralph  Kempe,  was  between 
1283  and  1312  a  tenant  of  that  monastery  as  stated  under  our  records  of  the  Kempes  of  Wye, 
and  that  at  this  time  Galfrid  Kempe  was  also  a  tenant  of  the  same  house,  having  his  holding 
situated  in  the  Manor  of  "  Lymenesfield,"  in  Sussex.  Thus,  so  far  as  dates  are  concerned,  Ralph 
Kempe,  of  Kent,  and  Galfrid  Kemp,  of  Sussex,  might  be  the  same  individuals  as  those  connected 
with  this  Norfolk  pedigree. 

It  has,  apparently,  always  been  claimed  that  those  of  Wye  and  those  of  Gissing  were  of  the 
same  original  stock,  and  the  early  authorised  use  of  the  same  coat  would  seem  to  acknowledge 
this.     Yet  the  relationship  has,  it  seems,  never  been  traced. 

Taking  another  aspect  of  the  matter,  and  adhering  to  our  theory  of  migration  as  mfluenced 
by  monastic  tenures,  we  revert  to  Bury  St.  Edmunds. 

The  only  portrait  claimed  as  that  of  Archbishop  Kempe  was  formerly  in  the  "  Abbey  of  St. 
Edmundsbury  " — so  Lyson  in  his  work  on  London  tells  us.  The  question  as  to  whether  it  really 
represents  him  has  been  threshed  out  in  the  pages  of  Notes  and  Queries,  with  the  result  that  we 
may  rest  assured  that  the  portrait  is  his,  and  that  beyond  doubt  it  was  at  Bury  with  that  of 
Humphrey,  Duke  of  Gloucester,  both  of  whom  were  benefactors  of  this  place  and  of  Oxford. 
The  original  Register  of  Expenses  at  Bury  St.  Edmunds  is  in  the  Harleian  Library  (645),  it  is 
entitled  on  the  vellum  cover  as  follows  : — 

"  Registrum  Kempe  olim  ad  Abbattiam  Sci.  Edmundi,  in  agro  Suffolciensi  pertinens." 
Either  the  paintings  themselves,  or  replicas,  were  placed  in  the  Abbey  of  Barking,  in  Essex,  about 
the  time  of  Bishop  Thomas  Kempe's  death.  This  convent  was  founded  by  Saint  Erkenwold,  by 
whose  shrine  in  St.  Paul's  this  bishop  desired  to  be  buried.  St.  Erkenwald  was  a  Saxon,  great 
grandson  of  Uffa,  the  first  King,  and  second  son  of  Anna,  the  seventh  King  of  the  East  Angles, 
which  may  account  for  the  especial  veneration  in  which  the  Kempes  held  him.  (He  was  made 
bishop  of  London  in  675.) 

Alice  Kempe,  of  the  Weston  family,  became  a  nun  at  this  abbey  at  Barking.  Why  she 
should  enter  so  distant  a  convent  when  there  were  many  nearer  is  a  mystery,  unless  due  to  the 
same  esteem  for  the  founder,  or  for  its  being  patronised  by  her  renowned  kinsmen,  Archbishop 
and  Bishop  Kempe.  She  must  have  been  there  some  forty  years  after  the  death  of  the  latter, 
possibly  until  the  suppression  under  Henry  VIII. 

Between  this  house  and  the  Convent  of  Chertsey  there  were  great  disputes  as  to  the  interment 


8  History  of  the  Kemp  ajid  Kempe  Families. 

of  the  body  of  this  St.  Erkenwald,  each  claiming  exclusive  right  to  the  bones  of  the  venerable 
prelate  The  connection  between  these  houses  may  have  occasioned  the  settlement  of  Kempes  at 
Chertsey.  John  Kempe  had  a  grant  of  a  toft  of  land  in  that  place  in  1379-80,  the  deed  making 
this  grant  is  preserved  at  the  Record  Office.  The  grantor  was  John  de, Thorpe.  This  was  not 
the  first  Kempe  in  Chertsey,  for  back  in  1235  one,  Gilbert  Kempe,  of  Chertsey  (Certesey), 
conveyed  a  portion  of  his  estate  to  Phillip  de  Henley. 

Gilbert  being  one  of  the  names  associated  with  Kempe's  Manor  in  Norfolk,  there  may  be  a 
connexion  between  the  two  ;  while  Ailwin  Kempe,  who  was  a  landowner  in  the  Hundred  of 
Blackheath,  Surrey,  in  1205,  suggests  by  his  name  a  distinctly  Saxon  origin.  Perhaps  Ailwin 
became  corrupted  in  time  to  Allan,  for  so  far  the  Kempes  had  not  come  into  touch  with  Scotland, 
whence  it  would  be  expected  the  name  of  Allan  might  be  derived. 

If,  however,  Allan  Kempe  of  Weston  was  neither  connected  with  Ailwin  Kempe,  of  Surrey, 
nor  drew  his  name  from  the  name  of  Allan  so  prevalent  in  Scotland,  he  may  yet  have  been 
connected  through  the  Scotts  of  Brabourne,  in  Kent,  with  North  Britain  as  recorded  in  our 
Kentish  section  of  this  work.  We  must  also  bear  in  mind  the  tradition  of  the  Kentish  Kempe 
family,  that  their  ancestors  came  from  "the  North,"  from  which  we  may  further  argue,  that  if 
this  tradition  holds  good  for  Kent  it  may  do  so  also  for  those  of  Weston  and  Gissing.  We  fear 
that  all  evidence  in  favour  of  this  is,  however,  prehistoric.  One  more  word,  however,  may  be 
said  in  support  of  the  connexion  between  Scottish  and  English  Kempes.  This  Allan  Kempe 
of  Weston,  we  are  told,  had  at  least  two  sons,  John,  who  succeeded  him  at  Weston,  and  Alexander 
Kempe,  of  whose  further  existence  we  have  no  trace  in  Norfolk,  Suffolk,  Essex  or  Kent.  He 
appears  to  have  left  the  country.  One  of  the  earliest  Kempes  whom  we  find  in  Scotland,  though 
at  a  much  later  date,  is  an  Alexander  Kempe,  who  was  a  favourite  of  King  James  V.  It  is  very 
possible  that  the  Christian  name  was  handed  down  from  the  one  to  the  other.  Alexander  is  one 
of  the  names  oftenest  used  by  the  Kempes  of  Edinburgh  and  the  Lowlands  since  1500. 

With  regard  to  the  early  ancestors  named  by  Blorafield  in  his  account  of  the  Kempes  of 
Gissing,  in  his  great  "  History  of  Norfolk,"  beyond  the  facts  that  such  individuals  did  live  about 
the  time  he  ascribes  to  them,  there  is  no  conclusive  evidence  that  they  were  the  progenitors  of 
the  Weston  or  Gissing  Kempes.  When,  however,  he  tells  us  that  Ralph  Kempe  married  a 
daughter  of  De  la  Haute,  and  that  their  son,  William,  married  a  daughter  of  Barstaple  or 
Bainspath,*  we  must  think  that  he  had  some  reasonable  ground  for  making  such  a  statement. 
We  have  sought  to  trace  these  ladies  in  records  of  their  respective  families,  and  among  the  ancient 
documents  of  the  present  Baronet,  but  have  found  nothing  more  than  the  bare  repetition  of  the 
statements  dating  apparently  no  further  back  than  the  eighteenth  century.  When  the  family 
histories  connected  with  these  names  come  to  be  written  these  points  may  be  cleared  up.  Mean- 
while we  cannot  feel  quite  certain  that  these  early  ancestors  of  the  Kempes  are  correctly  recorded. 
While  there  is  no  reason  why  we  should  set  them  entirely  aside  we  yet  suggest  that  like  the  de 
Campos  they  were  but  individuals  of  whose  existence  Blomfield  had  but  a  bare  knowledge.  Had 
it  been  possible  to  establish  a  claim  to  them  as  direct  ancestors,  the  Elizabethan  Kempes  of 
Gissing  would  have  eflfected  their  being  recorded  as  such  in  the  official  "  Heraldic  Visitations." 

We  have  shown  that  the  Ralph  Kempe  and  Geoffrey  Kempe  claimed  by  Blomfield  as 
progenitors  of  the  Weston  and  Gissing  Kempes  synchronize  with  individuals  of  the  same  name  in 
Kent  and  Sussex,  and  that  Blythburgh  Abbey  had  communication  with  Canterbury.  It  is  feasible 
therefore  to  believe  that  at  about  this  time  (1 180)  the  Norfolk  Kempes  held  lands  in  each  county  ; 

*  Bainspath  sounds  like  a  northern  name.    Cf.  Brancepeth,  Copeth,  Morpeth.    Bain  is  a  Scot;ish  name. 


'OLK. 


Norman  de  Camp(j^>''  ieavi7tg  the  King's  Court,  1127. 

I  Got/red  Kempe,  lived  at  Norwich  tn  Ii5-f=^ 

I  Master  of  the  Knight's  Hospitallers,  1160.  Anne  Kempe=Jijoan  Bladwell. 

Ralf  Kempe  (said  do.  do.  1231. 

I  \t  Chertsev,  Surrey.     Living  12J5. 

William  Kempe  (Sorpe,  Norfolk,  in  12SS.     Gilbert  Kemp  held  "  Kempe's  Manor  "  in  128c,. 

I  \eld  "  Kempe's  Manor,"  Gasthorpe  in  i2g4-z^Emma  Kempe  of  same,  living  ijjo. 


Arnold  Kempe,  of  ist  husband  \  2nd  husband 

U  illiam  de  i\orwiclt=Lettice  Kempe=i>imon  de  la  Mavvwaring. 

_      ,        ^  '  yxthe  same  as  William  K.  of  "-Ely,"  living  in  IJ2-;  with  his  wife  .ignes. 

of  the  City  of  Ni^^  j;^,^p,^  of  Monk's  Eleigh,  living  in  1372. 


John  Kempe,  of  Wrd  Kempe  (perhaps  Rector 
bur.  there  1459  (?'      of  Heigham) 


Anne  or  Margaret  Kempe, 
mar.  .  .  Loveday,  of  Norwich. 


Alice  Kempe. 


;er  to  Robert  Beuteveleyn=:a  co-heir  of  Thomas  Gardiner. 


William  Beuteveleyn,  an  idiot,  died  S.P. 


?  1st  wife  I 
=Elizabeth,  sister  to  Robert  Beuteveleyn. 

eth  Kempe,=:Thomas  Herteshorne,  of  Gissing,  Esq. 

f  Beuteveleyn.    

'       \  \  r 

Elizabeth  dau   and        Richard  Kempe.           Cicely  Kempe=John  iVloulton.  Alice  Kempe, 

of  Mergate  Hall, ^  Nun  at  Barking. 

^j,jj_-5i].  Richd.  B  Kempe=Robert  Blaverhausett,  of         Florence  Kempe:=Sir  Philip  Woodall,  of 
of  Harlston  Princethorpe,  Warwickshire. Frampton,  Suffolk. 

Elizabeth  d.  of  Edie,     William  Kempe.     Francis  Kempe,     Elizabeth  Kempe=Lionel  Throgmorton, 
of  Bucking  °f  Little  Hadham.  of  Flixton,  Saffolk. 


Alice,  d.  of  Phillipobert  Kempe,  of 

Hampstead,  Mdsery  St.  Edmunds, 

=Agnes,  dau.  of 

Robert  Kempe,  of  liHiam  Staunton. 
at  Hampstead  15C 


William  Kempe,         Edward  Kempe. 
of  Cambridge. 


Elizabeth  Kempe, 
=:John  Buxton, 


lane  d.  of  Sir  Mat'empe,         Col.  Matthew  Kempe,         Dorothy  Kempe,  Elizabeth  Kempe, 

of  Betch worth  Cham..  of  Virginia.  =William  Jackman.     =Sir  Robert  Kempe, 

Bart.  o"  1642.  Knight,  of 

Finehingfield. 


1st  wife.  i 

Mary  d.  of  Thomdie  Kempe^Thomas  Waldegrave. 
Shelley,  Suffolk,  | 

Jane  Waldegrave. 


Maurice  Shelton=Elizabeth  Kempe. 


Letitia,  d.'of  Robeipe,     Elizabeth  Kempe,     Elizabeth,  d.  of=William  Kempe,  Esq.=Jane  Coleman, 


of  Thurlow,  Suflois,     died  unmarried.  Henry 

the  widow  of  Sir  Shardelow 

Kempe,  Knight.  (or  ?  Shallcross) 


of  Antingham,  mar.  1704, 

died  1744.    Tomb  in         died  1705. 
Antingham  Church. 


Letitia  Kempe,     « 

born  1694.        Eq  cilia,  d.  and  co-heir 
Cf  Thos.  Holden. 
I  ^'arried  A.  Merry. 


Sir  Benjamin  Kemp,  7th  Bart., 

Physician  of  Coin  St.  Dennis,  Glo. 

born  1708,  died  1777. 


Sir  John  Kemp, 
born  1754,  diedunl 


1st  husb.  I  2nd  husb. 

John  Cook,=Elizabeth  Kemp,^James  Gay,  of 
of  Horsted.  died  1803  North  Walsham. 


Sir  William  Rober 
died  Octo 


The  Rev.  Sir  WilliFrancis         Melissa=:Capt.  Thos.        Elinora=Shephard       Sarah^Richd.  Fish, 
loth  Bart.,  Rect<  Woodrow.                   Withers,  R.N.                       Holmes. 
Flordon,  bom  17 


Mary,  d.  of  Admiri'iarah, 
H agar. j  ifant. 


Elinora  Sarah  Caroline, 
S.P. 


Lucretia  Melissa, 
S.P.  died  1901. 


Jane  Louise, 
died  an  infant. 


Captain  Edgar  Ka  aroline  Russell  Kemp=Rev.  John  Sharp,  D.D.,  late  Rector  of  Elmley  Lovets. 
the  4th  King's  C  '      .-,  ,  „o 

S.P.    died  18'  Edgar  Snarp,  bom  1887. 

Robert  Hamilton  lorothy  Kemp,  mar.  at  Flordon,  l90I=Robert  Gwilt,  Esq.,  Hartest,  Suffolk, 


8  History  of  the  Kemp  atid  Kevtpe  Families. 

of  the  body  of  this  St.  Erkenwald,  each  claiming  exclusive  right  to  the  bones  of  the  venerable 
prelate  The  connection  between  these  houses  may  have  occasioned  the  settlement  of  Kempes  at 
Chertsey.  John  Kempe  had  a  grant  of  a  toft  of  land  in  that  place  in  1379-80,  the  deed  making 
this  grant  is  preserved  at  the  Record  Office.  The  grantor  was  John  de. Thorpe.  This  was  not 
the  first  Kempe  in  Chertsey,  for  back  in  1235  one,  Gilbert  Kempe,  of  Chertsey  (Certesey), 
conveyed  a  portion  of  his  estate  to  Phillip  de  Henley. 

Gilbert  being  one  of  the  names  associated  with  Kempe's  Manor  in  Norfolk,  there  may  be  a 
connexion  between  the  two  ;  while  Ailwin  Kempe,  who  was  a  landowner  in  the  Hundred  of 
Blackheath,  Surrey,  in  1205,  suggests  by  his  name  a  distinctly  Saxon  origin.  Perhaps  Ailwin 
became  corrupted  in  time  to  Allan,  for  so  far  the  Kempes  had  not  come  into  touch  with  Scotland, 
whence  it  would  be  expected  the  name  of  Allan  might  be  derived. 

If,  however,  Allan  Kempe  of  Weston  was  neither  connected  with  Ailwin  Kempe,  of  Surrey, 
nor  drew  his  name  from  the  name  of  Allan  so  prevalent  in  Scotland,  he  may  yet  have  been 
connected  through  the  Scotts  of  Brabourne,  in  Kent,  with  North  Britain  as  recorded  in  our 
Kentish  section  of  this  work.  We  must  also  bear  in  mind  the  tradition  of  the  Kentish  Kempe 
family,  that  their  ancestors  came  from  "the  North,"  from  which  we  may  further  argue,  that  if 
this  tradition  holds  good  for  Kent  it  may  do  so  also  for  those  of  Weston  and  Gissing.  We  fear 
that  all  evidence  in  favour  of  this  is,  however,  prehistoric.  One  more  word,  however,  may  be 
said  in  support  of  the  connexion  between  Scottish  and  English  Kempes.  This  Allan  Kempe 
of  Weston,  we  are  told,  had  at  least  two  sons,  John,  who  succeeded  him  at  Weston,  and  Alexander 
Kempe,  of  whose  further  existence  we  have  no  trace  in  Norfolk,  Suffolk,  Essex  or  Kent.  He 
appears  to  have  left  the  country.  One  of  the  earliest  Kempes  whom  we  find  in  Scotland,  though 
at  a  much  later  date,  is  an  Alexander  Kempe,  who  was  a  favourite  of  King  James  V.  It  is  very 
possible  that  the  Christian  name  was  handed  down  from  the  one  to  the  other.  Alexander  is  one 
of  the  names  oftenest  used  by  the  Kempes  of  Edinburgh  and  the  Lowlands  since  1500. 

With  regard  to  the  early  ancestors  named  by  Blomfield  in  his  account  of  the  Kempes  of 
Gissing,  in  his  great  "  History  of  Norfolk,"  beyond  the  facts  that  such  individuals  did  live  about 
the  time  he  ascribes  to  them,  there  is  no  conclusive  evidence  that  they  were  the  progenitors  of 
the  Weston  or  Gissing  Kempes.  When,  however,  he  tells  us  that  Ralph  Kempe  married  a 
daughter  of  De  la  Haute,  and  that  their  son,  William,  married  a  daughter  of  Barstaple  or 
Bainspath,*  we  must  think  that  he  had  some  reasonable  ground  for  making  such  a  statement. 
We  have  sought  to  trace  these  ladies  in  records  of  their  respective  families,  and  among  the  ancient 
documents  of  the  present  Baronet,  but  have  found  nothing  more  than  the  bare  repetition  of  the 
statements  dating  apparently  no  further  back  than  the  eighteenth  century.  When  the  family 
histories  connected  with  these  names  come  to  be  written  these  points  may  be  cleared  up.  Mean- 
while we  cannot  feel  quite  certain  that  these  early  ancestors  of  the  Kempes  are  correctly  recorded. 
While  there  is  no  reason  why  we  should  set  them  entirely  aside  we  yet  suggest  that  like  the  de 
Campos  they  were  but  individuals  of  whose  existence  Blomfield  had  but  a  bare  knowledge.  Had 
it  been  possible  to  establish  a  claim  to  them  as  direct  ancestors,  the  Elizabethan  Kempes  of 
Gissing  would  have  effected  their  being  recorded  as  such  in  the  official  "  Heraldic  Visitations." 

We  have  shown  that  the  Ralph  Kempe  and  Geoffrey  Kempe  claimed  by  Blomfield  as 
progenitors  of  the  Weston  and  Gissing  Kempes  synchronize  with  individuals  of  the  same  name  in 
Kent  and  Sussex,  and  that  Blythburgh  Abbey  had  communication  with  Canterbury.  It  is  feasible 
therefore  to  believe  that  at  about  this  time  (1 180)  the  Norfolk  Kempes  held  lands  in  each  county  ; 

•  Bainspath  sounds  like  a  northern  name.    Cf.  Braneepeth,  Copeth,  Morpeth.    Bain  is  a  Scot;ish  name. 


^ENT    OF    THE    KEMP    B.^RCr      r     OF    NORFOLK    AND    StFFOLK. 


ivine  l  rSy.  Sweetman  Ktmpi jin-'d for  leaving  the  Kings  Court,  iisy. 

Gotfred  Kempe,  lived  at  Norwich  in  ii^.f= 

Rogerus  de  Campo  or  Roger  Kempe.        ^  _^  Bartholomew  Kempe,  living  IlS;.  Amaldus  de  Campis,  Master  of  the  Knight's  Hospitallers,  zi6o.  Anne  Kempe=.J-wan  Bladwell. 

_  '  -     .  ,        I        ^  -    1      J    .   „f  n-,  u  Utihd  Bertrand de  Campis  do.  do.  fSJi. 

Ralf  Kempe  (said  to  have)  ma,ned  a  dau.  of  De  la  Haute.  ^^^^^  ^^  ^^_^^  .  ^ .^^^^^  ^^_^^^^  £^j ^^  ^^^^^^^  ^^^^^     ^^^.^^^  ^^^^        J 

,,,.,,.        „l         ^1,1,  ,..1  „,r,i,H  ,  ,1,11   of  Barslaole           Sir  Nicholas  Hastings  and  Sir  Adam  de  Gissing,  Knt.,  founded  Gisslng  Church,  I -So.  A.tam  Kimf,  hild'  Kimpts  Manor;'  GasOiorpt,  Norfilt,  in  iiSS.     Gmtrt  Ktmp  htWKEmz'S  MANOR"  in  nSo. 

.William  Kempe  (said  to  have)  married  a  Oau.  "'^"'g^^^^P^'^^^ / ■ William  Km.p,  Md  "  K^mp,',  Mamr,"  Gmthorp,  m  ,2g^Emma  K>mp,  of  ,am,.  living  ,330. 

A     „u  k-.i™   of  Norwich   livinrr  in  IW;  fabelle,  daughter  of  Edmund  and  Philippa  Hastings=Allan  Kempe,  Lord  of  Weston,  Suffolk,  i  Isl  hmbamt.  \  mj Imsimd. 

Arnold  Kempe,  of  Morwich,  living  in  1305.  (I.abelle  Kempe,  widow  at  I.illle  Wenhaii,  Suff.  1347I     I     living  in  I  jlS  (had  mar.  before  13:4)  Jolm  K,mf,,=  Witham  ,U  NorM.ndi=Ltll,u  Kimp,=St,nc,i  d,  la  Mai,marmg. 

I  hvtngI330.\ob.  anil  1341. 

Geofrey  Ke'mpe   Warden  of  Ipswich  and=Matilda,  living  1305.  Alice  or  Agnes   Bvir.g  in  .35==John  Kempe,  of  Weston,  H'.ffi^^  K,„p,.p.rkat   ,h.  ,am,  as  ly.lt.an.  K.  of  "Ely,"  living  ,n  y.^  M  Ais  ^,f,  Ag,u,. 

ucwirLy  r^cmiic,  v  /     ^  j    be  heiresi-of  Duke  livin"  m  1347  and 

of  the  C.tyof  Nonvch,  ''^>'^'\J^^^  Kempe,  living  1305.  '  a"d  Beutevelyn)  |  perhaps  1376. ^./mtW  Kempe,  of  Monk's  Elligh,  living  in  1372. 

-r^ rn T^A ^~-~irA  1st  wife.  ~  \  ^nd  wife.  |  'I  I  .  .  I 

=Robert  Kempe,^Agnes.  Ralph  Kempe  (3rd  son)  perhaps  Rector 

of  VVesion. \    3rd  wife.  of  Harlow,. 1429. 

:^Kathenne,  dau.  of  Roger  Hawker,  of  Redenhall,  living  1473. 

=Jeffrey  Kempe,  cf  Weston,  ■  John  Kempe:=AIi<:e,  dau.  of  Robert  Duke,  of  Brampton,  Suffolk,  by  Julian,  si:cer  to  Robert  Beuteveleyn^a  co-heir  of  Thamas  Gardiner. 

living  1440.      (Perhaps  | 

also  of  Woodbridge, 


•ixW  proved  1444.  \  William  Beuteveleyn.  an  idiot,  died  S.P. 

Mstwife]  \ 

?ston,  co-heii  of  Duke,  Beuteveleyn  and  Gardiner.     Deed  of  Settlement,  1473— Elizabeth,  sister  to  Robert  Beuteveleyn. 


I  2nd       I  ]  I 

Flwihprh  dau  ind  heir  of  John  Applevard,=Robert  Kempe,  of  Weston,  Flordon  and=Anne,  dau.  of  Join  Clifford,  Edmund  Kempe,  John  Kempe,  William  K< 

S  Sate  Hall    Braconash  |       Gissing,  died  1526.     P.M.I,  15:7  |       of  Holmedale,  Kent.  Merchant,  of  London.     (?  of  FundenhaiU     Rector  of  Spr< 

1 — — '^ 1 i  I  •-  I 

^nn=Sir  Richd.  Bacon,     Mary=Thomas  Jernygan,     Elizabeth,  Lady  of  Bed- 
of  Harlston,  Norf.  of  Cove,  Suffolk,     chamber  to  Qn.  Catherine. 

I 
Elizabeth,  d.  of  Edmund  Smythwin,=Rol 
of  Buckinghambhire  I 


of  Little  Hadham. 


Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing  &  Flordon,  bap.=Dorothy,  d.  of  Arthur  Hr 
at  Hampstead  1567,  bur.  at  Gissing  1612.  I       Cricksea.  Essex.     Will  i6g6.  Kempe.  of  Gissing,  1626. 


John  Kempe,  of  Aniineham,         Marpafet  Kempe,         Anne  Kempe,         Other  children         Thomas  Kempe,  of         Robert  Kempe,  of        William  Kempe,         Edward  Kempe. 
diedl6lo.  Left  a  son  Robert  =thos.  Rouse.       =Anthony  Drury.       died  infants.         Little  Brkit&  Beccles.      Bi  ry  St.  Edmunds,  of  Cambridge. 

Kempe,  who  gave  his  estates  {jce  Thwaite  Pedigree)        ;=Agnes,  dau.  of 


lane   d.  of  Sir  Matthew  Browne,^Sir  Robert  Kempe,  Knight  &  Baronet,  John  Kempe,  Re\ .  Arthur  Kempe,  Richard  Kempe,  Edmund  Kempe,  Edward  Kempe,  Thomas  Kempe,  Col.  Matthew  Kempe,  Dorothy  Kempe,  Elizabeth  Kempe, 

ofBetchworth  Castle,  Surrey.  I  Gent,  of  the  Privy  Chamber  to  =Amphillis  Bigot.  of  Cncksea.  Secretary  of  of  Virginia.  of  Virginia.  of  Antinj-ham.  of  Virginia.  =William  Jackman.      =Sir  Robert  Kempe, 

Bart.  Charles  I.,  of  Gissing,  Flordon  and  Will  1645.     S.P.  Virginia,=Dame  Administrat  on  1642.  Knight,  of 

I Antingham.     Will  1647. Eliz.  Limsford. Finehingfield. 

1st  wife.  -  I  2nd  wife.  III.  I 

Mary,  d.  of  Thomas  Kerridge,  of=Sir  Robert  Kempe,  2nd  Bart.,^Mary,  d.  and  sole  heir  of  John  Sone,  Thomas  Kempe.  Matthew  Kempe,  Richard  Kempe.  Jaie  Kempe=Thomas  Waldegrave.  Maurice  Shelton=:Elizabeth  Kempe. 

Shelley   Suffolk,  died  1635.  born  at  Walshingham  Abbey  I       of  Ubbeston,  Suffolk,  died  1705.  of  Virginia.  Will  1714,  S.P.  | 

1627,  died  1710. I •_ Jane  Waldegrave. 

1st  wife.  I  2nd  wife.  3'"d  wife.  4th  wife.  I  I  I  I  I  I 

Letitia,  d.  of  Robert  King,=:Sir  Robert  Kempe,  3rd  Bart.,=Mary  Elizabeth,  d.  or=Martha,  d.  of  Williain=Aray,  d.  of  Richard?       John  Kemy<,     Robert  Kempe,         Jane  Kempe.  Mary  rKempe,     Elizabeth  Kempe,     Elizabeth,  d.  of=William  Kempe,  Esq.=Jane  Coleman, 

of  Thurlow,  Suffolk,  by  I       of  Ubbeston,  born  1667,        I    John  Brand  Colt,  of    |  Blackwell.of  Mortlock.  Phillips,  of  died  young.  died  young.  =John  Dade,     :=Sir  Chi-.rles  Btois,     died  unmarried.  Henry  I         of  Antingham,  mar.  1704, 

the  widow  of  Sir  Robert          died  1734.  Edwardeston,  d.  1709  |      Surrey,  died  1727.         Edwardeslon,  widow  M.D.,  of  mar.  1680.  Shardelow  ciied  1744.    Tomb  in         died  1 705. 

Kempe,  Knight.                 |  |  I  of  John  Burroughs,  Tannington,  (or  ?  Shallcross)      Antingham  Church. 

]  I I  Martha  K.=Daren  Short.     William,  died  young.         died  1745.  "    "    ' 


Letitia  Kempe,     Mary  Kempe^ir  |  |  'II  I  I 

born  1694.       Edmund  Bacon,  Bart.,  Sir  Robert  Kemp,  4th  Bart.,  Sir  John  Kemp,  5th  Bart.=Eliiabeth,  d.  of  Thos.  Mann         Isaac.         Edward.  Anne,  d.  of  .  .  .=Rev.  Thomas  Kemp,=Pri  ciila,  d.  and  co-heir  Sir  Benjamin  Kemp,  7th  Bart., 

of  Garboldisham  born  1699,  died  unmar.  1752.  born  1700,  died  S.P.  1761.         and  widow  of  John  Colt.       d.  young,     d,  young.  Mallum,  Esq.  ]       Rector  of  Gissing,  cf  Thos.  Hoiden.  Physician  of  Coin  St.  Dennis,  Glo. 

I  I  I  bom  1706,  d.  1761.     rei -arried  A.  Merry.  bom  1708,  died  1 777. 


I  ■  1st  husb.  I  2nd  husb. 

Robert  Kemp,  John  Cook,^Elizabeth  Kemp,=James  Gay,  of 

died  S.P.  of  Horsted.  died  1803  North  Walsham. 


I  I  1st  wife.  I  2nd  wife. 

Sir  William  Robert  Kemp,  9th  Bart.^Sarah,  d.  of  Thomas  Adcock,                  Sarah,  d.  of  ...  Cooke=Thomas  Benjamin  Kemp, 
died  October,  1804. |       of  Carlton. J r.f  Swaffield,  died  1837. 


The  Rev.  Sir  William  Robert  Kemp.^Mary,  d'.of  Charles  Saunders,       Sir  Thomas  Kemp,  nth  Bart.        Rev.  Thomas  Cooke  Kemp,^ane,  d.  of  Robt.  Pretyman,      Clarissa^Ebenezar      Lucretia=  Francis         Melissa^Capt.  Thos.       Ehnora^Shephard       Sarah=Richd.  Fish. 


loth  Bart.,  Rector  of  Gissing  and  Esq.,  of  Camberwell.  S.P.  died  1874.  Rector  of  East  Meon.  b.  1 787.  |      Esq..  of.  Eye,  Suffolk.  Randall.  Woodrow.  Withers, 

Flordon,  bora  1791,  died  1874. 


lary  Louisa,  d 
of  Fordam,  C 


f  A.  Canham,=Thoma5  Cooke  ivemp.  (Two  sons  of  same  names  Martha  Maria,=  rames  Barnard,  Jane  Sarah,  Elinora  Sarah  CaroHne,  Lucretia  Melissa, 

liediifant.  S.P.  S.P.  died. 1901.  died  an  infant. 


eL 


Captain  Edgar  Kemp,  of=Ellen,  d.  of  Alfred  Giles,  Esq.,  M.p.  Sir  Kenneth  Hagar  Ki'mp,  uth  Bart.,=Henrietta  Mary  Eva,  d.  of  Henry  Hamilton,  Esq.,  of  C  iiroline  Russell  Kemp=Rev,  John  Sharp,  D.D.,  late  Rector  of  Elmley  Lovets. 

the  4th  King's  Own.  born  at  Erpingham,  1853.  I     Chilham,  Kent,  and  late  of  Blackrock,  Ireland.  | 

S.P.    died  1873. ■ I '  Edgar  Sharp,.boni  1887. 

Robert  Hamilton  Kemp  (only  son  and  heir)  Lieut.  3rd  Bait.  Norfolk  Regiment.  Eva  Conslanc:  Kemp.  .Margaret  Hagar  Kemp.  Violet  .Mary  Kemp.  Ida  Toroihy  Kemp,  mar,  at  Flordon,  l90l=Rbb(!rt  GwUl,  Esq.,  Hartest,  Suffolk, 


The  Sufolk  Ancestors.  ■  9 

and  that  their  property  being  thus  divided  the  senior  branch  would  naturally  retain  the  ancestral 
holdings  in  Norfolk,  the  Kempes  of  Wye  being  the  junior  branch.  This  hypothesis  best  meets 
the  tradition  that  the  Kempes  of  Ollantigh  came  "from  the  North,"  and  that  they  were  of  the 
same  stock  (indicated  by  a  common  heraldic  coat)  as  those  of  Norfolk. 

There  is  one  other  little  point  which  we  may  mention  here,  Adam  Kempe,  of  Kempe's 
Manor,  Adam  de  Gissing,  and  Allan  Kempe  of  Weston,  were  living  about  the  same  time,  and 
knowing  how  often  at  this  period  a  man  was  given  a  variety  of  appellations  it  seems  quite  within 
probability  that  these  three  names  represented  one  and  the  same  individual. 


CHoA'PTETi   III. 

THE    SUFFOLK    ANCESTORS. 

WE  now  come  to  the  consideration  of  the  accepted  and  official  pedigree  of  the  Kempes 
of  Norfolk.  This  certainly  dates  from  before  the  time  of  Elizabeth,  for  in  the 
"Visitation  of  London"  the  arms  are  given  of  EdmUiND  Kempe,  citizen  of  London, 
who  died  in  1542,  being  one  of  the  Weston  (Suffolk)  family.  The  earhest  official  record  of  which 
we  have  actual  knowledge  is  Harvey's  "Visitation  of  Norfolk,"  in  1563  (printed  by  the  Harleian 
Society),  but  it  is  likely  that  an  earlier  but  undated  Visitation,  now  preserved  in  the  College  of 
Arms,  which  has  not  been  printed  or  published,  may  include  the  Kempe  pedigree.  On  the  occasion 
of  this  Visitation  the  Kempes  of  Weston  and  Gissing  took  the  opportunity  of  obtaining  several 
official  copies  with  the  arms  differenced  for  each  son.  There  were  then  living  six  brothers,  for 
whom  (if  not  for  their  sons)  the  pedigree  and  arms,  with  their  respective  marks  of  cadency,  were 
prepared.  The  copy  belonging  to  the  eldest  was  very  likely  destroyed  by  the  Cromwellian  party 
when  they  visited  Gissing  to  apprehend  the  faithful  Royalist  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  Bart.,  for  the 
original  copy  now  in  possession  of  the  present  Baronet  belonged,  it  will  be  seen,  to  the  sixth  son 
as  indicated  by  the  fleur-de-lis.  The  accompanying  illustration  shows  only  the  commencement 
and  end  of  the  roll,  which  was  brought  down  to  1592  by  Robert  Cooke,  Clarenceux  King  of 
Arms  ;  Robert  Kempe,  who  was  head  of  the  family  in  1563,  being  still  alive. 

It  will  be  noticed  from  this  that  the  pedigree  starts  with  Sir  Philip  Hastings,  son  of  Sir 
Edward  Hastings,  whose  daughter  Isabel  married  Allan  Kempe,  Esquire.  This  Allan  Kempe, 
there  can  be  no  doubt,  is  the  same  Allan  of  Weston  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  chapters,  but  this 
copy  omits  to  state  his  residence  or  seat. 

The  second  point,  which  is  one  of  considerable  interest  and  importance,  is  that  Isabel  is  not 
claimed  to  be  the  heiress  of  Hastings,  and  that  even  as  late  as  1592  the  Hastings  coat  was  not 
quartered  by  the  family.  If  then  the  quartering  was  not  theirs  by  right  at  that  date,  the  family 
cannot  have  any  right  to  it  through  this  marriage  at  the  present  time.  Some  historians  tell  us 
that  the  quartering  came  through  the  next  marriage  on  the  pedigree,  viz.,  John  Kempe  with  Alice 
Duke,  heiress  to  both  Duke  and  Butvilleyn.  If  this  was  the  case  the  same  objection  would  arise, 
as  the  Hastings  quartering  would  have  been  quartered  then  with  Butvilleyn  and  Duke  and  thus 


lO 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Fam.ilies. 


handed  down,  but  this  was  not  done.  What  then  can  we  say  in  support  of  this  use  of  the  Hastings 
quarter  by  the  Norfolk  family  ?  It  is  stated  in  the  "  Visitation  of  Norfolk  "  that  the  coat  as  now 
used,  comprising  eight  quarterings,  was  set  out  by  Raven,  Richmond  Herald  ;  the  actual  date  is 
not  given,  but  as  his  "Visitation  of  Norfolk"  was  made  in  1613,  that  date  is  doubtless  about  the 
time  of  the  enlarged  coat.  He  gives  the  fourth  quartering  as  Or,  a  maunch  gules,  which  is  the' 
well  known  Hastings  arms.  Thus  placed,  the  right  to  quarter  it  would  occur  between  that  of  Duke 
and  that  of  Blackwell,  the  latest  quartering 


-V- 


p' 


THE  DESCENT  OF  ROBERT  KEWPE 

fCISSmC.C?  NORFOLK.  ESqtllHE,:  1566  31592. 


being  the  arms  of  Lomnor  of  Maningham. 
Both  Blackwell  and  Lomner  arms  were 
shown  in  the  east  window  of  Gissing  Church 
as  being  impaled  by  Kempe  quartering 
Buttveleyn,  and  Kempe  quartered  with 
Buttveleyn  also  as  impaling  Hastings. 
These  of  course  each  point  to  a  direct  mar- 
riage between  Kempe  and  the  families  they 
represent  ;  thus  Kempe,  aftej'  marriage 
with  the  heiress  of  Butteveleyn,  must  have 
married  a  Hastings.  It  is,  therefore,  singular 
that  we  find  neither  of  these  marriages  in 
the  pedigree  which  accompanies  the  en- 
larged Kempe  shield. 

Another  clue  is  given  by  an  ancient 
gold  signet  ring  still  in  the  possession  of  the 
Baronet's  family.  This  ring  has  engraved 
upon  it  the  coat  of  six  quarters  as  given  in 
our  illustration  of  the  pedigree  roll,  with 
the  addition  of  a  maunch  on  a  shield  of 
pretence.  The  tinctures  are  not  indicated, 
which  gives  rise  to  the  question  as  to  whether 
the  coat  is  in  reahty  that  of  Hastings  or 
another  of  the  same  charge,  but  distinctive 
of  another  family.  Mistakes  have  frequently 
occurred  from  this  cause,  while  often  an 
ignorant  painter,  by  "restoring"  coats  in 
colours  to  suit  his  own  fancy,  has  caused 
far-reaching  errors.  Even  families  inter- 
ested in  heraldry  are  liable  to  trip  in 
blazoning  their  arms,  as  will  be  seen  by 
comparing  the  following  coat  given  as  that 
of  the  above-mentioned  Edmund  Kempe, 
citizen  of  London,  with  the  correct  description. 

Edmund  Kempe's  coat  was  said  to  be  (in  1542)  as  follows  : 

I. — Gules,  three  garbs  or.  2. — Argent,  three  crescents  gules.  3. — Azure,  two  chevrons  sable. 
4. — Sable,  a  lion  rampant  argent.  5. — Sable,  three  bars  argent,  on  a  canton  gules,  a  saltire  of  the 
second.  6. — Ermine,  a  bend  chequy  sable  and  argent.  The  tinctures  of  the  generally  recognized 
arms  are  :     i. — Gules,  three  garbs  or.     2. — Argent,  three  crescents  gules.     3. — Azure,  two  chevrons 


J 


■     - 

-^' 

\ 

,».;    j 

1 

-/    \ 

■^J 

9 

^ 

/ 

^ 

I 


The  Suffolk  Ancestors. 


II 


sable.  4. — Azure ^  a  lion  rampant  argent.  5. — Sable,  three  bars  argent,  on  a  canton  gules,  a 
saltire  gules.  6. — Ermine,  a  bend  chequy  sable  and  argent.  To  mistake  azure  for  sable,  when  the 
coats  become  black  with  age,  is  a  most  frequent  occurrence,  but  how  they  came  to  drop  out  of  the 
above  shield,  the  Duke  quartering,  which  brought  the  quarterings  2  and  3,  is  inconceivable — except 

as   an    ignorant  blunder.      Then,  too,  the 


ex:joo 


quartering  for  Bardolph  is  omitted,  while 
we  find  that  this  Edmund  claims  three  coats 
which  were  not  granted  to  his  brother's 
descendants  until  1587  or  16 13. 

This  late  blunder  would  not  be  cited 
here  but  for  the  additional  object  of  further 
showing  that,  although  these  latest  coats 
were  claimed  by  him,  the  Hastings  arms, 
most  to  be  coveted,  were  not  claimed.  The 
same  negligence  which  caused  him  to  omit 
the  other  quarters  might  be  considered 
sufficient  to  account  for  this,  or  it  might  be 
possible  to  show  that  the  eldei'  branch  did 
obtain  a  subsequent  right  to  the  Hastings 
quarter  through  a  later  marriage  with  that 
family,  as  indicated  by  the  signet  ring.  No 
Kempe  and  Hastings  direct  intermarriage 
is  traced  occurring  at  a  suitable  date,  but 
the  explanation  appears  to  be  given  by  the 
pedigree  of  Calthorp  of  Antingham.  It  is 
to  the  effect  that  Ann,  daughter  of  Sir 
Edmund  Hastings  (and  relict  of  Robert 
Raynes  of  O-xstrand)  married  Richard 
Calthorp,  of  Antingham  ;  their  daughter 
Ann  married  John  Kempe,  second  son  of 
Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing.  This  John 
Kempe  died  in  1610,  leaving  his  estate  to 
his  son  Robert,  who  gave  it  to  his  cousin 
Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing.  Thus  we  pre- 
sume the  ring  represented  Calthorp^  of 
Orthonby,  Norfolk,  whose  arms  were 
Ermine^  a  maunch  gules,  in  allusion,  we 
may  believe,  to  Hastings.  Their  arms, 
however,  as  shown  in  Antingham  Church, 
impaled  by  Kempe,  are  :  Or  and  azure 
chequy  a  fesse  ermine.  This  latter  coat  also 
impales  "  Or  a  maunche  gules  quartering 
gules  a  bend  argent ''  for  Hastings. 
While  it  may  yet  be  possible  to  find  another  union  between  Kempe  and  Hastings,  it  is  clear 
from  the  pedigree  that  there  was  no  second  marriage  in  the  direct  senior  male  Hne  of  the  Kempes 
of  Gissing,  and  that  the  Baronets  attributed  their  right  to  the  quartering  to  the  alliance  by  which 


\ 


12  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kernpe  Families. 

the  Hastings  property  in  and  around  Gissing  passed  to  them.  At  what  date  then,  we  may  ask, 
did  this  actually  pass  to  them  ?  According  to  the  pedigrees  in  1324!  Allan  Kempe  was  then 
living  as  the  husband  of  Isabella  Hastings,  so  that  it  has  been  frequently  stated  that  the  Gissing 
Manors  have  belonged  to  the  Kempes  from  that  time  ;  but  Mr.  Walter  Rye,  who  has  made  a 
considerable  study  of  this  matter  (as  well  as  Norfolk  pedigrees  in  general)  points  out,  in  an  article 
on  the  subject  in  Notes  and  Queries^  that  Gissing  Manor  was  held  by  the  Hastings  until  1353, 
Ralph  Hastings  being  Lord  of  it  in  1347,  as  is  authoritively  recorded  in  the  '-Book  of  Aids,"  20th 
year  of  Edward  HI.  It  was  sold  about  1353  to  Thomas  Gardiner,  of  Gissing,  whose  daughter  Joan, 
dying  without  issue  in  1400,  left  it  to  her  brother-in-law  Sir  Robert  Buttevileyn  who  had  married 
her  half-sister.  It  remained  with  the  Buttevileyn  family  till  1465,  when  William  Buttevileyn  died 
and  the  Manors  of  Gissing  and  Florden  came  to  his  sister  Julian,  who  by  marriage  conveyed  these 
to  Robert  Duke,  of  Brampton,  in  Suffolk.  This  gentleman's  daughter  Alice,  as  shown  in  the 
pedigree,  married  John  Kempe.  The  date,  however,  attributed  to  this  match,  Mr.  Rye  points  out, 
is  much  earlier  than  was  actually  the  case. 

Among  the  Norris  MSS.,  a  collection  of  pedigrees  and  family  evidences  now  in  Mr.  Rye's 
possession,  there  is  the  following  remark  against  this  Duke-Kempe  alliance  : 

"Here  is  a  notorious  mistake  in  Mr.  Blomfield's  from  whom  the  former  part  of  the  pedigree 
is  taken,  but  how  to  correct  it  I  know  not  yet.  and  also  Alice  daughter  and  only  child  of  Robert 
Duke  of  Brampton  in  Suff.,  by  Julian  his  2nd  wife  who  was  sister  and  coheir  of  Wm.  Butteveleyn 
who  died  s.p.  1465,  therefore  she  could  not  be  wife  to  this  John  who  was  born  before  1324." 

Both  Mr.  Rye  and  Norris  seem  to  be  corrected  by  the  author  of  the  "  History  of  North- 
ampton," vol.  i,  p.  354.  He  states,  under  an  account  of  the  Cotesbrook  property  held  by  the 
Butteveleyn  family,  that  the  Manor  of  Cotesbrook  belonged,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  V.,  to  Robert 
Butteveleyn,  Esquire,  who,  in  the  fifth  year  of  that  reign,  going  to  "  foreign  parts,"  conveyed  this 
property  to  the  Duke  of  Clarence  and  other  feoffees  for  the  time  of  his  absence  out  of  the  kingdom, 
with  remainder  after  his  decease  to  William,  his  son  and  heir,  and  for  want  of  such  heir  then  to 
the  right  heirs  of  himself,  Robert.  He,  however,  died  seized  of  it  in  the  9th  year  of  Henry  V. 
(1422)  and  was  succeeded  by  William  Butteveleyn,  Esquire,  his  son,  who  leaving  no  issue  it 
devolved  to  his  cousins  and  heirs,  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Herteshorne,  of  Gissing,  Esquire, 
the  daughter  of  Elizabeth,  one  of  the  sisters  of  his  father  Robert  Butteveleyn,  and  (upon)  Robert 
Kempe,  of  Weston,  in  Suffolk,  Gent.,  son  and  heir  of  Alice  Kempe,  daughter  of  Julian,  another  of 
the  sisters  of  Robert  Butteveleyn,  between  whom  partition  was  made  6  Edward  IV.  (1467)  of  the 
Manor  and  advowson  of  Cotesbrook  and  lands  in  other  counties.  The  Inquisition  Post  Mortem 
of  William  Butteveleyn,  made  30th  Henry  VI.  (1451-2)  in  which  he  is  described  as  "  fatuus,"  is 
given  in  the  "History  of  Northampton,"  (vol.  iv,  p.  150.) 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  at  this  time  part  of  the  Gissing  Manors  became  the  property  of 
the  Kempes,  but  even  at  this  date  (1467)  it  is  doubtful  if  the  whole  became  theirs,  for  we  are  told 
by  Blomfield  that,  in  1548,  Sir  Anthony  Hevenyngham,  Knight,  Lord  of  Gissing  cum  Dagworth, 
settled  three  acres  of  land  upon  the  churchwardens  for  the  poor,  and  ordered  Bartholomew  Kempe 
and  his  heirs  to  pay  three  shilHngs  a  year  to  the  same  use  out  of  his  estate.  This  is  recorded  in 
the  Manorial  Rolls  now  in  the  present  Baronet's  yossession. 

It  is  evident  from  these  facts  that  generations  elapsed  between  Allan  Kempe,  whom  we 
positively  know  as  being  at  Weston  in  1318,  and  the  marriage  of  the  heiress  who  brought  the  chief 
part  of  the  Gissing  property  to  the  family  in  1456-7.  To  set  this  right  we  must  therefore  remove 
the  Duke  marriage  from  the  second  generation  of  the  Heraldic  pedigree  and  place  it  about  one 
hundred  years  later.     We  have  further  to  attempt  to  set  straight  the  intervening  generations. 


The  Suffolk  Ancestors.  13 

Allan  Kempe,  we  know  (from  the  "Suffolk  Feet  of  Fines"),  had  a  son  Geoffrey,  otherwise 
called  Jeffry  or  Galfrid  Kempe.  This  son  was  interested  in  land  at  Carlton,  Rushmere,  Mutford, 
Barneby  and  Honbergh. 

It  is  not  recorded  in  the  "  Suffolk  Fines,"  or  in  other  records  searched,  that  Allan  had  also 
a  son  named  John,  but  we  find  that  a  John  Kempe  and  a  William  Kempe  paid  fines  for  land  in 
Elough  and  Wellingham  in  1313,  which  places,  hke  those  of  Galfrid's,  are  close  around  the 
patronal  seat  of  Weston.     William  was  of  Griston,  in  Norfolk,  and   was  interested   in  lands  at 
Walsham,  Stanton,  Ashfield  Parva,  Elough  and  "Wyrlyngham"  (?  Worhngham)  between  1304 
and  1372,  his  wife's  name  occurring  as  Agnes.     Of  John  Kempe  we  find  no  further  trace  in  the 
fines,  but  the  deeds  relating  to  holdings  at  Chattisham,  Belstead  Magna  and  Reddenhall,  before 
mentioned,  seem  to  be  his,  as  he  granted  parts  of  these  lands  to  his  mother  Isabel  in  1327-    This 
same  John  then  was  the  father  of  Robert,  John,  Richard  and  other  children.     Robert,  the  son  and 
heir,  is  said  by  Norris  to  have  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Bartholomew  White,  by  1350,  but  the 
only  reason  for  giving  this  date  appears  to  have  been  a  conjecture  based  on  the  1324  given  as  a 
date  at  which  Allan  Kempe  was  living.     Bartholomew  White  was  "  of  Shotisham,  in  Norfolk." 
There  are  two  Shotteshams  close  to  Florden  and  Braconash,  where  the  Kempes  were  afterwards 
seated  ;  if  it  is  a  fact  that  the  Whites  belonged  to  either  of  these  they  would  have  been  near 
neighbours,  and  the  match  might  be  thought  to  have  been  the  natural  outcome  of  local  social  life. 
It  is,  however,  necessary  to  point  out  that  Braconashe  did  not  pass  to  the  Kempes  until  some 
generations  later,  and  that  Florden  was  one  of  the  possessions  of  the  Butteveleyns,  the  last  of  whom 
in  the  male  Hne  was,  as  we  have  said,  William  Buttevelyn,  who  being  an  idiot  in  1447  his  estates 
were  controlled  by  his  guardians.     These  guardians  were  Sir  Thomas  Tudenham,  Knight,  Willm. 
de  la  Pole,  Marquess  of  Suffolk,  and  Thomas  Brewer,  who  together  committed  the  care  of  this 
idiot  to  William  White,  Esq.,  of  Shotesham,  1450- 

This  fact  throws  some  light  on  the  matter,  and  the  connexion  between  Kempe  and  White 
does  not  seem  quite  so  likely  to  have  been  "  purely  for  love  "  as  for  the  possible  annexation  of 
"  a  desirable  freehold  property."  The  Whites  may  certainly  have  lived  at  Shottesham,  in  Norfolk, 
but  it  is  very  singular  that  in  1440  John  Kempe,  John  Dod  of  Woodbridge,  Thomas  Ward, 
Reginald  Rous  and  William  "Jenny"  (?  Jermy)  should  have  been  concerned  with  property  at 
Shotesham  and  other  places  near  Woodbridge,  in  Suffolk,  while  we  have  no  mention  of  Shotisham 
in  Norfolk  among  our  collection  of  Notes  from  the  ancient  Kempe  records. 

In  1381  Robert  Kempe  and  Mary  (or  Margaret)  his  wife,  with  others,  were  jointly  interested 
in  the  Manor  of  Blounts,  in  Suffolk.  This  couple,  it  seems,  would  correspond  with  the  more 
probable  date  at  which  Robert  married  the  Mary  White,  who  after  her  death  married  successively 
two  other  wives.  Of  his  second  wife  we  do  not  know  the  surname,  her  Christian  appellation  being 
Agnes  ;  by  her  no  issue  is  recorded.  His  third  wife  was  Katherine,  daughter  of  Robert  Hawker,  of 
Redenhall.  At  the  latter  place,  in  1376,  John  Kempe,  of  Weston,  had  property  which  seems  to 
have  remained  with  the  Kempes  until  1536  and  perhaps  later.  This  place  may  be  seid  to  be  the 
"  half-way  house  "  between  Weston  and  Florden  or  Braconash,  and  it  is  very  likely  to  have  been 
used  as  such.  This  John  was  probably  the  father  of  Robert  and  grandfather  of  another  John,  who 
was  half-brother  to  "  Jeffrey  Kempe "  of  the  fourth  generation  shown  on  the  official  Heraldic 
pedigree.  Geoffrey  Kempe,  as  stated,  was  by  the  first  wife,  Mary  White,  and  if  the  property 
around  Woodbridge,  noted  above,  belonged  to  her  this  would  be  sufficient  to  account  for  his 
setthng  there  during  his  father's  lifetime  ;  while  John  Kempe,  who  is  stated  in  the  Norris  MSS. 
to  be  the  son  of  Robert  Kempe's  third  wife,  is  more  likely  to  have  been  provided  temporally  with  a 
residence  at  Redenhall  or  on  any  other  of  his  father's  estates.     It  was  then  this  Geoffrey  and  his 


I2}.-  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

half-brother  John  who,  in  1440,  paid  a  fine,  with  their  respective  wives  and  John  Somerset,  for  the 
property  at  Woodbridge,  as  recorded  in  the  "  Suffolk  Feet  of  Fines."  Both  Geoffrey  and  John's 
wives  are  there  stated  to  be  named  Margaret,  of  them  we  shall  have  more  to  say,  but  first  we 
venture  upon  rather  a  hazardous  suggestion. 

Those  familiar  with  the  earliest  parochial  registers  and  wills  of  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth 
centuries  will  readily  admit  that  Agnes  and  Alice  were,  during  that  period,  often  taken  to  represent 
the  same  name.  Now  if  the  second  wife  of  the  above  Robert  Kempe  was  Agnes  Duke,  the 
properties  would  of  course  devolve  upon  her  husband  or  his  children.  Under  this  hypothesis, 
Geoffrey,  John  and  all  other  children  might  have  interests  in  the  estates,  or,  as  is  frequently  the 
case,  only  the  children  of  the  heiress  would  participate.  If  John  Kempe  was  half-brother  to 
Geoffrey,  by  his  father's  second  wife,  he  might  have  become  sole  heir  to  the  Manors  of  Gissing, 
while  the  elder  son  perhaps  used  the  heiress'  arms  with  his  own,  although  not  strictly  entitled  to 
them.  If  however  John,  as  it  seems,  had  these  Duke  estates,  he  and  not  Geoffrey,  the  eldest  son, 
was  the  ancestor  of  the  subsequent  Gissing  line.  To  explain  how  Weston  also  passed  to  the 
younger  branch  we  must  further  presume  that  the  male  issue  of  Geoffry  became  extinct. 

The  entire  absence  of  wills  purporting  to  belong  to  Kempes  of  Weston  forces  us  to  base  our 
further  investigations  on  the  Woodbridge  line,  of  which  we  have  some  records  ;  as  however  this  is 
entirely  outside  the  scope  of  the  official  pedigree  we  will  deal  with  it  in  a  separate  chapter,  which 
the  sceptical  can  "  skip  "  to  follow  the  later  and  more  certain  generations. 


CHoATTE'B^    W. 

WOODBRIDGE    AND    EARLY    SUFFOLK    KEMPES. 

WOODBRIDGE  is  situated  about  seven  miles  east-north-east  of  Ipswich  on  the  river 
Deben,  and  like  the  latter  place  stands  at  the  head  of  a  creek  some  ten  miles  from  the 
sea.  Its  proximity  to  both  Ipswich  and  the  sea  would  make  it  a  suitable  residence 
for  that  Geoffrey  Kempe,  who,  at  the  end  of  the  thirteenth  and  commencement  of  the  fourteenth 
centuries,  was  Warden  of  the  Port  and  perhaps  also  an  official  of  the  City  of  Norwich,  which  he 
could  thus  reach  by  water  as  conveniently  as  by  land.  We  know  that  at  Chattisham,  Wenham 
Parva  and  Belstead,  near  Ipswich,  the  Kempes  had  property  in  1327  and  1347,  and  at  Bucklesham 
and  Rushmere  juxta  Ipswich  about  1385,  Edmund  Kempe,  of  Saxthorp,  in  Norfolk,  paying  a  fine 
for  his  possessions  at  the  last  two  places  in  that  year.  The  first  mention  of  Kempes  actually 
connected  with  Woodbridge  occurs  in  1440,  when,  as  stated,  Geoffrey  and  John  Kempe,  with  John 
Somerset,  paid  a  fine  for  property  there.  In  1455,  all  the  following  names  were  jointly  parties  to 
some  settlement  of  local  property  lying  in  Sutton,  Shottisham,  Ramsholt,  Alderton,  Bawdsey, 
Henley,  and  Newbourne,  together  with  lands  at  Thornham  and  Gislingham  in  the  north  of  the 
country  ;  Philip  Wentworth,  Knight  ;  Robert  Wylieghby,  Robert  Wyngefield,  Thomas  Drewes, 
Gilbert  Debenham^  John  Heydon,  Reginald  Rons,  William  Jenney,  Walter  Fulburne,  Richard 


Woodbridge  and  early  Suffolk  Kempes.  15 

Chiche,  William  Boundis,  Thomas  Kene,  John  Prylle,  Thomas  Ward,  John  Kempe  and  John  Dod 
of  Woodbridge,  with  John  Tymperley  and  Margaret,  his  wife.  The  manors  concerned  in  this 
agreement  were  Pettistrees,  Osmondis  and  Talvos  or  Salvos. 

Many  of  the  above  names  are  familiar  in  connexion  with  Kempes  of  Kent  as  well  as  of 
Norfolk  ;  Chiche  is  associated  with  the  Kentish  stock  of  this  date.  Debenham  occurs  in  the  will 
of  John  Kempe  of  Woodbridge,  proved  in  14^9,  while  Ward  is  variously  stated  to  have  married 
either  Alice  Duke  herself,  or  Alice,  the  daughter  of  Robert  Kempe  by  that  heiress.  "Collin's 
Peerage"  states  that  Robert  Ward  of  Kirby  Bedon,  married  Alice  Kempe  of  Gissing  ;  the  date  is 
not  given,  but  from  the  context  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century  is  inferred.  Drewes  in  various 
spellings  is  a  prominent  name  in  the  Kempe  wills  of  this  and  subsequent  periods,  as  also  is 
Rous  or  Rowse. 

We  have  nothing  to  show  that  the  Geoffrey  of  Ipswich  ever  took  up  his  residence  at  the 
Weston  seat.  Although  we  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  family  retained  their  property 
there,  t\ytj  appear  to  have  resided  chiefly  around  Ipswich  from  about  1440-  The  will  of  Geoffrey 
Kempe  of  Woodbridge,  was  proved  in  the  Suffolk  Archdeaconry  between  1444  and  1455  ;  we  have 
not,  however,  been  able  to  obtain  a  copy  of  this.  The  pedigree  tells  us  that  he  married  Margaret, 
daughter  of  Sherrington,  a  gentleman,  having  a  seat  at  Cranworth  in  Norfolk.  By  her,  so  the 
pedigree  says,  he  had  a  son  Robert,  who  became  heir  to  the  numerous  scattered  estates  and  ancestor 
to  all  the  Kempes  of  Gissing.  There  is  no  reason  to  doubt  the  fact  of  his  marriage,  but  if  he  had 
a  son,  we  think  he  must  have  been  John  Kempe,  the  husband  of  Alice  Duke,  for  Robert,  the 
son  of  John,  not  Geoffrey,  had  grant  of  the  manors  of  Butteveleyns  and  Dallings  in  1473,  as  given 
in  Dairy's  MSS.  (19,  138  add.  Mss.)  in  the  British  Museum.  Although  we  are  unable  to  give  the 
whereabouts  of  the  original  deed,  we  must  credit  Dairy's  statement  that  such  a  document  existed 
signed  by  "  Robert  Kempe,  son  of  John. ^^ 

A  will  dated  and  proved  in  1465  commences  "  Ego  Dns  Robertus  Kempe."  Perhaps  this 
Robert  was  a  son  of  Geoffrey,  hence  he  would  be  lord  of  several  manors.  He  mentions  the  Curates 
of  Whitton  and  Thurlston,  his  Lord  and  patron,  Peter  of  Claydon,  and  William  ffyshlie.  Rector  of 
Blakenham.  He  leaves  bequests  to  amend  the  bridge  at  Claydon,  to  provide  candelabra  and  lamps 
for  the  church  and  for  other  charitable  objects.  He  mentions,  however,  neither  wife  nor  children, 
but  leaves  legacies  to  his  nephew  and  niece,  William  and  Katherine.  These  are  the  only  relatives 
mentioned,  and  their  surname  does  not  appear.  We  know  of  no  Kempe  named  William 
as  connected  with  this  family  at  this  time. 

The  earliest  monument  on  record  to  a  Kempe  in  Suffolk  or  Norfolk  is  that  of  John  Kempe 
at  Woodbridge.  It  is  described  in  Weaver's  "Funeral  Monuments,"  under  the  Diocese  of  Norwich, 
and  the  inscription  is  given  as  follows  : — 

"orate       .       .       .       JOHANNIS    KEMPE,    QUI    OBIIT    3    JULII    1 43 9,    ET    PRO    ANIMABUS 
MARGARET,    JOHANNE    ET    MARGARET    UXORUM." 

The  church  at  Woodbridge  was  founded  by  Sir  Hugh  Rufus  and  Alice,  his  wife.  It  is  very 
probable  that  these  were  closely  related  to  the  Kempes,  and  it  may  be  that  their  settlement  at 
Woodbridge  was  influenced  by  this  as  well  as  the  site  being  a  convenient  one  for  communication 
with  Ipswich.  For  many  generations  the  Rouse  {alias  Rufus)  and  Kempe  families  were  intimate, 
and  later  we  know  of  intermarriages. 

The  will  of  this  John  Kempe,  of  Woodbridge  was  proved  in  the  Suffolk  Archdeaconry  Court, 
and  also  in  the  Prerogative  Court  of  Canterbury.  The  fact  of  it  having  been  proved  in  the  second 
court  probably  indicates  that  the  testator  had  properties  in  more  than  one  diocese  or  county.  The 
various  estates  are  not,  however,  enumerated  in  the  will,  and  we  are  not  aware  of  the  existence 

G 


i6  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

of  any  Post  Mortem  Inquisition,  The  descent  of  property  was  so  definitely  settled  by  the  customs 
of  manors  and  other  written  and  unwritten  laws  that  even  if  the  ancestors  had  not  entailed  their 
freeholds,  it  was  hardly  necessary  to  mention  either  the  lands  or  the  heirs,  and  thus  numerous 
wills  of  considerable  landowners  only  deal  with  petty  bequests  and  charitable  deeds,  and  give 
us  no  clue  as  to  what  estates  they  owned  at  their  death.  A  late  example  of  this  is  the  will  of 
Sir  Benjamin  Kemp,  the  seventh  Baronet,  who  in  his  will  of  1777  leaves  "all  real  and  personal 
estate  whatsoever  to  his  sister,  Martha  Short,  of  Sevenoaks,"  and  does  not  mention  Gissing, 
Florden,  Braconash,  or  other  family  estates  which,  of  course,  duly  passed  to  the  next  male  heir 
without  any  difficulty.  Thus  John  Kempe,  of  Woodbridge,  ordains  that  Thomas  Kempe,  his  son, 
Margaret  Kempe,  his  wife,  and  Thomas  Alnard,  his  son  (in  law)  should  be  executors,  but  gives  no 
directions  for  the  disposal  of  his  real  estate.  He  mentions  the  poor  of  Orford,  Rosamond  Dalie,  of 
Clopton,  Thomas  Panwed,  Thomas  Stub,  John  Debcnham,  and  his  son,  "Thomas  Kempe,  of 
Woodbridge."  The  mention  of  Margaret  Kempe  as  his  widow,  and  the  three  wives  named  on 
the  brass  shews  that  it  was  not  this  John  who  married  Alice  Duke.  The  will,  however,  of 
Margaret,  alias  Alice  Kempe,  of  Ipswich,  was  proved  in  the  Consistory  Court  of  Norwich,  in 
February  1480. 

The  chief  point  of  interest  is  the  fact  of  the  Curzons  being  mentioned  as  relatives.  The  will 
commences  "  Domina  Margaiet  Kempe,  vidua  de  Ipswich."  The  original  will  is,  we  understand, 
not  in  existence,  but  in  the  margin  and  index  of  the  Probate  Register  the  name  of  the  testatrix  is 
given  as  Alice  Kempe.  She  desired  to  be  buried  in  the  Monastery  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul,  at 
Ipswich,  to  which  and  to  the  Priories  of  Butley  and  Letheringham  she  leaves  legacies,  as  also  for 
repairs  to  the  churches  of  the  Carmelites,  Friars  Preachers,  Friars  Minor,  and  others  at  Ipswich, 
and  also  to  St.  Margaret's  Chapel,  Cretingham.  Out  of  the  goods  of  her  "  husband,  John 
Kempe,"  she  gives  ^20  for  the  repair  of  the  highways.  She  speaks  of  her  sister,  Edith  Curzon, 
also  of  William  and  Thomas  Curzon.  Margaret  Alverd,  Robert  Chapman,  Richard  Wengfield, 
Richard  Osberne,  who  also  appear,  may  be  relatives.  Thomas  Goodwyn  she  calls  her  son,  and 
John  Drewry,  her  nephew.  Among  others  who  are  mentioned,  the  following  are  all  styled 
"Dominus  : — Thomas  Drewiy,  John  Fert,  John  Reigner,  John  Bridgewater,  Thomas  Baker,  John 
Lacye,  William  Smith,  John  Debenham,  John  Clar,  Robert  Stowe,  Robert  Beenlie,  and  Thomas 
Goodwyn.  To  the  last  of  these,  evidently  her  son,  she  leaves  the  residue  of  her  estate  after 
numerous  small  bequests.  We  may  further  note  that  the  churches  of  St.  Clement's  Norwich, 
"Mowlesford"  and  "Waloughby"  are  to  receive  small  doles,  which  may  show  that  she  was 
formerly  resident  or  connected  with  those  places.  Persons  of  the  name  of  Kene  and  Keme 
are  also  mentioned  in  this  will.  We  cannot  say  with  certainty  that  these  were  Kempes,  but  it  is 
known  that  Kene  and  Keme  were  sometimes  used  as  variants  of  the  name. 

There  cannot  be  much  doubt  as  to  this  will  being  that  of  the  widow  of  John  Kempe,  of 
Woodbridge,  for  she  mentions  her  late  husband  of  that  name,  while  Margaret  Alverd  must  be  his 
daughter  "  Aluard  "  or  Alnard.  WiUiam  Curzon  died  in  1485,  for  in  that  year  Robert  Kempe, 
and  his  wife  Margaret,  daughter  of  the  said  WiUiam  Curzon,  were  made  feoffees  of  his  estate,  as 
appears  from  Dairy's  MSS.  before  cited. 

From  this  point  it  would  seem  the  chief  branch  became  again  more  intimately  associated 
with  Norfolk.  With  the  subsequent  representatives  of  the  Gissing  line  we  shall  deal  in  our  next 
chapter.     Here  we  must  follow  the  issue  of  the  Woodbridge  couple. 

The  first  couple  whose  wills  are  given  above  had,  besides  the  daughter  who  married  Alvard, 
a  son,  Thomas  Kempe,  who  in  1459  was  of  Woodbridge.  He  evidently  remained  there  till  his 
death,  his  will  being  proved  in  the  Norwich  Consistory  Court  in  1474  (Herbert  fo.  54).      He 


Woodbridge  and  early  Suffolk  Kempes.  ij 

therein  desires  to  be  buried  in  the  church  of  Woodbridge,  doubtless  beside  his  father.  He  leaves 
his  house  at  Woodbridge,  which  was  late  the  tenement  of  "  Wm.  Cane  ''  (another  likely  variant  of 
Kempe),  to  his  wife  for  life,  and  afterward  to  his  son,  Galferd  or  Geoffrey  Kempe,  to  whom  also 
all  the  testator's  other  lands  at  Woodbridge  were  bequeathed.  All  residue  was  to  be  equally 
divided  between  his  sons  John  and  Galfred,  but  a  '■''dividend''''  of  his  houses  was  reserved  for  his 
daughters  Anne  and  Agnes.  Thomas  Kempe  is  also  mentioned,  but  his  relationship  is  not 
indicated.  Other  places  are  spoken  of  in  the  will  ;  these  have  not  all  been  identified,  as  the 
spelling  is  eratic.  "  Ballings  "  evidently  stands  for  Dallinghoe,  as  Debach,  the  next  parish  occurs 
in  the  same  clause,  otherwise  this  might  have  been  taken  to  refer  to  the  manor  of  Ballings,  at 
Gissing.  "  Chenlye  "  might  stand  for  Shenley,  in  Buckinghamshire,  where  Kempes  flourished, 
or  for  Shenley,  in  Hertfordshire,  but  it  is  as  hkely  to  mean  Shelly,  in  Suffolk,  which  long  after 
this  was  a  possession  of  the  Kempes.  "  Pytyste,"  doubtless  stands  for  Pettistree  by  Ballinghoe  ; 
"  Sabyley  "  is  a  name  with  which  we  are  unfamiliar. 

Of  Galfred  we  find  no  further  trace,  but  it  is  probable  that  he  was  the  father  of  a  Thomas 
Kempe,  of  Woodbridge,  whose  will  was  proved  with  that  of  Katherine  Kempe  of  the  same  place, 
in  the  Suffolk  Archdeaconry  Court  (1518-24).  In  the  same  Court  about  1477  was  proved  the 
will  of  John  Kempe,  of  Ipswich.  That  of  Henry  Kempe,  also  of  Ipswich,  is  recorded  in  the 
same  register  as  the  last,  the  date  being  before  1524.  The  will  of  Joan  Kempe,  of  Ipswich,  is 
registered  between  1564  and  1566,  and  one  of  Nicholas  Kempe,  of  the  same  place,  occurs  between 
1647  and  1649,  and  in  1734  in  the  same  Court  was  a  will  of  William  Kemp,  of  Ipswich.  Buring 
the  period  covered  by  these  Ipswich  wills,  relatives  naturally  were  settled  around,  while  those 
who  had  settled  at  Gissing  were  frequently  reconnected  by  marriage  with  the  town  as  will  be 
seen  in  the  following  chapters.  It  cannot,  however,  be  said  that  Ipswich  was  ever  a  centre  from 
which  Kempes  multiplied  or  where  any  subsequent  branch  remained  for  generations.  The 
Registers  of  St.  Nicholas,  Ipswich,  have  been  printed,  covering  the  period  from  1539  to  1710  ;  during 
that  long  period  only  three  marriages  of  Kempes  are  there  recorded  which  are  as  follows  : — 
1570  (no  day  or  month  given)  George  Kempe  to  Helen.  .  .  .  (blank). 
29th  November.  1599.  Elias  Kempe  to  Susan  Silverside. 
8th  November,  1677.     Robert  Jacob  and  Grace  Kempe. 

We  have  said  that  the  early  Kempes  of  Ipswich  had  property  at  Ballinghoe.     The  following 
items  are  taken  from  the  registers  of  that  parish.     ("  Visitation  of  Suffolk,"  J.  J.  Howard,  1866)  : 

1568.  8th  April.     Anthonie  Kempe,  son  of  John  and  Maria,  baptized. 

1571.  1st  May.     Marie  Kempe,  daughter  of  John,  baptized. 

1574.  13th  December.     John  Kempe,  buried. 

1579.  1 6th  September.     Susan  Kempe,  son  (izc)  of  Robert  Kempe,  baptized. 

1583.  9th  June.     Robert  Kempe,  son  of  Robert,  dwelling  in  Bynghall,  baptized. 

1583.  I2th  February.     Robeit  Kempe,  buried. 

1589.  14th  July.     William  Kempe,  Son  of  Robert,  baptized.  '  :• 

1592.  nth  March.     Anne  Kempe,  daughter  of  John,  baptized. 

1603.  l6th  August.     Henry  Kempe,  son  of  Robert  Kempe,  buried. 

1618.  14th  September.     William  Thompson  and  Susan  Kempe,  daughter  of  John  Kempe  the  elder,  married. 

163 1.  i8th  April.     Anne  Kempe,  wife  of  John  Kempe,  buried. 

The  following  wills  will  add  to  the  information  thus  given  : 

IS74-5-     John  Kempe,  of  Dallinghoe,  proved  in  the  Suffolk  Archdeaconry,  Ipswich. 
1606.     Jane  Kempe,  Dallinghoe,  proved  in  the  Norwich  Consistory  Court. 
1638-40.     John  Kempe,  of  Dallinghoe,  proved  in  the  Suffolk  Archdeaconry,  Ipswich. 
1638-40.     Bridget  Kempe,  of  Dallinghoe,  proved  in  the  Suffolk  Archdeaconry,  Ipswich. 

Of  these  wills  the  only  one  examined  is  that  of  Jane  Kempe.     She  mentions  Mary  May,  a 
widow,  of  Ballinghoe,  and  Robert,  Margaret  and  James  May,  sons  and  daughter  of  this  widow  ; 

G  2 


i8  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

also  Thomas  Gardener  and  a  friend  named  Elmes  and  widow  London.  The  only  relative  is  her 
brother  Robert  Kempe,  of  "  F,"  which  may  stand  for  Fakenham,  where  Anne  and  William  Kempe 
lived  at  this  time.  Around  Dallinghoe,  at  Parham,  Wickham  Market  and  between  these  places 
and  Ipswich,  some  of  this  line  certainly  remained  down  to  recent  times,  and  there  seems  little  room 
for  doubting  that  the  celebrated  preacher  and  author,  the  Rev.  Edward  Curtis  Kempe,  Chaplain  to 
the  late  Duke  of  Cambridge  (who  came  from  this  part),  was  a  representative  of  this  line;  with  him 
and  his  distinguished  descendants  we,  however,  shall  deal  later.  The  three  following  Wills  very 
probably  refer  to  his  near  relatives.  They  will  be  found  in  the  Probate  Office  at  Ipswich  under 
the  dates  given:  Henry  Kempe,  of  Parham,  1769  ;  John  Kempe,  of  Woodbridge,  1771-2,  and 
Amy  Kempe  (widow),  of  Felixstow,  1783.  The  Index  to  the  Administrations  at  the  same  office 
mentions  James  Kemp,  of  Parham,  1716-19,  and  Mary  Kemp,  of  Wickham  Market,  1795. 

As  early  as  1518-24  there  is  a  will  of  Cicely  Kempe,  of  Parham,  which  is  close  to  Marlesford, 
which  appears  to  be  the  "  Mowlesford  "  in  the  testament  of  Margaret  Kempe  in  1480  ;  thus  one 
may  consider  Dallinghoe,  with  Parham,  a  nest  of  a  branch  of  the  Kempes,  of  Woodbridge,  from 
about  1480  down  to  late  in  the  nineteenth  century.  Tuddenham,  Westerfield,  Sproughton, 
Clopton,  Claydon  and  perhaps  Henley  were  early  homes  of  the  Kempes  around  Ipswich  ;  most,  if 
not  all,  of  these  were  of  the  old  Norfolk  stock  dating  from  the  fourteenth  century. 


CH(iA'PTE%_  V. 

KEMPES    OF    WESTON    AND    GISSING. 

At  the  end  of  Chapter  III.  we  suggested  that  a  Geoffrey  Kempe,  of  Woodbridge,  whose  will 
/—\  appears  in  the  Ipswich  Calendar  between  1444  and  1445,  was  identical  with  Geoffrey  or 
-*-  -^  Jeffrey  Kempe  of  Weston.  In  the  last  chapter  we  have  shown  that  Kempes 
remained  at  Woodbridge  and  around  Ipswich  for  some  generations,  during  which,  however, 
Weston  was  continuously  held  by  the  family.  It  is,  however,  still  an  open  question  as  to  whether 
John  Kempe,  the  next  on  the  pedigree  (as  of  Weston),  was  son  or  half  brother  to  Geoffrey.  It 
is  remarkable  that  we  can  find  no  will  which  can  be  positively  identified  as  this  John's,  and 
the  more  so  since  it  was  in  his  time  that  the  Gissing  lands  were  settled  on  his  son  Robert.  Dairy 
in  his  MSS.  collections  (Brit.  Mus.,  Add.  MSS.,  19,  138)  mentions  a  deed  dated  1473  of  Robert 
Ke.mpe,  co-heir  of  Buttevelyn,  of  Gissing,  concerning  the  manors  there,  and  another  dated 
1485,  being  a  grant  by  John  and  Robert  Norman  to  Richard  and  Edmund  Kempe,  Gents, 
sons  of  Robert  Kempe  and  "Margaret,  daughter  of  William  Curzon."  William  Curzon  was  of 
"  Sturton,"  otherwise  "  Stutton,"  a  parish  on  the  Stour  just  south  of  Ipswich.  It  would  appear 
from  this  last-mentioned  deed  that  he  died  in  or  before  1485  ;  he  was,  we  know,  living  in  1480, 
as  he  is  mentioned  in  the  will  of  Margaret,  the  widow  of  John  Kempe,  of  Woodbridge. 

Dairy  gives  us  another  note  concerning  this  "  Robert,  son  oi  John  Kempe  and  Alice  Duke," 
stating  that  in  his  grant  of  the  Manors  of  Buttevelyns  and  Dallings  in  14-73  he  used  a  seal  bearing 
the  impression  or  device  of  a  squirrel  sitting  and  cracking  a  nut  upon  his  head.     Where  these 


Kempes  of  Weston  and  Gissing.  19 

deeds  now  are  we  have  not  discovered  ;  possibly  they  may  be  among  the  large  collection  of  ancient 
documents  belonging  to  the  present  Sir  Kenneth  H.  Kempe.  Dairy  also  states  that  a  Ralph 
Kempe  was  co-feoffee  of  the  Manor  of  Gissing.  He  does  not  give  the  date,  but  it  was  probably 
about  1467  or  1473.  No  Ralph  KeiMPE  is  entered  in  the  various  Probate  Calendars  of  Norfolk 
and  Suffolk.  This  Ralph  evidently  settled  in  Middlesex  and  was  a  merchant  of  London,  his  will 
being  proved  in  the  Prerogative  Court  of  Canterbury  in  1477-  As  he  founded  a  line  of  his  family 
in  Middlesex  the  records  of  his  estates  and  issue  will  be  treated  with  under  that  county.  Norris 
in  his  MSS.,  now  in  possession  of  Walter  Rye,  Esq.,  of  the  Priory,  Norwich,  shows  a  Ralph 
Kempe  on  the  Norfolk  pedigree  as  a  brother  of  Robert,  and  uncle  of  Geoffrey  and  John  Kempe. 
This  seems  quite  compatible  with  the  other  facts  we  have  given,  but  we  know  of  no  better 
authority  for  this  Ralph  being  so  placed  on  the  pedigree.  Norris  also  informs  us  that  Margaret, 
widow  of  one  Drewry,  married  John  Kempe,  Gent.,  and  died  as  widow  of  the  latter  in  1483  at 
Ipswich.  This  date  would  seem  to  be  a  mistake  for  1480,  as  the  will  of  Domina  Margaret 
Kempe,  Vidua  de  Ipswich,  given  in  our  last  chapter  accords  with  that  statement  except  as  to  date. 
This  will,  mentioning  as  it  does  Will.  Curzon,  would  at  least  appear  to  be  a  close  relation  to 
Robert  Kempe,  the  co-heir  to  the  Duke  estates.  We  suggest  that  her  husband,  John  Kempe, 
was  brother  to  Ralph  Kempe. 

Dairy  states  that  a  Richard  was  a  mercer  of  London  ;  he  does  not  say  which  this  Richard 
was.  But  there  is  little  doubt  that  he  was  the  brother  of  Edmund,  another  mercer  of  London, 
both  being  recipients  of  the  grant  mentioned  above,  dated  1485,  as  sons  of  Robert  Kempe 
and  Mary  or  Margaret  Curzon.  The  Harleian  Manuscripts  (i  154)  contain  a  sixteenth  century 
pedigree  showing  the  issue  of  the  last-named  couple,  placing  Robert  Kempe  as  the  eldest  son, 
but  curiously  stating  that  Edmund,  the  second  son,  was  then  "  heere  electe."  His  issue  is  also 
shown  and  is  continued  to  1585  ;  but  we  suppose  for  the  sake  of  excluding  the  junior  line  from 
participation  in  arms  and  property  the  line  is  made  to  die  out  with  "  Pawle  "  Kempe,  son  of 
James  Kempe,  of  Acton,  Middlesex,  the  eldest  son  of  Edmund  Kempe,  the  Citizen  and  Mercer 
of  London,  who  died  in  1542.  His  line  will  also  be  reserved  for  the  Middlesex  section  of  our 
work,  he  being  chiefly  connected  with  that  county.  We  will  here  only  say  that  his  daughter 
Margaret,  as  widow  of  William  Dane,  an  Alderman  of  London,  was  a  great  benefactor  to  the 
City  Guilds,  and  that  her  portrait  still  hangs  in  the  Ironmongers'  Hall.  She  left  a  sum  of  money 
to  purchase  a  necklace  for  Queen  Elizabeth  with  whom  she  was  on  intimate  terms. 

John,  the  third  son  of  Robert  by  Margaret  Curzon,  is  said  in  the  Norris  MSS.  to  have  been 
living  in  1539,  married  and  left  issue.  There  is  a  will  in  1557  of  John  Kempe  of  Fundenhall, 
Norfolk,  which  might  be  his  ;  if  so  he  appears  to  be  the  founder  of  a  family  who  continued 
around  Bunwell  and  Carlton  Rode  down  to  last  century,  and  is  now  represented  by  a  Quaker 
family  of  Kempes  at  Norwich,  Manchester  and  London  {Vide post). 

William  Kempe,  the  third  son  of  Robert,  and  next  younger  brother  to  this  John,  was  a 
clergyman,  of  "  Sprockton,"  probably  Sproughton,  near  Ipswich.  Perhaps  it  is  his  will  as  of 
Cratfield  which  appears  in  the  Norwich  Consistory  Court  Calendar  between  1546  and  1548,  John 
Kempe  of  that  place  appears  in  the  same  calendar  in  1606,  so  presumbly  he  too  had  issue  which 
continued  in  the  north-east  of  Suffolk. 

Ralph  or  "  Rarfe  "  Kempe  is  shown  as  the  fifth  son  of  Robert,  this  may  be  a  mistake  for 
Richard,  who  does  not  appear  on  the  pedigree  quoted  (Harl.  1154).  No  Kempe  appears  in  the 
various  Probate  Courts  of  Norfolk,  Suffolk,  or  Essex  to  correspond  with  this  name,  nor  do  we 
trace  any  Ralph  Kempe  as  living  nearer  than  Middlesex,  and  the  one  of  the  name  there  was 
grandson  to  that  Ralph  of  London  mentioned  above.     "  Raffe  "   Kempe,  however,  witnessed  the 


20  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

will  of  Robert  Kempe  of  Winchcomb,  with  whom  Sir  Nicholas  Kempe  and  his  heir,  Ralph 
Kempe,  were  connected.  Thus  a  west  country  branch  may  have  been  established  by  this  "  Rarfe  " 
Kempe  from  Weston  and  Gissing.  Such  a  distant  settlement  might  seem  unlikely  to  many  who 
have  studied  the  Norfolk  families,  but  as  the  grandchildren  of  Edmund  Kempe  of  London  are 
recorded  as  intermarrying  with  families  resident  in  Somerset  and  Surrey,  the  distance  of 
Winchcomb  from  Gissing  cannot  be  looked  upon  as  too  great  for  these  Kempes  to  cover  at  one 
migration. 

Alice  Kempe  (sister  to  the  above  Edmund,  John,  William,  and  Rarfe)  became  a  nun  at  the 
beautiful  Sa.xon  Abbey  of  Barking,  the  reason  for  her  choosing  a  convent  so  distant  from  her 
native  home  may  reasonably  be  atttributed  to  her  venerating  the  Saxon  founder  of  that  abbey  to 
whose  race  she  claimed  to  belong. 

Her  sister,  Ciseley  Kempe,  married  John  Moulton,  or  Melton,  of  "  Sturston,"  which  is 
undoubtedly  the  modern  Stuston  in  the  north  of  Suffolk  near  to  Diss. 

A  John  Moulton  at  this  period  had  extensive  possessions  in  Gloucestershire,  his  will,  which 
describes  him  as  of  Toddenham,  in  that  county,  was  proved  in  1563  (P.C.C.,  g  Stevenson).  If  this 
is  a  relation  to  Cicely  Kempe's  husband  it  may  perhaps  account  for  her  younger  brother  Ralph 
being  in  that  county.  "Cicely  Melton"  is  mentioned  as  living  in  1542  in  her  brother 
Edmund's  will. 

Before  we  take  leave  of  this  generation  we  may  here  note,  as  we  have  stated  in  the  Kentish 
section,  that  this  last  mentioned  Edmund  Kempe,  and  some  of  those  enumerated  as  his  relatives 
by  his  will,  have  by  an  error  been  repeatedly  attached  to  the  pedigree  of  the  Kentish  Kempes. 
All  the  Kempes  of  Cornwall  have  also  claimed  this  Edmund  Kempe  to  be  their  ancestor  in  order 
to  link  themselves  with  the  family  of  Archbishop  Kempe,  a  distinction  greatly  coveted.  They 
state  that  his  son,  Humphrey  Kempe,  was  father  of  Richard  Kempe,  who  was  living  a  married 
man  at  Levethan,  Cornwall,  in  1544,  whereas  Sir  John  MacLean,  in  his  careful  history  of  that 
family  in  "Trigg  Minor,"  states  that  even  in  1475,  when  Edmund  Kempe  was  but  a  boy, 
ancestors  of  the  Cornish  Kempes  were  already  seated  in  Cornwall.  Then,  too,  James  Kempe,  the 
eldest  son  of  Edmund  Kempe,  did  not  marry  until  1544,  and  Humphrey  Kempe,  the  younger 
brother,  must  have  married  even  later.  Perhaps  it  is  but  fair  to  add  that  this  unfortunate  error 
does  not  necessarily  deprive  them  from  sharing  either  kinship  with  both  Norfolk  and  Kentish 
stocks,  but  their  pedigree  goes  back  to  such  remote  times  that  we  fear  that  proofs  of  the  common 
origin  of  the  three  great  families  of  the  same  arms  will  never  be  forthcoming. 

Robert  Kempe,  on  whom  the  Gissing  Manors  were  settled,  thus  left  behind  him  by  his  wife, 
Mary  or  Margaret  Curzon,  a  numerous  issue,  who,  even  at  his  death  must  have  spread  out  into 
half  a  dozen  counties.  His  newly-augmented  estates  had  permitted  him  to  send  his  family  forth 
well  portioned,  and  as  time  proceeded  it  is  natural  to  imagine  that  he  found  the  ancient  home  at 
Weston  too  confined  for  his  status.  Hence  he  had  doubtless  arranged  before  his  decease  for  the 
transfer  of  the  chief  family  seat  to  Gissing.  We  do  not  know  for  certain  the  date  of  his  death  ; 
there  is  an  Inquisition  of  a  Robert  Kempe  of  Norfolk  and  Suffolk  indexed  as  taken  in  the  eleventh 
year  of  Henry  VIIT.  (1518),  but  this  seems  to  be  a  mistake  for  the  nineteenth  year  of  that  reign, 
when  his  son  Robert  Kempe's  estate  was  the  subject  of  an  Inquisition. 

Robert  Kempe  must  have  married  Elizabeth  Appleyard,  heiress  of  Margate  Hall,  Braconash, 
before  1470,  for  as  we  shall  see  he  had  married  a  second  wife  before  1474,  the  first  one  having  left 
no  son  but  three  daughters.  Mary,  the  eldest  child,  married  Thomas  Jernygan,  of  Cove,  Suffolk, 
and  had  by  him  at  least  four  children  living  in  1527.  Elizabeth  Kempe,  the  second  daughter  of 
the  heiress  of  Braconash,  became  Lady  of  the  Bedchamber  to  Queen  Catherine,  and  died  in  1536. 


Kempes  of   Weston  and  G  is  sing.  21 

She  states  in  her  will  *  that  she  was  born  at  Gissing,  being  daughter  of  Robert  Kempe  late  of 
that  place. 

The  third  daughter  of  Robert  Kempe  and  Elizabeth  Appleyard  was  Anne,  who  married  Sir 
Richard  Bacon,  of  Harleston,  Norfolk,  of  whose  family  were  Lord  Keeper  Sir  Nicholas  Bacon  and 
Sir  Francis  Bacon.  It  was,  doubtless,  due  to  these  being  in  the  Royal  Court,  with  other  relatives 
of  the  Kempes,  that  Queen  Elizabeth  stayed  at  Margate  Hall  on  one  of  her  state  progresses  to 
Norwich.  This  occurred  on  Saturday,  i6th  August,  1578,  and  it  is  duly  recorded  in  the  official 
records  of  the  Queen's  "  Progresses  "  that  the  Queen  and  Court  were  there  entertained  at  dinner, 
after  which  the  company  proceeded  to  the  city.  At  this  time  Lady  Style  was  residing  at  Mergate 
Hall,  her  sister-in-law,  Bridget  Style,  having  married  Edmund  Kempe  of  London,  son  of  Robert 
Kempe,  of  Weston.  Margaret  Kempe,  the  daughter  of  this  Edmund,  had  married  Sir  William 
Dane,  Lord  Mayor  of  London,  and  was  at  the  time  of  this  progress  a  lady  of  the  Royal  Court. 
She  died  the  following  year  bequeathing  X^oo  to  the  Queen  for  a  necklace. 

Robert  Kempe's  second  wife  was  Anne,  daughter  of  John  Clifford,  of  Holmdale,  Kent 
(probably  related  to  Richard  Clifford,  Archdeacon  of  Canterbury,  and  afterwards  Bishop  of 
Worcester  and  London),  who  died  in  142 1.  By  this  wife  he  had  several  children,  Bartholomew, 
the  eldest  son,  being  declared  to  be  aged  fifty-five  at  his  father's  death  in  1527  ;  thus  this  second 
marriage  must  have  taken  place  before  1474.  He  inherited  the  chief  estates  as  we  shall  presently 
notice.  Margaret  Kempe,  a  daughter  of  Robert,  married  Robert  Blaverhauset,  of  Princethorpe, 
Warwickshire;  Florence,  another  daughter,  married  Sir  Phillip  Woodhall,  of  "Frampton,"t 
Suffolk,  and  was  living  in  1542  ;  Lewis  Kempe,  a  younger  son,  was  to  have  the  remainder  of  his 
father's  estate,  but  we  find  but  little  local  trace  of  him  except  that  he  joined  his  elder  brother  in 
a  deed  relating  to  some  land  in  which  his  name  is  rendered  as  Ludovicus  Kempe,  the  deed 
concerning  which  is  noted  by  Dairy  in  the  MSS.  before  quoted.  No  will  of  any  Kempe  of  his 
name  occurs  in  the  calendars  of  the  various  Probate  Courts  of  Norfolk,  Suffolk,  Essex,  Kent,  or 
Lincoln,  but  "  Sir  "  John  Kempe,  Vicar  of  Hungerton,  Leicestershire,  in  a  will  dated,  153Q  speaks 
of  his  brother,  "Ludwyke  Kempe,"  and  the  latter's  son,  Ludwick.  We  have  not  traced  the  exact 
abode  of  this  elder  Ludwick  Kempe,  but  his  sons  and  their  issue  lived  at  Croxton,  and  established 
a  family  who  have  continued  in  Leicestershire  and  Lincolnshire  to  the  present  day.  Other 
Kempes  of  Leicestershire  came  from  Staffordshire  and  Warwickshire,  perhaps  these  also,  although 
apparently  an  earlier  branch,  may  be  akin  to  those  of  Norfolk  stock,  and  thus  account  for 
Margaret's  marriage  with  Blaverhauset  of  Warwickshire. 

The  Blenerhauset  marriage  is  one  of  much  interest,  as  it  opens  up  many  complex  relationships 
between  Kempes  of  Norfolk  and  other  families  of  Kempes  about  the  Kingdom.  The  family  had 
been  long  seated  at  Frenze,  Norfolk,  in  the  church  of  which  many  brasses  and  monuments  to 
their  family  exist.  John  Bleverhausett,  who  died  15  10,  married  first  Jane,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Higham,  of  Higham  Green,  Suffolk  (whose  family  afterwards  intermarried  with  Kempes  of  Essex), 
and  secondly  Jane,  daughter  of  Thomas  Tyndale,  of  Norfolk.  By  these  wives  he  had  a  numerous 
issue,  of  whom  not  all  are  shown  in  the  Heraldic  Pedigree  as  given  in  the  "  Norfolk  Visitation." 
Sir  Thomas  Bleverhauset,  his  eldest  son,  was  of  Frenze,  and  had  seats  in  Suffolk  and  Essex.  His 
will  was  proved  in  1532  (P.C.C,  17  Thower)  ;  Robert,  the  second  son,  married  Margaret  Kempe 
as  we  have  said  ;  Margaret  Bleverhauset  was  the  Prioress  of  Kempsey,  Gloucestershire,  and  John 
Bleverhauset  was  of  Hampstead,  Middlesex,  where  a  line  of  Kempes  were  established  as  early  as 
1520.     The  will  of  this  John  Bleverhauset  has  been  examined,  it  was  proved  the  same  year  as 

*  See  mention  of  this  will  under  the  Middlesex  section  of  this  work. 
t  Perhaps  this  may  be  Framsden,  near  Letheringham,  where  the  Kempes,  of  Woodbridge,  held  property. 


2  2  Histor\  of  the  Ketnp  and  Kempe  Families. 

that  of  his  brother,  and  is  registered  in  the  same  court  (i6  Thower).  Among  those  he  mentions 
are  "his  cozen,  Christopher  Jermyn,''  his  brothers.  Sir  Thomas  and  Robert  Bleverhauset,  Sir 
Henry  Grey,  Knight,  Sir  John  CorwalHs,  Knight,  and  Sir  Phillip  Calthorp.  His  properties 
mentioned  are  the  leases  of  his  house  at  Hampstead,  held  from  St.  Bartholomew's  Hospital,  leases 
of  the  parsonages  of  "  Brome,  Southell,  and  Camfield,  in  Essex,"  and  an  interest  in  the  Manor  of 
Frenze,  also  a  lease  of  Lyston  Farm.  To  the  High  Altars  of  Marylebone  and  Ridge  he  bequeaths 
sums  of  money.  To  his  wife,  Margaret,  and  after  her  death  to  their  son,  Edmund  Bleverhauset, 
he  leaves  the  reversion  of  his  leases  and  estates.  The  mention  of  Marylebone  was  doubtless 
occasioned  by  the  association  therewith  of  this  testator's  mother,  Jane  Bleverhauset,  who  obtained 
a  portion  of  the  Tyburn  Manors  from  the  Knights  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem.  Her  will,  in 
which  she  is  called  "  Jane  Blenerhasseth,  formerly  Hobson,"  describes  her  as  of  St.  John  of 
Jerusalem,  London.  We  are  inclined  to  believe  that  it  was  due  jointly  to  this  Blenerhauset  lease 
of  Marylebone  that  Kempes  were  established  at  Marylebone,  these  being  associated  as  will  be 
seen  with  the  Hampstead  Kempes.  Of  this  interesting  point  we  shall  have  more  to  say  in  the 
Middlesex  section,  the  facts,  however,  require  mentioning  here,  as  shortly  after  this  Richard 
Kempe  of  Gissing,  then  studying  the  law  in  London,  selected  his  bride  from  Hampstead,  whither 
presumably,  he  went  to  visit  his  kinsmen.  Before  leaving  the  Bleverhausetts  we  may  add 
another  mention  of  them  in  a  relatives  will.  Richard  Hungerford,  Esq.,  in  his  will  dated  and 
proved  in  1510,  mentions  "  My  cousin,  Margaret  Kempe,  and  my  cousin,  Robert  Blaynerhauset." 
This  testator  was  buried  at  Blackfriars,  and  was  possessed  in  right  of  his  wife,  Jane,  widow  of  Sir 
Edmund  Lucy,  of  the  Manor  of  Charlecote,  Warwick.  The  Bleverhausett  arms  were  Gules,  a 
chevron  ermine  between  three  dolphins  naiant  embowed  argent,  and  five  quarterings. 

Robert  Kempe  (father  of  Bartholomew  and  Lewis  Kempe)  made  his  will  8th  September, 
1526,  and  it  was  proved  at  Hoxne  on  the  22nd  January  following.  Dairy  in  giving  an  abstract 
from  it  describes  the  testator  as  of  Weston,  but  in  the  Norwich  Register  (224  Briggs)  he  is  stated 
to  be  "of  Gissing,  Esquire."  Dairy  says  that  his  will  recites  that  whereas  his  son,  Bartholomew 
Kempe,  stands  indebted  to  him  for  two  hundred  marks,  this  sum  shall  be  expended  in  employing 
some  "  honest "  priest  to  sing  for  the  soul  of  the  testator,  his  wife's,  the  souls  of  his  father  and 
mother  and  ancestors,  for  ten  years  to  come.  He  desired  to  be  buried  by  his  wife  in  the  Lady 
Chapel  of  Gissing  Church,  and  left  bequests  to  the  altar  of  that  church  and  to  the  high  altars 
of  Florden,  Burston  and  Tivetshall.  The  most  important  item  in  the  will  is  the  statement  that 
the  Manors  of  Dallings  and  Hastings  in  Gissing  belonged  to  his  father,  while  other  lands  "in  the 
said  town  "  had  been  purchased  from  "  various  persons."  These  Gissing  lands  he  settled  on  his 
eldest  son,  Bartholomew,  and  his  heirs  male,  with  remainder  entailed  on  Lewis,  his  second  son, 
and  his  issue.  The  testator  says  that  Bartholomew  had  then  (1526)  five  sons  and  one  daughter, 
the  names  of  these  are  not  given,  but  bequests  of  money  are  left  to  each.  The  testator  also  leaves 
£\o  to  his  "godson,"  Robert  Bacon,*  son  of  (Sir)  Richard  Bacon  by  his  third  daughter,  Ann 
Kempe.  The  executors  are  Bartholomew  Kempe,  William  Chowte  or  Haute,  and  Sir  Philip 
Tylney  (related  to  the  Bleverhausets  and  Kempes  of  Thweyt),  the  supervisor  was  Sir  John 
Shelton,  Knight,  and  Richard  Bacon  ;  John  Chapman  and  Robert  Kene  were  witnesses. 

•  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  first  of  his  family,  of  whom  we  have  actual  praof  as  living  at  that  place,  viz.,  "  Dominus  Allan  Kempe," 
in  the  time  of  Edward  I.,  had  for  his  neighbour  "Dominus  Ad(am)  Bacon";  thus  for  over  two  hundred  years  the  Kempes  and  Bacons  had 
already  been  closely  connected.  W"e  shall  see  that  this  connection  became  even  closer  for  the  next  century  at  least,  while  it  is  probable 
that  the  families  were  connected  by  common  descent  from  William  de  Roos,  of  Bulchamp  and  Woodbridge,  for  Bulchamp  by  Blythburg,  as 
we  have  intimated,  seems  to  have  been  the  actual  place  whence  the  Kempes  of  Weston  first  derived  their  name.  (Sec  Chapter  I.  Norfolk 
Section.) 


CH'zA'PTETi    VI. 


KEMPES     OF     GISSING. 


According  to  the  inquisition  Post  Mortem  made  in  1527  of  the  property  lately  held 
/-\  by  Robert  Kempe,  of  Weston,  Gissing  and  Flordon,  Bartholomew  Kempe  was  fifty-five 
^  "^  years  of  age  at  his  father's  death,  and  was  found  to  be  duly  entitled  to  the  estates  at  each 
of  these  places.  With  his  brother  Lewis,  he  was,  as  we  have  said,  concerned  in  the  settlement  of 
some  part  of  the  lands  in  1529  ;  perhaps  this  was  a  partition  in  settlement  of  Lewis's  interest  in 
the  reversion,  for  as  previously  stated,  Lewis  Kempe  does  not  appear  to  have  remained  in  the 
county.  It  is  hkely  that  he  had  settled  long  before  his  father's  death  at  some  place  at 
Leicestershire,  or  perhaps  Northampton,  for  in  the  latter  county  his  ancestors,  the  Dukes,  held 
property,  which  may  have  been  his  portion  during  the  father's  lifetime. 

Bartholomew,  hke  his  father,  had  an  invincible  desire  to  get  the  whole  of  the  Gissing  Estates 
into  his  hands.  It  was  this  doubtless  that  led  to  his  parting  with  Weston,  so  long  the  seat  of  his 
ancestors.  Did  Bartholomew  believe  that  Gissing  had  formerly  belonged  to  his  ancestors  in  the 
person  of  Adam  de  Gissing  or  Adam  Kempe,  of  Kempe's  Manor  ?  It  is  possible  that  such  a 
tradition  had  been  handed  down,  and  that  in  all  good  faith  the  wife  of  Allan  Kempe  (whose  name 
at  least  was  Isabel),  was  put  down  as  the  daughter  of  Sir  Edward  Hastings  by  his  wife  Phillipa, 
which  in  time  became  corrupted  into  the  daughter  of  Sir  Philip  Hastings.  Bartholomew,  at  least, 
knew  that  the  house  of  Hastings  had  held  the  lordship  of  Gissing,  and  claiming  descent  from 
them,  he  would  be  the  more  anxious  to  have  entire  possession  of  the  manors  comprised  in  Gissing. 
Thus  in  1532  he  sold  the  seat  at  Weston,  and  as  opportunity  occurred  he  bought  off  the  interests 
held  by  others  in  the  Manors  of  Gissing.  That  Bartholomew  Kempe  was  a  good  business  man 
there  can  be  little  doubt,  the  sale  of  Weston,  and  the  additional  acquirements  and  building  at 
Gissing,  demonstrate  that  he  had  a  definite  purpose  in  view,  which  is  further  manifested  by  his 
seeking  and  obtaining  from  the  king  a  confirmation  of  his  free  warren  in  the  demesne  lands  af 
Gissing,  which  the  grant  recites,  were  originally  granted  by  Henry  III.  to  Nicholas  Hastings  on 
23rd  May  in  the  54th  year  of  that  King's  reign  (1270).  The  Patent  to  Bartholomew  is  dated  at 
Westminster,  4th  May,  in  the  21  Henry  VIII.  (1529),  and  is  mentioned  in  vol.  iv.,  part.  3,  of 
"  Letters  and  Papers  of  Henry  VIII." 

Nor  did  Bartholomew  neglect  his  religious  duties,  for  we  find  him  in  possession  of  the  Church 
Funds  in  1537.  These  funds  probably  were  raised  for  the  purpose  of  restoration,  very  likely  at 
his  instigation,  for  we  may  judge  that  he  was  anxious  for  the  welfare  of  the  church  as  well  as  all 
else  at  Gissing.  The  advowson  of  the  rectory  of  this  church  was  not  yet  in  his  family,  for  we  are 
told  by  Blomfield  that  it  was  purchased  by  Robert  Kempe,  his  son,  on  17th  February,  1574. 
In  the  Subsidy  Roll  of  1323,  when  Bartholomew  was  but  eldest  son  of  the  Lord  of  these  Manors, 
he  is  rated  as  the  chief  "  gentleman  "  residing  in  the  Hundred  of  Diss,  his  land  being  then  valued 
at  £S  yearly,  for  which  he  paid  Ss.  as  his  proportion  of  the  rate  levied.  In  the  reign  of  Mary,  as 
Lord  of  Gissing  and  Dallings,  he  paid  £4.  subsidy  for  his  lands,  they  being  then  valued  at  /80 
per  annum.*  Bartholomew  Kempe,  be  it  remembered,  was  the  son  of  Robert  Kempe's  second 
wife,  Anne  Chfford,  of  Kent.  It  is  possible  that  he  was  named  after  a  Bartholomew  Kempe,  of 
that  county,  who  died  a  few  years  after  the  birth  of  this  namesake.  Bartholomew  may  have  had 
some  property  in  Kent  from  his  mother,  which  may  account  for  his  son,  Edward  Kempe,  retiring 

*  On  this  Subsidy  Roll  appear  John  Kemp,  at  Shelfhanger  ;    Thomas  Kemp,  at  Starston  ;    William  Kemp,  at  Shelton,  and  Robert 
Kemp,  at  Forncett  St.  Mary,  all  within  the  Hundred  of  Diss. 


24  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

to  that  county  after  an  active  life  in  London  as  a  merchant  ;  of  such  maternal  estate,  however,  we 
have  no  actual  knowledge.  He  married  Anne,  daughter  of  John  Alleyn,  of  Bury  St  Edmunds,  by 
Constance,  daughter  and  heiress  of  William  Gedding.  (This  John  Alleyn,  with  a  Godfrey  Kempe 
and  others,  petitioned  the  King  to  translate  Thetford  Monastery  to  a  Dean  and  Chapter  of 
Thetford  Church,  at  the  time  of  the  suppression  of  the  monasteries). 

Bartholomew  had  a  very  large  family,  some  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  We  know  that  at  the 
decease  of  his  father  in  1526,  he  had  five  sons  and  a  daughter,  after  which,  at  least,  two  more  sons 
were  born.  The  order  of  the  sons  is  not  uniformly  given,  the  cadency  marks  to  their  arms  being 
shifted  evidently  on  the  decease  of  a  brother  without  issue  to  make  their  line  appear  as  close  as 
possible  to  the  head  of  the  family.  The  following  order  we  think  most  probable  : — (i)  Robert, 
who  in  time  succeeded  to  the  Gissing  and  Flordon  estates  ;  (2)  Bartholomew,  who  settled  in 
London  and  became  founder  of  the  Kempes  of  Croydon  ;  (3)  Anthony,  who  died  old  and  childless 
in  1612  ;  (4)  Edward  Kempe,  a  mercer,  of  London,  and  afterwards  of  Shorn,  Kent  ;  (5)  John,  who 
died  a  bachelor  ;  (6)  William  Kempe  ;  (7)  Francis  Kempe,  who  settled  at  Little  Hadham,  Herts  ; 
(8)  Thomas,  whose  effects  and  estates  were  administered  by  his  brother  Edward  in  1562  ;  and  a 
daughter  named  Elizabeth,  who  married  into  the  Throgmorton  family,  and  of  whom  we  shall 
have  more  presently  to  say. 

Bartholomew  (the  elder)  died  in  1554,  in  which  year  there  is  recorded  an  Inquisition, 
which  may  now  be  seen  by  any  interested  at  the  Record  Office,  London.  Besides  Gissing  and 
Callings  it  mentions  Shimpling  as  one  of  the  places  where  he  had  property.*  William  and 
Thomas  Foley,  Robert,  Elizabeth,  Dorothy  and  Anne  Kemp  are  mentioned  therein. 

Details  of  the  issue  of  Bartholomew  Kemp,  junior,  will  be  given  under  Surrey  ;  of  Edward 
further  notice  will  be  found  under  Shorne,  Kent.  Of  the  other  sons  John,  William  and  Thomas, 
we  know  nothing  more  than  is  recorded  above.  Francis  Kempe,  of  Little  Hadham,  married 
Armynell,  daughter  of  John  Brooke,  of  London,  by  whom  he  had  a  son  named  Francis  Kem.pe, 
said  to  be  the  same  as  one  of  that  name  settled  at  Fulham. 

Francis,  the  elder,  had  also  two  sons,  William  and  Thomas,  and  perhaps  a  daughter,  Dorothy, 
who  was  baptized  at  St.  Dunstan's  in  the  West,  London,  30th  June,  1579.  William  entered  the 
Merchant  Taylors'  School,  6th  March,  1574,  and  is  marked  in  the  school  books  as  having  died 
young.  Thomas,  perhaps,  was  of  Sandon,  Herts,  for  in  1646  a  grant  of  administration  was  made 
to  Joanne  Kempe,  alias  Allen  (?  Tillon),  widow,  of  the  goods,  credits,  and  estate  of  Thomas 
Kempe,  a  minor,  her  son.  The  Fulham  line  will  be  given  under  Middlesex,  but  we  may  here 
note  that  thence  it  branched  out  to  Lincolnshire,  where  the  name  is  largely  represented  from 
many  distinct  sources.  Francis,  of  Little  Hadham,  besides  being  credited  by  the  Heralds  as  the 
ancestor  of  these  lines,  is  said  by  the  author  of  the  "  History  of  Hendon,"  to  be  probably  the 
ancestor  of  Hendon  Kempes,  but  this  will  be  seen  to  be  impossible,  as  the  latter  were  established 
before  Francis  Kempe,  of  Little  Hadham,  could  have  married. 

The  will  of  Anthony  Kempe  (third  son  of  Bartholomew,  of  Gissing)  was  proved  in  16 14 
(P.C.C.  37  Lawe),  and  "is  interesting  chiefly  as  confirming  relationships.  He  is,  of  course,  styled 
"  gent."  He  says  rather  pathetically  "  I  am  set  as  you  know  at  board  with  my  nephew,  Edward 
Rous,  of  Flordon,  in  Co.  Norfolk,  Clerk,"  adding  that  whereas  he  is  an  "  ould  man,"  he  cannot 
ride  for  his  money  to  Cambridge  and  other  place-,  he  has,  therefore,  become  indebted  to  this 
nephew  for  his  keep,  therefore,  and  considering  the  kindness  of  his  nephew,  he  leaves  all  he 
possesses  at  the  time  of  his  death  to  him.     It  appears  that  this  Rev.  Edward  Rous  was  Anthony's 

*  This  is  presumably  Shimpling,  in  Norfolk,  near  to  Diss.    There  is  another  place  of  the  same  name  in  Suffolk,  not  far  from  Lavenham. 


Kempes  of  Gissing.  25 

grand-nephew,  being  the  son  of  Thomas  Rous,  otherwise  Rowse,  who  married  Margaret  Kempe,  of 
whom  we  shall  speak  again. 

Anthony  Kempe's  sister  Elizabeth  married  Lyonell  Throckmorton,  of  Flixton,  Suffolk,  and 
South  Elmham,  and  Bungay  in  Norfolk.  This  Lionel  was  under  twenty-one  in  1540,  and  died  in 
1599.  By  this  wife  he  is  said  to  have  had  no  issue  and  he  married  again,  his  second  wife  being 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John  Blenerhausett,  of  Barsham,  related  to  the  Bleverhausett's  before 
mentioned,  and  thus  a  second  time  connected  with  the  Kempes,  while  Catherine,  daughter  of 
Wm  Willington,  had  married  first  William  Catesby,  of  Lapworth,  secondly  in  1547,  Richard 
Kempe,  and  as  her  third  husband  she  had  Anthony  Throckmorton,  whose  widow  she  died  in  1594. 
Her  will  is  recorded  in  that  year  (P.C.C,  6q  Dixy),  and  in  it  she  speaks  of  her  brother's  sons,  Richard 
and  Anthony  Kemys,  which  probably  is  the  scribe's  error  for  Kempe  ;  she  also  mentions  her  beloved 
son,  Richard  Butler,  her  cousin,  Richard  Rawlins,  Thomas  Palmer,  of  Holbourne,  and  numerous 
relations  and  friends  known  or  related  to  Kempes  of  both  Norfolk  and  Kent,  thus  it  is  difficult  to 
say  with  certainty  how  her  husband,  Richard  Kempe,  was  connected.  His  will  describes  him  as 
of  Longton,  in  the  Parish  of  Tredington,  Worcester,  and  was  proved  1552  (P.C.C.  17  Buck). 

The  arms  of  Throckmorton,  as  given  with  the  pedigree  in  the  "  Visitation  of  Norfolk,"  are 
Gules,  on  a  chevron  argent,  two  bars  gemelles  sable,  with  five  quarterings. 

Robert  Kempe,  the  eldest  son  of  Bartholomew,  succeeded  to  the  Gissing  estates  in  1554 
on  his  father's  decease.  He  married  first  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John  Smythwyn,  some  authorities 
say  Edmund  Smythwyn,  and  both  differ  as  to  the  County  to  which  he  belonged,  Berks  or  Bucks, 
the  place  of  his  abode  having  been  omitted  in  the  pedigrees.  We  find  that  at  Gissing  Church  the 
epitaph  to  Robert  Kempe  states  that  the  father-in-law's  name  was  John,  and  that  by  this  first  wife 
Robert  had  two  sons  and  three  daughters  ;  these  represent  only  those  who  survived  infancy,  for 
she  had  besides  Bartholomew,  Genehide,  Edward  and  John,  who  died  as  children.  Those  who 
attained  majority  were  Richard,  the  eventual  heir  ;  John,  of  Antingham  ;  Margaret,  who  married 
Thomas  Rous  ;  Ann,  the  wife  of  Anthony  Drury,  and  another  daughter  (perhaps  named  Dorothy, 
the  wife  of  Norton).  Robert  Kempe's  second  wife  was  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Edmund  de  Grey,  of 
Merton,  whose  sister  Margaret  had  already  married  Edward  Kempe,  this  Robert's  brother. 
Edmund  de  Grey  died  12th  May,  1562,  and  was  buried  at  Merton  Church,  Norfolk,  where  tombs 
to  him,  Thomas  de  Grey,  his  son,  and  others  of  the  family  exist.  This  marriage  again  not  only 
complicated  the  relationships  between  the  brothers,  but  also  made  a  connexion  between  the 
Norfolk  Kempes  and  Francis  Kempe,  of  the  Kentish  family  through'the  Carews,  Thomas  de  Grey 
having  married  a  daughter  of  Sir  Wymond  Carew,  of  Anthony,  Cornwall,  and  Elianor  Carew, 
the  latter's  neice,  having  become  wife  of  the  said  Francis  Kempe,  son  of  William  Kemp, 
Knight  of  Wye. 

By  Elizabeth  de  Grey,  his  second  wife,  Robert  Kempe  had  the  following  issue  : — Thomas 
Kempe,  of  Bricett  Parva  and  Beccles,  founder  of  the  Kempe  family  of  Thwaite  ;  Robert,  who 
married  and  left  issue  ;  William  Kempe,  of  Cambridge  ;  Edward,  who  appears  to  have  been  a 
clergyman  of  Oakington,  Cambridgeshire  ;  and  Elizabeth,  who  married  John  Bu.xton,  whose  family 
resided  at  Channonz  Hall,  at  Tibenham,  the  adjoining  parish  to  Gissing. 

Before  dealing  with  these  children  and  their  respective  families,  we  must  note  a  few  facts 
concerning  Robert,  their  father,  who  lived  to  be  80.  Following  the  example  of  Bartholomew 
Kempe,  he  endeavoured  to  improve  the  ancestral  estates  and  to  raise  the  status  of  the  family  in 
various  ways.  It  was  he  who  purchased  the  adwowson  of  Gissing  Church  in  1574.  With 
Charles  Le  Grey,  John  Hastings,  Jennys  Bygott,  and  others,  he  founded  a  free  chapel  at  Moulton, 
Norfolk,  the  deed  concerning  which   bearing  his  signature  and   seal  is  preserved  at  the  British 


26  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Museum  (Add.  Charters  874).  He  also  re-roofed  Gissing  Hall,  the  account  of  which,  with  the  cost 
and  his  domestic  expenses,  from  about  1584  to  his  decease,  is  entered  in  the  Museum  with  other 
Kempe  documents.  We  are  chiefly  indebted  to  him,  however,  for  collecting  the  scattered 
pedigrees  of  the  different  Kempe  families,  and  other  families  of  Norfolk,  to  which  we  have 
repeatedly  referred  (Brit.  Mus.  Harl.  901).  During  the  earlier  days  of  his  married  life  he  was,  it 
would  seem,  in  London,  for  a  family  corresponding  to  his  were  baptized  at  St.  James',  Clerkenwell, 
Richard  being  baptized  in  1545,  John  in  1547,  and  Margaret  in  1548.  It  is  antecedently  probable 
that  until  after  his  father's  decease  he  may  have  been  engaged  in  London  where  his  uncles  and 
other  relatives  were  established  as  merchants.  It  must  be  admitted  that  the  Clerkenwell  Register 
may  refer  to  quite  a  different  line,  for  as  has  been  noticed  both  Kempes  of  Kent  and  Kempes  of 
Cornwall  certainly  resided  in  that  parish,  and  appear  in  the  church  books. 

Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing  died  27th  April,  1594,  and  was  buried  with  his  wife  or  wives  at 
Gissing,  where,  as  we  have  said,  is  a  monument  to  his  and  their  memory,  with  his  arms  displayed 
impaling  theirs  and  the  motto  "  Spero  Lucem  "  (now  written  generally  in  the  reverse  order),  the 
earliest  instance  of  its  use  actually  found,  although  doubtless  this  motto  had  been  used  from 
remote  times.  The  Inquisition  Post  Mortem  of  this  Robert  Kempe  was  made  in  1595,  and  may  be 
seen  at  the  Record  Office.  His  name  figures  in  the  Close  Rolls  of  Elizabeth,  with  the  following 
names,  at  the  dates  indicated,  but  the  nature  of  the  transaction  has  not  been  followed  up  :  1566 
with  William  Grice  and  1575  with  Edward  Dyer. 

He  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Richard,  before  dealing  with  whom  we  will  give  some  account  of 
the  younger  sons  of  this  Robert  Kempe  and  their  issue. 

John  Kempe,  the  second  son  of  Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing,  by  Elizabeth  Smythwin  (or 
Smithwine)  married  first  Anne,  daughter  of  Robert  Cuddon,  of  Weston,  in  Suffolk,  Esquire,  by 
whom  he  had  a  son  Robert  and  a  daughter  who  married  Robert  Palgrave,  of  Bradfield,  in  Norfolk, 
Gent.,  second  son  of  Clement  Palgrave,  of  Barningham,  Norfolk,  Esquire.  During  the  life  of  this 
first  wife  John  Kempe  probably  lived  at  Cromer,  for  we  find  that  a  John  Kempe  had  a  lease  of 
the  Manors  of  UflTords  and  Tomlyns  in  that  town  from  1561. 

He  married  as  his  second  wife,  Ann,  daughter  of  Robert  Calthorpe,  of  Antingham  (which  is 
near  Cromer),  who  had  married  as  her  first  husband  Robert  Jermy  (sometimes  corruptly  called 
Germy  and  even  Gerry)  by  whom  she  had  several  children.  We  do  not  know  the  date  of  her 
first  husband's  death  or  of  her  second  marriage,  but  as  we  find  John  Kemp  obtained  property  in 
and  around  Antingham,  in  1587,  his  second  marriage  was  most  probably  prior  to  that  date.  The 
lands  which  he  held  included  the  Manor  of  Callyce,  in  Suffield,  and  lands  at  Colby,  Felmingham, 
North  Walsham,  Gunton  and  Antingham.  They  were  not  all  his  freehold  property,  but  we 
cannot  say  on  what  terms  he  held  the  several  estates,  though  we  know  that  these,  with  other 
lands  at  Antingham  St.  Mary,  Antingham  St.  Margaret,  Gunthorp,  Thorp  Market,  Bradfield  and 
other  properties,  descended  to  his  son,  who  held  them  in  1610-11. 

This  first  Robert,  of  Antingham,  acquired  additional  land  at  Thorp  Market  by  marriage  with 
Mary,  daughter  of  Edmund  Gresham  and  sister  to  Sir  Richard  Gresham,  of  Thorp  Market.  Her 
father,  Edmund  Gresham,  had  also  a  seat  at  this  place  and  made  his  will  in  1586,  it  being 
witnessed  by  Robert  and  John  Kempe,  William  Jermy,  William  Hall  and  others,  it  was  proved  in 
London  that  year  (P.C.  C.  64  Windsor)  and  a  copy  may  be  seen  printed  in  "Miscellanea 
Genealogica,"  vol.  ii,  pp.  264-5.  -^t  the  time  of  his  decease  Mary,  his  daughter,  was  a  minor  and 
unmarried  ;  the  marriage,  however,  must  have  taken  place  soon  afterwards,  probably  the  following 
year.  We  may  here  call  attention  to  the  long  connexion  and  friendship  which  had  existed 
between  the  Greshams  and  Kempes.     Edmund  Kempe,  four  generations  earlier,  had  left  legacies 


Kenipes  of  Gissing.  27 

to  Sir  Richard  Gresham,  Sir  John  Gresham  and  William  Gresham,  with  whom,  as  a  Citizen  and 

Merchant  of  London,  he  had  become  intimately  acquainted  ;  he  had  succeeded  the  first  Richard 

Gresham  in  the  honourable  office  as  surveyor  and  accountant  of  St.   Paul's  School,  which  the 

latter  vacated  in  1533.     He  was  the  father  of  the  celebrated  Sir  Thomas  Gresham,  founder  of  the 

Royal  Exchange,  near  whom,  in  the  parish  of   St.  Michael,  Basinghall,  Edmund  Kempe  lived. 

Within  that  parish  church  Sir  Richard  Gresham,  Sir  John  Gresham,  Edmund  Kempe  and  others 

of  his  family  were  buried  side  by  side.     Margaret  Dane,  Edmund  Kempe's  daughter,  kept  up  the 

intimacy.     The  wife  of  a  John  Kempe,  of  Birchington,  Kent,  was  godmother  to  Mildred,  daughter 

of  Edward  Gresham,  in  1579,  but  how  this  Gresham  was  connected  with  the  others  we  do  not 

know.      Feret,   who  gives  a  good   account  of  the   Greshams,   shows   that   one   Edmund   is   also 

repeatedly  called  Edward  ;  his  father  was  of  Mayfield,  Sussex,  and  was  son  of  Sir  John  Gresham  of 

the  Norfolk  family.     Thomas  Gresham,  brother  to  this  Edward  or  Edmund,  Uved  at  Fulham, 

where  he  also  was  intimate  with  the  Kempes. — {^ide  Feret's  "  Fulham  Old  and  New.")     After  this 

long  family  connexion  it  is  no  wonder  that  an  intermarriage  should  take  place,  nor  that  John 

Kempe,  of  Antingham,  should  direct  that  Sir  Richard  Gresham  should  nominate  feoffees  for  his 

estate   to   assure    the   payment   of  certain   annuities.      The   will    of  this  first  John   Kempe,   of 

Antingham,  was  dated  and  proved  in  1610  (Norwich  Cons.  164  Harman).     The  testator  leaves 

sums  to  the  poor  and  for  the  reparation  of  the  churches  at  North  Walsham,  Worsted,  Fritton  and 

Antingham  ;  to  his  wife  £20  over  and  above  what  she  "  brought  out  of  Suffolk,"  as  well  as  the 

annuity  of  _^5o  ;    to  his  nephew  Rowse,  "parson  of  Flordon,"    his  stepson  WiUiam  Jermy,  his 

sister  Lawrence,  his  wife's  son  William  Grudgfield  and  other  relatives,  he  leaves  rings  and  other 

small  legacies.     To  the  wife  of  John  Neave,  Gent.,  of  Banningham,  he  leaves  a  yearly  rent  of  /loo, 

and  to  his  godson,  the  son  of  his  nephew  Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing,  ^5.     The  same  amount  is 

bequeathed  to  Thomas   Kempe,  son   of  his  brother  Robert  Kempe.     His  son  Robert  Kempe  is 

to  be  executor  and  chief  legatee,  but  to  be  supervised  by  the  testator's  nephew  Robert  Kempe,  of 

Gissing.     The  will  is  witnessed  by  William  Jermy,  Gent.,  Thomas  Cully,  Samuel  Mackctt  (clerk 

to  the  testator)  and  John  Albon  (?  Allen). 

He  was  buried  in  Antingham  Church,  where  a  monument   was  erected  to  him  bearing  the 

following  inscription  : 

"Here  Resteth  in  the  Loid  the  Body  of  John  Kempe,  Esq.,  Second  son  to  Robert  Kempe  of  Gissing  Esq.,  who  had 
issue  by  Anne  the  daughter  of  Robert  Cuddon  Esq.  Robert  sonne  and  Heire  who  made  this  monument  remembering 
immortality  in  the  hope  of  Resurrection  the  XVIII  of  November.  Anno  D'ni.   1610  aetatis  76." 

The  arms  of  the  Gissing  Kempes,  with  seven  quarterings  and  four  smaller  shields  referring  to 
to  the  deceased,  were  displayed  on  the  tomb. 

Robert  Kempe,  the  only  son,  duly  inherited  the  whole  of  the  estates,  and,  having  no  children, 
settled  the  whole  of  his  lands  upon  his  nephew  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing.  This  settlement 
was  evidently  made  during  his  life,  as  we  find  that  he  left  no  will,  an  administration  being 
granted  in  1626  to  John  Cudden,  Gent.,  who  was  doubtless  his  cousin. 

Thomas  Kempe,  Gent.,  next  occupied  the  seat  at  Antingham,  for  we  find  that  on  2  1st  January, 
1642,  William  Cock  was  granted  to  administer  his  estate,  which,  as  we  shall  see,  then  became  the 
favourite  residence  of  Sir  Robert  Kempe. 


28  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kenipe  Families. 


CHqATTE'F^  uii. 

kempes  of  thwaite  and  bricett. 

THE  founder  of  the  Kempe  family  at  Thwaite  was  Thomas  Kempe,  the  third  surviving  son 
of  Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing,  and  next  younger  brother  to  the  John  Kempe  who  first 
settled  at  Antingham.  He  probably  became  connected  with  the  Thwaite  district  through 
visiting  his  brother.  It  was  not,  however,  until  the  next  generation  that  Thwaite  was,  as  we  shall 
see,  acquired. 

Thomas  Kempe  was  a  "councellor  of  law"  practising,  doubtless,  chiefly  at  Ipswich,  where 
Richard,  his  eldest  brother,  was  the  official  lawyer  to  the  borough.  In  the  "  Calendar  of  Pleadings  " 
(Ducatus  Lancastriae)  we  find,  during  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  that  a  case  of  Thomas  Kempe  versus 
John  Layton  is  entered.  This  concerns  an  Ingress  Fine  at  ''Brissett,  otherwise  Talmays  Manor, 
in  Little  Brissett,  Clare  Honor,  Suffolk,"  which  actually  concerned  Tallmach  Hall,  at  Bricett. 
The  exact  year  is  not  given,  but  a  second  suit  between  the  parties  is  dated  1590,  and  this  doubtless 
marks  the  time  when  the  young  counsellor  made  his  home  at  that  place,  which  would  be 
conveniently  placed  for  business  requiring  frequent  journeys  into  Ipswich.  He  further  identified 
himself  with  that  town  by  marrying  Ann,  daughter  and  co-heir  of  John  Moore,  "  Portman  of 
Ipswich";  by  this  lady  he  had  two  sons,  Thomas  and  John,  and  three  daughters,  Anne,  Martha 
and  Elizabeth.  The  last- named  child  married  Josias  Faweather  (?  Fair  weather),  of  Halesworth  (at 
which  place  some  Kempes  had  been  living  shortly  before  this  time).  Thomas,  the  elder  son,  seems 
to  have  died  before  his  father,  for  John,  the  second  son,  became  heir.  Thomas  Kempe,  the  father, 
removed  from  Little  Brissett  to  Beccles  some  time  after  1595,  perhaps  on  his  retiring  from  his 
profession  ;  it  is  said  that  he  died  in  1623,  but  no  will  or  other  evidence  of  his  death  has  been 
traced  by  the  present  writers. 

John  Kempe,  the  succeeding  son,  first  lived  at  Beccles,  where  he  married  Jane,  one  of  the  co-heirs 
of  Thomas  Hobart,  of  Thwaite,  by  Anne,  daughter  of  William  Raynes,  of  Overstrand,  of  whom 
we  have  spoken  as  connected  with  the  John  Kempe  who  settled  at  Antingham.  This  wife  was  to 
inherit— jointly  with  her  sisters,  Mary,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Colby,  and  Elizabeth  Peters— the  Thwaite 
property,  including  Somerton  Hall  Manor,  which  had  been  in  the  Hobart  family  some  generations. 
These  sisters  released  their  interest  in  the  estate  to  John  and  Jane  Kempe,  who  in  time  settled  it 
upon  their  son  Thomas  Kempe. 

This  Thomas  was  a  clergyman,  but  what  cures  he  held  is  not  known.  At  his  death  he  seems 
to  have  been  on  the  Norwich  Cathedral  staff,  for  he  dated  his  Will  from  the  precincts  of  that  church, 
though  he  desired  to  be  buried  in  the  south  isle  of  Thwaite  church.  He  seems  to  have  been 
married  about  1649  to  Frances,  daughter  of  Sir  Thomas  Corbet,  for  a  deed  dated  26th  September 
that  year  was  made  between  Thomas  Kempe,  Sir  Thos.  Corbett,  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  William 
Kempe  and  John  Gosling,  Gent.,  settling  the  Manor  of  Somerton  Hall  and  divers  other  lands  in 
Norfolk  as  provision  for  his  wife  and  her  issue.  Subsequently— doubtless  owing  to  Cromwellian 
troubles— the  estate  was  made  over  to  Clement  Kempe,  their  son,  who  was  therefore  at  his  father's 
death  enjoined,  "  as  he  hoped  for  God's  blessing,"  to  faithfully  pay  to  his  mother  an  annuity  of /80 
during  her  life,  paying  this  to  her  regularly  at  the  Feasts  of  the  Annunciation,  Nativity,  St.  John 
the  Baptist  and  St.  Michael,  in  the  porch  of  the  parish  church  of  Thwaite.  These  instructions  he 
seems  to  have  faithfully  carried  out. 

Besides  this  son,  Thomas  and  Frances  had  a  son  Hobart  Kempe  (named  after  his  grandmother) 


Kempes  of  Thivaite  and  Bricett.  :2g 

who  visited  Bombay  and  died  at  sea  on  his  way  home  in  1689.  There  was  a  bookseller  of  his 
name,  at  the  sign  of  the  "Ship,"  in  London,  in  1672,  but  we  cannot  say  whether  this  is  the  same 
individual.  The  estate  of  Hobart,  who  died  at  sea,  was  granted  in  1689  to  his  mother  Frances 
Kempe,  and  after  her  decease  a  fresh  power  of  administration  was  granted  in  1693  to  his  brother 
Robert  Kempe.  This  son  left  no  issue,  being  a  bachelor  at  his  death.  Robert  acted  also  as 
executor  to  his  mother,  but  of  his  later  movements  we  are  not  certain. 

The  Reverend  Thomas  Kempe  left  children  named  Thomas,  Elizabeth  and  Frances,  the  last- 
named  daughter  married  the  Rev.  Thomas  Benyon,  of  Ely,  in  1684,  at  St.  George's-in-Tombland, 
Norwich,  she  being  then  a  resident  in  the  precincts  of  Christ  Church,  Norwich.  (At  the  sam^e 
church  an  Elizabeth  Kempe  was  married,  in  1699,  to  Thomas  Chitting  of  that  parish,  it  would 
seem  likely  that  she  was  the  sister  of  the  Frances  married  there,  but  we  have  no  proof  of  this.) 

The  Reverend  Thomas  Kempe  dated  his  will  23rd  March,  1667,  it  was  not  proved  until  1670, 
we  do  not  know  exactly  the  date  of  his  death.  His  will,  besides  directing  Clement,  his  eldest  son, 
to  provide  for  his  mother  out  of  the  Thwaite  estates,  required  him  to  pay  ^^300  to  each  of  the 
testator's  daughters  (Frances  and  Elizabeth).  In  case  the  mother  died  before  receiving  her  legacies 
Clement  was  to  allow  £^  per  annum  to  each  of  his  younger  brothers  until  they  came  of  age,  and 
to  the  daughters  each  ;jri2  until  their  legacies  were  paid.  Thomas  Kempe  mentions  also  his 
"good  sisters-in-law"  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Gostling,  the  Lady  Alford  and  Mrs.  Katherine  Corbet,  and 
he  constituted  his  "  honorable  and  dear  friend  and  kinsman  "  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing, 
Baronet,  supervisor.  Robert,  the  youngest  son,  was  to  be  brought  up  in  "  the  schools  of  good 
learning,"  to  be  afterwards  sent  to  the  university  and  to  study  Divinity.  Charities  were  left  to  the 
poor  of  Thwaite  and  Alby.  This  will,  with  many  pious  paternal  injunctions,  is  registered  in  the 
Prerogative  Court  of  Canterbury  (61  Penn)  with  a  carefully  made  list  of  outstanding  debts. 

The  will  of  Frances  Kempe,  the  widow,  was  proved  in  the  same  court  in  1690  (27  Vere).  She 
was  living  at  Ely,  Cambridge,  when  it  was  drawn  up,  presumably  as  a  guest  of  her  daughter 
Frances  Benyon,  whose  husband  and  children  are  mentioned,  with  her  grandchild  Frances  Kemp 
and  her  sister  Katherine,  who  is  one  of  the  witnesses.  The  chief  property  appearing  is  a  lease 
from  the  Bishop  of  Norwich  which,  with  ^100,  she  left  to  the  Rev.  Thomas  Benyon  her 
son-in-law  ;  this  son  however  died  before  December,  1690,  and  the  lease  and  money  passed  direct 
to  Frances  Benyon  his  wife.  (Thomas,  as  well  as  her  son  Hobart,  are  mentioned  as  having  died 
before  February,  1689.) 

She  died  on  January  12th,  1691,  aged  sixty-nine,  and  was  buried  at  St.  Mary's,  Ely,  where 
there  is  a  mural  tablet  to  her  memory.  Her  maiden  name  being  Corbett  has  led  to  a  correspondent 
in  the  Gentleman^ s  Magazine  connecting  the  Kempes  of  ThAvaite  with  the  Essex  family,  George 
Kempe,  of  Pentlow  and  Tottenham,  having  married,  for  his  third  wife,  Mary,  daughter  of  John 
Corbet,  of  Sproughton,  Norfolk,  whose  first  husband  was  Sir  Roger  Woodhouse.  George  Kempe 
will  be  seen  by  our  Essex  section  of  this  work  to  have  a  distinct  line  of  Kempe  ancestors  (back  to 
1296)  from  those  of  Norfolk,  but  a  double  intermarriage  had  occurred  before  the  above  Frances 
Kempe  died,  which  closely  linked  two  Sir  Robert  Kempes  of  the  distinct  families  together.  In 
this  way,  if  not  directly  through  the  Corbets,  there  was  a  relationship  between  those  of  Thwaite 
and  Pentlow.  ,  ■ 

The  inscription  referred  to  is  as  follows  : 

"  Near  this  stone  lyeth  the  body  of  Frances  Kemp  late  widow  of  Thomas  Kemp  of  Thwait  Hall  in  Co.  Norfolk 
Gent,  who  departed  this  life  January  12th  in  the  year  i6gi,  aged  67." 

Clement  Kemp  married  a  daughter  of  one  Whitton,  of  Wilby,  by  whom  he  had  only  a 
daughter,  who  became  sole  heiress  and  conveyed  the  Thwaite  estates  by  marriage  to  John  Home, 


30  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

of  Witchingham,  Gent.  The  name  of  this  daughter  and  heiress  was,  we  beUeve,  Frances,  as 
mentioned  in  the  will  of  Frances  her  grandmother.  The  Homes  and  Kempes  were  frequently 
after  this  united  by  marriages  both  in  Norfolk  and  others  of  the  same  name  having  estates  in  Kent, 
the  relationship  between  the  various  Homes  has  not  however  been  ascertained.  These  Kemps 
appear  to  be  extinct  in  the  male  line  unless  Robert  Kemp  had  issue.  We  have  no  trace  of  a 
clergyman  of  his  name  at  this  period,  and  can  only  suggest  that  one  of  the  following  wills  might  be 
his  and  that,  if  examined,  it  is  possible  that  the  pedigree  may  be  brought  down  to  recent  times  : 

Robert  Kemp,  Hunstanton,  1719-20,  Norfolk  Arch.  Court,  fo.  23. 

Roger  Kemp,  Wrentham  17 19  and  1734,  Suffolk  Arch.  Court. 
In  attempting  to  trace  further  descent  it  Avill  be  well  to  notice  that,  living  within  the  same 
Norwich  Cathedral  precincts  and  attending  the  same  church  of  St.  George's-in-Tombland,  there 
were  Kempes  of  the  Pentlow  stock  before  mentioned  who  had  much  property  throughout  Norfolk, 
chiefly  round  Lyng,  Heydon  and  Wood  Bailing. 


CHoATTETi    UIII. 

KEMPES    OF    Gl?>'S^mG— continued. 


ROBERT,  the  fourth  son  of  Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing  (by  Elizabeth  Grey),  married  Ann, 
co-heir  of  William  Stanton  or  Staunton,  Esq.,  and  had  two  sons,  Robert  and  Thomas 
Kempe,  but  of  the  place  of  their  abode  or  of  further  issue  we  have  no  details.  William 
Kempe,  of  Cambridge,  who  married  Thomazine,  daughter  of  William  Waldegrave,  of  Hitcham, 
Suffolk,  does  not  appear  to  have  left  any  issue.  His  widow  married  Samuel  Harsnet,  Bishop  of 
Chichester,  afterwards  of  Norwich,  who  died  in  1629.  Her  arms  were  Per  pale,  argent  and  gules, 
with  eleven  other  quarterings.  Edward  we  have  not  identified  with  any  will  or  local  record  ;  it 
is,  therefore,  open  to  question  whether  he  reached  manhood. 

We  now  return  to  Richard  Kempe,  the  eldest  brother  of  these,  and  son  and  heir  of  "old" 
Robert  Kempe  of  Gissing,  by  Elizabeth  Smythwime.  We  find  his  name  enrolled  as  a  student  at 
Gray's  Inn,  1556,  and  also  in  the  registers  of  that  Inn  in  1582  as  being  one  of  the  "  Readers  of  this 
House."  We  may  remark  that  two  earlier  entries  concerning  Kempes  entering  Gray's  Inn  as 
students  of  the  law  occur,  the  first  being  a  John  Kempe  in  1544,  who  may  have  been  this 
Richard's  bachelor  uncle,  and  the  second  Edmund  or  Edward  Kempe  who  was  admitted  in  1552. 
It  is  possible  that  the  latter  belonged  to  the  same  family,  but  of  this  we  have  no  evidence  other 
than  the  fact  that  Edward  Kempe,  of  Gissing,  who  settled  in  London  as  a  mercer,  had  a  son 
named  Edmund,  who  would  be  of  a  suitable  age  to  be  a  student  at  this  date. 

Richard  Kempe  married  Alice  Cockerham,  the  daughter  of  Phillip  Cockerham,  of  Hampstead, 
whose  family  were  connected  with  the  Cockerhams  of  Cornwall.  They  sometime  spelled  their 
name  as  Corkrom  and  Kockrom,  as  appears  from  their  Signatures  to  the  will  of  John  Kempe  of 
Hampstead,  in  1574  (Com.  Court,  London,  35  Martyn)  and  the  Parish  Register,  1566  to  1584. 
The  Arms  of  Cockerham,  of  Hampstead,  Middlesex,  are  given  in  the  Harleian  MSS.,  1551,  as 


•■    ■.  Kempes  of  Gissing.  31 

Argent,   on  a  bend  sable  three   (?   tigers')  heads  caboshed   or.     Their  pedigree  appears  in  the 
"  Visitation  of  Devon." 

Hampstead  had  been  separated  from  the  parish  of  Hendon  by  Bishop  Thomas  Kempe,  and  as  he 
considerable  episcopal  property  in  this  district  it  is  not  unlikely  that  some  of  his  own  kinsmen  had 
were  admitted  to  his  lands  as  tenants  in  his  time,  but  the  Subsidy  Rolls  do  not  give  names  of 
residents  in  this  part  until  1520,  when  the  chief  inhabitants  of  Hampstead  are  WiUiam,  George 
and  (widow)  Margaret  Kempe.  These,  however,  must  have  gone  to  Hendon  Church,  as  did  their 
descendants,  for  the  first  entry  of  a  Kempe  in  the  Hampstead  Register  is  that  recording  that  on 
January  22,  1566,  Richard  Kemp  and  Alice  "  Kockrom  "  were  married.  Perhaps  the  couple 
resided  in  the  Parish  of  Hampstead  for  a  while,  for  certainly  their  son  and  heir  (from  whom  all 
the  Baronets  are  descended),  was  baptized  at  the  same  church  on  28th  December,  1567,  this  being 
the  second  Kemp  entry.  It  was  so  usual  for  the  young  wife  to  be  with  her  mother  for  the  first 
confinement  that  we  must  not  necessarily  conclude  that  Richard  Kempe  the  lawyer,  was  a 
householder  here.  There  can,  however,  be  no  doubt  that  three  other  Kempes  holding  the  chief 
establishments  were  in  this  parish  at  the  time,  while  in  Hendon  adjoining  Humphrey  Kempe  was 
a  "considerable"  landowner,  and  Bartholomew  Kempe  had  also  an  interest  in  land  there.  We 
learn  the  latter  fact  from  the  Feet  of  Fines  for  Middlesex,  in  1567  (printed).  Concerned  with 
Bartholomew  in  the  Hendon  property  are  Thomas  Andrews,  Edward  Wyseman,  and  Richard 
Nicholles.  This  Bartholomew  has  not  certainly  been  identified  with  Bartholomew  Kempe  of 
Gissing,  but  it  will  be  recollected  that  Bartholomew,  the  Lord  of  the  Manor  of  Gissing,  died  in 
1554,  leaving  a  son  of  the  same  name,  who  was  at  this  time  married  and  living  in  London.  As 
there  is  no  record  of  any  other  Bartholomew  Kempe  in  or  near  London  at  this  time  it  is  very 
likely  that  Bartholomew  had  a  suburban  retreat  at  Hendon,  as  did  so  many  of  his  relatives.  Of 
this  we  shall  have  more  to  say  in  our  Middlesex  section.  Meanwhile  we  must  follow  Richard 
from  Hampstead  to  Ipswich.  That  ancient  and  important  borough,  whose  interest  had  been 
dear  to  other  Kempes,  called  for  the  services  of  Richard  Kempe  and  appointed  him  to  the  post 
of  Councillor  of  the  Law  to  the  town.  In  the  Archives  of  Ipswich,  as  given  in  the  Ninth  Report 
of  the  Royal  Historical  Commission,  it  is  officially  recorded  as  follows  : 

"23rd  March,  14  Elizabeth  (1571-2')  Order  for  the  appointment  of  Richard  Kempe,  Esquire,  learned  in  the  law,  to 
be  Councel  for  the  town  during  pleasure,  at  a  yearly  fee  of  twenty  shillings." 

We  need  scarcely  remark  upon  the  handsome  retaining  fee  ;  we  feel  sure  that  the  barrister 
made  a  very  substantial  addition  to  his  income  by  the  appointment,  and  that  as  we  have  remarked 
he  managed  to  put  professional  fees  in  the  way  of  his  eldest  brother,  who  also  practised  as  a 
lawyer  in  the  Ipswich  Courts. 

This  appointment  necessitated  residence  in  the  neighbourhood.  The  place  he  selected  was 
"  Wasbrooke,"  hodie  Washbrook,  situated  about  three  miles  to  the  south-west  of  the  town. 
Here,  doubtless,  other  children  were  born  who  presumably  died  in  youth,  for  we  are  informed 
that  the  son  baptized  at  Hampstead  was  the  only  son,  while  no  daughters  are  mentioned. 
Blomfield  gives  a  few  abstracts  from  the  Gissing  Church  Registers,  only  one  of  which  refers  to 
this  Richard,  who  is  entered  as  having  been  buried  there  on  5th  April,  1600.  We  can  only  infer 
from  this  that  Richard  probably  removed  from  Washbrook  to  Gissing  on  the  death  of  his  father 
about  six  years  previous  to  this  date,  by  which  time  he  was  fifty-four  years  of  age  (at  which  age  also 
Bartholomew  had  succeeded  to  the  estates).  We  do  not  know  much  concerning  the  Gissing 
property  during  his  tenure,  except  that  it  was  made  subject  to  a  marriage  settlement  for  his  wife. 
The  deed  was  made  between  Richard  Kempe,  described  as  of  Gissing,  and  Alice  Cockerham,  of 
Hampstead,  and  concerns  the  Manors  of  Hastings,  in  Gissing,  Flordon,  Dallings  and  Redisham 

H 


32  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

in  Suffolk.  The  last-named  property  is  mentioned  in  a  Kempe  of  Weston  deed  as  having  been 
in  possession  of  those  Kenipes  in  1411.  The  original  is  among  the  Stowe  MSS.  at  the  British 
Museum  (Ch.  250).  This  alone  is  good  evidence  of  the  direct  descent  of  the  Norfolk  family  from 
the  Weston  Kempes. 

After  the  decease  of  Richard,  his  widow,  Alice,  married  again,  her  second  husband  being 
Edmund  Foley,  Gent.,  of  Badley,  near  Stowmarket.  The  wedding  is  duly  recorded  as  having 
taken  place  at  Gissing  Church  on  17th  September,  1601-  Tn  the  church  of  Badley  there  is  a  long 
inscription  to  the  Poleys,  including  this  Edmund  Foley,  who  died  the  last  day  of  October,  1613, 
aged  sixty-nine.  His  marriage  with  "Alice,  relict  of  Ricard  Kemp,"  of  Gissing,  is  likewise 
mentioned.  The  pedigree  and  notes  concerning  the  Foleys  of  Badley  is  given  in  Jackson's 
edition  of  "  The  Visitation  of  Suffolk." 

We  do  not  know  if  the  property  at  Washbrook  was  handed  down  by  Richard  to  his  son. 
Possibly  it  was  settled  on  the  widow  outright  in  place  of  the  charge  on  the  Gissing  and  other 
properties.  Richard  added  at  least  one  other  possession  to  the  family  estates,  for  in  (or  soon  after) 
1579  he  purchased  the  manor  afterwards  known  as  that  of  "  Gissing  Hall,"  in  Roydon.  Thus  his 
manors  practically  extended  from  Braconash  to  Diss,  along  the  present  route  of  the  Great  Eastern 
Railway  from  Ipswich  to  Norwich.  Richard  desired  to  be  buried  in  the  Chapel  of  Gissing  "  with 
the  rest  of  my  ancestors."  His  Will  was  proved  in  the  Norwich  Consistorial  Court  on  7th  May, 
1600,  by  his  son  and  his  wife. 

The  Will  states  that  the  Manors  of  Gissing,  Flordon,  and  Burnells  had  been  charged  with  a 
dowry  for  the  wife  of  his  son,  which  the  testator  had  confirmed  since  the  son's  marriage.  It 
settles  £}^  6s.  Sd.  per  annum  on  the  deceased's  sister  Margaret,  the  wife  of  Daniel  Cotton,  who 
was  also  to  receive  a  mourning  ring  and  gown.  Rings  and  gowns  are  also  given  to  Richard's 
brother-in-law,  Drury  ;  his  sister,  Buxton  ;  his  nephew  and  niece  Harbourne  ;  his  brother  at 
Antingham,  and  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Beccles  ;  his  niece,  Dorothy  Norton  ;  his  cousin,  Robert 
Kempe,  of  Bury  St.  Edmunds  ;  his  god-daughter,  Ann  Lany  (or  Lang)  ;  his  nephews,  Thomas 
Kemp,  then  a  scholar  in  Cambridge,  and  Edward  Rowse.  Robert  and  John,  sons  of  his  son 
Robert,  are  to  have  a  sum  of  money  when  they  go  to  Gray's  Inn  to  study  the  law,  and  a  Mr. 
Sherwood,  of  Tivetshall,  with  servants  and  maids,  are  remembered.  Roger  Fayne,  John  Buxton 
and  Henry  Horseman  were  the  witnesses. 

Anne  Kempe's  marriage  with  Mr.  Anthony  Drury,  above  named,  took  place  at  Gissing,  26th 
May,  1567.  This  gentleman  was  seated  at  Besthorp.  Their  daughter  or  grandchild  married 
Henry  Roswood  the  Lord  of  Weston. 

At  the  call  to  arms  in  1509  this  Richard  Kempe,  of  Norfolk,  with  William  Kempe,  of  Spain's 
Hall,  and  George  Kempe,  of  Middlesex,  each  provided  one  lance  and  two  light  horsemen  at 
their  own  expense. 

As  already  indicated,  the  estates  next  devolved  upon  the  only  son  of  Richard  Kempe,  of 
Gissing,  in  1600.  This  Robert,  who  was  born  at  Hampstead,  Middlesex,  in  1567,  was  entered  as 
a  student  at  Gray's  Inn  on  9th  May,  1582-  We  do  not  know  that  he  ever  practised  as  a  lawyer, 
he  may  however  have  assisted  his  father  as  a  councillor  at  Ipswich  and  afterwards  taken  over  the 
duties  on  his  father's  removal  to  Gissing.  The  supposition  consists  with  the  fact  that  his  first  two 
children  are  not  recorded  as  having  been  baptized  at  Gissing,  while  on  his  accession  to  the  manors 
he  evidently  settled  there  at  once  with  his  wife  and  infant  sons,  for  Richard,  his  third  son,  was 
baptized  there  in  1600  and  Arthur,  his  fourth  son,  was  also  baptized  there  in  1601.  Of  the  subsequent 
baptisms  we  have  no  knowledge  ;  Blomfield,  who  gives  some  extracts,  tells  us  that  the  registers  were 
partially  burnt,  which  fact  prevents  us  making  a  search  for  these  details  ;  however,  in  the  present 


Kempes  of  G  is  sing. 


33 


case  it  is  unimportant,  so  fully  are  the  relationships  supported  by  other  evidence.  We  may,  however, 
say  that  Blomfield  mentions  the  burial  of  a  Robert  Kempe  at  Gissing  in  1600,  as  well  as  the  burial 
of  Richard  ;  perhaps  this  relates  to  Robert,  the  brother  of  the  last  Lord  of  Gissing,  though 
mentioned  in  the  Will  above  recorded,  or  perhaps  the  son  of  Robert  Kempe,  of  Bury. 

Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing,  had  married  (about  1596)  Dorothy,  daughter  of  Arthur  Harris,  of 
Cricksea  and  Woodham  Mortimer,  Essex,  by  Dorothy,  daughter  of  Sir  William  Waldegrove,  of 
Smallbridge,  Suffolk,  and  sister  of  Sir  William  Harris,  of  Cricksea.     Their  pedigree  is  duly  set  out 


This  poiti-ait,  which  is  at  Margate  Hall,  is  marked  in  pencil  "  Mrs.  Sone,"  but  the  dress  and  features 
suo-o-est  that  it  moie  probably  represents  Dorothy  Harris,  the  mother  of  the  First  Baronet. 


in  the  "  Esse.x  Visitation  "  of  1612.  Her  father  was  buried  with  Heraldic  formality,  by  Segar 
Norroy,  in  Mortimer  Church.  (While  speaking  of  Woodham  Mortimer  we  may  note  that 
connected  with  this  parish  and  Althorne  there  were  several  generations  of  Kempes,  ancestors  of 
the  present  Charles  Filch  Kemp,  Esq.  of  Hildenborough,  Kent,  whose  seat  is  celebrated  for  its  fine 
pack  of  hounds. 


34  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp  e  Families. 

The  Waldegrave  who  was  the  mother  of  this  Dorothy  Harris  makes  the  third  relationship 
existing  at  this  period  between  Kempes  and  that  family. 

Besides  the  four  sons  already  mentioned,  Robert  had  the  following  children  by  this  wife  (who 
outlived  him)  :  Edmund,  who  acted  as  the  first  Baronet's  attorney  in  Virginia  ;  Thomas,  who 
appears  to  have  been  living  in  1626  ;  Edward,  who  went  to  Virgmia,  and  Matthew  Kempe,  a 
colonel  who  played  a  prominent  part  in  the  settlement  of  Virginia,  of  which  Colony  Richard,  the 
third  son,  was  the  first  Secretary.  Of  John,  the  second  son,  we  are  told  by  Blomfield  that  he 
married  Amphillis,  daughter  of  Roger  Bigot  (ancestor  of  the  Earls  of  Norfolk),  who  was  possessed 
of  the  Manor  of  Antingham,  which  thus  came  to  the  Kempes.  John  and  Amphillis  are  said, 
by  the  same  authority,  to  have  settled  it  upon  Robert  Kempe,  Esquire,  their  nephew,  who 
was  Lord  of  it  in  1700  ;  this  may  be  quite  in  order  but  the  proofs  have  not  been  searched  for 
by  the  present  compilers.  The  fourth  son,  Arthur,  took  holy  orders  and  preached  at  Gissing 
in  1639  with  the  Bishop's  licence,  having  studied  at  Pembroke  College,  Cambridge,  between 
1620-23,  and  obtained  a  curacy  at  Cricksea,  Essex,  From  1631  to  1635  he  was  Rector  of 
Mapiscombe,  in  Kent.  He  used  frequently  to  write  little  moral  essays  to  his  relatives  in  the 
form  of  letters,  some  of  which  may  be  seen  at  the  British  Museum  (Add.  mss.,  10,435).  An 
idea  of  the  contents  maybe  gathered  from  the  following  titles:  i. — "Upon  the  death  of  her 
younger  son";  2. — "Upon  the  death  of  her  daughter";  3. — "To  one  going  to  reside  as 
Factor  at  Constantinople  ";  4. — "To  Mrs.  .  .  .  upon  the  death  of  his  wife  ";  5. — "Advices 
concerning  marriage  ";  7. — "  To  a  gentleman  tortured  with  gout."  The  last  covers  207  pages  of 
manuscript.  These  manuscripts  were  reviewed  in  the  Gentleman^ s  Magazine  of  18 14.  The 
reviewer  was  not  aware  of  their  having  been  published,  and  one  would  hardly  expect  that  their 
sale  would  be  profitable.  They  were,  however,  printed  in  1641  and  dedicated  to  "The  Noble  and 
Virtuous  Lady  the  Lady  Waldegrave."  The  author  soon  afterwards  became  the  Rector  of  St. 
Michael-at-Thorne,  in  Norwich,  where  he  died  in  1644,  or  the  following  year.  His  Will  was 
proved  in  1645  (P.C.C.  Rivers,  68).  It  leaves  bequests  to  the  poor  of  the  two  parishes  of  Antingham, 
Flordon,  St.  Michael-at-Thorn  and  to  the  City  of  Norwich.  He  mentions  the  following  :  the  four 
eldest  children  of  his  brother  Edmund ;  his  nieces  Dorothy  Jackman,  Wal(de)grave  and  Elizabeth  ; 
"his  cozen  Freeman's  wife";  Thomas  Cain,  of  Best  Street;  his  sister  Lady  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall, 
in  Essex  ;  his  cousin  Thomas  Rous,  of  Flordon,  and  his  cousin  Porter,  of  Dover  ;  cousin  "  Tom 
Kempe  the  Minister";  his  brother  Sir  Robert  Kempe  and  Doctor  Thomas  Browne.  The  last 
named  was  the  celebrated  Sir  Thomas  Browne,  author  of  "  Religio  Medici."  The  cousin  Porter, 
at  Dover,  we  do  not  know.  The  Reverend  Arthur  Kempe  seems  to  have  accumulated  a  good 
collection  of  books.  He  leaves  a  choice  copy  of  "  Tolosinus  "  to  Browne,  while  all  those  at  his 
London  Chambers  as  well  as  those  at  Norwich  were  to  go  to  the  Gissing  Hall  Library.  His  niece 
Dorothy  Jackman  was  the  daughter  of  his  sister  Dorothy  Kempe,  she  having  married  William 
Jackman,  the  sister  having  died  before  this.  The  other  nieces  were  daughters  of  Sir  Robert  Kempe. 

Judging  from  these  Wills  it  would  seem  that  little  thought  was  bestowed  upon  those  of  the 
family  who  had  emigrated,  although  one  was  attorney  to  Sir  Robert  and  Colonel  Matthew  was 
over  again  in  this  country.  News  however  travelled  so  slowly  and  uncertainly  that  it  doubtless 
seemed  useless  to  leave  bequests  to' those  who  were  out  of  reach  and  might  have  been  dead  months 
before  tidings  could  reach  home. 

Robert  Kempe  died  in  1612,  when  none  of  his  children  had  reached  manhood.  He  was 
buried  at  Gissing,  where  the  inscription  to  his  memory  runs  as  follows  : 

"  Robert  Kemp  only  sonne  of  Richard  Kempe  of  Gissing  Esquire  and  Alice  Cockerhara  of  Hampstead  .... 
married  Dorothy  Harris  of  Crixeth,  Essex,  by  whom  he  had  VIII  sons  and  III  daughters,  seven  sons  and  two  daughters 
survived  him.     He  died,  25  October  MDCXII,  aged  47  years  and  having  been  married  17  years." 


Kempes  of  G  is  sing. 


35 


Dorothy,  his  widow,  lived  after  his  death  at  the  Manor  House  at  Flordon,  of  which  we  give 
an  illustration.  It  remains  to-day  much  the  same  in  external  appearance  as  it  did  in  her  day,  the 
arms  will  be  seen  over  che  porch,  just  the  Kempe  shield  without  quarters.  Although  much  of  the 
oak  panelling  has  been  removed  to  Mergate  Hall  by  the  present  Baronet,  one  can  well  picture 
the  interior  as  the  widow  Dorothy  Kempe  knew  it.     There,  in   the  great  drawing-room   in   the 


Flordon  Hull,  built  .iboiit  1500  on  the  site  of  a  previous  Manor  House,  which  passed  to  the  Kempes 
by  intermarriage  with  the  heiress  of  Duke  and  Butteveleyn. 

south  wing,  its  floor  laid  with  unusually  broad  oaken  boards,  she  sat  day  after  day  with  her 
unmarried  daughter  spinning  the  thread  and  making,  and  carefully  marking  with  their  respective 
initials,  the  hoards  of  fine  household  linen  which  she  prepared  for  each  of  her  children  "aaainst 
their  marriage."  In  her  will  she  gives  us  a  glimpse  of  this  outcome  of  her  domestic  activity,  even 
explaining  that  Edward  and  Edmund  Kempe  having  the  same  initials  she  had  distinguished  the 
Hnen  intended  for  Edmund  by  an  E  being  "  let  in  the  corner."  In  the  early  days  of  her  widowhood 
she  had,  of  course,  the  usual  trouble  which  seven  boys  in  a  house  are  bound  to  cause.  Robert  the 
eldest,  must  have  been  a  young  incorrigible  and  a  constant  anxiety  to  his  pious  mother,  for  with 
the  daring  and  gaiety  which  manifested  itself  in  his  manhood,  we  are  sure  that  he  demanded 
obedience  from  the  servant  and  the  homage  of  his  future  tenants,  while  his  amorous  proclivities 
must  have  got  him  into  numerous  scrapes  with  the  fair  young  ladies  and  beautiful  rustic  maidens 
of  the  district,  but  college  days  then  commenced  earher  and  in  a  few  years  the  widov/  was  much 
left  to  the  company  of  her  daughters  and  divided  her  time  between  the  devotions  prescribed  by 
strict  Puritan  views  and  the  linen  for  her  sons  and  daughters.  She  died  at  Flordon  in  1626,  and 
was  buried,  as  she  desired,  beside  her  husband   in  the  family  chapel  at  Gissing.     Her  will  was 


2)6  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

proved  that  year  (P.C.C,  120  Hele.)  and  is  expressive  of  her  maternal  affection  and  Puritan 
feelings.  She  mentions  certain  wills  under  which  her  family  were  to  receive  legacies,  viz.,  those 
of  her  late  husband  :  Alice  Foley,  the  children's  grandmother  ;  Roger  Payne  and  Grizzell  Herbert. 
Of  this  last  we  shall  be  glad  to  gain  some  knowledge,  for  it  would  appear  likely  that  this  "  Grissell 
Herbert,  of  Gissing,"  was  the  Lady  Herbert  who  married  a  John  Kempe  in  1572.  A  mystery 
hangs  round  the  marriage  for  no  Grizzell  or  Grace  Herbert  appears  in  the  pedigrees  of  that  family. 
The  Herberts  were  at  this  time  successors  to  the  Greys,  both  as  Lords  of  Powis  Castle  and  Lords 
of  Hendon,  where  the  Kempes  were  their  neighbours.  Between  the  Herberts  and  Greys  a  very 
long  litigation  was  carried  on  as  to  right  to  the  title  and  certain  Welsh  estates,  the  cause  being  an 
Edward  (Kempe)  who  was  claimed  to  be  son  of  Edward  Lord  Powis,  by  one  Jane  Kempe  alias 
Jane  Orwell.  Whether  she  was  akin  to  the  Norfolk  Kempes  we  do  not  know.  Any  information 
concerning  Lady  Grace  Herbert  and  Grissell  Herbert,  of  Gissing,  will  be  welcomed  by  the  editors 
of  this  work.  Dorothy  Kempe  mentions  the  following  children  :  Robert,  Arthur,  Edmund, 
Edward,  Thomas,  Dorothy  and  Elizabeth  ;  her  daughter-in-law  Dame  Jane  Kemp;  her  "cousin" 
Thomas  Kempe,  of  Barrow  Hampton,  and  Dorothy  the  daughter  of  her  "  cousin  "  Clere  Tolbot,  of 
Wymondham  ;  Prudence  the  daughter  of  her  cousin  Edward  Rouse,  of  Flordon,  and  Henry  Bing, 
Sergeant  at  Law  of  Grantchester,  Cambridgeshire.  The  testatri.x  mentions  that  she  holds  a  lease 
of  a  house  in  Finsbury  from  Sir  William  Parkhurst,  Knight.  If  this  refers  to  Finsbury,  Middlesex, 
it  might  represent  a  London  residence,  perhaps  mentioned  by  Arthur  Kempe  as  his  Chambers  in 
London.  She  also  speaks  of  her  personal  property  at  "  Hopen  "  and  Eye,  in  Suffolk,  and  land  in 
Old  Buckenham,  Norfolk.     Her  chief  jewels  she  left  to  her  daughter-in-law  Lady  Jane  Kempe. 

The  Rev.  Edward  Rous  was  evidently  not  only  a  beloved  relative  of  Dorothy  and  the  Rev. 
Arthur  Kempe,  but  also  an  acceptable  teacher  of  the  Puritan  beliefs  and  practices,  perhaps  he  was 
related  to  that  Francis  Rous  who  was  created  a  peer  by  Cromwell  and  at  an  advanced  age  was  one 
of  his  Privy  Council  ;  the  portrait  of  this  "speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons"  hangs  in  the  Hall 
of  Pembroke  College,  Oxford  ;  he  was  buried  at  Acton,  in  Middlesex,  where  a  branch  of  the 
Norfolk  Kempes  had  a  house.  It  must  have  created  domestic  difficulties  when  Sir  Robert  became 
a  Royalist,  while  this  his  cousin  Rous  was  a  pronounced  Roundhead. 


CHoATTETi    IX. 

THE    FIRST    BARONET. 

ROBERT  KEMPE,  who  was  destined  to  become  both  a  Knight  and  the  first  of  the  line  of 
Baronets,  was,  as  already  shown,  an  infant  at  the  death  of  his  grandfather,  Richard 
Kempe,  the  Councillor  of  Ipswich,  who  hoped  that  this  grandchild  would  follow  the  law 
as  his  profession.  At  his  father's  death,  though  only  about  fifteen  years  of  age,  he  was  even  then 
averse  to  following  the  studies  which  he  had  been  desired  to  take  up,  reasoning,  no  doubt,  that  he 
had  but  to  wait  until  his  twenty-first  birthday  before  he  could  enjoy  the  income  of  the  family 
estates,   and  that  hence  there   was  no   need   of  any  occupation   (other   than   pleasure)  for  him. 


The  First  Baronet. 


37 


He  was  nevertheless  entered  as  a  student  of  Gray's  Inn,  his  name  being  enrolled  on  26th 
February,  1614,  as  "  son  and  heir  of  Robert  Kempe,  Esquire,  of  Gissing."  It  is  unlikely  that  he 
ever  practised  as  a  lawyer,  but  it  seems  probable  that  he  obtained  some  office  in  the  Court  of 
Faculties,  as  for  some  years  a  Robert  Kempe  issued  marriage  licences.  This  office,  if  he  actually 
held  it,  may  well  have  opened  the  way  to  his  becoming  intimate  with  many  influential  people, 
but  it  must  be  remembered,  that  apart  therefrom,  he  had  a  "friend  at  court"  in  the  person  of  his 
kinsman  Bacon,  and  must  have  been  familiar  with  many  of  the  ladies  of  the  Royal  circle.  Young 
and  wealthy  as  he  was,  he  soon  found  favour,  with  the  result  that  in  16 18  he  was  Knighted  by 
James  I.,  at  his  Palace  at  Theobalds,  Herts.,  on  the  12th  November.  In  the  same  year  Robert 
Kempe  retired  from  the  Court  of  Faculties. 

From  that  date  Sir  Robert  Kempe  became  closely  attached  to  the  King's  person,  and 
doubtless  with  Sir  Francis  Bacon, 
enjoyed  both  pleasure  and  profit. 
From  the  bonds  of  matrimony,  how- 
ever, he  kept  himself  free  till  he 
reached  middle  life,  although  it  is  im- 
possible that  he  lacked  admirers,  for 
his  portrait  (frontispiece)  which  must 
have  been  painted  about  this  time, 
shows  that  his  face  was  almost  as 
attractive  as  his  fortune.  Eventually, 
however,  before  1626,  he  married 
the  heiress  of  Sir  Matthew  Browne,  of 
Betchworth  Castle,  a  gentleman  who 
could  boast  of  long  descent,  and 
moreover,  possessed  connexions  with 
exceptional  influence  at  Court.  Jane 
Browne,  too,  if  she  bore  him  children, 
would  link  them  with  the  descendants 
of  her  kinswoman,  Eleanor  Browne, 
the  wife  of  Sir  William  Kempe,  of 
Wye,  at  the  same  time  providing 
Royal  ancestors  for  their  children. 
From  how  many  Royal  personages 
and  other  worthies  this  Jane  Browne 
was  descended,  we  must  leave  our 
readers  to  ascertain  from  the  tables  of 

Kempe  descent  irawn  up  by  the  author  of  "  Stemmata  Robertson  et  Durdin,"  from  which  the  Royal 
descent  given  in  the  Kentish  section  of  this  work  is  extracted.  That  table  shows  a  few  of  the 
Hnes  which  can  easily  be  multiplied  by  a  little  patient  study  of  the  above-mentioned  tables  and 
other  works  on  regal  hneage.  This  being  merely  a  history  of  the  Kemps  and  Kempes,  we  must 
not  devote  pages  to  this  very  interesting  but  remote  ancestry. 

Sir  Robert  Kempe  naturally  accompanied  the  Court  in  its  peregrinations,  while  he  had  many 
friends  of  his  own,  at  whose  houses  he  was  a  frequent  guest.  We  are  not  surprised,  therefore,  to  find 
that  his  eldest  son,  Robert,  was  born  at  Walsingham  Abbey,  whose  charming  ruins  are  one  of  the 
glories  of  his  native  county.     The  date  of  his  birth  was  2nd  February,  1627,  and  the  heir  was 


Jane  Brown,  wife  of  the  First  Baronet.     (^Circa  1620) 


38 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Favtilies. 


soon  conveyed  in  safety  to  Gissing  Hall.  Lady  Kempe,  doubtless,  found  Gissing  rather  quiet  after 
the  life  at  Court  to  which  she  had  been  accustomed,  and  consequently  preferred  living  in  London ; 
when  a  retreat  to  the  country  became  imperative,  she  preferred  Antingham  as  a  home  rather  than 
Gissing  Hall.     The  Antingham  residence  we  find  described  as  their  "  winter"  house  in  1643. 

The  year  1641  will  ever  be  a  memorable  in  the  annals  of  the  Kempes  of  Gissing. 
Generation  after  generation  had  for  centuries  led  a  prosperous  but  somewhat  uneventful  life, 
escaping  the  attainders  and  escheats  which  upset  many  landed  families.  Except  once  when  a 
member  was  detained  at  Norwich  Castle  on  a  false  charge  of  manslaughter,  for  which  he  received 
a  so-called  "  pardon,"  the  chief  members  of  the  family  have  never  figured  in  the  records  of 
disgrace.  This  year,  however,  gaiety  and  pleasure  gave  place  to  trouble  in  the  prospect  of  civil 
war.     Sir  Robert  Kempe  as  became  a  Knight  and  personal  attendant  of  the  King,  determined  to 

stand   by  his  colours  and 


Tt^-ir-T^ 


~"7'<.<<vF*>5jVT!-«7rt-'"g- 


T-rsar^j.'  V?r-*^ 


2XM 


made  no  secret  of  his  aver- 
sion to  the  policy  of  the 
Parliamentary  party. 
Foremost  among  the  Nor- 
folk Royalists  was  Sir 
William  D'Oyley,  whom 
Sir  Robert  Kempe,  of 
Gissing,  calls  in  his  will 
"  his  cousin."  With  this 
Knight  Sir  Robert  shared 
the  honour  of  raising 
among  their  tenantry  and 
friends  a  band  of  soldiejs 
as  a  King's  body-guard, 
while  from  time  to  time 
they  raised  at  their  own 
expense  further  forces, 
providing  the  necessary 
supplies  for  their  main- 
tenance, and  otherwise 
assisting  the  King  with 
funds.  Before  the  war 
actually  broke  out  the 
King  recognised  the  long 
personal   devotion   of   Sir 

Robert  by  raising  him  from  the  rank  of  Knight  to  that  of  Baronet.     As  an  especial  mark  of 

Royal  favour  he  directed  that  the  usual  heavy  fees  for  the  Patent,  the  charges  of  the  Heralds, 

scribes  and  other  officials  should  be  borne  by  the  Royal  purse  instead  of  devolving,  as  is  usual, 

upon  the  recipient  of  the  honour. 

The  original   Patent  is   extant  and  quite  perfect,   the  great  seal  attached   not   even   being 

cracked.     The  portrait  of  the  King  in  the  initial  letter  of  the  document  is,  as  will  be  seen  from  the 

illustration  here  given,  a  very  good  portrait  of  His  Majesty. 

At  this  time  there  were  two  Sir  Robert  Kempes  resident  in  Norfolk,  the  other  being  Sir 

Robert  Kempe,  of  Heydon,  and  afterwards  of  Spains  Hall,  Essex.     He  had  married  Elizabeth 


Royal  Patent  granting  the  Baionetcy  to  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing,  1641. 


The  First  Baronet. 


39 


./w.^Ic^^ 


'^ivWnth^ 


^^^i^^VbF^'K 


^'^^l 


Kempe,  sister  to  the  first  Kempe  Baronet  of  Gissing.  Thus  they  were  brothers-in-law,  but  were 
otherwise  of  quite  distinct  descent  and  diverse  arms.  They  are  beheved  to  have  come  from 
entirely  different  stocks,  the  earliest  known  ancestors  of  the  one  being  styled  "  de  Campo ''  and  the 
other  "de  Combes."  The  two  Sir  Robert  Kempes  were  most  intimate  friends,  and  seem  to  have 
been  companions  at  Charles's  Court,  both  in  days  of  peace,  and  during  the  exciting  times  of  the 
Great  Rebellion.  Nor  was  this  all,  for  as  in  war  so  in  love,  they  seem  to  have  risked  even  their 
ancestral  domains  to  gain  their  desires.  Surely  nothing  but  a  sporting  propensity  could  have  called 
for  a  bond  so  great  as  the  whole  of  one's  Hall  and  Manors  to  be  pledged  to  secure  a  wife.  Yet  such  a 
bond  is  recorded  as  having  been  made  between  the  two  Sir  Roberts.  Later  on.  as  we  shall  see, 
the  widow  of  Sir  Robert  Kempe, 
of  Spain's  Hall,  became  the  wife 
of  the  second  Sir  Robert  Kempe, 
of  Gissing,  thus  further  confus- 
ing and  complicating  the  rela- 
tionships. Further  than  this, 
by  mere  chance,  it  seems  Lady 
Jane  Kempe,  of  Gissing,  being 
an  heiress  of  the  Brownes,  held 
the  advowson  of  Finchingfield 
Church,  which  was  afterwards 
held  by  the  Kempes  of  Spain's 
Hall,  in  that  parish,  so  that  both 
Kempe  families  were  in  turn 
patrons  of  the  living. 

One  other  point  in  common 
possibly  helped  to  cement  their 
friendship.  Both  their  mothers 
held  pronounced  Puritan  views, 
which  they  endeavoured  to  im- 
press on  their  children  with  the 
result  that  they  worked  to  the 
opposite  extreme.  We  shall  deal 
more  particularly  with  the  Sir 
Robert  Kempe,  of  Heydon,  when 
we  come  to  the  Essex  section, 
though  he  remained  in  close 
association  with  the  Gissing 
family. 

When  the  war  broke  out,  in  1642,  the  little  force  raised  by  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  and  others, 
was  found  to  be  helpless  against  Cromwell.  Sir  William  D'Oyley  and  Sir  Robert  Kempe  had, 
therefore,  to  fly  for  safety  to  Rotterdam,  as  is  fully  told  in  the  history  of  the  D'Oyley  family. 

How  long  Sir  Robert  actually  remained  at  Rotterdam  and  "  parts  beyond  the  sea  "  we  are 
unable  to  say,  but  in  October,  1643,  he  was  at  least  in  hiding,  for  a  warrant  was  issued  for  the 
sequestration  of  his  personal  and  real  estate  on  the  sixteenth  of  that  month.  This  interesting 
document,  with  others  mentioned  in  this  chapter,  are  still  in  the  hands  of  the  Kemps  of  Gissing. 
It  is  addressed  to  the  "  Tenant  ffarmers  and  any  other  debtors  of  Sir  Robert  Kempe,"  and  is  signed 


Warrant  issued  under  Cromwell  for  the  sequestration  of 
Sir  Robert  Kempe,  1643. 


40  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

by  (Captain)  Richard  Warner  and  Bernard  Utber  (or  Utberd),  "Two  of  the  Additional  Committee." 
Edward  Freeman  and  William  Walter  were  the  bearers  of  the  warrant  and  collectors  of  the  rents 
and  moneys  demanded.  Edward  Singleton  paid  on  the  25th  October,  1643,  £60  due  to  Sir 
Robert  Kempe,  and  John  Stell  paid  £10  on  the  18th  of  the  month,  leaving  a  balance  due  of  ^^15. 

Between  these  dates  and  November  27th  of  that  year,  Gissing  was  threatened  with  an  attack 
from  the  "  unruly  people  in  Essex  and  Suffolk,"  in  consequence  of  which  the  valuables  there  were 
hidden  or  removed  with  all  speed  to  places  less  likely  to  be  plundered.  A  letter  signed  by  "  J.D." 
addressed  to  a  "Mr.  Bradley,"  tells  us  of  this,  and  in  a  friendly  way  pleads  with  the  appraisers  not 
to  interfere  unreasonably  with  the  personal  effects  of  Lady  Kempe,  or  to  do  wanton  mischief  to 
the  family  pictures  or  the  place.  The  letter  was  evidently  a  kind  service  of  some  friend  of  both 
parties,  who  calls  himself  a  cousin  of  the  Kempts,  and  had  the  desired  effect  of  restraining  the 
Cromwellian  officer  and  his  men  from  pillaging  and  damaging  the  property,  otherwise  many 
treasures  still  held  by  the  family  must  have  been  lost.  We  gather  from  the  various  documents 
that  Lady  Kempe  was  at  Gissing  in  the  memorable  October,  and  afterwards  retreated  to 
Antingham,  which  was  deemed  a  safer  residence.  Even  there,  hoAvever,  the  collectors  seem  to 
have  demanded  payment  for  things  which  had  been  brought  thither  from  Gissing  after  being 
appraised,  which  were  deemed  subject  to  further  fine  demanded  from  Sir  Robert  Kempe  for  his 
"  delinquences." 

In  the  absence  of  Sir  Robert,  the  Parliamentary  Committee  had  granted  a  lease  to  Edward 
Singleton,  giving  him  a  reduction  of  one-fourth  the  rent  he  had  formerly  paid  to  the  Baronet. 
Notwithstanding  a  previous  agreement,  this  tenant  was  declared  as  not  liable  for  the  full  rent  to 
Sir  Robert,  even  after  the  latter  had  compounded  for  his  estate.  In  this  way  alone  Sir  Robert 
suffered  heavily  for  years.  His  fine  paid  on  3rd  March,  1645  was  £112  i8j.  40^.,  as  appears 
by  the  original  receipt  signed  by  Hugh  Newhouse,  Clerk  to  the  Committee  of  Accounts  for 
Norfolk  and  Norwich 

In  order  to  release  himself  from  the  consequences  of  his  heavy  expenditure  in  raising  troops 
and  the  subsequent  fine,  he  was  forced  to  sell  some  of  his  estates.  These  lands  have  now  returned 
to  the  family  by  the  present  Baronet  purchasing  them. 

On  29th  April,  1647,  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  styling  himself  Knight  and  Baronet  of  Gissing, 
made  his  will.  The  opening  sentence  indicates  his  religious  views.  He  commends  his  soul 
"to  God  and  Jesus  Christ  my  sweet  Saviour  and  redeemer,"  phraseology  not  favoured  by  the 
Puritans.  He  gave  the  usual  bequests  to  the  poor,  but  abstains  from  tributes  to  the  clergy  or 
churches.  The  will  was  not  proved  until  6th  September,  1647,  by  which  time  his  late  Royal 
master  was  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  Roundheads.     (Norwich  Cons.     1647,  fo.  93b  ) 

The  will  mentions  Antingham,  Diss,  North  Walsham,  Cromer,  Dicklesburgh  and  Burston, 
in  all  of  which  the  first  Sir  Robert  Kempe  had  property  as  well  at  Gissing,  Flordon,  Braconash 
and  other  parishes.  To  his  wife.  Dame  Jane  Kempe,  he  bequeathed  his  coach  and  horses,  jewels, 
and  the  use  of  his  ready  money  for  "  the  bringing  up  of  the  children,"  five  of  whom  it  seems 
had  been  placed  out  to  board  during  the  war.  A  marriage  settlement  having  been  made,  it  was 
not  necessary  to  mention  other  provision  for  his  wife  in  the  will. 

To  his  eldest  son,  Robert  Kempe,  he  particularly  bequeathed  his  "yellow  diamond  ring"; 
this,  it  seems,  has  now  been  lost.  It  is  thought  that  it  passed  out  of  the  family  with  other 
trinkets  ;  the  widow  Kempe  married  Anthony  Merry,  of  whom  we  shall  speak  in  due  course. 
Sir  Robert  further  left  his  books  to  his  son  Robert,  and  £?>o  per  annum  from  his  17th  year.  To 
his  other  sons  he  left  the  following  annuities  : — To  Thomas,  his  second  son,  £(>o  ;  to  Matthew, 
his  third,  ^50  from  16,  and  ^^30  until  he  reached  that  age.     To  Maurice  Shelton  and  his  Wife, 


The  Second  Baronet.  4^ 

£io,  and  to  Dorothy,  daughter  of  his  late  sister,  Dorothy  Jackman,  £\oo^  on  her  marriage  with 
consent  of  his  "  sister,  Lady  Kempe,  in  Essex,''  with  _^io  per  annum  until  her  wedding.  To  his 
"  brother.  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  of  Finchingfield,  Essex,"  and  to  his  sister,  his  wife,  also  to  each  of 
his  sisters  and  his  son,  Thomas  Waldegrave,  he  left  sums  for  mourning.  To  his  grandchild,  Jane 
Waldegrave,  he  gave  ;^20,  and  to  his  executors  £^o  each  ;  these  being  Dame  Jane  Kempe,  the 
Baronet's  wife,  and  Sir  William  D'Oyley,  who  had  shared  so  many  ot  his  escapades.  The 
witnesses  to  the  will  were  William  Starkey,  Junior,  and  Thomas  Thurston. 

We  may  here  note  that  Maurice  Shelton  and  the  daughter  of  Sir  Robert  Kempe  were 
ancestors  of  Lord  Nelson,  of  whom  we  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  again.  Sir  Robert  died  on 
20th  August,   1647. 


CHoA'PTETi   X. 


THE  SECOND    BARONET 

SIR  ROBERT  KEMPE,  the  second  Baronet,  was  born,  as  above  stated,  at  Walsingham 
Abbey,  where  his  parents  were  visiting  with  the  Court.  His  baptism  is  entered  in  the 
register  of  Walsingham  Church,  the  entry  being  as  follows  : 

"  Robertus  Kempe  filius  Roberti.  14  Februarii  1627." 
We  are  told  that  he  was  born  on  the  second  of  that  month,  thus  he  was  baptized  when  only  twelve 
days  old.  At  the  death  of  his  father  he  was  but  little  over  twenty  years  of  age.  Before  he  was 
twenty-four  he  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Thomas  Kerridge,  of  Shelley,  in  Suffolk,  the  wedding 
taking  place  at  that  parish  church  15th  July,  1650-  This  lady  gave  birth  to  three  children, 
all  of  whom  died  young,  they  were  probably  born  and  baptized'  at  Antingham,  as  the  following 
inscriptions  to  their  memory  were  erected  in  Antingham  Church.     The  first  runs  : 

"  Here  lyeth  interred  the  body  of  Elizabeth  Kemp  ye  Daughter  of  Sir  Robert  Kemp  of  Antingham  in  the  County  of 
Norfolk,  Baronet,  and  Mary  his  wife  ye  Daughter  of  Thomas  Kerridge  of  Shelley  in  the  County  of  Suffolk,  Esq.  She  was 
born  the  23  of  April  1655  and  Died  on  the  17th  day  of  March  1657." 

The  second  differs  only  in  the  child's  name  and  date,  which  was  Mary  Kemp,  who  was  born 
on  the  20th  and  buried  on  the  29th  January,  1654.  The  other  child  was  a  son,  who  also  died  in 
infancy.     Lady  Kempe's  death  occurred  in  1655. 

Sir  Robert  married  for  his  second  wife  Mary,  daughter  of  John  Sone,  of  Ubbeston,  Gent. 
The  wedding  took  place  at  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Holborn,  London,  in  1657.  It  is  probable  that 
the  marriage  was  celebrated  here  owing  to  Sir  Robert  being  a  barrister  belonging  to  Gray's  Inn, 
the  members  of  which  were  considered  parishioners  of  St.  Andrews.  If,  like  most  of  his  family, 
he  ever  qualified  as  a  lawyer,  it  would  seem  that  he  rarely  or  never  practised.  On  the  death  of 
his  first  wife  he  left  Antingham  for  Gissing  Hall,  but  Ubbeston  Hall  passing  to  him  on  his  second 


r 

':>J- 

vSi-^-'- 

^ 

*.^i^s 

bM 

M 

1 

The  Second  Baronet. 


43 


marriage  he  removed  thither.  Thus  his  second  family  were  baptized  at  Ubbeston  Church,  the 
entries  being  as  follows  : 

Mary  Kemp  the  first  daughter  of  Sir  Robert  and  Mary,  born  20  March  1659. 
Jane  Kemp  the  second  daughter  of  the  same,  baptized  23  November  1662. 
Robert  Kemp  son  of  Sir  Robert  and  Mary  born  25  Jan.  1667. 
WiUiam  Kemp  son  of  Sir  Robert  and  Mary  baptized  5  December  1675. 

Besides  these,  two  sons,  named  John  and  Robert,  are  recorded  to  have  died  in  infancy.  Mary, 
the  eldest  child,  married  at  Ubbeston,  Charles  Blois,  Esq.,  on  nth  May,  1680  ;  Jane,  the  younger 
daughter,  was  also  married 
there  on  15th  March,  1694, 
to  Dr.  John  Dade  ;  William 
Kemp,  the  younger  son,  was 
of  Antingham,  and  became 
the  ancestor  of  the  eighth 
and  subsequent  Baronets,  we 
shall  therefore  return  to  him 
and  his  issue  after  following 
the  senior  branch. 

Sir  Robert,  the  second 
Baronet,  was  Lord  of  the 
Gissing,  Flordon,  and  other 
family  manors  for  the  long 
period  of  sixty-two  years  ;  the 
estates  on  his  entry  were,  as 
we  have  said,  encumbered 
with  charges,  and  Gissing  Hall 
at  least  was  much  despoiled 
and  in  want  of  repair.  This 
hall  had  been  rebuilt  about 
the  beginning  of  the  six- 
teenth century  and  re-roofed 
in  or  about  1595, but  doubt- 
less the  fire  which  caused  the 
necessity  for  the  new  roof 
had  weakened  the  walls,  and 
as  the  family  treasures  had 
been  carried  to  Antingham 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War,  there  was  little  to  make 
it  attractive  as  a  residence. 
Sir  Robert,  therefore,  decided 
to  pull  the  whole  place  down, 

and  the  materials  were  soon  made  use  of  for  local  buildings.  All  that  remains  to  mark  the  site 
of  the  old  hall  is  the  wide  and  deep  moat.  The  actual  island  site  is  now  the  home  of  ducks,  the 
only  access  to  the  island  being  by  means  of  a  tree  trunk,  which  is  thrown  across  the  stream  at  a 
spot  where  the  fragments  of  the  ancient  bridge  are  just  traceable. 


The  Moat  round  the  site  of  the  old  Gissing  Hall. 
(From  a  photograph  by   F.  H.  Kemp,  taken  in  189 


)•) 


44  Historv  of  the  Kejup  and  Kevipe  Families. 

For  some  150  years  the  family  lived  at  Ubbeston,  and  when  at  length  they  decided 
to  build  a  new  Gissing  Hall,  they  selected  the  crest  of  the  hill  instead  of  the  ancient  site 
on  the  lower  ground,  over  which  the  new  hall  has  a  commanding  view.  The  old  hall  had  a  large 
amount  of  heraldic  glass,  all  the  quarterings  and  arms  of  the  Kempes  and  their  kinsmen  being 
displayed  in  a  variety  of  forms,  most  of  which  had  been  duly  recorded  by  the  heralds  at  their 
visitations.  Many  of  these  arms  were  doubtless  destroyed  by  the  fire  ;  some  perhaps  were 
maliciously  damaged  by  the  Cromwellian  soldiers,  who  made  many  visits  to  the  place.  What 
remained  must  have  been  treasured  by  Sir  Robert  and  were  probably  removed  to  Ubbeston  and 
thence  to  Gissing,  Flordon  and  Bracon  Ash.  From  the  time  it  left  Ubbeston  until  recently, 
much  of  this  old  glass  with  glories  of  heraldic  signification  lay  hidden  in  boxes,  which  had 
evidently  escaped  the  observation  of  the  successive  baronets.  "When  the  present  Lady  Kemp 
attempted  to  fit  the  pieces  together  so  many  were  missing  or  shattered  that  the  hope  of  restoring 
them  was  regretfully  abandoned. 

It  was  also  in  this  old  Gissing  Hall  that  the  picture  of  "  two  labourers  threshing  wheat- 
sheaves  "  was  preserved.  The  Rev.  William  Kemp,  in  his  "  History  of  Norfolk,"  says  that  the 
subject  alluded  to  the  family  arms.  A  similar  representation,  either  painted  or  carved,  is  said  to 
have  been  in  Gissing  Church  ;  possibly  this  was  the  same  picture.  Its  disappearance  is  due  to  a 
fire  which  damaged  the  church,  destroying  the  early  parish  registers  at  the  same  time. 

In  1660,  the  year  of  the  accession  of  Charles  II.,  Sir  Robert  Kempe  was  elected  the  Tory 
Member  of  Parliament  for  the  County  of  Norfolk.  It  is  therefore  evident  that  he  had  kept  up  the 
loyal  traditions  of  his  family,  and  as  he  must  have  been  intimate  with  the  King  when  they  were 
boys  together,  there  is  little  doubt  that  he  shared  in  the  renewed  Court  fetes.  Sir  Robert  was 
again  elected  for  his  county  in  1668,  and  in  1679  and  1700  he  was  returned  "Tory"  member 
for  Dunwich.  In  addition  to  his  Parliamentary  duties  he  was  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  Norfolk. 
We  find  that  on  loth  of  October,  1670,  he  was  appointed,  with  his  father's  old  friend.  Sir  William 
D'Oyly,  to  hear  a  case  of  William  Clerk,  a  churchwarden,  versus  Richard  Huntingdon,  at  the 
Angel,  Norwich. 

In  1693,  Sir  Robert  Kemp  introduced  into  Parliament  "  the  Kerridge  Estate  Bill,''  which 
sought  powers  to  purchase  certain  lands  from  Maurice  Shelton  which  adjoined  the  property  of 
Thomas  Kerridge,  a  minor,  who  was  a  ward  of  Sir  Robert  Kemp  and  Sir  Thomas  Gerrard,  of  Green 
Street,  East  Ham,  Essex,  Bart.  This  ward  was  a  son  of  Samuel  Kerridge,  of  Shelley,  nephew  of 
Mary  Kerridge,  the  first  wife  of  this  Sir  Robert  Kemp(e),  while  Maurice  Shelton  was  the  latter's 
brother-in-law.  The  properties  which  had  descended  to  the  minor  were  in  Shelly,  Laybourne, 
and  Polsted,  Suffolk,  and  in  Codenham,  Creeting  St.  Mary,  Creeting  All  Saints,  Bricet,  Ringsale, 
Trimley  St.  Mary,  Trimley  St.  Martin,  Walton,  and  Bildeston  in  the  same  county,  a  messuage  in 
Broad  Street,  St.  Peter  le  Poor,  London,  and  at  Hampstead,  Middlesex.  The  mother  of  the  ward 
was  said  to  have  agreed  to  pay  _^9,ooo  for  the  Manors  of  Reydon  Hall,  Marks  or  Martins  and 
Sullies  or  Selvies,  for  which  purpose  it  was  necessary  to  mortgage  the  Kerridge  property.  After 
considerable  trouble  for  so  simple  a  matter,  the  Bill  was  passed,  subject  to  due  provision  being 
made  for  Thomas  Kerridge's  sisters.  The  digest  of  the  Bill  and  the  details  of  the  case  will  be  found 
in  the  '"  House  of  Lords  MSS,"  vol.  i.  (new  series)  1900. 

With  Thomas  Kerridge,  Sir  Robert  Kemp  had  a  good  deal  more  to  do  of  which  some  record 
may  be  found  in  the  Additional  MSS.  (19,  185)  in  the  British  Museum.  The  papers  referred  to 
were  the  original  bonds  for  money  lent,  and  such  documents  which  passed  from  the  Kempes  to 
Dr.  Dade,  of  Ipswich  and  Tammington,  the  son-in-law  of  this  Baronet,  and  who  had  subsequently 
much  to  do  with  the  property  of  Kemps  and  their  kinsmen. 


46  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Among  the  same  collection  of  papers  are  numerous  Dade  documents,  including  the  marriage 
settlement  of  Jane  Kemp  with  this  Doctor  of  Physic.  (It  is,  of  course,  mere  coincidence  that  the 
arms  of  Dade  as  shown  on  the  seal  to  this  document  closely  resemble  that  of  some  Kemps,  namely, 
three  sheaves  with  a  chevron  between  them).  There  is  also  among  these  manuscripts  a  scribbled 
note  by  Sir  Robert  mapping  out  his  idea  as  to  settling  certain  properties  on  his  children  ;  also  a 
long  list  of  his  election  expenses  in  1708,  when,  however,  he  was  not  the  successful  candidate. 
With  these  are  papers  relating  to  Ubbeston  Hall  from  1585  till  1710,  which  was,  it  seems,  also 
known  as  Harefield  House  and  Tile  House.  It  may  be  further  noted  that  one  of  the  receipts  in 
this  collection  dated  1751  was  witnessed  by  "  Jno.  Van  Kamp,"  who  doubtless  was  a  Dutchman. 
We  do  not  know  how  he  came  to  have  anything  to  do  with  Dade  or  Kempes. 

The  following  inscriptions  on  monuments  to  the  Dades  are  existing  in  the  Church  of 
St.  Matthew,  Ipswich,  with  the  arms  of  Dade  impaling  Kemp  : 

■'  [ANAE,  Filiae  Natu  Minimae  /  Dni  Robert!  Kemp  De  Ubbeston  /  In  Comitatu  Suffolciensi  /  Baronetti  /  Uxoris 
Johannis  Dade,  /  De  Gippovico  In  Medicina  Doctoris.  /  Obiit  Octavo  Die  Decembris.  /  Anno  Dni  1724,  et  Aetatis  62." 

Also  under  a  lozenge  with  the  Dade  arms  : 

"  lanae,  Filiae  Natu  maximae  /  Johannis  Dade,  Medicinae  Dris  /  et  lanae,  Filiae  Roberti  Kemp  de  Ubbeston  in  hoc 
comitatu.  /  Baronitti  /  Obiit  Martii  die  24  /  Anno  Dni.  1721.  /  Aetatis  23." 

Sir  Robert  Kemp,  the  second  Baronet,  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  first  of  this  line  to 
establish  the  spelling  of  his  name  without  the  final  E  ;  in  this  he  was  merely  following  a  custom 
of  the  age,  and  as  we  have  said  several  times  the  only  fixed  exception  to  this  change  existed  in 
Cornwall,  the  Kempe  family,  of  which  have  studiously  maintained  the  older  spelling. 

Sir  Robert  was  buried  at  Gissing,  his  monument  of  white  marble  hangs  on  the  North  Wall  of 
the  Lady  Chapel  in  Gissing  Church,  the  inscription  being  as  follows  : 

"  Sir  Robert  Kemp  of  Gissing  /  in  the  County  of  Norff.  Baronet  /  was  born  at  Walsingham  Abbey  upon  the  2nd  of 
February  /  1 627  and  died  the  26  of  September  1 7 10,  /  in  ye  83rd  year  of  his  age.  His  first  lady  was  Mary  the  Daughter 
of  Thomas  Kerridge,  by  Susan  his  wife,  she  was  born  in  London  in  February  1631,  they  were  married  July  15th  1650  and 
she  died  in  June  1655.  They  had  a  son  and  two  daughters  born  and  Christened  which  died  young.  The  second  Lady  of  ye 
sd  Sr.  Robert  Kemp  was  Mary  the  daughter  of  John  Sone  of  Ubbeston  in  ye  County  of  Suffolk,  Gent,  by  Mary  ye 
Daughter  of  William  Dade  and  of  ye  said  County,  Esquire,  she  was  born  April  ye  6th  1637,  they  were  married  November 
the  25th  1657,  she  died  July  29th  1705  at  Ubbeston,  by  whom  he  had  3  sons  and  3  daughters.  Both  these  Ladyes  were 
verv  prudent  and  pious— feu-  exceeded  ye  former  and  scarce  any  the  latter'' 

The  curious  unbiassed  closing  sentence  of  this  monument  must  surely  have  been  the  outcome 
of  very  careful  consideration  on  the  part  of  the  second  Baronet,  and  with  his  portrait  here 
reproduced,*  will  help  us  to  form  an  opinion  of  his  character. 

His  will  was  proved  in  the  Suffolk  Archdeaconry  in  1710-  The  digest  is  given  amono- 
Dade's  collection  above-mentioned. 

The  will,  which  is  dated  3rd  May,  1704,  nominates  Mary,  the  wife  of  the  testator,  as  e.xecutrix. 
She,  however,  as  we  have  seen,  died  before  her  husband.  Sir  Robert  mentions  Thomas  and  Peter 
Kemp,  sons  of  his  deseased  brother,  Matthew  Kemp.  This  Matthew,  as  we  shall  presently  note 
had  died  in  Virginia,  where  he  and  his  relatives  had  done  much  to  establish  our  British  Colony. 
Robert,  the  eldest  son,  and  Mary,  the  latter's  daughter,  are  the  recipients  of  legacies,  as  is  also 
the  testator's  son,  William  Kemp.  These  two  soni>,  with  their  sister,  Jane  Dade,  are  also  the 
chief  legatees  under  the  will  of  Richard  Kempe  of  Ubbeston,  their  uncle,  which  was  proved 
2 1st  July,  1714,  in  the  same  Court  as  the  foregoing.  He  appears  to  have  died  without  issue  ;  we 
do  not  know  if  he  married,  but  possibly  Jane  Alexander,!  whom  he  speaks  of  as  his  niece,  and  his 
kinsman,  Thomas  Alexander,  were  so  related  through  his  wife,  as  we  have  no  further  mention  of 
them.     (This  will  also  is  given  in  Add.  MSS.  19,  138,  in  the  British  Museum\ 

♦  Portrait  at  commencement  of  chapter, 
t  The  name  Alexander  was  connected  from  this  time  with  London  Kemps  who  had  come  from  the  Kent.    We  do  not  think  that  the  one 
family  were  connected  with  the  other,  it  is  however  curious  that  a  daughter  of  this  third  Baronet  was  buried  at  Ramsgate  with  which  the 
Alexander  Kemps  were  connected.     Vide  Post  and  the  Kentish  section. 


)f  this  A'^bey  at  the  same  time  were  Galfrid  Kempe,  Hamo  de  Cumbe, 
illiam  o  ^Willielmus  de  Coumbe  and  Johannes  de  Campo.) 

daughtt "  of  Sir  Thomas  Aldon.     (Perhaps  hving  a  widow  in  1 332.) 


ghter  ol  Sir  Robert  Lewknor. 
ith  her  lusband  at  Wye. 


I,  Archb  sh.^p  of  Canterbury,  Cardinal, 
Chai  -=  Ic    of  England.     1 380-1454. 

Alice,  dau.  ol  Sir  Roi 

Lieutenant  of  the  npe,  of  Fulham,  Lord  Bishop  of  London. 
London  in  1424.     d  at  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  1489. 

Emelyn,  dau.  and  co^ 

grand-niece  of    H«)e,  Vica  ■  of  Fellham,  Middlesex,  1513-IS33, 
bishop   of   CanterU  of  Oki 'ey  Parva,  Esse.x,  in  1539. 
Souls'  College,  Oxi 


Mary,  dau.  of  Sir  Ricl 
Knight.       Afterwarfeginald 
Sir  William  Haute  c  Capt. 
stle  of 

(  1542. 


Richard  Kempe. 

(?  of  Boughton 

Aluph) 


John  Kempe. 


Ann  Fogg=V\i 


Andrew  Kempe. 
(?  of  London) 


Edward  Kempe. 

(?  of  Boughton 

Aluph) 


George  Kempe. 


1st  wife. 

Catherine,  dau.  and  cc 
Sir  Thomas  Chanejincis  N  ;ai 
Warden  of  the  Cinqu  Naylo  . 
Captain    of    the    C^  ^ 

Calais.        Treasurer 
King's  Household. 


Mary     =Sir  Nicholas 
Kempe.       Boughton. 


Margarel=George  Fogge. 
Kempe. 


Anne  Kempe= 
(or  Fogg) 


Cross. 


Anne  Kempt,  mar. 

in  1560,  Sir 

Thomas  Shirley. 


lu.  of  . 
of  Ea- 
sister 

Krgal. 


Moyle, 

1553-4- 


Moyle, 


Moyle, 
living  1592. 


.1 
William  Kempe. 
(?  of  Dartford 
and  Sheppey) 


Mary  Kemp(:,=Sir  Dl          '  | 

of  Chilham             Ka      Join  Kempe,  Anne  Kempe,  mar. 

Castle.                     Rfl             died     '  Josias  Clarke, 
witlioui  issue. 


Dorothy  Kempe,  mar. 
Sir  Wm.  Denny. 


George  Kempe, 
baptized  at 
Wye,  1557. 


Amy  Kempe,  mar. 
Maurice  Tuke. 


_^6  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Among  the  same  collection  of  papers  are  numerous  Dade  documents,  including  the  marriage 
settlement  of  Jane  Kemp  with  this  Doctor  of  Physic.  (It  is,  of  course,  mere  coincidence  that  the 
arms  of  Dade  as  shown  on  the  seal  to  this  document  closely  resemble  that  of  some  Kemps,  namely, 
three  sheaves  with  a  chevron  between  them).  There  is  also  among  these  manuscripts  a  scribbled 
note  by  Sir  Robert  mapping  out  his  idea  as  to  settling  certain  properties  on  his  children  ;  also  a 
long  list  of  his  election  expenses  in  1708,  when,  however,  he  was  not  the  successful  candidate. 
With  these  are  papers  relating  to  Ubbeston  Hall  from  1585  till  1710,  which  was,  it  seems,  also 
known  as  Harefield  House  and  Tile  House.  It  may  be  further  noted  that  one  of  the  receipts  in 
this  collection  dated  1751  was  witnessed  by  "  Jno.  Van  Kamp,"  who  doubtless  was  a  Dutchman. 
We  do  not  know  how  he  came  to  have  anything  to  do  with  Dade  or  Kempes. 

The  following  inscriptions  on  monuments  to  the  Dades  are  existing  in  the  Church  of 
St.  Matthew,  Ipswich,  with  the  arms  of  Dade  impaling  Kemp  : 

•'  lANAE,  Filiae  Natu  Minimae  /  Dni  Roberti  Kemp  De  Ubbeston  /  In  Comitatu  Siiffolciensi  /  Baronetti  /  Uxoris 
Johannis  Dade,  /  De  Gippovico  In  Medicina  Doctoris.  /  Obiit  Octavo  Die  Decembris.  /  Anno  Dni  1724,  et  Aetatis  62." 

Also  under  a  lozenge  with  the  Dade  arms  : 

"  lanae,  Filiae  Natu  maximae  /  Johannis  Dade,  Medicinae  Dris  /  et  lanae,  Filiae  Roberti  Kemp  de  Ubbeston  in  hoc 
comitatu.  /  Baronitti  /  Obiit  Martii  die  24  /  Anno  Dni.  1721.  /  Aetatis  23." 

Sir  Robert  Kemp,  the  second  Baronet',  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  first  of  this  line  to 
establish  the  spelling  of  his  name  without  the  final  E  ;  in  this  he  was  merely  following  a  custom 
of  the  age,  and  as  we  have  said  several  times  the  only  fixed  exception  to  this  change  existed  in 
Cornwall,  the  Kempe  family,  of  which  have  studiously  maintained  the  older  spelling. 

Sir  Robert  was  buried  at  Gissing,  his  monument  of  white  marble  hangs  on  the  North  Wall  of 
the  Lady  Chapel  in  Gissing  Church,  the  inscription  being  as  follows  : 

"  Sir  Robert  Kemp  of  Gissing  /  in  the  County  of  Norff.  Baronet  /  was  born  at  VValsinghara  Abbey  upon  the  2nd  of 
February  /  1627  and  died  the  26  of  September  1710,  /  in  ye  83rd  year  of  his  age.  His  first  lady  was  Mary  the  Daughter 
of  Thomas  Kerridge,  by  Susan  his  wife,  she  was  born  in  London  in  February  1631,  they  were  married  July  15th  1650  and 
she  died  in  June  1655.  They  had  a  son  and  two  daughters  born  and  Christened  which  died  young-.  The  second  Lady  of  ye 
sd  Sr.  Robert  Kemp  was  Mary  the  daughter  of  John  Sone  of  Ubbeston  in  ye  County  of  Suffolk,  Gent,  by  Mary  ye 
Daughter  of  William  Dade  and  of  ye  said  County,  Esquire,  she  was  born  April  ye  6th  1637,  they  were  married  November 
the  25th  1657,  she  died  July  29th  1705  at  Ubbeston,  by  whom  he  had  3  sons  and  3  daughters.  Both  these  Ladyes  were 
very  prudent  a7id  pious— feii:  exceeded  ye  former  and  scarce  any  the  latter." 

The  curious  unbiassed  closing  sentence  of  this  monument  must  surely  have  been  the  outcome 
of  very  careful  consideration  on  the  part  of  the  second  Baronet,  and  with  his  portrait  here 
reproduced,*  will  help  us  to  form  an  opinion  of  his  character. 

His  will  was  proved  in  the  Suffolk  Archdeaconry  in  1710-  The  digest  is  given  among 
Dade's  collection  above-mentioned. 

The  will,  which  is  dated  3rd  May,  1704,  nominates  Mary,  the  wife  of  the  testator,  as  e.-cecutrix. 
She,  however,  as  we  have  seen,  died  before  her  husband.  Sir  Robert  mentions  Thomas  and  Peter 
Kemp,  sons  of  his  deseased  brother,  Matthew  Kemp.  This  Matthew,  as  we  shall  presently  note, 
had  died  in  Virginia,  where  he  and  his  relatives  had  done  much  to  establish  our  British  Colony. 
Robert,  the  eldest  son,  and  Mary,  the  latter's  daughter,  are  the  recipients  of  legacies,  as  is  also 
the  testator's  son,  William  Kemp.  These  two  sons,  with  their  sister,  Jane  Dade,  are  also  the 
chief  legatees  under  the  will  of  Richard  Kempe  of  Ubbeston,  their  uncle,  which  was  proved 
2 1  St  July,  1714,  in  the  same  Court  as  the  foregoing.  He  appears  to  ha-e  died  without  issue  ;  we 
do  not  know  if  he  married,  but  possibly  Jane  Alexander,!  whom  he  speaks  of  as  his  niece,  and  his 
kinsman,  Thomas  Alexander,  were  so  related  through  his  wife,  as  we  have  no  further  mention  of 
them.     (This  will  also  is  given  in  Add.  MSS.  19,  138,  in  the  British  MuseumV 

*  Portrait  at  commencement  of  chapter, 
t  The  name  Alexander  was  connected  from  this  time  with  London  Kemps  who  had  come  from  the  Kent.    We  do  not  think  that  the  one 
family  were  connected  with  the  other,  it  is  however  curious  that  a  daughter  of  this  third  Baronet  was  buried  at  Rarasgate  with  which  the 
Alexander  Kemps  were  connected.     Vide  Post  and  the  Kentish  section. 


PEDIGREE    OF    KEMPE,    OF    WYE. 


Sir  Roger'Kempe,  of  Wye 


Sir  John  Kerripe,  ol  Wye,  "  Boxley,  Bii  ling,  Stentor  and  other  lands  "'=(,?  Agnes),  a  daughu  ■  of  Sir  Thomas  Aldon.     (Perhaps  living  a  widow  in  I332-) 


Sir  Peter  Kempe,  of  Brabourne  and  VVye,= 


=Sir  Roger  Kempe.  Knight,  of  Wye 


Alice,  dau.  ol  Sir  Robert  Scoti,=Sir  Willia 
Lieutenant  of  the  Tower  of  I 
London  in  1424-  | 


Thomas  Keinpe,  of  l-'ulhai 


■melj-n,  dau   and  co-heir  of  Valantine  Chichley,=Sir  William  Kempe,  of  Wye,  Knighi  (K-B.)  of  Olanty 
grand-niece  of    Henry  Chichele,   Lord  Arch-  ;       or    Ollantigh    and    Boughton    Aluph.       Sheriff  of 
bishop  of  Canterbury  and   Founder   of  All  '       Kent  1493,  1508,  1513;  died  1518/1519. 
Souls'  College.  Oxford.   '  , 


Mary,  dau.  of  Sir  Richard  Guildford.^Christopher  Kempe,         Thomas  Fogge,^Eleanor,  dau.  and  co-heir  of  SirThomas^Sir  Willia 


Afterwards    married    to 

Sarent.  Porter 
of  Calais,  died 

Ham  Haute  or  Hawke. 

:     issue  before  1518. 

1312,    bur.  at 

Mary  KeE 

[ipe:=Lawrence  Finch,  of 
"The  Moat.'- 

Ashford,  Kent, 

by  Elenor,  daughter  df  Sii 
"'  ;allen,  a/ias  Arundel. 


Ann  Fogg=WilUam  Set 


Alice  Fogg:=Edward  Scott,  of  The  Moat,  Iden,  Su; 


Caiherne,  dau.  and  co-heir  of:=Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  Knight,=;Anne,  dai 


Sir  Thomas  Chaney,  Lord 
Warden  of  the  Cinque  Ports. 
Captain  of  the  Castle  at 
Calais.  Treasurer  of  the 
King's  Household. 


High,   Wye,    Ger 
Court.     Sheriff  of 
548,  1550,  1563- 
u  Wye,  15S9. 


John  Kempe, 
Gent,  of  Wye, 
died  1599. 
Chief  heir  to 
his  mother. 
(.«  Wye) 


Alice  Kempe,  mar 

Sir  James  Hales, 
of  the  "Dungeon." 


Margaret  Kempe,  mar. 
Sir  William  Cromer,  ol 
Eastwell,  died  1597. 


Ellen  Kemp 
died  1548. 


Fryswyde  Kemp< 
baptized  IS44- 


,  of  Ollantigh, 
Wye.  Sheriff  in 
1505.  born  I439, 
bur.  at  Wye,  1539. 


pe:=John  Toke, 

Fn 

elyn  Kempe=Sir  Reginald 
Scott,  Capt. 

Richard  Kemp 

of 

(r  of  Boughton 

Godminton. 

of  Castle  of 
.  Calais. 
Sheriff  154::- 

Aluph) 

Attorney 


Hampaliire) 


of  Che] 
worth, 
Wilts. 


Dorothy,  dau. 

John  Thompsc 

of  London. 


of=Sir  Thomas   Kempe,  Reginald  Kempe,  [ 

n,  I  of   Ollantigh.   Wye,  of  Wye,  bur.  at 

bur.  in  Wye  Chtirch,  Crundel,  1611/2. 


William  Kempe.  George  Kempe, 

(?  of  Dartford  baptized  at 

and  Sheppey)  Wye,  1^57. 


Mary  Ke 
of  Chilh 


Sir  Dudley  Digges, 
Rolt    ° 


..\nne  Kempe^:Sir  John  Cu 
(eldest  (or  Curtis) 

daughter)  Knight. 


CHqA'PTE'F^    XI. 

'^'  ^      ■  '  '         THE    THIRD    BARONET. 

WE  must  go  back  a  little  in  order  to  review  the  chief  events  of  the  life  of  Sir  Robert, 
the  third  Baronet  (and  eldest  son  of  the  last  Baronet),  who  was  some  43  years  of  age  when 
his  father  died.  He  had  graduated  at  Cambridge  in  1 683,  and  had  married  in  rather  a 
romantic  way  the  daughter  of  the  widow  of  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  of  Spains  Hall,  Essex,  the  latter 
being  the  same  Sir  Robert  who  had  married  as  his  first  wife  a  sister  of  the  first  Baronet  of  Gissing. 
This  widow  of  Sir  Robert,  of  Essex,  had  remarried  Captain  Robert  King,  of  Great  Thurlow,  in 


Sir  Robert  Kemp,  Third  Baronet. 
M.P.  Dunwich  M.P.  Suffolk. 


Essex,  by  whom  she  had  only  one  child,  Letitia  King,  who  became  the  wife  of  the  third  Sir  Robert 
Kemp,  about  1693.  We  do  not  know  the  exact  date  of  this  marriage,  which  probably  took  place 
at  Great  Thurlow,  but  we  find  that  their  first  child,  named  Letitia  (Kemp),  after  the  mother,  was 
baptized  at  Ubbeston  on  23rd  April,  1694-     This  daughter  became  heiress  to  her  mother,  so  far 


^8  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

as  the  King  estates  were  concerned,  and  to  her  grandmother,  who  was  EHzabeth  Steward,  daughter 

of    Thomas    Steward,    of    Barton    Mills,    by    Susan    Wendy,    sister    of    Sir    Thomas    Wendy,    ot 

Haslingfield,  Cambridge.      Thus  Haslingfield  and  Wendy  estates  descended  through  the  wives 

of  two  unrelated  Sir  Robert  Kempes  to  a  Lelitia   Kempe,  and  were  passed   by  her  marriage  to 

Sir  Edmund  Bacon,   of  Garboldisham,    the  "  Premier    Baronet."      This    marriage  took  place   at 

Ubbeston,  on  27th  November,    1712,  but  the  bride's   name  is  given    in   the  parish  register  as 

''Mary  Kemp,  eldest  daughter  of  Sir  Robert  Kemp,  Bart."     Sir  Edmund  Bacon  was  of  the  same 

family  as  those  of  the  name  who  have  repeatedly  been  mentioned  as  connected  by  marriage  and 

in  other  ways  with  these  Kempes  fromi  the  time  of  Edward  III. 

Sir  Robert  Kemp  lost  his  first  wife  within  a  few  years  of  their  marriage,  for  his  first  child 

by  his  second    wife  was    baptized    in    1697.      The   name   of   this    second  wife    is  given    as  Mary 

Elizabeth  Brand  Colt,  but  the  children's  mother  appears  merely  as  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Robert 

Kemp,  Esq.     The  following  children  of  these  parents  occur  in  the  baptismal  register  of  Hoxne 

Church  : 

Elizabeth,  26th  September,  1697  ;  Letitia,  27th  October,  l6g8  ;  Robert,  28th  November,  1699  ;  John,  27th  December, 
1700  ;  Jane,  23rd  January,  1701  ;"  Anne,  20th  April,  1703,  and  Isaac,  27lh  September,  1704. 

It  would  appear  from  these  entries  that  Sir  Robert  lived  at  Hoxne  (which  is  situated  on  the 

border  of  Suffolk,  near  Diss  and  the  Gissing  estates)  from  the  time  of  his  second  marriage  until 

the  death  of  his  mother,  which  event,  doubtless,  made  it  desirable  that  he  should  share  Ubbeston 

Hall,  and  thus  keep  his  aged  father  company.     Thus  we  find  that  the  Ubbeston  Church  Registers 

record  the  following  baptisms,  all  of  which,  it  will  be  noticed,  are  prior  to  his  father's  death. 

The  parents  in  each  case  are  Robert  Kemp,  Esq.,  and  Elizabeth,  his  wife  : 

Thomas  Kemp,  19th  October,  1706;  Edward,  Jth  November,  1707,  and  Benjamin,  4th  January,  1708-9.  Edward 
was  buried  there  three  days  after  his  baptism,  and  Elizabeth,  the  second  wife  of  Sir  Robert,  was  buried  there  on  1 2th 
January,  1708-9 — just  after  the  birth  of  Benjamin. 

It  was  within  a  year  of  this  bereavement  that  the  second  Baronet  died.  After  his  accession 
to  the  family  estates.  Sir  Robert,  the  third,  married  as  his  third  wife,  Martha,  daughter  of  William 
Blackwell,  of  Mortlake,  Surrey,  Gent.  And  on  her  decease  in  1727,  he  married  as  his  fourth  wife, 
Amy,  daughter  of  Richard  Phillips,  of  Edwardstone  and  widow  of  John  Borroughs,*  of  Ipswich. 
This  Borroughs  had  left  an  only  daughter  named  Amy,  who  thus  came  under  the  care  of  Sir  Robert 
as  his  third  wife's  step-daughter.  Amy  Borroughs  became  sole  heir  to  her  father,  and  under  Sir 
Robert  Kemp's  influence  married  Nicholas  Blois.  She  was  buried  in  St.  Nicholas's  Chapel, 
Westminster  i\bbey,  on  April  9th,  1733,  and  is  mentioned  in  Chester's  ''  Register  of  Westminster 
Abbey,"  also  in  "  Memorials  of  Westminster  Abbey." 

By  his  third  wife,  Sir  Robert  Kemp  had  a  small  family,  who,  like  the  issue  of  his  preceding 
spouse,  were  baptized  at  Ubbestone.     The  registers  give  the  following  facts  : 

"  Martha  daughter  of  Sir  Robert  Kemp  Bart,  and  Martha,  baptized  7th  September  1 7 12,  buried  8  September  17 1 2." 
"William  Kemp  son  of  Sir  Robert  Kemp  Bart  and  Martha,  baptized  26  February  1713/4." 
"  Martha  Kemp  daughter  of  Sir  Robert  Kemp  Bart  and  Martha,  baptized  4th  May  1716." 

Jane  Kemp,  the  third  daughter  of  Sir  Robert,  by  his  second  wife,  was  married  at  this  church 
2nd  March,  1730,  to  William  Blois,  of  Yoxford,  Esq.  Thus  this  Baronet  had  two  daughters  and 
a  stepdaughter  married  to  members  of  the  Blois  family.  It  is  no  wonder,  then,  that  Sir  Robert 
and  his  executors  and  relatives  had  much  to  do  with  the  Blois  property.  Unfortunately, 
Sir  Charles  Blois,  the  son  of  Sir  Robert's  eldest  daughter,  was  declared  to  be  insane,  or  at  least  too 

*  A  John  Borroughs,  of  St.  Maiy'b,  Whitechapel,  London,  Mariner,  appeared  to  attest  and  prove  the  Will  of  Robert  Kemp,  of 
St.  Ctiristoplicr's  (Middle  Island)  in  1732. 


'    ■*■  The    Third  Baronet.  49 

weak  of  intellect  and  physique  to  manage  the  estates  which  devolved  upon  him  at  a  very  early 
age.  Much  legal  procedure  was  consequently  necessary  which  must  have  been  exceedingly  trying 
to  those  responsible.  We  cannot  go  further  into  the  matter  here,  but  would  refer  those  interested 
in  the  case  to  a  mass  of  information  in  original  documents  to  be  seen  in  the  British  Museum 
(Add.  MSS.  iq,  138;   19,  186-7). 

Martha  Kempe,  the  Baronet's  youngest  child,  married  Darell  Short,*  of  Wadhurst,  Sussex,  in 
September,  1738,  her  husband  being  connected  with  the  Shorts,  of  Tenterden  in  Kent,  and 
others  in  Sussex  : 

Martha  Short  was  one  of  the  grantees  of  administration  under  the  will  of  her  half-sister, 
Elizabeth  Kempe,  who  died  at  New  Buckenham,  a  spinster,  in  1763,  and  is  mentioned  in  the 
wills  of  her  brothers,  Sir  John  and  Sir  Benjamin  Kemp,  the  fifth  and  seventh  Baronets,  she  being 
sole  executrix  to  the  latter  in  1777,  at  which  time  she  was  living  a  widow,  at  Sevenoaks,  Kent. 
She  was  buried  at  Ramsgate,  in  178Q,  and  in  the  old  Parish  Church  (St.  Lawrence),  there  is  a 
white  tablet  to  her  memory,  giving  her  relationship  to  the  Kemps  of  Ubbeston,  and  as  widow  of 
Darell  Short  (junior),  of  Wadhurst,  and  stating  her  age  to  have  been  77  at  her  death.  Darell 
Short,  of  Wadhurst,  her  husband,  died,  according  to  a  notice  in  the  Gentleman''s  Magazine,  in 
March,  1768. 

Of  the  other  children  of  the  third  Baronet,  Isaac  died  young,  while  Robert,  John  and 
Benjamin  succeeded  in  turn  to  the  title,  as  will  be  further  noted.  William  was  a  captain  in  the 
army,  and  appears  to  have  left  no  issue.  The  third  Sir  Robert,  after  a  very  active  public  hfe,  died 
in  December,  1735,  at  the  age  of  68,  when  on  his  way  from  Ubbeston  to  take  his  seat  in 
Parliament  as  the  Tory  Member  for  Suffolk.  He  seems  to  have  been  taken  suddenly  ill  in  his 
coach  at  Ufford  (on  the  main  road  to  Ipswich),  and  despite  medical  attention,  succumbed  before 
his  relatives  could  reach  him.t 

He  had,  however,  time  to  make  a  fresh  will,  for  the  one  which  was  proved  in  the  Prerogative 
Court  of  Canterbury  in  1735  (104  Ducie)  is  dated  the  7th  December,  1734.  The  substance  of  it  is 
given  in  the  Additional  MSS.  at  the  British  Museum  (19,  138),  and  mentions  the  testator's  wife, 
Amy,  his  brother  William,  his  sons  Robert,  Isaac,  Thomas,  Benjamin,  John,  William,  and  his 
daughters  Martha,  Elizabeth,  and  "  Blois,"  the  last  four  being  under  the  age  of  twenty-one. 

Amy,  the  widow  of  the  third  Baronet,  had  inherited,  under  the  will  of  her  father,  Richard 
Phillips,  of  Ipswich  (dated  17th  September,  1719),  the  reversion  of  property  at  Brockley,  Suffolk. 
This  property,  however,  did  not  pass  to  the  Kemps  as  she  released  her  interest,  or  devised  her 
share  to  her  brother  Richard,  by  her  will  dated  nth  October,  1T45,  and  proved  on  the 
1 8th  February,  1746.  She  bequeathed  to  Christ's  Hospital  ^240,  which  was  placed  out  at  interest 
and  still  benefits  that  Institution,  to  which  his  father  was  also  a  benefactor. 

*  We  are  indebted  to  George  Dudlej'  Short,  Esq.,  of  Brighton,  for  a  number  of  notes  on  various  Short  families  who  have  at  different 
times  intermarried  with  sundry  Kemps.  Martha  Short's  pedigree,  and  other  particulars,  may  appear  before  long  in  a  history  of  the  Short 
families,  for  which  our  correspondent  is  collecting. 

+  The  death  of  a  well  known  man  occurring  in  so  tragic  a  way  created  considerable  notice.  See  Ceiilleinan's  Magazine  and  the  other 
papers  and  periodicals  of  the  day. 


12 


50 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


CHoATTETi   XII. 

THE  FOURTH  BARONET. 

SIR  ROBERT  KEMP,  the  fourth  Baronet,  succeeded  his  father  in  1734-5-  He  lived  at 
Ubbestone  for  nearly  eighteen  years.  He  was  M.P.  for  Orford.  He  was  Lord  of  the 
Manor  of  Frenze  as  well  as  of  the  family  Manors  of  Gissing  and  Flordon,  and  was  also 
patron  of  the  livings  of  Frenze,  Gissing  and  Flordon.  Judging  from  his  portrait  here  reproduced 
(from  a  painting  now  at  Mergate  Hall)  he  was  a  man  of  intelligence  and  kind  disposition.  He 
seems,  however,  to  have  left  very  little  record  of  his  tenure  of  the  estates,  which  he  retained 


Sir  Robert  Kemp,  Fourth  Baronet.     M.P.  for  Orford. 


intact  but  did  not  augment.     He  died  unmarried  in  1752,  and  was  succeeded  in  title  and  estates 
by  his  ne.xt  brother,  John.     He  succeeded  his  father  as  M.P.  for  Orford  in  1734. 

Sir  John  Kempe,  the  fifth  Baronet,  married  in  1742  Elizabeth,  the  daughter  of  Thomas  Mann 
and  widow  of  John  Colt,  Esq.,  of  Tooting,  Surrey,  a  lady  of  considerable  fortune  (vide  London 


The  Fourth  Baronet.  51 

Magazine^  Dec,  1742).  Her  pedigree  is  not  Icnovvn  to  the  compilers  of  this  work,  but  it  would 
appear  likely  that  her  husband  belonged  to  the  Colt  family,  who  intermarried  with  the  Kempes 
of  Spains  Hall.  His  marriage,  occurring  as  it  did  before  his  accession  to  the  title,  led  to  Sir  John 
making  his  wife's  residence  at  Tooting  his  permanent  home.  He  died  there  25th  October,  1761, 
and  his  will  describes  him  as  of  Tooting,  only  mentioning  Gissing  as  the  place  where  he  desired 
to  be  buried.  He  requests  that  his  funeral  be  conducted  in  the  same  simple  way  in  which  his 
late  brother.  Sir  Robert,  was  buried,  namely,  with  a  hearse  and  one  coach  only.  He  directed  that 
all  his  personal  estate  was  to  be  held  in  trust  by  his  widow,  Dame  Elizabeth  Kemp,  and  his 
friend,  Eleaza  Davy,  of  Ubbeston,  Gent.,  who  were  to  continue  the  annuities  to  his  brother 
Benjamin  under  the  will  of  his  elder  brother.  Sir  John's  widow  was  provided  with  an  annuity 
ofjTsSO  and  a  legacy  of  ^^500,  as  well  as  all  the  estates  of  her  former  husband,  and  other  property 
which  she  inherited  from  her  father.  Further,  she  was  to  have  Sir  John's  "chariot,  chaise  and 
horses,"  and  all  the  stock  of  wine,  beer,  and  certain  other  provisions  at  his  house  at  Tooting. 
She  was  to  enjoy  the  use  of  the  family  jewels  during  her  life  as  well  as  the  plate. 

Among  others  who  benefitted  under  this  will  we  may  mention  the  widow  of  the  Reverend 
Thomas  Kemp,  of  Flordon  and  Gissing,  a  brother  of  the  testator,  Martha,  his  sister,  wife  of 
Darell  Short,  his  nephew,  John  Kemp,  and  Simon  Adams,  to  all  of  whom  annuities  for  life  were 
bequeathed.  Simon  Adams  was  also  to  receive  in  all  ^'3,500  ;  he  was  at  this  time  at  school  with 
the  Rev.  Cutting  at  Bungay,  but  how  he  was  connected  with  the  Baronet  we  are  unable  to 
explain,  the  large  amount  settled  on  him  suggests  that  he  was  more  than  a  mere  acquaintance. 
This  will  was  proved  on  4th  December,  1761,  by  Dame  Elizabeth  in  the  Prerogative  Court  of 
Canterbury  (435  Cheslyn). 

Dame  Elizabeth  Kemp  survived  her  husband  some  seven  years,  her  death  being  announced 
in  the  Gentleman's  Magazine  and  other  papers  in  1768.  Her  will  calls  her  Dame  Elizabeth 
Kemp,  of  Tooting,  Co.  Surrey,  widow  of  Sir  John  Kemp.  She  desired  that  she  should  be  buried 
in  a  family  vault  at  Tooting  in  which  her  grandmother  and  the  latter's  husband.  Dr.  Creighton, 
were  buried,  and  directed  that  not  more  than  ^100  should  be  spent  on  her  funeral.  The  will 
mentions  many  relatives,  both  her  husbands  and  her  own.  Among  the  latter  she  especially  dwells 
on  her  daughter,  "Elizabeth  Lady  Trimlestown,  wife  of  the  Right  Honourable  Lord  Trimlestown 
of  the  Kingdom  of  Ireland,"  to  whom  she  leaves  several  miniature  portraits  set  in  diamonds 
and  other  valuable  trinkets.  These  heirlooms  have  disappeared,  the  present  Lord  Trimlestown 
and  the  Hon.  Mrs.  Elliot  declare  that  these  miniatures  and  jewels  never  passed  to  their  ancestors, 
but  the  treasures  are  certainly  not  among  the  Kemp  heirlooms.  The  miniatures  represented  Mr. 
Brand,  the  Bishop  of  Ely,  Dame  Elizabeth  Kemp's  father  and  others.  Several  of  the  Barnwells 
are  mentioned  in  the  will,  Mary  Colt,  the  daughter  of  Lady  Kemp,  having  married  Bartholomew 
Barnwell  in  1762.  The  will  was  proved  in  London  12th  March,  1768,  by  WilHam  Mann 
Godshull,  of  Weston  House,  Surrey,  and  Eleaza  Davy,  of  Ubbeston,  the  executors  (P.C.C., 
115  Seeker). 

The  Rev.  Thomas  Kemp,  the  next  younger  brother  of  the  fifth  Baronet,  had  been  presented 
by  his  father  to  the  family  livings  of  Gissing  and  Flordon,  and  married  as  his  first  wife  Anne 
Mallum  (or  ?  Marlow),  by  whom  he  had  three  children  as  follows  :  John,  who  became  the  sixth 
Baronet;  Robert,  who  died  young,  and  Mary,  who  died  single  in  1784.  This  first  wife  having 
died  before  27th  May,  1753,  the  Rev.  Thomas  married  Priscilla,  daughter  and  co-heiress  of 
Thomas  Holden,  Esq.,  of  Tooting.  Thomas,  the  father,  died  on  5th  March,  1761,  and  thus  just 
missed  succession  to  the  title,  which  consequently  devolved  upon  his  eldest  son,  Sir  John  Kemp. 
This  Kemp  was  at  Westminster  School  a  minor  when  his  uncle  of  the  same  name  died.     By  the 


^^^^^^^S^-^.iiss^y'^^^ii^'ii^^^^^N"^ 


-,,  ,.,^,,^-v;y:KiaaBB>rBfeOv^^£^^ 


The  Fourth   Baronet.  53 

latter's  will  £'io  per  annum  was  to  be  allowed  for  the  maintenance  of  this  nephew  until  he  was 

seventeen  years  of  age,  and  from  that  time  until  he  became  of  age  ;^200  a  year  was  to  be  allowed. 

Unfortunately  this  sixth  Baronet  never  saw  his  majority,  having  died  unmaried  at  Duke  Street, 

Westminster,  on   16th  January,  1771-     He  was  buried  in  the  Cloisters  of  Westminster  Abbey, 

where  a  tablet  to  his  memory  may  be  seen  on  the  east  side  against  the  last  arch.     We  may  here 

note  that  a  celebrated  John  Kemp,  Counsellor-at-Law  and  F.R.S.,  was  buried  here  in   1738,  also 

his  wife  and  children,  but  we  do  not  know  with  certainty  that  these  were  of  the  Baronet's  family. 

The  fact  of  Amy  Blois  being  buried  in  the  Abbey,  together  with  the  fact  of  his  being  resident  in 

Westminster,    may    sufficiently    account   for    his    burial    there    instead    of    at    Gissing    with    his 

predecessors.     On  his  death  his  mother  obtained  letters  of  administration  for  his  personal  estate, 

the  real  estate  with  the  title  passing  to  Benjamin  Kemp,  his  uncle. 

Sir  Benjamin  Kemp,  the  seventh  Baronet,  was,  we  have  seen,  baptized  at  Ubbeston  in  1708. 

He  was,  however,  according  to  Burke,  born  in  the  parish  of  St.  George,  Hanover  Square,  London, 

in  1707.     He  entered  Caius  College,  Cambridge,  in   1731,  and  became  MA.  in   1735,  afterwards 

studying  medicine  and   surgery.     He  practiced  as  a  physician   for  many  years  at  Coin  Dean  or 

Coin  St.   Denis  in   Gloucestershire,  where  he  died  unmarried  in  1777-     He  was  buried  in  the 

church  of  that  parish.     A  monument  of  black  and  white  marble  bears  his  arms  with  the  following 

inscription  : 

"Near  this  place  is  deposited,  in  Hope  of  Blessed  Resurrection,  the  remains  of  Sir  Benjamin  Kempe  Bart.,  who 
departed  this  life  January  25  1777,  aged  69  years." 

His  will  was  proved  by  his  sister,  Martha  Short,  widow,  on  7th  February,  1777  (P.C.C. 
73  Collier).  This  will  is  probably  the  briefest  will  of  any  Kemp  of  this  family  ;  he  simply 
leaves  the  whole  of  his  real  and  personal  estate  to  Martha  Short  with  the  exception  of  one  guinea 
for  a  mourning  ring  to  Mary,  daughter  of  his  late  brother  Thomas,  and  _^5  to  the  poor  of  the 
parish  in  which  he  dies.  No  mention  of  Gissing  or  other  Kemp  properties  occurs.  The  witnesses 
to  the  will  are,  Jane  Hughes,  Giles  Hancocke  and  Robert  Berk,  of  whom  we  know  nothing. 

We  may  here  conveniently  note  that  his  sister,  Elizabeth,  lived  at  New  Buckenham, 
Norfolk,  where  she  died  unmarried  in  1763.  Her  will  was  proved  by  Mary  Blois  on  28th  March 
that  year,  a  further  grant  on  the  death  of  the  latter  being  made  to  Priscilla  Merry  (P.C.C,  135 
Caesar).  This  will  is  dated  1750,  and  mentions  her  brother,  Thomas  Kemp,  then  of  Bracon 
Ash  ;  Judith,  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  William  Leeth  ;  Sarah  Young,  of  Bracon  Ash,  widow  ;  Ann 
Phillips  and  her  brothers  and  sisters.  Her  kinsman,  Richard  Phillips,  witnessed  the  document. 
Her  brother  and  other  relatives  predeceased  her. 

Mary  Kemp,  the  niece  mentioned  by  Sir  Benjamin,  died  at  the  "  Gravel  Pits,"  Kensington, 
but  her  residence  had  been  Queen's  Square,  Westminster.  It  seems,  from  an  obituary  notice  in 
the  Gentleman'' s  Magazine^  that  she  had  been  an  invalid  from  birth,  enduring  "  misery  "  daily 
with  the  utmost  patience  and  resignation  for  twenty-five  years.  Her  character  is  said  to  have 
been  exemplary,  her  disposition  mild,  and  her  piety  and  goodness  of  heart  unbounded.  Her  Will 
was  proved  by  Priscilla  Merry,  her  mother,  in  1784  (P.C.C,  395  Rockingham).  She  desired  to 
be  buried  "  in  a  private  manner  "  at  Gissing,  and  she  left  all  her  estate  to  the  use  of  the  Rev. 
Peter  Pinnell,  D.D.,  Prebendary  of  Rochester  ;  Thomas  Birch,  of  Bond  Street,  Middlesex,  banker, 
and  Ingham  Foster,  of  St.  Clement's  Lane,  London,  Gent.,  for  the  benefit  of  her  mother,  who 
also  lived  at  Queen's  Square. 

On  the  decease  of  the  seventh  Baronet  the  title  and  chief  estates  passed  to  his  first  cousin,  of 
whom  we  shall  speak  in  the  next  chapter. 


5^ 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


CHoATTETi    XIII. 

THE    EIGHTH,    NINTH,    TENTH    AND    ELEVENTH    BARONETS. 

^  Y^    7ILLIAM  KEMP,  of  Antingham,  whose  portrait  as  a  child  we  reproduce,  was  second 
\\/        surviving  son  of  the  second  Baronet  by  Mary  Sone.     He  inherited  the  Antingham 
^   »  property  from  his  father  and  there  made  his  seat.     He   first   married  at  Ubbestone 

Church,  on  4th  May,  1704,  Jane  Coleman,  who  it  appears  was  related  to  Amy  Phillips,  wife  of 
the  third  Baronet.  She,  however,  died  within  a  year  and  was  buried  at  Gissing,  where  a  mural 
inscription  states   that  she  died   on   nth  April,  1705,  in  her  nineteenth  year.      By   this  wife, 


Arms  of  William  Kemp,  of  Antingham,  in  Margate  Hall. 


therefore,  William,  of  Antingham,  had  no  family.  His  second  wife  was  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
Henry  Shallcross  or  Shardelow.  By  this  second  wife  William  had  three  children,  viz.,  William, 
who  became  the  eighth  Baronet ;  Robert,  of  whom  we  have  no  record  ;  and  Elizabeth,  who  married 
first  John  Cook,  of  Horsted,  and  afterwards  James  Gay,  of  North  Walsham,  as  relict  of  whom  she 
died  in  1803,  aged  eighty-seven.     In  Antingham  Church  is  a  monument  bearing  the  arms  of  Kemp 


<    J 


:5    c 


^  '5 


56  History  of  the  Konp  and  Kempe  Families. 

with  a  crescent  for  difference,  and  an  inescutcheon  of  pretence  or,  charged  with  a  chevron  gules 
between  three  crosslets  fitchee  sable  {sic).     The  inscription  runs  as  follows  : 

"  M.  S.  Gulielmi  Kemp  nuper  de  Antingham  armigeii  Qui  obiit  xij  mo.  die  Maij  Anno  Domini  MDCCXLIV. 
Aetatis  suae  LXIXmo.     Ac  post  mortem  liicem  in  coelis  sperat  aeternum." 

This  allusion  to  the  family  motto  is  very  noteworthy,  and  since  it  illustrates  the  possible 
meaning  of  the  words  hicejn  spero  suggested  in  the  introduction  to  Chapter  I,  namely,  a  desire  for 
spiritual  illumination  and  consequent  felicity.  No  other  similar  example  is  known.  It  was 
doubtless  for  this  William  Kemp  that  the  arms  now  in  Mergate  Hall  were  carved.  It  will  be  noticed 
that  the  crescent  for  difference  is  prominent  in  the  illustration  we  give  annexed.  Possibly  the 
book-plate  with  this  difference,  contained  in  the  Kemp  collection  for  the  "  History  of  Suffolk " 
(Harl.  MSS.  No.  901,  Mus.  Brit.),  was  also  made  for  this  Kemp.  (His  name  appears  on  the 
Norfolk  Polls  of  17 14  and  1734  as  of  Antingham.) 

Sir  William  Kemp,  the  eighth  Baronet,  probably  lived  chiefly  at  Antingham.  but  latterly  he 
resided  at  Worstead,  where  he  died  in  October,  1799,  aged  eighty -four.  He  married  Mary  Ives 
whose  father  Avas  seated  at  Coltshall.  She  died  in  1762  leaving  three  sons,  viz.,  William  Robert 
Kemp,  Thomas  Benjamin  Kemp  and  John  Kemp. 

The  youngest  of  the  three  Avas  twice  married,  his  first  wife  was  Mary,  daughter  of  .  .  .  Groat 
and  widow  of  a  Mr.  Chandler.  The  name  of  his  second  wife  does  not  appear.  He  left  no  issue 
by  either. 

William  Robert  Kemp,  the  eldest,  became  the  ninth  Baronet  on  the  death  of  his  father  ;  he 
married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Thomas  Adcock,  of  Carlton,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons,  both  of  whom 
succeeded  to  the  title.  His  death  was  due  to  a  fall  from  a  "Hobby"  (the  forerunner  of  the  bicycle) 
being  "killed  instantly  on  the  spot" — so  the  Gentleman^ s  Magazine  informs  us.  At  the  time  of 
his  death  he  is  said  to  have  been  residing  at  Briston,  in  Norfolk,  but  we  have  no  knowledge 
whether  this  was  where  the  death  occurred.  The  date  of  the  fatal  accident  is  set  down  as  6th 
October,  1804- 

The  next  Baronet  bore  the  same  names  and  was  the  elder  son  of  the  last.  This  Sir  William 
Robert  Kemp  was  the  tenth  of  his  line  and  was  born  in  179 1.  He  graduated  M.A.  at  Corpus 
Christi  College,  Cambridge,  in  18 13,  and  afterwards  took  orders;  we  do  not  know  what  curacies  he 
previously  held,  but  we  find  that  he  was  instituted  as  Rector  of  Gissing  with  Flordon,  in  18 16,  he 
himself  being  the  patron  of  both  livings.  He  was  thus  lord  of  the  manors,  patron  and  spiritual 
overseer  of  these  places,  which  complex  position  suggested  the  advisability  of  combining  Manor 
House  and  Rectory.  He  therefore  took  the  trouble  to  plan  out  for  himself  a  building  to  comprise 
both,  and  in  course  of  time  built  a  fine  mansion  upon  the  garden  and  ground  of  the  Rectory,  and 
by  turning  a  road  and  levelling  some  fences  connected  it  with  the  ancient  parts  of  the  ancestral 
park. 

He  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Charles  Saunders,  Esq.,  of  Camberwell,  but  had  no  children. 
His  life  was  greatly  occupied  in  expensive  litigation,  he  having  a  keen  sense  of  the  rights  and 
homages  due  to  the  family,  which  from  the  absence  of  his  predecessors  had  become  encroached 
upon,  and  taking,  like  so  many  of  his  predecessors,  a  practical  interest  in  legal  questions.  He  was 
a  subscriber  to  a  "  General  History  of  the  County  of  Norfolk,"  by  William  Kemp,  a  copy  of  which 
may  be  seen  in  the  Guildhall,  London.  This  book  is  in  two  volumes,  and  the  text  is  in  places 
almost  identical  with  Blomfield's  "  Norfolk."  We  cannot  identify  William  Kemp,  the  author 
or  editor,  but  he  was  presumably  one  of  the  family.  Possibly  the  history  was  originally  due 
to  the  collections  made  by  William  Kemp,  of  Antingham,  and  his  ancestors,  and  the  Robert  Kempe, 
of  Gissing,  whose  family  and  county  manuscripts  have  found  their  way  to  the  British  Museum. 


The    Tivelfth  Baronets  Family. 


57 


Sir  William  Robert  Kemp,  the  tenth  Baronet,  died  at  Gissing  Hail,  on  29th  May,  1874,  in 
his  eighty-third  year. 

Thus  Sir  Thomas  Kemp,  brother  to  the  last  and  the  eleventh  successor  to  the  Baronetcy, 
practically  never  enjoyed  the  estates,  he  was  living  a  bachelor  at  Long  Stratton,  Norfolk,  and 
died  within  a  few  months  of  his  elder  brother,  in  August,  1874,  as  the  age  of  eighty. 

Under  the  will  ot  Sir  William  Robert  Kemp,  dated  1861,  the  family  estates  devolved,  with 
the  title,  upon  his  cousm  Kenneth  Hagar  Kemp,  who  for  some  years  past  had  been  treated  by 
him  as  the  heir  and  now  became  the  twelfth  Baronet. 


Gissing  H;ill,  rebuilt  by  the  Rev.  William  Kemp,  Tenth  Baronet. 


CHcATTE'Ii     XIT>. 


THE    TWEI^FTH    Bx\RONET'S    FAMILY. 

WE  must  now  retrace  our  steps  to  Thomas  Benjamin  Kemp,  second  son  of  the  eighth 
Baronet.  This  gentleman  was  of  Swaffield,  and  married  Sarah  Cooke,  by  whom  he 
had  a  son,  Thomas  Cooke  Kemp,  born  in  1787,  and  the  following  daughters:  Clarissa, 
who  married  Ebenezar  Randall  ;  Lucretia,  who  married  Francis  Woodrow  ;  Melissa,  who  married 
Capt.  Thomas  Withers,  R.N.  ;  Sarah,  who  married  Richard  Fish  ;  Elinora,  who  married  Shephard 
Holmes,  with  others  who  died  in  infancy. 


^8  Historx  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Thomas  Benjamin  Kemp,  the  father,  died  25th  June,  1837,  aged  eighty-nine,  and  was 
buried  at  Antingham,  in  which  church  there  is  a  mural  inscription  to  his  memory. 

His  son,  Thomas  Cooke  Kemp,  studied  at  Caius  College,  Cambridge,  took  his  B.A.  in  18 11, 
and  was  presented  by  his  kinsman.  Bishop  Tomline,  to  the  Rectory  of  East  Meon,  Hampshire, 
in  1826.  He  married  Jane,  daughter  of  Robert  Pretyman,  Esq.,  of  Eye,  SufTolk,  who  bore  him 
children,  two  sons  named  Nunn  Robert  Pretyman  and  Thomas  Cooke.  There  were  also  two 
other  sons  of  these  same  names  who  had  died,  and  were  buried  at  Dilham.  The  daughters  were 
Martha  Maria,  who  married  James  Barnard,  of  Bordean,  on  28th  October,  1830  ;  Jane  Sarah,  who 
died  aged  four  years,  and  Elinora  Sarah  Caroline  and  Lucretia  Melissa,  both  of  whom  were 
unmarried,  and  Jane  Louise  who  died,  aged  four  years. 

Thomas  Cooke,  the  younger  son,  was  married  at  St.  Bride's,  Fleet  Street,  London,  on  17th 
June,  1841,  to  Mary  Louisa,  only  surviving  daughter  of  Anthony  Canham,  of  Fordham,  Cambs. 
He,  however,  left  no  surviving  issue.  The  Rev.  Nunn  Robert  Pretyman  Kemp,  the  eldest 
surviving  son  of  Thomas  Cooke  Kemp  (senior),  married  Mary,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  George  Hagar, 
of  Bourne,  Cambridgeshire,  grand-daughter  of  Admiral  Hagar,  and  by  her  had  five  children,  two  of 
whom  died  young — the  eldest,  Edgar  Kemp,  was  Captain  in  the  4th  King's  Own,  and  died  in 
March,  1873,  without  issue,  having  married  Ellen,  daughter  of  Alfred  Giles,  Esq.,  M.P.  ;  Kenneth 
Hagar  Kemp  and  Caroline  Russell  Kemp.  The  latter  married  in  1875  the  Rev.  John  Sharpe,  D.D., 
Rector  of  Elmley  Lovett,  near  Droitwich,  sometime  Fellow  of  Christ's  College,  Cambridge,  and 
author  of  many  Hebrew  and  theological  works.     Their  son,  Edgar  Sharpe,  was  born  in  1887. 

Sir  Kenneth  Hager  Kemp,  the  twelfth  Baronet,  was  born  at  Erpingham,  Norfolk,  on 
2ist  April,  1853,  and  graduated  at  Jesus  College,  Cambridge,  B.A.  in  1875,  being  registered  as  a 
Student  of  the  Inner  Temple,  on  22nd  June  the  same  year.  He  was  called  to  the  Bar  on 
26th  January,  1880,  and  practised  in  the  South  Eastern  Circuit. 

In  18T4,  he  inherited  the  family  estates  and  Baronetcy  from  his  cousin.  He  married 
Henrietta  Mary  Eva,  daughter  of  Henry  Hamilton,  Esq.,  of  Chilham,  Kent,  and  late  of  Blackrock, 
Co.  Leitrim,  Ireland,  in  August,  1876,  by  whom  he  has  had  the  following  children,  all  now  living. 
Robert  Hamilton  Kemp,  only  son  and  heir,  born  nth  September,  1877,  who  entered  the  Militia  as 
Second  Lieutenant  of  the  3rd  Batt.  Gordon  Highlanders,  and  is  now  Lieutenant  of  the  3rd  Batt.  of 
the  Norfolk  Regiment.  His  coming  of  age  was  celebraced  at  Gissing,  in  1898,  by  a  feast  in  a 
building  close  to  the  site  of  the  ancient  hall,  to  the  tenants  of  the  estates.  The  presents  sent  on 
this  occasion  form  an  interesting  cabinet  at  Mergate  Hall.  He  is  now  serving  with  his  regiment 
in  South  Africa. 

The  daughters  of  Sir  Kenneth  are  Eva  Constance,  born  27th,  August,  1878  ;  Margaret  Hagar, 
born  9th  January,  1880  ;  Violet  Mary,  born  14th  February,  1881  ;  and  Ida  Dorothy,  born 
i6th  August,  1882,  and  married  at  Flordon,  in  1901,  to  Robert  Gwilt,  Esq.,  of  Hartest,  Suffolk. 

[By  a  mere  coincidence,  Margaret  Hagar  Kemp  was  born  at  Chigwell,  in  Essex,  where 
Alexander  Davidson  Kemp,  a  well-known  London  lawyer,  had  at  this  time  a  residence  called 
"  Ollanty."  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  ancestors  of  Alexander  Kemp  were  long  resident  in  Thanet, 
and  no  relationship  between  his  family  and  the  Baronet's  e.xists  (Vide  Kempes  of  Thanet).  It  is 
well  to  note  this,  as  the  fact  of  a  child  of  A.  D.  Kemp  being  born  at  Chigwell  the  same  year 
(1880)  might  lead  future  generations  to  believe  in  some  such  near  relationship.] 

Sir  Kenneth  Kemp  is  a  J. P.  for  Norwich,  and  until  recently  was  a  partner  in  the  old  Norwich 
Bank,  styled  Lacons,  YouU  and  Kemp  (now  amalgamated  with  the  Capital  and  Counties  Bank). 
He  has  also  taken  an  active  part  in  the  late  South  African  War,  having  served  as  second  in 
command  of  the  3rd  Batt.  Norfolk  Regiment  for  upwards  of  a  year. 


The   Twelfth  Baronets  Family. 


59 


During  the  first  years  of  his  tenure  of  the  family  estates  he  was  much  occupied  with  the 
setting  straight  of  those  legal  difficulties  and  complications  caused  by  the  tenth  Baronet.  The 
Ecclesiastical  Commissioners  had  to  be  settled  with  for  the  building  of  Gissing  Hall  on  the  Rectory 
grounds. 

The  whole  of  the  estates  have  been  greatly  improved  by  the  building  of  modern  premises 
for  the  tenants  and  farmers,  and  a  large  amount  has  been  expended  in  restoring  Flordon  Hall  and 
Mergate  Hall,  but  the  most  noteworthy  items  in  the  improvements  are  the  fine  roof  and  other 
restorations  to  Gissing  Church,  which  is  now  one  of  the  best  furnished  village  churches  with 
which  we  are  acquainted  in  Norfolk.  (This  is,  however,  almost  entirely  due  to  his  late  brother- 
in-law,  Dr.  Sharpe,  who  was  for  some  time  rector.)     The  roof  is  of  massive  oak  and  enriched  with 


Merg:ite  Hall  (Bracon  Ash)  which  passed  to  the  Kemps  in  the  fifteenth  century  by  intermarriage  with  the 
heiress  of  John  Appleyard.     Queen  Elizabeth  dined  here  l6th  August,  1578. 


large  well-carved  angels  and  shields.  The  organ  also  is  new  and  handsomely  encased.  According 
to  the  "Great  Landowners  of  Great  Britain,"  published  by  authority  in  1876,  Sir  Kenneth 
held,  in  1875,  2,133  acres  in  Norfolk,  then  valued  at  ^3,163  per  annum.  To  this  he  has  added 
a  strip  of  land  running  through  the  estates,  which  seems  to  have  been  sold  by  the  first  Baronet 
in  his  efforts  to  raise  arms  for  the  King.  Sir  Kenneth  is  a  keen  sportsman,  and  has  twice 
contested  North  Norfolk  in  the  Conservative  interest— this  being  the  division  his  ancestor,  Sir 
Robert  Kemp,  represented  in  1668. 

We  give  illustrations  of  both  Gissing  Hall  and  Mergate  Hall.     The  former,  although  having 
a  splendid   position   and  the   advantage  of  modern   construction;  was   not   found   so  suitable  a 


6o  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

residence  for  the  present  Baronet  as  Mergate  Hall,  which  lies  some  ten  miles  nearer  to  Norwich. 
Mergate  Hall  is  not  large  nor  imposing,  but  is  a  delightfully  quaint  country  house.  The  oak 
panelling  throughout  the  house  date  back  to  Elizabethan  times,  if  not  earlier,  while  the  brick- 
work, although  much  reconstructed,  must  be  much  the  same  as  when  the  hall  passed  to  the 
Kempe  in  the  fifteenth  century.  The  Styles  (whose  family  intermarried  with  the  Kempes)  had 
a  lease  of  this  house  in  the  si.xteenth  century,  and  in  the  last  century  the  Berneys,  who  own 
adjoining  lands,  held  it  on  lease  for  sixty  years.  Entering  the  house  one  is  struck  with  the  oak- 
pannelled  hall  hung  with  family  portraits  from  164a,  furnished  with  quaint  oak  furniture,  and 
when,  after  viewing  the  oak  mantelpieces  in  the  panelled  rooms,  and  the  many  curious  and 
ancient  memories  of  the  family,  including  deeds  from  Henry  I.,  we  go  outside  to  the  bowling 
green  at  the  back,  we  are  conscious  of  having  seen  evidences  of  a  family  past  and  present  which 
for  nearly  600  years  has  given  in  each  century  an  honoured  name  to  the  counties  of  Norfolk  and 
Suffolk,  which  has  not  increased  its  wealth  but  retains  the  same  lands,  the  same  houses,  the  same 
names  and  the  same  position  in  Norfolk  that  it  did  more  than  five  centuries  ago. 


CHcATTETi^  XV. 

COLONIAL    AND    OTHER    BRANCHES. 

THE  compilers  of  the  present  work  have  addressed  circulars  to  every  Kemp  in  the  directories 
of  the  United  Kingdom,  and  as  far  as  possible  to  those  whose  names  appear  in  the 
directories  of  Colonial  and  English-speaking  countries,  with  the  request  that  the 
genealogical  form  supplied  might  be  filled  in,  and  inviting  further  information  as  to  the  origin 
and  family  history  of  the  recipients.  Although  this  world-wide  request  has  produced  a  large 
return  of  matter,  we  have  had  no  claim  from  any  who  can  show  actual  kinship  to  the  Baronets  by 
direct  male  line.  Notwithstanding  this,  many  persons  of  the  name  of  Kemp,  both  at  home  and 
abroad,  have  addressed  letters  claiming  kinship,  and  very  often  asking  financial  assistance  or  help 
of  some  sort  or  another.  The  present  Baronet  has  had  many  such  letters,  aud  has  frequently 
taken  some  trouble  to  give  a  polite  reply,  but  in  no  case  has  a  relationship  been  found  to  be  more 
than  "traditional  "  or  imaginary  ;  we  beg  that  if  any  can  show  kinship,  or  believe  that  they  come 
from  the  same  (Kemp  or  Kempe)  stock,  they  will  be  good  enough  to  communicate  with  the 
compilers  of  this  work,  who  will  give  the  subject  careful  study  in  the  light  of  numerous  historical 
details  relating  to  the  family  which  they  have  not  space  to  print  in  the  present  edition. 

A  prominent  official  of  Norwich  named  Kemp,  who  is  said  to  have  displayed  the  Baronet's 
arms  as  his  own,  has  written  disclaiming  relationship,  and  modestly  saying  that  he  was  not  of 
sufficient  consequence  to  be  even  mentioned  in  this  history. 

An  instance  of  a  genuine  claim  occurred  as  far  back  as  1730,  when  one  Dorothy  Seaton, 
writing  from  Piankatank,  Virginia,  addressed  the  third  Baronet  in  a  piteous  letter  sa3^ng  that  she 
was  a  widow  with  several   children,  and   in  but  reduced  circumstances.     She  claimed  to  be  the 


'"'■      Colonial  and  other  Branches.       -    ■  6i 

eldest  and  only  surviving  daughter  of  a  Peter  Kemp,  son  of  Matthew  Kemp,  who  was  brother  to 
the  second  Baronet.  This  letter  is  given  in  Add.  MSS.  19,  185,  now  in  the  British  Museum.  On 
this  subject  much  has  appeared  in  the  Joii.rnal  of  the  Virginia  Historical  Society  (to  whose 
Secretary  the  compilers  are  indebted  for  many  of  the  following  details)  with  records  of  other 
Kemps  too  numerous  to  mention  here. 

Sir  Robert  Kemp,  the  second  Baronet,  in  his  will  of  1704,  mentions  Peter  and  Matthew,  sons 
of  his  brother,  Matthew  Kemp,  deceased.  According  to  the  journal  above  mentioned  a  prominent 
Colonel  Matthew  Kemp  died  in  1683,  but  the  Jourrzal  reasons  that  this  Matthew  was  the  son  of 
an  Edmund  Kemp  another  brother  of  the  Baronet.  Even  if  this  is  so  there  is  no  doubt  that 
Colonel  Matthew  and  Dorothy  Seaton  were  closely  related  to  the  Norfolk  Kemps. 

So  early  as  1622  there  was  a  William  Kempe  settled  in  Virginia,  who  held  considerable 
property  and  lived  chiefly  at  Elizabeth  City,  of  which  he  was  a  J.P.  and  Burgess  in  1628  and  163c. 
He  is  recorded  to  have  lodged  a  complaint  against  one,  John  Bush,  in  1622,  and  to  have  had  a 
son,  Anthony  Kempe,  born  in  1623.  In  1624  he  was  living  with  his  wife  Margaret  in  Virginia. 
Possibly  he  paid  a  visit  to  England  after  1630,  for  he,  or  one  of  his  name,  landed  in  the  colony 
in  1635.  There  is  no  evidence  that  the  J.P.  of  Elizabeth  City  was  of  the  same  stock  as  Richard 
Kempe,  brother  to  the  first  Sir  Robert  Kemp,  Baronet,  of  Gissing,  who,  doubtless,  under  this 
relative's  influence  obtained  the  appointment  of  Secretary  to  the  State  in  1634.  The  British 
State  Papers  and  Virginia  records  contain  numerous  details  of  great  interest  concerning  the  acts 
of  this  first  Secretary  of  Virginia,  who  served  as  Deputy  Governor  1644  and  1645-  Richard 
married  Elizabeth  Thomas,  niece  to  Christopher  Wormley,  and  had  by  her  an  only  child, 
Elizabeth.  In  his  will,  which  was  proved  in  London  on  6th  December,  1656  (P.C.C,  455  Berkley), 
he  bequeaths  to  his  wife  and  child  the  whole  of  his  estate  in  Virginia  and  all  moneys  due  to  him 
in  England.  During  his  daughter's  minority  his  uncle,  Ralf  Wormeley,  was  desired  to  place  out 
the  portion  due  to  her,  and  the  testator  desired  that  his  property  in  the  colony  should  be  realised 
as  soon  as  possible,  and  that  both  his  wife  and  child  should  "  depart  the  country."  To  his 
brother,  Edward  Kempe,  he  left  _^"5,  and  to  his  nephew,  Edmund  Kempe,  "one  new  servant." 
The  will  closes  with  a  prayer  for  the  prosperity  of  the  colony  and  a  request  that  Governor  Sir 
Wilham  Berkeley  would  accept  ^'10  and  befriend  his  wife  and  child  expediting  their  return  to 
England. 

Edmund  Kemp,  evidently  the  nephew  mentioned  in  this  will,  acted  as  attorney  for  Sir 
Robert  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall,  Essex,  Knight,  in  Virginia  in  1656.  This  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  as 
we  have  already  shown,  was  brother-in-law  to  Sir  Robert  Kemp,  Baronet,  of  Gissing,  thus  it  is 
natural  that  this  Edmund  Kemp,  although  of  distinctly  different  family,  should  act  for  him. 
Edmund  was  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  Lancaster  County  (Virginia)  from  1655  to  1657  and  died 
in  1660,  in  which  year  the  Lancaster  County  Court  ordered  that  his  estate  should  be  appraised. 
His  widow,  Anne,  married  Sir  Grey  Skipworth,  Baronet,  of  Lancaster  County,  who  conveyed  900 
acres  in  New  Kent  to  his  stepdaughter,  Elizabeth  Kemp,  in  1661,  Matthew  Kemp  being  a  witness 
to  the  deed.  It  was  doubtless  this  Matthew  who  acted  as  attorney  for  Sir  Grey  Skipworth,  Bart., 
"  administrator  of  Edmund  Kemp,  Gent.,"  in  1662,  and  who,  in,  j  663  was  granted  administration 
of  the  estate  of  James  Bonner  as  being  next-of-kin,  Elizabeth,  the  daughter  of  Edmund  Kemp, 
having  married  one  named  Bonner. 

A  number  of  deeds  ranging  from  1653  to  1715  are  cited  by  the  Journal  bearing  out  these 
and  subsequent  relationships.  The  will  of  Matthew  Kemp  of  Middlesex  County  (Virginia),  dated 
4th  May,  1715,  was  proved  in  that  county  on  2nd  June,  17 16.  This  will  expresses  the  testator's 
wish  to  be  buried  in  his  orchard,  and  that  his  lands,  negroes  and  other  property  should  belong 


62  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

to  his  son  Matthew,  subject  to  a  payment  of  ^200  to  the  testator's  daughter,  Ann,  when  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  Should  this  son  die  the  estates  were  to  pass  to  Ann,  his  sister,  and  in  case  of 
her  death  to  revert  to  Sir  Grey  Skipworth.  The  will  desires  that  Matthew,  the  son,  should 
follow  the  advice  of  the  testator's  "  father,"  Sir  William  Skipworth,  and  his  friend,  Major  Edmund 
Berkley. 

Matthew  Kemp,  Esq.,  was  party  to  a  deed  dated  I  687  with  Adjutant-General  Jennings,  who 
had  married  Catherine  Lunsford,  daughter  of  Elizabeth,  formerly  wife  of  Secretary  Richard 
Kempe,  showing  again  that  the  third  Matthew  was  evidently  kinsman  to  the  Secretary  and  hence 
to  the  Kemp  Baronets,  but  it  is  not  clear  whether  Colonel  Matthew  Kemp,  who  died  in  1  683, 
was  the  brother  or  nephew  of  the  second  Baronet  of  Gissing. 

Peter  Kemp  was  attorney  to  Mary,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Kemp,  of  Kingstone  parish,  in 
Gloucester  County  (Virginia),  in  1692,  who  calls  him  in  her  power  of  attorney  "my  loving 
friend."  Thomas  Kemp  was  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  this  county  in  1695,  and  with  Peter 
patented  land  there  in  1687.  These  two  it  would  appear  were  respectively  father  and  uncle  of 
Dorothy  Seaton,  who,  as  we  have  said,  wrote  to  the  third  Sir  Robert  Kemp,  Bart.,  claiming 
kinship  and  practically  asking  for  his  financial  assistance. 

It  is  interesting  to  notice  that  when  Colonel  Matthew  Kemp  was  denounced  by  the  populace 
of  Virginia  as  one  of  the  officials  said  to  be  oppressors  of  the  poor  and  a  corruptor  of  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  colony,  he  was  in  the  same  catagory  as  Sir  Henry  Chichley,  Knight,  who  had 
married  one  of  the  daughters  of  the  last  Sir  William  Kempe,  of  OUantigh,  Wye,  thus  both 
Kempe  families  (Norfolk  and  Kent)  were  represented  and  denounced  by  "  The  Declaration  of  the 
People,"  which  was  signed  by  Nathaniel  Bacon,  Gent.,  a  kinsman  of  the  Kemps  of  Gissing.  We 
need  not  venture  a  remark  as  to  whether  or  no  the  charges  against  these  "  Oppressors  "  was  just, 
but  we  can  guess  that  personal  interests  and  family  fueds  had  somewhat  to  do  with  these  affairs 
although  concerning  the  whole  State.  It  is  further  noteworthy  that  as  the  Essex  Kempe  family 
had  twice  intermarried  with  the  Kempes  of  Gissing,  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  Knight,  of  Spain's  Hall, 
was  drawn  to  speculate  in  land  in  Virginia,  his  relative  (by  marriage  only),  Edmund  Kemp, 
being  his  attorney  concerning  his  colonial  possessions  in  1656.  Again  we  have  reason  to  believe 
that  when  the  prospects  of  wealth  induced  many  Puritans  and  others  of  Suffolk  to  emigrate  to 
this  colony,  Kempes  of  that  county  were  joined  by  Kempes  of  Middlesex,  while  Lord  Berkeley, 
the  governor,  was  certainly  intimate  with  Cornish  and  other  Kempes,  thus  it  seems  from  the 
earliest  formation  of  this  colony,  numerous  distinct  Kempe  stocks  were  represented.  Nor  were  these 
confined  to  those  of  British  origin,  for  religious  persecution  again  caused  Dutch  Kempes  to  make 
their  home  in  this  settlement.  The  wills  and  records  of  the  colony  have  become  very  frag- 
mentary, and  it  seems  now  impossible  to  trace  every  family  to  its  origin.  We  may,  however, 
record  some  later  immigrations  from  which  some  of  the  present  Kemps  of  Virginia  may  owe 
their  lineage. 

Among  the  Huguenots  who  settled  in  Virginia  in  1742  and  1744  were  Thomas  Kemp,  his 
wife  Mary,  and  a  daughter,  Anne  ;  while  William,  Peter,  Daniel,  Jack,  Dick,  Jenny  and  Kate 
appear  with  a  Thomas  Kemp  as  settling  in  Mannacan  Town  in  Wilt,  and  are  said  also  to  have 
been  Huguenots.  Among  still  later  emigrants  to  the  colony  we  know  of  man}'  Kemps,  but  space 
at  our  disposal  forbids  our  bringing  down  the  Kemp  records  to  the  present  time. 

An  interesting  collateral  line  involving  the  Kemps  is  that  to  which  Lord  Nelson  belonged. 
Briefly,  his  descent  from  the  Kempes  of  Gissing  is  as  follows  :  The  first  Baronet  in  his  will 
mentions  his  daughter,  Elizabeth,  who  was  then  (1646-7)  living  as  the  wife  of  Maurice 
Shelton,  Esq.,  of  Barningham,  Suffolk.     Their  daughter,  Sarah  Shelton,  married  Robert  Suckling, 


Some  Miscellaneous  Kemp{e)s.  63 

of  Wooton,  who  rebuilt  the  hall  there  and  died  in  1 708.  His  arms  were  Per  Pale  Azure  and 
Gules,  three  Bucks  tripping  or.  Catherine  Suckling,  their  daughter,  was  married  at  Beccles 
nth  May,  1749,  and  died  in  December,  1767  aged  forty -two,  having  married  Edmund 
Nelson,  M.A.,  of  Caius  College,  Cambridge,  Rector  of  Burnham  Thorp.  He  died  in  1802  at 
Bath.  These  were  the  parents  of  Horatio  Nelson,  born  29th  September,  1758,  and  who  died  in 
the  service  of  his  country  at  the  Battle  of  Trafalgar.  That  the  relationship  was  not  lost  sight  of 
by  the  Kemps  is  shown  by  the  tenth  Baronet  having  offered  to  sell  Ubbeston  and  Suffolk  property 
as  an  estate  suitable  for  the  nation  to  purchase  for  Lord  Nelson's  family.  Much  concerning  this 
proposal  and  its  consideration  by  Parliament  will  be  found  in  the  "  Historical  Chronicle  "  of 
1815,  and  in  proceedings  of  Parliament.  The  estate  offered  by  the  Baronet  comprised  some 
1,000  acres,  and  the  price  mentioned  was  ^70,000.  Earl  Nelson,  however,  having  expressed 
a  preference  for  the  Wiltshire  estate,  which  was  eventually  purchased,  the  offer  of  Sir  William 
Robert  Kemp  was  not  accepted. 


CHoA'PTETi    XVI. 

SOME    MISCELLANEOUS    KEMP(E)S. 

WE  have  noticed  more  than  once  in  previous  chapters  of  this  section,  the  coincidence  of 
Sir  Robert  Kempe,  a  Knight  of  the  Essex  family,  being  seated  in  Norfolk  at  the  time 
that  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing,  both  a  Knight  and  a  Baronet,  was  living  in  the 
county.  Sir  Robert  of  the  Essex  stock  lived  at  Heydon,  where  his  father  had  made  his  home 
about  1599  on  his  marrying  with  Frances,  daughter  of  John  Mingaye,  of  Arminghall.  As  Sir 
Robert  of  Heydon  eventually  inherited  Spain's  Hall,  we  shall  deal  with  the  details  concerning 
Heydon  in  the  Essex  section.  We  now  pass  on  to  a  junior  branch  of  his  family,  which  appears 
to  have  been  ignored  by  the  county  historians  as  well  as  the  Heralds. 

A  reference  to  the  Essex  section  will  show  the  descent  of  George  Kempe,  of  Cavendish, 
Suffolk,  who  had  a  son,  George  Kempe.  This  George  probably  lived  at  Cavendish  before  his 
father's  death,  for  the  latter  died  at  the  Rectory  of  Tottenham,  which  he  had  leased.  Under  his 
father's  will  he  only  received  a  legacy  of  ^20,  while  his  elder  brother  inherited  Pentlow  Hall  and 
owned  lands  and  "  White  House  "  in  South  Lynn,  and  the  Manor  of  West  Walton  in  Norfolk. 
The  registers  of  Cavendish  have  not  been  searched,  but  it  seems  that  George,  the  younger,  had 
several  of  his  children  baptized  at  the  adjoining  Parish  of  Pentlow,  where  we  find  the  following 
names  duly  recorded:  Matthew,  25th  March,  1611  ;  Marie,  17th  March,  1612  ;  Ferdinando, 
28th  September,  1613  ;  Anne,  27  December,  1614  ;  Thomas,  i8th  June,  1617  ;  Christopher, 
30th  March,  161 9.  The  last  two  are  entered  as  the  children  of  Bridget  ;  the  others  were  probably 
by  the  first  wife,  Elizabeth  Springham,  but  the  mother's  name  is  not  given. 

About  1620  George  Kempe  left  Cavendish  for  Wooddalling,  in  Norfolk,  where  he  died 
between  1644  and  1646,  his  will  being  proved  in  the  latter  year  (Consistory  Court  of  Norwich). 
The  testator  leaves  sums  of  money  to  his  sons  Charles,  George  and  Nathan  Kempe,  his  daughter, 
Philippa,  his  wife,  Bridget,  and  his  grandchildren,  John,  George  and  Barbary  Cooke.     His  sons. 


64  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

John  and  Ferdinando  Kempe,  received  all  his  property  in  WooddaUing  (which  estate  we  presume 
to  have  in  some  way  descended  to  him  from  a  John  Kempe  of  Woodalling,  whose  will  was  proved 
in  the  Norwich  Archdeaconry  Court  between  1545  and  1551). 

John  Kempe  was  a  merchant,  probably  of  Norwich  ;  both  he  and  Ferdinando  appear  to  have 
died  during  the  Commonwealth,  which  would  account  for  their  wills  being  missing  from  the  local 
registers.  The  WooddaUing  property  evidently  descended  to  Charles,  the  eldest  son  of  John 
Kempe,  who  by  will  dated  1668  proved  in  1671  (Nor.  Arch.)  left  it  to  his  son  Charles.  This 
will  mentions  also  the  testator's  son  Thomas,  and  daughters  Bridget  and  Elizabeth  ;  his  nephews, 
Charles  and  John,  sons  of  Mathew  Kempe,  with  George  Kempe,  son  of  his  brother,  George 
Kempe.  Thomas  Newman,  the  Clerk  of  Heydon,  was  desired  to  assist  the  testator's  son  in 
administering  the  estate.     Henry  Waller,  brother-in-law  to  the  testator,  is  also  mentioned. 

No  wife  appears  in  the  will,  she  having  been  buried  in  WooddaUing  Church  in  1646.  The 
following  inscription  is  copied  from  "  Le  Neve's  Monumenta  Anglise  "  : 

Under  this  ancient  gravestone  is  interred 

The  Body  of  Susan  Kemp,  hereby  declared 

To  Charles  Kempe,  Gent.,  being  wife 

Both  chaste  and  loving  to  him  during  life. 

So  constant  also  was  as  ever  breathed. 

Her  soul  in  Heaven  she  thankfully  bequeathed 

To  him  who  gave  it  for  his  service  here 

And  now  hath  crowned  it  with  his  glory  there. 

Whose  natural  health  of  body  did  thus  forsake  her 

Of  much  unnatural  pain  was  made  partaker, 

Her  soul  God  in  mercy  keep  with  heavenly  love 

Blessed  with  thankfulness  he  thereby  did  prove. 

Glory,  O  God,  to  Thee,  and  unto  Christ,  Thy  Son 

And  also  to  the  Holy  Ghost  eternally  be  done 

Her  patience  here  on  earth  being  firmly  tryed 

Upon  the  nth  of  May  then  in  peace  she  died. 
A.D.  1646. 
Charles  Kempe  (the  grandson  of  John  Kempe)  of  WooddaUing,  made  his  will  in  1703,  it 
being  proved  in  the  Norwich  Consistory  Court  by  Martha,  his  relict,  on  2nd  February,  17 14.  She 
was  to  enjoy  the  local  estates  of  her  husband  during  her  life,  after  which  they  were  to  revert  to 
Charles,  son  of  Charles  Kempe,  of  Lyng,  Norfolk.  The  testator  leaves  a  legacy  of  £\o  to  his 
brother,  Thomas  Kempe,  whose  residence  does  not  appear.  Martha  Kempe,  the  widow,  died 
before  1717  ;  her  will  proved  that  year  (Norwich  Arch.,  119)  mentions  Frammingham  Jay,  Anne 
Draper,  Thomas  Neal,  of  Hackford  and  Charles  Neal.  The  latter  was  to  receive  all  the  estate  of 
the  testatrix  and  to  be  e.xecutor.  The  couple,  it  would  appear  from  the  above  wills,  left  no  issue, 
and  the  Wooddaling  property  duly  passed  to  Charles  Kempe,  of  Lyng,  for  whose  descent  we  must 
turn  to  Matthew  Kempe,  who  was  born  at  Pentlow  in  161 1,  and  who  was  a  son  of  George  Kempe, 
the  founder  of  this  branch  of  the  Essex  family  in  Norfolk. 

In  October,  1656,  Susan  Kempe  was  granted  power  to  administer  all  the  estate  of  her  late 
husband,  Matthew  Kempe,  of  Lyng,  Norfolk  (P.C.C),  at  which  time,  of  course,  her  sons  would 
still  be  minors.  We  do  not  know  when  she  died,  but  we  find  that  she  had  at  least  two  sons, 
Charles  and  John,  both  of  who  were  living  in  1670-  Charles,  of  Lyng,  had,  as  we  have  seen, 
sons  named  Charles  and  John,  who  inherited  the  estate  of  their  kinsman,  Charles  Kempe,  of 


Some  Miscellaneous  ICemp{e)s.  65 

Wooddalling.  This  youngest,  Charles,  removed  from  Lyng  to  Hunuingham,  where  he  died  in 
1721,  his  will  being  proved  in  the  Archdeaconry  Court  of  Norfolk,  that  year.  In  it  he  mentions 
his  lands  at  Lyng,  leaving  them  to  his  wife  Mary,  with  reversion  on  her  death  to  his  son,  John 
Kempe,  and  his  heirs,  stipulating,  however,  that  John  should  divide  the  rents  among  his  brothers 
and  sisters,  whose  names  were  Charles,  Elizabeth,  Susan,  Thomas  and  William.  What  became 
of  this  family  we  have  been  unable  to  trace  further,  as  the  name  of  Kempe  does  not  occur  later 
in  the  calendars  of  the  local  Probate  Courts  either  at  Woodalling  or  Lyng. 

An  earlier  mention  of  these  places  is  found  in  the  wills  of  a  collateral  line,  the  first  of  which 
was  George,  brother  to  Mathew  Kempe,  of  Lyng,  and  the  first  Charles  Kempe,  of  Wooddalling. 
This  George  Kempe  was  a  mercer  of  Norwich,  and  lived  in  the  parish  of  St.  Simon  and  St.  Jude 
in  that  city.  By  his  first  wife  (whose  name  we  have  not  traced),  he  had  only  daughters,  named 
Bridget,  Ann,  and  Mary.  By  his  second  wife,  Margaret,  he  had  sons  named  George  and  John, 
and  daughters  named  EHzabeth  and  Margaret.  His  will  is  dated  1655,  and  was  proved  on  the 
8th  August  that  year  by  his  relict.  All  his  personal  estate  was  devised  to  his  wife,  while  his 
sons  were  each  to  have_;^"i5o  on  coming  of  age,  and  each  daughter  by  his  second  wife  was  to  have 
£100  at  twenty-one,  the  other  daughters  being  left  but  £<,o  apiece. 

The  will  of  another  George  Kempe,  of  Norwich,  was  proved  in  the  Peculiar  of  the  Dean 
and  Chapter  of  that  city  in  1712,  which  date  would  rather  suggest  that  this  was  a  grandson  of  the 
above  mercer  and  not  his  son,  but  there  is  no  intervening  will  of  a  George  Kempe  of  the  county. 
This  will  shows  that  the  testator  was  of  the  same  family,  as  he  speaks  of  his  kinsman,  George 
Kempe,  son  of  Charles  Kempe,  of  Lyng,  who  is  to  inherit  "  Horningham  "  Grange  after  the  death 
of  his  father.  Charles  Kempe,  of  Wooddalling,  is  also  mentioned  as  a  "  cousin,"  a  very  indefinite 
term  in  documents  of  this  and  earlier  periods  ;  in  this  case  the  cousin  is  twice  removed.  Others 
mentioned  are  as  follows  :  testator's  sister,  Durben,  nieces  Elmy,  Framsham,  Cady  and  Elizabeth 
Stephenson  ;  cousin  Robert  Awborne,  of  King's  Lynn,  Martin  Tolbot,  of  Burlingham  and 
Elizabeth  Tolbot,  the  latter's  sister  ;  also  Ruth  Davis,  widow,  Mrs.  Vernon,  Mrs.  Sarah  Vernon, 
Peele  Maxey  and  Susan  and  Martha  Kemp,  these  being  the  testator's  sisters. 

The  George  Kempe  who  was  thus  to  receive  Horningham  Grange  is,  doubtless,  the  same  as 
one  of  his  name,  son  of  Charles  Kemp,  of  Horningham,  who,  under  his  father's  will  (1721),  was 
merely  bequeathed  ^5.  There  is  a  will  indexed  as  of  George  Kemp,  of  Cawston,  in  1728-9, 
which  might  prove  to  be  his  (Norwich  Archdeaconry),  and  in  1747  another  will  of  George 
Kempe  was  proved,  this  testator  being  a  gentleman  living  at  Brandeston,  close  to  Cawston. 
There  is,  however,  no  mention  therein  of  property  at  Lyng  or  Wooddalling,  and  no  actual  proof 
that  he  belongs  to  the  foregoing  Kemps  of  those  places.  His  property  extends  to  Surlingham, 
Yelverton,  Holveston,  Rockland,  South  Burlingham,  Beighton  and  Upton,  all  in  Norfolk.  The 
whole  of  this  he  settled  on  his  wife,  Ann,  for  life,  Surlingham  and  Yelverton  land  going  after  her 
death  to  the  testator's  brother,  John  Kemp,  with  the  family  plate  ;  the  rest  of  the  land  after  the 
widow's  death  reverting  to  Robert  Kemp,  brother  to  the  testator,  in  whose  favour  the  devise  to 
John  was  for  some  reason  revoked.  The  following  "  sisters  "  are  also  left  money,  Elizabeth 
Church,  Mary  Whaites,  Sarah  Besfor,  Martha  Kemp  and  Susan  Kemp.  Robert  Kemp,  the 
brother,  was  the  executor,  and  the  witnesses  were  Mary  Heath,  Elizabeth  Bradford  and  Jeremiah 
Berry.  A  codicil  states  that  the  testator  was  quite  blind  with  the  smallpox,  and  that  consequently 
the  will  had  been  duly  and  distinctly  read  over  to  him.     He  desired  to  be  buried  at  Surlingham. 

Between  1746  and  1748  a  will  of  George  Kemp,  of  Surlingham,  was  proved  in  the  Norfolk 
Archdeaconry  Court  :  by  this,  presumably,  the  above  properties  passed  to  George  Kemp  of 
Brandeston.     Robert   Kemp,   who  next  inherited  the  bulk  of  this  property,  perhaps  made  his 

K  2 


66  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Fam,ilies. 

residence  at  Stalham,  for  there  is  a  will  of  Robert  Kemp  of  that  place  entered  in  the  Norwich 
Consistory  Court  in  1768-  There  is  in  the  same  court  a  will  of  John  Kemp,  of  Catfield,  which 
may  be  that  of  the  John  who  inherited  the  residue  of  this  estate. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  arms  are  justly  due  to  any  who  can  prove  themselves  representatives 
of  this  line,  it  will  be  interesting  if  further  information  concerning  the  descendants  are  sent  to  the 
compilers  of  this  history. 

We  are  unable  to  include  the  Kempes  of  Carlton  Rode  as  an  actual  branch  of  the  Kemps  of 
Gissing,  but  although  proof  is  wanting,  the  fact  of  their  being  established  so  close  to  Gissing  from 
the  sixteenth  century  makes  it  appear  probable  that  both  came  from  a  common  stock.  There  is, 
unfortunately,  a  break  in  the  pedigree,  due  to  the  want  of  registration  both  in  Probate  Courts  and 
Church  Registers,  that  prevents  the  numerous  descendants  from  the  Carlton  Rode  family  showing 
their  right  to  the  Kemp  arms.  Possibly  in  time  further  evidence  will  be  forthcoming  from  deeds 
and  local  records  which  will  make  good  the  two  missing  links.  The  pedigree  annexed  is  the 
outcome  of  much  research,  being  derived  from  some  twenty-five  wills  and  numerous  odd  items 
from  other  sources.  The  wills  are  in  every  case  to  be  found  in  the  Norwich  Probate  Office  ; 
they  contain,  however,  few  items  of  interest  other  than  the  relationships  shown.  The  family 
from  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century,  down  to  about  1740,  styled  themseves  yeomen,  and  the 
senior  branch  by  that  time  having  acquired  small  estates  deemed  themselves  entitled  to  be 
described  as  gentleman.  The  junior  branches,  however,  have  been  content  to  continue  as  yeomen 
farmers,  and  many  during  the  past  century  have  left  their  agricultural  pursuits  to  enter  business 
in  London  and  other  commercial  centres. 

One  of  the  last  Kemp  landowners  of  the  family  to  hold  property  in  and  around  Carlton  Rode, 
was  William  Kemp,  a  solicitor's  clerk  in  Norwich.  His  father,  having  suffered  by  the  general 
agricultural  depression,  had  heavily  mortgaged  his  land,  which  consequently  was  relinquished  by 
his  son,  who  naturally  had  no  desire  to  continue  the  unprofitable  farming.  This  William  Kemp 
eventually  settled  in  London,  and  has  a  large  family,  who  have  spread  out  to  such  distant  places 
as  Manchester,  Swansea,  Leeds  and  Harrogate,  while  others  have  crossed  the  seas  to  California, 
Klondyke,  and  South  Africa. 

Another  branch  of  the  Carlton  Rode  Kemps  is  known  as  long  a-sociated  with  the  "  Society 
of  Friends,"  and  have  by  intermarriage  with  other  Quaker  families  become  nearly  related  to 
another  Kemp  Quaker  family,  of  whom  Caleb  Rickman  Kemp,  Esq  ,  J. P.,  of  Lewes,  is  the  present 
head,  but  whose  family  came  originally  from  Kent. 

Numerically  the  Kempes  of  Carlton  Rode,  Bun  well  and  Tibenham,  were  very  important,  but 
they  are  well  pictured  in  "  Grey's  Elegy  "  : 

.     .     .     "  Their  sober  wishes  never  learned  to  stray  ; 

Along  the  cool  sequester'd  vale  of  life 
They  kept  the  noiseless  tenour  of  their  way." 

Now,  however,  having  risen  above  the  village  life,  many  members  of  this  old  family  are 
making  good  positions  for  themselves,  and  our  colonies  as  well  as  our  cities  will  benefit  from  their 
long  dormant  powers. 

Another  Kemp  family  long  associated  with  Norfolk  and  Suffolk  is  represented  by  the  lay 
Secretary  of  the  S.  P.  G.,  William  Francis  Kemp,  M.A.,  Camb.,  who  acted  as  Secretary  to  the 
Ritualistic  Commission  of  1867,  and  who  married,  in  i860,  Julia  Lane  Grace,  third  daughter  of 
Sir  Daniel  Keyte  Sandford,  D.C.L.,  by  whom  he  had  a  daughter,  Geraldine  Kemp,  authoress  of 
"A  Modern  Mirabah,"  "Ingram,"  and  other  novels,  poems  and  songs  which  are  making  her  name 
well  known.     "A   Modern  Mirabah"   should   find  a  place  in  the  Ubraries  of  all  fiction-loving 


,     N(i)RFOLK. 


;  .ichard  K.  of  Carlton  Rode.     Will  l6l2^Jone. 


(?'  iobert)  Kemp  (?  of  Thelveston).     Will  1634. 


R.  and  Margaret  K.  Mary  K.  Elizabeth  K.  John  K.  of:=Elizabeth. 

1671.  Bunwell. 


lichard  K.  of  Bunwell.  Will  1695.  William  K.  of  C.R.  Will  i683=Margaret  Raye. 


^^Robeit  K.  (?  of  New  Buckingham).     Will  1701.  Edward  K. 

I  (?  of  Bunwell) 


Mary  K.^Wm.  Mitchel.  Elizabeth  K. 


Edward  K.  John  K.= 


John  K.  Mary  K.  Abigail  K. 


.lary  K.  George  David  K.  of  Heigham.     Will  1854. 


iunt  K.  Michael  K.  John  K.  David  Thomas  K.  Frederick  Charles  K. 

811.  born  1814  in  Australia.  1817-65. 


beth  Hammond,  Alfred  John  K.^Maria  Utting  H.  R.  K.  (Chemist)  of  Holloway. 

brn  1839,  bom  1851. 

rried  1865.  a  son  (Chemist)  of  Holloway. 


Leonard  K.  Sidney  Alfred  K.  Gertie  K.  Frank  Edward  K. 

FH  Afric/.  of  Leeds.  of  Harrogate. 


Lewis  V/ilby  K.  Hubert  Alfred  K.  Frederick  K.  Florence  Dorothy  K. 


66  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

residence  at  Stalham,  for  there  is  a  will  of  Robert  Kemp  of  that  place  entered  in  the  Norwich 
Consistory  Court  in  1T68-  There  is  in  the  same  court  a  will  of  John  Kemp,  of  Catfield,  which 
may  be  that  of  the  John  who  inherited  the  residue  of  this  estate. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  arms  are  justly  due  to  any  who  can  prove  themselves  representatives 
of  this  line,  it  will  be  interesting  if  further  information  concerning  the  descendants  are  sent  to  the 
compilers  of  this  history. 

We  are  unable  to  include  the  Kempes  of  Carlton  Rode  as  an  actual  branch  of  the  Kemps  of 
Gissing,  but  although  proof  is  wanting,  the  fact  of  their  being  established  so  close  to  Gissing  from 
the  sixteenth  century  makes  it  appear  probable  that  both  came  from  a  common  stock.  There  is, 
unfortunately,  a  break  in  the  pedigree,  due  to  the  want  of  registration  both  in  Probate  Courts  and 
Church  Registers,  that  prevents  the  numerous  descendants  from  the  Carlton  Rode  family  showing 
their  right  to  the  Kemp  arms.  Possibly  in  time  further  evidence  will  be  forthcoming  from  deeds 
and  local  records  which  will  make  good  the  two  missing  links.  The  pedigree  annexed  is  the 
outcome  of  much  research,  being  derived  from  some  twenty-five  wills  and  numerous  odd  items 
from  other  sources.  The  wills  are  in  every  case  to  be  found  in  the  Norwich  Probate  Office  ; 
they  contain,  however,  few  items  of  interest  other  than  the  relationships  shown.  The  family 
from  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century,  down  to  about  1740,  styled  themseves  yeomen,  and  the 
senior  branch  by  that  time  having  acquired  small  estates  deemed  themselves  entitled  to  be 
described  as  gentleman.  The  junior  branches,  however,  have  been  content  to  continue  as  yeomen 
farmers,  and  many  during  the  past  century  have  left  their  agricultural  pursuits  to  enter  business 
in  London  and  other  commercial  centres. 

One  of  the  last  Kemp  landowners  of  the  family  to  hold  property  in  and  around  Carlton  Rode, 
was  WiUiam  Kemp,  a  solicitor's  clerk  in  Norwich.  His  father,  having  suffered  by  the  general 
agricultural  depression,  had  heavily  mortgaged  his  land,  which  consequently  was  relinquished  by 
his  son,  who  naturally  had  no  desire  to  continue  the  unprofitable  farming.  This  William  Kemp 
eventually  settled  in  London,  and  has  a  large  family,  who  have  spread  out  to  such  distant  places 
as  Manchester,  Swansea,  Leeds  and  Harrogate,  while  others  have  crossed  the  seas  to  California, 
Klondyke,  and  South  Africa. 

Another  branch  of  the  Carlton  Rode  Kemps  is  known  as  long  asociated  with  the  "  Society 
of  Friends,"  and  have  by  intermarriage  with  other  Quaker  families  become  nearly  related  to 
another  Kemp  Quaker  family,  of  whom  Caleb  Rickman  Kemp,  Esq  ,  J. P.,  of  Lewes,  is  the  present 
head,  but  whose  family  came  originally  from  Kent. 

Numerically  the  Kempes  of  Carlton  Rode,  Bunwell  and  Tibenham,  were  very  important,  but 
they  are  well  pictured  in  "  Grey's  Elegy  "  : 

.     .     .     "  Their  sober  wishes  never  learned  to  stray  ; 

Along  the  cool  sequester'd  vale  of  life 
They  kept  the  noiseless  tenour  of  their  way." 

Now,  however,  having  risen  above  the  village  life,  many  members  of  this  old  family  are 
making  good  positions  for  themselves,  and  our  colonies  as  well  as  our  cities  will  benefit  from  their 
long  dormant  powers. 

Another  Kemp  family  long  associated  with  Norfolk  and  Suffolk  is  represented  by  the  lay 
Secretary  of  the  S.  P.  G.,  William  Francis  Kemp,  M.A.,  Camb.,  who  acted  as  Secretary  to  the 
Ritualistic  Commission  of  1867,  and  who  married,  in  i860,  Julia  Lane  Grace,  third  daughter  of 
Sir  Daniel  Keyte  Sandford,  D.C.L.,  by  whom  he  had  a  daughter,  Geraldine  Kemp,  authoress  of 
"A  Modern  Mirabah,"  "Ingram,"  and  other  novels,  poems  and  songs  which  are  making  her  name 
well  known.     "  A  Modern  Mirabah  "   should   find  a  place  in  the  libraries  of  all  fiction-loving 


PEDIGREE     OF     THE     KEMPES     OF     CARLTON     RODE,     NORFOLK. 


William  K.  of  Carlton  Rode=Katherine  K.  of  Carlton  Rode. 


Samuel  K.  of  C.R.        John  K.  of  C.R.        Stephen  K.         Katherine  K.         Fra 
Will  proved  1646.  Will  1643. 


John  Kemp,  of  Carlton  Rode.     Will  proved  l6t2. 


(?'ilobert)  Kemp  (?of  Thelveston).     Will  1634. 


Robert  K.  of  C.R.= 


Robert  K.  of  C.R.  Richard  K.  of  C.R.=Ann  Cwidow)  Edward  K.  of  Burslon.     V\   11  1667. 

Will  proved  168;.  Will  1669.  1       Will  1706.  i 

Richard  K.  of  C.R.     Will  1  669. 


Robert  K.  of  Thelveston,  Will  1676.  Richard  K.  of  Bunwell.  Will  169s. 


William  K.  of  C.R.  Will  j683=Mai 


Robert  K.  John  K. 


Mary  K.=Wm.  iMitchel. 


Elizabeth  K.,  only  child. 


George  David  K.  of  Heigham.     Will  1854. 


Richard  K.  of  Islington,  bur.  at^Maria  Holmes,  of  Gissing,  bur.  a 
Stoke  Newington  1877.  I         Stoke  Newington.  mar.  at 

Friends'  Meeting  House  1829. 


Elizabeth  K.        j       :ilatilda  K.  Le 

Henry  John  K=Elizabeth  Rli 


Daniel  Raynes  K.  William  Hunt  K.  Michael  K.  John  K. 

=Elizabeth  Reeker  bornlSlI. 

and  .Mrs.  Pippet.     ' 


William  K.=Elizabeth  Hammond,  Alfred  John  K.=Maria  Utting  H.  R.  K.  (Chemist)  of  Holloway. 

born  1839,  bom  1S51.       I  | 

arried  1865.  a  son  (Chemist)  of  Holloway. 


in  South  Africa 


Lewis  Wil 


I  I  I 

Hubert  .^fred  K.  Frederick  K.  Florence  Dorothy  K 


i;«=4: 


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68 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


Kempes,  and  the  song,  a  portion  of  which  we  reproduce  in  fac-simile  from  her  writing  (and  that 
of  Mr.  Percy  Fletcher),  is  sure  to  be  popular  among  those  to  whom  the  latest  form  of  cultured  love 

song  appeals.*  We  regret  that  space  at  our  disposal 
does  not  permit  us  to  reproduce  one  of  the  "  Kempe 
Traditions  "  which  she  specially  set  in  verse  for  this 
work,  it  alludes  to  one  of  the  Kemp  crests,  and  is  styled 
"  The  Legend  of  the  Pelican  feeding  her  young." 

Miss  Geraldine  Kemp's  grandfather  was  the  Rev. 
Edward  Curtis  Kemp,  M.A.,  for  many  years  Chaplain 
to  the  late  Duke  of  Cambridge,  who  presented  him 
with  a  valuable  gold  snuff  box,  the  illustration  of 
which  we  here  give.  Edward  Curtis  Kemp  was  a  writer 
of  a  very  large  number  of  tracts  and  small  works  of 
theological  interest,  the  list  of  which  is  too  long  for  us 
to  give  here,  but  that  on  "  Nonconformity,"  published 
in  1837,  may  be  mentioned  as  typical,  while  his 
rendering  into  Latin  Dr.  Watts'  Divine  Songs  indicates 
his  esteem  for  that  worthy  and  a  love  of  poetry  which 
he  has  handed  down.  This  Chaplain  was  a  represen- 
tative of  two  Kemp  lines,  who  apparently  derived  their 
descent  from  the  Kempes  of  Ipswich  t  in  the  fifteenth 
century.  He  was  born  at  Melton,  near  Woodbridge,  in 
1795,  and,  after  being  Rector  of  Whissonsett,  became 
the  Incumbent  of  St.  George's  Chapel,  Great  Yarmouth, 
in  1865,  where  he  remained  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1881. 


The  Rev.  Edward  Curtis  Kemp. 


t  Copyright  igoi,  Boosey  iS-  Co. 


*  Sec  Section  11.,  Chapter  IV. 


Snuff  Box  presented  by  the  Duke  of  Cambridge  to  the  Rev.  Edward  Curtis  Kemp. 


Section   III. 


The   Kemp  and   Kempe 


FAMILIES    OF 


Essex,  Middlesex  and 
Surrounding  Counties. 


The  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families  of  Essex,  Middlesex 
and  adjoining  Counties. 


CHqA'PTE'B^  I. 

EARLY    KEMPES    OF    ESSEX. 

THE  author  of  additions  to  Camden  says  that  the  Manor  of  Finchingfield,  Essex,  was  given 
by  Wilham  the  Conqueror  to  Roger  Bigod,  who  is  recorded  as  holding  it  in  Domesday, 
and  that  from  him  or  his  successors  it  passed  to  the  "  Compes,"  one  John  de  Compes, 
holding  this  manor  from  Edward  III.  by  the  service  of  turning  the  spit  at  the  coronation.  This 
speUing  of  the  name,  even  at  so  early  a  date,  is  uncommon,  but  there  can  be  little  doubt  that 
Compes,  Combes,  and  Kempe  were  at  this  time  variants  of  one  and  the  same  name.  As  stated  in 
the  chapter  on  the  origin  of  the  name  "comp,"  "  komp  "  and  "  kamp  "  are  early  spellings  of  the 
word  "camp."  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  Sampford  Magna,  which  adjoins  Finchingfield,  and  which 
was  partly  owned  by  the  Kempes  after  1500,  if  not  earlier,  was  held  in  the  time  of  Edward  II.  by 
Edward  de  Kemmesek^  who  also  possessed  at  his  death  Felstead  and  "  Illebury  "  Manors  in  the  same 
county,  with  other  manors  in  Suffolk  and  Cambridgeshire.  Edmund  de  Kemesek  next  held 
Sampford  Magna,  and  within  the  same  reign  it  passed  to  Petronilla,  daughter  and  heiress  of  this 
Edmund.  There  is  no  conclusive  evidence,  however,  to  show  that  Kemesek  became  Kemp. 
Probably  the  occurrence  of  the  two  names  at  the  same  place  is  merely  a  coincidence. 

If  there  may  be  doubt  as  to  Compes  being  ancestors  of  the  Kempes  of  Spains  Hall,  it  is  at  least 
evident  that  as  early  as  1350  the  Kempes  were  in  the  parish  of  Finchingfield,  for  in  the  Inquisitions 
and  Assessments  relating  to  Feudal  Aids  (preserved  in  the  Public  Record  Office),  for  the  period 
1284-1431  we  find  that  land  there  which  formerly  belonged  to  Thomas  de  Ruby  was  held  by  John 
Kempe  and  Agnes  his  wife  between  1346  and  1350.  From  the  same  authority  we  find  that  in 
1428  Richard  Kempe,  of  Finchingfield,  held  land  called  "  Snoterstones  "  in  the  parish,  which 
formerly  belonged  to  William  Ambresburye.  Between  these  dates  we  have  further  evidence  in 
the  Patent  Rolls  of  6  Richard  II.,  from  which  we  learn  that  John  Kempe,  of  Finchingfield, 
had  been  charged  with  high  treason  (perhaps  in  connexion  with  the  Wat  Tyler  insurrection),  and 
his  property  at  Newmarket,  Cambridge,  of  the  yearly  value  of  145.,  had  escheated  to  the  Crown. 
The  King,  by  patent  dated  4th  June,  1383,  granted  it  to  William  Power,  but  this  grantee 
surrendered  it  to  John  Kempe,  of  Finchingfield,  to  whom  a  pardon  had  been  given. 

In  1385  John  Kempe,  of  Finchingfield,  and  Katherine,  his  wife,  were  concerned  in  the 
payment  of  a  fine  for  land  at  Newmarket,  Geoffrey  Michael  and  William  Hore  being  probably  the 
purchasers.  (Pedes  Finium.)  These  same  Kempes  held  the  Manor  of  Dullingham,  Cambridge,  or 
at  least  had  some  interest  in  it  in  1382,  Alfredus  de  Veer^  Knight,  being  the  other  party  to  a  fine 
then  paid.  Dullingham,  it  would  appear,  was  for  long  connected  with  the  Kempes,  for  a  marriage 
license  was  issued  in  1667  for  Alice  Kempe  of  that  place  to  marry  William  Eade,  of  Cambridge, 


2  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Gent.,  her  grandmother,  Anne  Harrington,  being  her  guardian  as  her  parents  were  dead.  This 
license  permitted  the  marriage  to  take  place  either  at  Dullingham,  Worlington  in  Suffolk,  Bury 
in  Norfolk,  or  in  the  town  of  Warwick.  The  mention  of  the  last  place  may  point  to  the  Kempes 
of  that  place  being  related  to  those  of  Finchingfield.     (See  Midland  section.) 

Another  early  Kempe,  of  Essex,  of  whom  we  have  trustworthy  record,  was  Richard  Kempe, 
of  "  Little  Horkesley,"  who  appears  on  the  Roll  of  the  Hundred  of  Lexden  in  the  time  of 
Edward  I.  As  Little  Horkesley  belonged  in  the  eighteenth  century  to  the  Kempes,  it  is  possible 
that  the  property  had  descended  with  that  at  Finchingfield.  Morant's  history  states  that  John 
Kempe,  who  was  living  at  Finchingfield  in  the  time  of  the  first  King  Edward,  married  Alice 
Gunter,  and  supports  the  statement  by  quoting  a  deed  dated  the  twenty-fourth  year  of  that  reign, 
which  grants  a  piece  of  arable  land  in  Finchingfield,  opposite  Brent  Hall,  to  Humphrey,  and  Agnes, 
his  wife.  In  this  document  she  styles  herself  "  Uxor  quondam  Johannis  Kempe."  Nicholas 
Peche  and  others  were  witnesses  to  the  deed.  Where  this  deed  was,  or  is,  we  are  unable  to  say, 
but  there  is  little  doubt  that  the  statement  is  correct.  Morant  next  states  that  Nicholas  Kempe, 
the  son  of  this  Alice,  married  Margaret,  daughter  of  Richard  de  Hispania  (z>.,  Spain),  the 
possessor  of  Spain's  Hall,  which  had  descended  to  him  from  Hervey  de  Hispania,  who  built  the 
original  mansion  about  io68.  Whether  Spain's  Hall  actually  passed  to  the  Kempes  by  this 
marriage  we  have  no  other  authority  than  Morant  for  stating,  but  soon  after  this  the  family 
certainly  made  Spain's  Hall  their  chief  seat.  Margaret  Hispania  was  living  in  1310,  and  her  son, 
John  Kempe,  married  a  daughter  of  one  surnamed  Ramond  from  an  estate  which  he  owned  at 
Finchingfield,  he  being  the  son  of  John  de  Lincoln.  By  this  marriage  the  estate  of  Ramonds 
passed  to  the  Kempes  and  remained  with  them  for  some  three  or  four  centuries,  and  the  arms  of 
the  heiress  were  forthwith  quartered  by  her  husband.  Her  Christian  name  is  not  given  by  Morant 
nor  in  the  Heraldic  pedigree.  The  Inquisition  and  Assessment,  however,  point  to  her  as  Agnes 
Kempe,  who  was  living  between  1346  and  1350.  A  Nicholas  Kempe  held  a  part  of  West  Winch, 
near  King's  Lynn,  in  1346,  and  as  the  Essex  Kempes  continued  to  hold  land  in  that  district  we 
suggest  that  Nicholas,  of  Finchingfield  and  West  Winch,  died  about  1346,  and  thus  John  and 
Agnes  were  the  head  of  the  family  at  that  time  as  the  records  imply. 

Their  son  John  married  for  his  first  wife  a  daughter  of  Armesbury.  This  wedding  must  have 
occurred  before  1428,  since  the  Armesbury  property  had  passed  to  the  Kempes,  as  we  have  seen, 
before  that  date  ;  it  is  stated  that  Kempe  and  the  daughter  of  Armesbury  had  a  son  living  in 
1371  named  Richard^  and  this  is  quite  reasonable.  After  his  first  wife's  death  John  married 
Catherine,  the  same,  doubtless,  as  m.entioned  in  the  deed  on  which  a  fine  was  paid  in  1385.  By 
her  no  issue  is  recorded.  Richard  is  said  to  have  married  first  a  Katherine  and  secondly  Margaret, 
daughter  of  Robert  Jekell,  a  mercer  of  London.  The  name  of  Jekell  has  died  out,  and  what  little 
trace  we  have  of  the  family  was  summarized  in  a  short  article  in  Notes  and  Queries  of  14th 
April,  1900.  The  property  of  Jekells  and  Justices  passed  with  this  Margaret  Jekell  to  her  husband 
in  or  about  1406-  According  to  this  date  Richard  must  have  been  quite  an  old  man  at  the 
time  of  his  second  marriage.  We  therefore  incline  to  think  that  it  was  a  son  of  the  first  Richard 
who  married  Margaret  Jekell,  and  accordingly  introduce  his  name  as  belonging  to  a  distinct 
generation.  They  had  a  son,  William,  who  is  said  to  have  married  Alice,  daughter  and  heiress 
of  a  gentleman  named  Mild  or  Miles,  in  whose  right  the  Kempes  quartered  the  arms  of  that 
family.  What  property  she  brought  to  William  Kempe  or  her  children  we  are  unable  to  say ;  it 
was  probably  considerable,  for  her  son,  Robert  Kempe,  is  the  first  recorded  as  buried  in  the 
Kempe  Chapel  at  Finchingfield,  of  which  he  seems  to  have  been  the  founder  as  well  as  of  the 
Guild   House,  of  which  we  shall   presently  speak.     This  Robert  married   first  Ann  Apulderfield, 


HALL,     EJ'SEX, 


IIGINAL   RECORDS. 


e  Combes,  held  land  at; 
■vice  of  turning  the  sp 
living  at  time  c 


Finchingfield  by  the=Alice  Gunter,  mentioned  in  a  deed 
.  at  the  Coronation,     j         still  existing,  dated  1297. 
Edward  III.  j 

Nicholas  Combes  or  Kempe,:=Margaret,  d.  of  Richard  de  Hispania, 
of  Finchingfield.  '  living  1 3 10. 

John  Kempe=Agnes,  d.  of  Raymond, 
I  living  1346. 


nchingfield,  held  propei|.y=Katherine,  d.  of  Armesbury. 
idgeshire  1383  \ 

\  i~ 

F  Finchingfield=Alice,,  1.  of  Miles  or  Mildes. 


Finchingfield=Ann,  d'.  of  Apulderfield,  of  Kent. 


of  John  Maxey, 
w  of  Yardley) 


I        I        I        I        I        I        I        I 
Seven  sons  and  two  daughters. 


I  3rd  wife.  I  ist  husb.  \ 

=George  Kemp(-,  of=Mary  Corbet,  Margaret  K.=Geo.  Cavendish.  Ann  K.^Thos.  Wright. 

1  Cavendish,  <;  ed  widow  of  2nd  husb. 

!erfieid:=     at  Tottenha!  n  Woodhouse.  =Thos.  Downes. 

I  1606.  


Pamen. 


Dorothf  K.=:R.  Lee. 


fard  Golfer. 


Fra !  ces  K.^  .  .  .  Doughty. 


I  Tst  husb. 

Mary  K. ^Nicholas  Osbourne. 
2nd  husb. 
^ohn  Kitchiner,  of  Norwich. 


Ine  =Robert  Green,         George  Kempe,=Elizabeth  Spring.         Christopher  Kempe,=Agnes,  d.  of  Mathew 


of  Norwich, 


of  Norwich.  2nd  wife. 

Will  pro.  1644.  =:Bridget 


of  Smithfield  and 

Finchingfield, 
buried  at  F.  1630. 


JThomas  K.  Chri:  opher  K.  John  K.         George  K.         Charies  K. 

]  1617-  of  I  orwich. 

;\ Will    643.  S.P.       


Cockrode. 
Will  proved 


If  Richard  Randall.        \nne  K.= . .  .  Gage.       Elizabeth  K.=J.  Springham.       Mary  K.=Edward  Chaplin, 
ndrew  Parne. 
Df  Ralf  Minors. 


By  third  wife. 

ebecca. 

1                                                    1                                                    1                    1st  husb. 
Rebecca  K.=Cooper.                 Elizabeth  K.=Rogers.                 Anne  K.=Thomas  Briscoe 

2nd  husb. 
^J.  Chaplin. 

don) 

Anne  Kemp,                     Elizabeth  Kemp.                     Catherine  Kemp.                     Rebecca  Kemp 
of  London. 

2  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Gent.,  her  grandmother,  Anne  Harrington,  being  her  guardian  as  her  parents  were  dead.  This 
license  permitted  the  marriage  to  take  place  either  at  Dullingham,  Worlington  in  Suffolk,  Bury- 
in  Norfolk,  or  in  the  town  of  Warwick.  The  mention  of  the  last  place  may  point  to  the  Kempes 
of  that  place  being  related  to  those  of  Finchingfield.     (See  Midland  section.) 

Another  early  Kempe,  of  Essex,  of  whom  we  have  trustworthy  record,  was  Richard  Kempe, 
of  "  Little  Horkesley,"  who  appears  on  the  Roll  of  the  Hundred  of  Lexden  in  the  time  of 
Edward  I.  As  Little  Horkesley  belonged  in  the  eighteenth  century  to  the  Kempes,  it  is  possible 
that  the  property  had  descended  with  that  at  Finchingfield.  Morant's  history  states  that  John 
Kempe,  who  was  living  at  Finchingfield  in  the  time  of  the  first  King  Edward,  married  Alice 
Gunter,  and  supports  the  statement  by  quoting  a  deed  dated  the  twenty-fourth  year  of  that  reign, 
which  grants  a  piece  of  arable  land  in  Finchingfield,  opposite  Brent  Hall,  to  Humphrey,  and  Agnes, 
his  wife.  In  this  document  she  styles  herself  "  U.xor  quondam  Johannis  Kempe."  Nicholas 
Peche  and  others  were  witnesses  to  the  deed.  Where  this  deed  was,  or  is,  we  are  unable  to  say, 
but  there  is  little  doubt  that  the  statement  is  correct.  Morant  next  states  that  Nicholas  Kempe, 
the  son  of  this  Alice,  married  Margaret,  daughter  of  Richard  de  Hispania  {i.e.^  Spain),  the 
possessor  of  Spain's  Hall,  which  had  descended  to  him  from  Hervey  de  Hispania,  who  built  the 
original  mansion  about  1068.  Whether  Spain's  Hall  actually  passed  to  the  Kempes  by  this 
marriage  we  have  no  other  authority  than  Morant  for  stating,  but  soon  after  this  the  family 
certainly  made  Spain's  Hall  their  chief  seat.  Margaret  Hispania  was  living  in  1310,  and  her  son, 
John  Kempe,  married  a  daughter  of  one  surnamed  Ramond  from  an  estate  which  he  owned  at 
Finchingfield,  he  being  the  son  of  John  de  Lincoln.  By  this  marriage  the  estate  of  Ramonds 
passed  to  the  Kempes  and  remained  with  them  for  some  three  or  four  centuries,  and  the  arms  of 
the  heiress  were  forthwith  quartered  by  her  husband.  Her  Christian  name  is  not  given  by  Morant 
nor  in  the  Heraldic  pedigree.  The  Inquisition  and  Assessment,  however,  point  to  her  as  Agnes 
Kempe,  who  was  living  between  1346  and  1350.  A  Nicholas  Kempe  held  a  part  of  West  Winch, 
near  King's  Lynn,  in  1346,  and  as  the  Essex  Kempes  continued  to  hold  land  in  that  district  we 
suggest  that  Nicholas,  of  Finchingfield  and  West  Winch,  died  about  1346,  and  thus  John  and 
Agnes  were  the  head  of  the  family  at  that  time  as  the  records  imply. 

Their  son  John  married  for  his  first  wife  a  daughter  of  Armesbury.  This  wedding  must  have 
occurred  before  1428,  since  the  Armesbury  property  had  passed  to  the  Kempes,  as  we  have  seen, 
before  that  date  ;  it  is  stated  that  Kempe  and  the  daughter  of  Armesbury  had  a  son  living  in 
1371  named  Richard,  and  this  is  quite  reasonable.  After  his  first  wife's  death  John  married 
Catherine,  the  same,  doubtless,  as  m.entioned  in  the  deed  on  which  a  fine  was  paid  in  1385.  By 
her  no  issue  is  recorded.  Richard  is  said  to  have  married  first  a  Katherine  and  secondly  Margaret, 
daughter  of  Robert  Jekell,  a  mercer  of  London.  The  name  of  Jekell  has  died  out,  and  what  little 
trace  we  have  of  the  family  was  summarized  in  a  short  article  in  Notes  aud  Queries  of  14th 
April,  1900.  The  property  of  Jekells  and  Justices  passed  with  this  Margaret  Jekell  to  her  husband 
in  or  about  1406.  According  to  this  date  Richard  must  have  been  quite  an  old  man  at  the 
time  of  his  second  marriage.  We  therefore  incline  to  think  that  it  was  a  son  of  the  first  Richard 
who  married  Margaret  Jekell,  and  accordingly  introduce  his  name  as  belonging  to  a  distinct 
generation.  They  had  a  son,  William,  who  is  said  to  have  married  Alice,  daughter  and  heiress 
of  a  gentleman  named  Mild  or  Miles,  in  whose  right  the  Kempes  quartered  the  arms  of  that 
family.  What  property  she  brought  to  William  Kempe  or  her  children  we  are  unable  to  say ;  it 
was  probably  considerable,  for  her  son,  Robert  Kempe,  is  the  first  recorded  as  buried  in  the 
Kempe  Chapel  at  Finchingfield,  of  which  he  seems  to  have  been  the  founder  as  well  as  of  the 
Guild  House,  of  which  we  shall   presently  speak.     This  Robert  married   first  Ann  Apulderfield, 


PEDIGREE    C 


THE     KEMPES     OF     SPAIN'S     HALL,     E;;SEX. 


From  '*  Visitations  "  made  by  the  Heralds,  with  additions  from  original  records. 


=  Jans  Colt       Mary,  d.  of  John  Colt  =  WiLLlAME  Ke 


William  Kempe,  of  Finching:field=Alice,,i.  of  Miles 


Elizabeth,  d.  of  Cleraent=Robert  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall,  Henry  K.=Elizabeth  (living  1563)  John  K.=Elizabeth.  Arthur  K., 

Hieham,  of  Baron  Hall,   I  died  1527,  buried  in  of  West        of  Bury  St.  Edmunds.  d.  before  I  of  London. 

Finchingfield  Church.  Ham.  15119.     |  Will  1562. 

John  Kempe,  ?  of  Walpote. 


John  K.= 
of  London. 
Will  1569. 


Margaret  Lai  _ 

:nd  wife.  Cavendish,  (]  ed  widow  of 

Margaret  -Apulderfield^     at  Tottenhan  Woodhouse. 


I  K.=Geo.  Cavendish.         Ann  K.=Thos.  Wright. 
2nd  husb. 
=Thos.  Downes. 


WiUiam  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall  ("the  Mute,")=Phillipa,  d.  of  Francis 

M.I.  in  Finchingfield  Church  1628.  |       Gunter,  mar.  1588. 

John  Burgoyne^Jane  Kempe  (only  child). 


ces,  d.  of  Mingay, 
,f  Amiinghall, 
died  1633. 


t  K.=Clement  Pamen.  Dorothy    K.=R.  Le( 


.ile. 


Sir  Robert  Kempe,  Knight,=Eltzabeth,  d.  of  Nicholas  Miller,  of  Kent, 
of  Spain's  Hall.  2nd  wife. 

Will  proved  1663.       ^Elizabeth,  d.  of  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  Bart.,  of  Gissing. 
I  3rd  wife. 

I  ^Elizabeth,  d  of  Thomas  Stewart,  she  remarried  King,  of  Bai 


Elizabeth  K.=  Ralf  Outlaw 


Isabelle  K.=Edward  Colfer. 


Mary  Kempe  (only  child)^Sir  Francis  Tibbard. 


Hlenor  Drew,=John  Kempe,  of  Pentlow  Hall 

of  Devonshire.  |  buried  in  large  tomb  in  Pentloi 

Church.     Will  proved  1610 


Alice  Kempe^George  Soi 


of  Wickhambrook. 


George  Kempe,^Elizabeth  Spring.        Christopher  Kempe,=Agnes,  d.  of  Mathew 

■       ■  of  Smithlield  and  -     •       ■ 

Finchingfield, 
buried  at  F.  1630. 


buned  in  Pentlow  Church.; 


.Mary  Kempe=Sir  John  Win 


Windsor  Finch=;:Katherine  Kempe. 


John  K.=  .  .  .  Brooke. 

John  Kempe=Kalhe.i 


s  Daniel,  of  Buimen 
By  second  wife. 


iMathew  K.  Maria  K.         Ferdinando  K.        Anne  K.         Thon 

1611— Ig.  1643,  1613-44.  1614-16.  161; 

of  Lyng,  Norfolk.  

ine,  d.  of  Robert  ]  j  Ist  wife. 

.wer,  of  Borley,  George  Kempe,       Thomas  Kemp,=Elizibeth,  d.  of  Richard  Randall 

,  of  Ralf  Redman.  S.P.  of  London.  znd  wife. 

^  Will  proved     =Mary,  d.  of  Andrew  Parne. 

Barbara  K.  '692.  Jrd  wife. 

I  =Elizabeth,  d.  of  Ralf  iMinors. 


Chri.'  opher  K. 

of  I  orwich. 
Will    643.  S.P. 


John  K.         George  K.         Charles  K. 


.Gage.       Elizabeth  K.=J.Springl 


Mary  K.^Edward  Chaplin. 


Mary  K. 
^  . .  .  Bernard. 

~.         I... 


Rebecca  K.=:Coopei 


Elizabeth  K.=:Rogers. 


=:Thomas  Bris 

2nd  husb. 
=J.  Chaplin. 


=Bnan  Brodley. 

(I" 


1  the  present  Dyer  Baronet  is  descended) 


Alice  Kemp, 
=Thos  Osbourne.  ' 
(a  Bookseller  of  London) 


sp 


am  s 


Hall. 


of  Kent,  and  quartered  her  arms,  which  arms  are  also  quartered  by  the  Kempes  of  Kent  by  a 
distant  descent  through  the  Chiche  family.  Thus  we  might  show  a  common  ancestry  to  the 
Kent  and  the  Essex  Kempes,  although  so  far  as  their  Kempe  ancestors  are  concerned  they  were 
in  no  way  related.  The  conne-xion,  however,  was  sufficiently  close  to  bring  members  of  the  family 
together,  while  the  heads  of  both  families  as  men  of  social  standing  shared  in  raising  arms  for  the 
safety  of  the  Kingdom. 

The  children  of  Robert  and  his  wife  are  said  to  have  numbered  ten — seven  sons  and  three 
daughters — but  their  names  are  not  known  with  the  exception  of  the  eldest,  William  Kempe,  who 
inherited  the  property,  including  Spain's  Hall,  in  1524.     According  to  this  descent  two  generations 


only  held  Spain's  Hall  during  the  whole  century,  1400  to  1500,  which  is  so  unusual  that  we 
suspect  another  generation  has  been  omitted.  We  are,  however,  unable  to  set  this  right,  as  no 
series  of  wills  relating  to  Essex  include  wills  of  Kempes  of  that  county  until  after  the  death  of  the 
Robert  Kempe  of  whose  memorial  brass  we  here  give  an  illustration  (1527)- 

We  may  here  briefly  say  that  the  chapel  of  the  Kempes  of  Essex  is  still  in  existence,  but  is 
now  the  property  of  the  Ruggles-Brise  family,'who  purchased  Spain's  Hall  so  far  back  as  1729. 
Several  inscriptions  to  the  Brises  now  appear  in  the  chapel,  but  the  Kempe  altar-tomb,  and  one 
to  William  Kempe  still  remain.  The  squires'  pews  have  been  turned  to  face  the  chancel,  thus 
leaving  much  clear  space  which  adds  to  the  effect  of  the  chapel  from  the  nave.  No  stained  glass 
is  left  in  the  church,  which  otherwise  is  full  of  interest  to  the  antiquary.  Adjoining  the  church- 
yard is  the  almshouse  founded  by  the  Kempes  of  Spain's  Hall,  which  still  fulfils  its  original 
purpose. 


CHoATTETi    II. 


SPAIN'S    HALL. 

WE  now  come  to  the  period  when  records  began  to  be  carefully  kept  and  preserved,  so 
that  we  learn  not  only  the  descent  of  the  heads  of  the  family  but  also  their  brothers' 
and  sisters'  fortunes.  The  Finchingfield  registers,  we  believe,  are  quite  perfect,  but 
we  have  been  unable  to  obtain  extracts  from  them.  The  earliest  wills  of  Kempes  of  Essex  are 
given  here  as  a  possible  means  of  tracing  earlier  branches  of  the  Spain's  Hall  family.  It  is,  how- 
ever, noticeable  that  in  each  instance  given  below  the  testators  are  "  yeomen,"  whereas  we  should 


4  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Faniilies. 

expect  relatives  of  Finchingfield  Kempes  to  style  themselves  "  gentlemen."     The  following  are 
wills  and  administrations  proved  or  granted  in  the  Archdeaconry  Court  of  Essex. 


John  Kempe  als.  Campe,  Dagenham,  1551. 
Richard  Kempe,  Hutton,  1556. 

Thomas  Kempe,  St.  Osyth,  1 560. 

John  Kempe,  Great  Burstead,  1562. 


Arthur  Kempe  (?  Kemys),  1574- 

John  Kempe,  Mucking,  IS76. 

Edward  Kempe,  Canewdon.  1585. 

John  Kempe,  Stanford-le-Hope.  1603. 


During  this  period  in  the  same  court  Campes  appear  at  the  following  places  :  South  Benfleet, 
1493,  Danbury,  1491,  Prtttlcwell,  1504,  and  Nazing  in  1539  and  1558.  As  to  these  Campes  of 
Nazing,  we  should  remark  that  the  family  were  at  Standon,  in  Hertfordshire,  as  early  as  1463,  and 
at  Nazing  before  1500,  where  we  know  that  they  remained  for  some  150  years  or  more.  A  branch 
of  the  family  obtained  arms,  and  members  became  citizens  of  London,  but  for  the  most  part  the 
Campes  remained  yeomen  and  continued  in  the  county  down  to  quite  recent  times.  Camp,  as  an 
alias  of  Kemp,  occurs  at  least  down  to  the  beginning  of  the  last  century,  for  even  in  1797  we  find 
an  "  Ann  Kemp,  otherwise  Camp,  formerly  Ann  Turner,"  proving  the  will  of  William  Camp,  her 

husband.  At  Prittlewell 
Kemp  and  Camp  grave- 
stones are  placed  close 
together  as  if  to  suggest 
that  the  Kemps  of  that 
place  were  related  to  the 
Camps.  In  this  place, 
however,  it  is  evident 
from  the  church  registers 
that  the  names  did  not 
continue  from  1504,  for 
neither  appear  therein 
until  about  1750  when 
both  occur.  In  the  Essex 
portion  of  the  Arch- 
deaconry of  Middlesex  no 
earlier  instance  of  Kempe 
occurs  than  1591,  when 
Rose  Kempe  having  re- 
nounced, her  son,  Thomas 
Kempe,  of  Braintree,  ob- 
tained power  to  administer  the  estate  of  his  late  father,  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Castle  Hedingham. 
Turning  to  the  Prerogative  Court  of  Canterbury  (in  which  wills  relating  to  more  than  one 
diocese  had  to  be  proved)  we  find  the  earliest  will  of  a  Kempe,  of  Essex,  is  indexed  in  1562- 
This  is  the  will  of  Arthur  Kempe,  Gent.,  of  Lincoln's  Inn  and  Finchingfield.  His  exact 
relationship  is  shown  by  a  bequest  of  £10  towards  the  repair  of  his  brother  Robert  Kempe's 
chapel  and  twenty  shillings  for  books  and  ornaments  in  Finchingfield  Church.  He 
further  mentions  his  sisters  Downes,  Cavendish  and  Wright  ;  his  brothers  John,  Henry  and 
George  :  his  nephew,  Arthur,  son  of  Robert  Kempe  ;  Alice  and  Jane,  daughters  of  George,  his 
brother  ;  his  nephew,  William  Kempe,  and  also  Mary,  Bridget,  and  Margaret  Kempe,  whose 
relationship  is  not  stated.  To  the  New  Building  of  Lincoln's  Inn  he  leaves  £b  i^s.  4^.  ;  Arthur, 
son  of  Henry  Kemp,  receives  /loo.     He  leaves  his  law  books  and  gown  to  Arthur,  son  of  Robert. 


Spain's  Hall  (front  view),  Finchingfield. 
The  chief  seat  of  the  Kempes  of  Essex,  1 300-1 720. 


Spain's  Hall. 


The  residue  of  his  estates  goes  to  his  brother  George,  who  is  appointed  executor  ;  Robert  Kempe, 
Esq.,  and  John  Kempe,  of  London,  draper,  acting  with  him.  The  only  real  estate  mentioned  are 
leasehold  lands  in  West  Ham,  in  which  place  it  will  be  seen  Kempes  of  this  and  other  families 
held  property  at  various  times  if  not  continuously. 

Henry  Kempe,  brother  of  the  above  testator,  is,  it  appears,  the  same  as  one  of  his  name 
whose  will  was  proved  in  the  same  court  in  1563  (P-  C.  C,  41  Chayre).  He  is  described  as 
"  Gent.,"  of  Bury  St.  Edmunds,  and  desired  to  be  buried  in  the  churchyard  of  "  Swans  "  in  that 
town.  His  estate  he  leaves  to  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  subject  to  a  small  sum  to  St.  Mary's  for  "  tithes 
negligently  forgotten."  William  Purdie  is  the  appointed  supervisor  ;  the  witnesses  are  named 
Wiffin,  Nycholas  and  Stock. 

John  Kempe,  the  citizen  and  mercer  mentioned  above,  was,  he  states,  apprenticed  to  William 
Parker,  to  whom,  by  his  will  dated  8th  September,  I  569,  he  left  ^^50.  This  John  Kempe,  the 
mercer,  mentions  his  nephew,  John  Kempe,  son  of  his  late  brother,  John  Kempe.  It  was  by  no 
means  unusual  during  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  and  earlier  to  baptize  two  brothers  with  the 
same  name,  and  it  makes 
the  identification  of  the 
numerous  John  Kempes 
very  difficult  ;  in  this  case 
we  cannot  say  what  be- 
came of  the  nephew  John, 
nor  when  or  where  his 
father  died  ;  his  mother's 
Christian  name  was  Eliza- 
beth, and  she  was  living  in 
1569.  To  the  Universities 
of  Cambridge  and  Oxford 
he  left  ^200  each,  and  an 
annuity  to  Theodor  Bacon, 
son  of  Thomas  Bacon,  and 
John  Wynnesherst,  that 
they  might  study  at  one 
of  these  universities.  He 
mentions  Robert,  second 
son  of  his  eldest  brother 
Robert  ;       John    Kempe, 

eldest  son  of  his  brother  George  ;  and  his  own  son,  Arthur,  who  was  at  the  time  a  minor.  The 
only  landed  property  named  is  a  messuage  in  Bromley-at-Bow,  relative  to  which  we  find  fines 
recorded  in  1566  and  1569.  Andrew  Young,  Gent.,  with  his  wife,  Margery,  and  John  Barnby, 
Gent.,  were  concerned  in  a  moiety  of  this  property.  The  messuage  was  bequeathed  to  Mary 
Aylyffe  for  her  life  and  afterwards  to  the  testator's  son,  Arthur,  who  is  recorded  to  have  paid  a 
fine  in  1585,  when  the  other  party  to  the  transaction  was  Roger  James.  Others  mentioned  in 
this  will  are  "  Uncle  "  Thomas  Colt  and  his  daughter  Joan  ;  his  sister,  Anne  Wright,  deceased  ; 
his  sister  Margaret,  wife  of  George  Cavendish,  and  his  friends  Robert  Crowley,  Henry  Middleton, 
Sir  William  Cordall,  Knight,  and  Edward  Lilsey.  The  will  particularly  states  that  the  testator 
was  born  at  Finchingfield,  where  one  hundred  sermons  are  directed  to  be  preached,  the  clergy 
being  paid  for  these  out  of  the  estate.     At  St.  Antholm's  (?  London)  also  one  hundred  sermons 


Spain's  Hall  (south  side),  Fincliingfield. 
The  chief  seat  of  the  Kempes  of  Eese.x,  1300-1727. 


6  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

were  paid  for,  and  a  third  hundred  were  to  be  provided  for  at  the  discretion  of  Robert  and 
George  Kempe.  One  hundred  pounds  was  bequeathed  to  St.  George's,  Southwark,  with  the  object 
of  starting  young  men  in  business,  the  money  being  lent  to  worthy  individuals  for  that  purpose 
free  of  interest.     This  sum  is  now  the  means  of  providing  poor  parishioners  with  bread. 

The  Register  of  St.  Antholm,  Budge  Row,  London,  says  that  William  Young,  a  servant 
to  John  Kempe,  was  buried  there  in  1563,  and  it  also  gives  the  baptisms  of  William  and 
Francis,  sons  of  Francis  Kempe,  in  1565-6,  and  the  marriage  of  a  Dorothy  Kempe  with 
John  Token  in  1569.  We  do  not,  however,  know  that  these  were  connected  with  the  Kempes  of 
Finchingfield. 

The  will  of  an  Arthur  Kemp,  Gent.,  of  Suckles,  Bradfield,  was  proved  in  1595  (P.  C.  C, 
63  Scott).  It  mentions  his  son,  Henry  Kempe,  and  leaves  money  to  other  children,  who  are  not 
named.  The  widow,  named  Mary,  was  to  hold  the  legacies  until  the  children  came  of  age.  The 
witnesses  to  this  will  were  Robert  and  William  Jermyn,  James  Bacon,  William  Webb  and 
Edmond  Smythe.  Persons  of  the  name  of  Jermyn  and  Bacon  were  at  this  time  closely  related  to 
the  Kempes  of  Gissing,  with  which  family  it  will  be  seen  these  Essex  Kempes  were  intimate.  It 
seems  likely  that  this  Arthur  was  the  son  of  Robert  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall,  and  not  son  of  John, 
the  citizen  and  draper  of  London. 

We  do  not  know  if  the  place  here  mentioned  is  identical  with  Bradfield,  near  Harwich,  but 
it  may  be  here  noted  that  Aluric  Camp  held  land  at  Bradfield  so  far  back  as  the  time  of  the 
Confessor  ;  it  had,  however,  passed  from  the  Camps  in  the  Conqueror's  reign. 

It  will  be  seen  by  the  pedigree  annexed  that  George  Kempe  mentioned  above  was  founder  of 
a  branch  which  eventually  inherited  the  chief  estates.  We  shall  deal  with  this  line  later,  and 
therefore  pass  over  the  intervening  wills  to  that  of  John  Kempe,  of  London,  Gent.,  which  was 
proved  in  1612  (P.  C.  C,  Fenner  77).  This  is  important,  as  showing  a  mistake  which  has  been 
copied  from  the  Heralds'  Visitation  into  .several  county  histories  and  other  works.  The  testator 
more  than  once  speaks  of  his  son,  Robert  Kempe,  of  Heydon,  in  Norfolk,  and  of  his  son,  William 
Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall.  This,  with  other  evidence,  shews  that  again  a  generation  has  been  omitted. 
William,  Robert,  Isabelle,  Mary  and  Francis,  all  children  of  Robert  Kempe,  of  Heydon,  are 
mentioned,  as  also  Anne,  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Gawaynt  Whittingham,  of  Tottenham,  goddaughter 
of  the  testator.  A  piece  of  plate  valued  at  ;^6o  is  devised  to  William  Abbot,  citizen  and  grocer 
of  London,  dwelling  in  London.  This  last  was  made  overseer  to  the  e.xecutor,  Mr.  Robert  Kempe, 
of  Heydon.     William  and  Ambrose  Abbott  witnessed  the  will. 

Concerning  persons  of  the  name  of  Abbott  connected  with  various  Kempe  families  we  have 
several  notes.  The  most  distinguished  was  Archbishop  Abbot,  who  crowned  James  I.,  and  was 
co-founder  of  the  Trinity  Hospital,  Guildford,  with  Sir  Nicholas  Kempe.  Certainly  Sir  Nicholas 
did  not  belong  to  the  Essex  family,  for  his  arms  are  displayed  on  his  tomb  as  well  as  on  seals  ;  yet 
in  many  points  he  seems  more  closely  connected  with  friends  of  the  Kempes  of  Spain's  Hall  than 
with  either  of  those  families  whose  arms  he  used.  But,  as  we  have  said,  Norfolk  and  Essex 
Kempes  were  repeatedly  united  by  marriage,  while  the  Kentish  Kempes  at  this  period  are  known 
to  have  bought  property  from  both  Essex  and  Norfolk  Kempes,  who  also  bought  from  the  Kentish 
family,  thus  showing  that  the  principal  families  of  the  name  were  intimate  although  of  very 
distinct  descent.  A  Richard  Kempe,  of  Cornard,  in  Suffolk  (close  to  the  borders  of  Essex), 
mentions  in  his  will,  of  1584,  his  son-in-law,  John  Abbott  :  there  may  be  thus  an  intermarriage 
with  the  Abbotts  which  occasioned  or  resulted  from  the  intimacy  of  the  two  families.  Richard 
Kempe,  of  Cornard,  describes  himself  only  as  a  "labourer,"  while  the  parents  of  Archbishop  Abbot 
and  his  vi^orthy  brothers  were  very  humble  people  of  Guildford. 


1599- 

14th  November. 

i6o3. 

8th  September. 

1604. 

3rd  February. 

1609. 

8th  February. 

1612. 

1615. 

28th  July. 

1626. 

29th  March. 

1633- 

23rd  December. 

1664. 

3rd  June. 

Spain  s  Hall.  7 

The  Heydon  Church  Registers  contain  the  following  items,  which  confirm  the  statements  in 

the  will  given  above  : 

Isabelle,  daughter  of  Robert  Kempe,  Gent,     (baptized) 

Frances,  „  ,,  ,,  ,,  „ 

Mary,  „  „  „  „  „ 

William,  son  of  ,,  ,,  ,,  „ 

John  Kempe,  Gent,     (buried)  '  ' 

Robert  Kempe,  Gent.         ,, 

William,  son  of  Robert  Kempe,  Gent.,  and  Frances  his  wife,     (buried) 

Mrs.  Frances  Kempe,  Widow,     (buried) 

Mrs.  Mary  Kitchingman.     (buried) 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  that  Robert  Kempe,  of  Heydon,  only  survived  his  father  John  some 
three  years  and  was  buried  near  him.  His  will  was  proved  by  Frances  Kempe,  his  relict,  in  1615,  in 
the  Norwich  Consistory  Court.  To  his  wife  he  leaves  his  lands  at  Heydon  and  Sail  for  her  life  and 
then  to  his  eldest  son  Robert  Kempe,  he  paying  to  William  Kempe,  the  younger  son  of  the 
the  testator,  ^20  a  year  out  of  it.  He  also  leaves  the  profits  arising  out  of  his  lands  in  Essex  to 
his  wife  for  the  purpose  of  educating  and  bringing  up  his  younger  children.  What  these  Essex 
lands  were  is  not  stated,  but  doubtless  they  were  part  of  the  patrimony  of  the  Spain's  Hall  Kempes. 
To  each  of  his  daughters  he  left  X-°°i  'o  his  son  Robert  half  his  household  "  stuff,"  to  his  sister 
Kempe  he  left  a  ring  and  to  his  brother  William  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall,  his  hawks  and  five  marks. 
The  testator  also  mentions  his  father-in-law,  John  Mingay,  of  Arminghall,  Esq.,  his  mother-in-law 
Isabella  Mingay,  his  brothers-in-law  Henry  Mingay  and  Clement  Pamen,  Gent.,  the  last  two  being 
appointed  overseers.  A  cousin  William  Peirce  is  mentioned  also  and  Helen  Pearce,  Winifred  Bell, 
Rebecca  Barber  and  William  Pearce  were  witnesses. 

Frances,  the  wife  of  this  testator,  was,  as  will  be  seen,  the  daughter  of  John  Mingay,  of 
Norfolk,  and  it  seems  that  she  had,  in  addition  to  her  husband's  lands,  other  property  at  Heydon 
to  which  she  became  heir  under  the  will  of  her  father,  proved  in  1622.  On  this  (by  her  will 
proved  at  Norwich  1633)  she  made  a  charge  of  £1  per  annum  to  be  distributed  to  the  poor  prisoners 
in  Norwich  Gaol  and  for  preaching  three  sermons  annually  to  them.  This  settlement  however 
has  now  failed  to  have  effect,  for  so  long  ago  as  1808,  on  enquiry  being  made,  only  one  instance  of 
a  donation  being  given  from  the  fund  could  be  cited.  The  Heralds  who  attended  the  funeral  of 
John  Mingaye  made  a  certificate  to  the  effect  that  Frances  Kempe  was  his  daughter  and  that  she 
then  had  the  following  children  :  Robert  and  William,  both  hving  ;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Ralf  Outlaw 
or  Utiaw,  of  Winningham,  Norfolk,  Gent.  ;  Isabelle,  wife  of  Edward  Colfer,  of  Wooddalling,  Esq.  ; 
Frances,  wife  of  William  Drury,  of  Hamworth,  Norfolk,  and  Mary  who  was  unmarried.  Mary 
married  soon  afterwards  however,  for  her  monument  in  Heydon  Church  has  the  following 
inscription  : 

"  Here  lyeth  the  body  of  Mary  one  of  the  daughters  of  Robert  Kempe  Esq.,  sometime  the  wife  of  Nicholas  Osbourne, 
Gent,  and  late  wife  of  John  Kitchiningman,  Gent,  who  departed  this  life  the  1st  of  June  1664." 

Frances  Kempe  died  in  1633  and  was  buried  with  her  husband  at  Heydon,  their  monument 
there  having  this  inscription  : 

"  Here  lyeth  the  body  of  Robert  Kempe  Esq.,  who  descended  of  that  Ancient  Family  of  Spaynes  Hall  in  Essex  and 
departed  this  life  in  July  1615.     Next  unto  him  lyeth  the  body  of  his  loving  wife  Mrs.  Frances  who  died  in  December  1633." 

Ralph  Outlaw  was  of  Little  Winchingham  (not  "  Winningham  ")  and  was  party  to  a  deed 
made  between  the  two  Sir  Robert  Kempes,  dated  17th  September,  7th  of  Charles  I.,  relating  to  the 
marriage  of  Elizabeth  Kempe,  of  the  Norfolk  family,  with  Robert  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall.  It 
appears  from  this  that  certain  lands  at  Old  and  New  Buckenham  were  settled  upon  the  bride  or 
charged  with  an  annuity  in  her  favour.     On  this  interesting  document  (which  is  noted  in  Howard's 


8  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

printed  "  Visitation  of  Suffolk  ")  are  seals  as  follows  :  A  chevron  engrailed  between  three  estoiles. 
Crest,  an  arm,  couped  at  the  elbow,  holding  a  chaplet,  representing  Robert  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall. 
Also,  on  a  bend  between  two  lions  rampant,  three  dolphins  embowed,  for  Osbourne, — doubtless 
the  seal  of  Nicolas  Osbourne,  brother-in-law  to  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall. 

Before,  however,  this  deed  was  made  William  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall,  brother  to  the  above 
Robert,  had  died.  He  it  was  whose  singular  monument  has  given  notoriety  to  a  story  which  is 
still  the  chief  tradition  of  Finchingfield.  As  told  to-day  in  his  native  village  it  appears  that  this 
squire,  returning  from  a  banquet,  used  foul  language  to  his  wife,  whose  gentle  nature  was  so  hurt 
that  her  tears  were  with  difficulty  stopped.  When  the  squire  returned  to  his  sober  senses  he  vowed 
that  for  seven  years  he  would  speak  no  word  to  anyone.  This  vow  he  most  rigorously  kept,  filling 
up  his  days  with  manual  labour  by  way  of  further  penance.  His  toil  resulted  in  the  formation  of 
seven  pools  or  fishponds,  each  one  larger  than  the  last,  stretching  away  from  the  hall  to  the  woods 
near  the  town.  His  self-inflicted  punishment  was  just  completed — they  say  that  it  was  the  very 
day  that  he  could  once  more  speak — when  he  died.  The  story,  though  told  with  variations,  is 
founded  on  fact,  for  the  tablet  to  the  memory  of  himself  and  his  wife,  in  the  Kempe  Chapel  of 
Finchingfield  Church,  reads  as  follows  : 

"  Here  lyeth  William  Kempe  Esquire,  Pious,  just,  hospitable,  Master  of  himself  soe  much,  that  what  others  scarce  doe 
by  force  and  penalties  Hee  did  by  a  Voluntary  constancy  Hold  his  peace  Seaven  yeares.  Who  was  interred  June  ye  loth 
1628  aged  73. 

"  And  Philip(pa)  his  wife,  A  woman  of  a  chaste  life  and  religion,  discreet  in  both,  who  was  outlived  by  her  husband 
in  ye  course  of  her  owne  life  five  yeares,  and  interred  August  21  1623,  the  parents  of  one  onely  Davghter  and  child  Jane, 
married  with  a  dubble  portion  of  graces  and  fortune  into  the  Ancient  family  of  ye  Burgoinies  in  Warwickshire." 

Philppa  Kempe  was  the  daughter  and  co-heir  of  Francis  Gunter,  of  London  and  of  Aldbury, 
Herts.     Her  marriage  settlement  is  dated  loth  October,  1588. 

The  husband  of  this  child  was  John  Burgoyne,  of  Sutton,  in  Bedfordshire,  Esq.,  and  it  is 
believed  that  from  this  couple  the  present  Vicar  of  Finchingfield  is  descen-ded.  John  Burgoyne,  of 
Sutton,  was  a  grandson  of  Robert  Burgoyne,  of  Wroxall,  whose  Inquisition  was  taken  in  1613,  which 
shows  that  the  latter  owned  property  in  Staffordshire  as  well  as  in  Warwickshire.  It  might  hence 
be  supposed  the  Kempes  of  those  counties  are  an  early  branch  of  the  Spain's  Hall  family,  but  it  is 
more  likely  that  John  Burgoyne  became  acquainted  with  his  wife  through  his  mother's  family — 
the  Wendys,  of  Cambridge — one  of  whom  married  Thomas  Steward,  of  Barton  Mills,  and  had 
a  daughter  who  eventually  married  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall,  thus  twice  linking  the 
Wendy  and  Kempe  famihes  within  some  twenty  years. 


CHcATTETi  III. 

SIR  ROBERT   KEMPE,  KNIGHT. 

ROBERT  KEMPE,  son  of  Robert  Kempe,  of  Heydon,  succeeded  to   the  chief  estates  at 
Finchingfield  on  the  death  of  his  uncle  William.     This   uncle  had   died   intestate  and 
powers  of  administration  were  granted  (1629)   to  Robert  on  Jane  Burgoyne  (the  only 
child)  renouncing. 

Robert  Kempe  had  married,  previous  to  this  date,  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Nicholas  Miller,  of 


Sir  Robert  Kempe^  Knight.  9 

Kent,  and  had  by  her  three  or  more  children.     She  was  buried  at  Wrotham  Church,  Kent,  and 
the  inscription  on  her  tomb  is  given  in  Thorpe's  "  Registrum  Roffense  "  as  follows  : 

"  Here  lyeth  the  bodye  of  Elizabeth  Kempe  wife  of  Robert  Kempe  of  Spains  Hall  in  Finchingfield,  in  the  County  of 
Essex  Esq,  and  daughter  to  Nicholas  Miller  Esquire  who  departed  this  life  28  June  .  .  .  30  .  .  ." 

We  take  the  date  to  mean  1630,  but  believe  that  the  inscription  is  not  now  existing.  In  the 
same  church  however  are  monuments  to  John  Burgoyn  and  Margaret  Burgoyn,  probably  relations 
of  the  John  Burgoyne  who  married  Jane  Kempe,  of  Finchingfield. 

Robert  Kempe,  as  mentioned  in  the  Norfolk  section,  was  very  intimate  with  Sir  Robert 
Kempe,  Knight,  and  afterwards  Baronet  of  Gissing,  and  chose  as  his  second  wife  Elizabeth  Kempe, 
sister  to  this  first  Baronet.  In  the  Dairy  collection  (Brit.  Mus.  Additional  MSS.  19,138),  deeds 
concerning  this  marriage  are  given  dated  7th  Charles  I.  and  settling  "all  Finchingfield  with 
patronage"  on  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing,  the  latter  paying  a  peppercorn  if  demanded.  This 
agreement  was  to  be  void  if  the  marriage  failed  to  be  solemnized  before  ist  October,  1634.  A 
second  deed  fixes  the  fine  at  ^^1,000  if  the  marriage  does  not  take  place,  and  a  third  settles  ;^ioo 
a  year  out  of  the  mortgaged  Finchingfield  estates  on  Robert  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall.  These  deeds 
seem  to  point  to  extravagance  on  the  part  of  the  mortgagee  and  to  a  very  determined  wish  to  unite 
the  two  distinct  Kempe  families.  There  still  exists  in  the  great  hall  window  of  Spain's  Hall  a 
glass  blazon  of  the  arms  of  the  Essex  Kempes  impaling  those  of  the  Kempes  of  Gissing,  in  evident 
allusion  to  this  match. 

This  wife  was  living  in  1645,  for  she  is  mentioned  as  "my  sister  Lady  Kempe,  of  Spain's 
Hall,  in  Essex,"  by  Arthur  Kempe,  of  St.  Michael's  at  Thorne,  Norwich.  This  testator  was 
brother  to  the  first  Kempe  Baronet  of  Gissing,  and  was  for  a  time  Rector  of  Cricksea,  in  Essex. 
We  do  not  know  exactly  when  she  died,  but  she  left  but  one  child,  a  daughter  named  Frances. 

The  third  wife  of  Sir  Robert,  of  Spain's  Hall,  was  Elizabeth  Steward,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Steward  or  Stewart,  of  Barton  Mills,  Suffolk,  Esq.,  the  arms  of  whose  family  are  as  follows  : 
Argent,  a  lion  rampant  gules,  over  all  a  bend  ragulee  or.  It  appears  from  the  pedigree  that  this 
third  wife  was  much  younger  than  Sir  Robert,  however  we  are  unable  to  give  the  date  of  her  birth 
or  marriage.  As  deeds  of  settlement  were  made  between  Thomas  Steward  and  Robert  Kempe  in 
May,  1662,  it  is  likely  that  this  marriage  occurred  about  that  time;  she  had  not  borne  a  child 
before  her  husband's  death,  which  occurred  the  following  year,  but  provision  was  made  by  Sir 
Robert  in  case  of  a  posthumous  child.  The  will  in  which  this  occurs  is  dated  at  Finchingfield, 
30th  October,  1662,  the  testator  styling  himself  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall,  Knight,  and  was 
proved  by  his  widow  on  20th  November,  1  663,  in  the  Prerogative  Court  of  Canterbury  (140  Juxon). 

The  will  is  a  very  long  one,  characterized  by  many  pious  sentiments  and  contains  numerous 
charitable  bequests.  Of  these  we  shall  speak  presently  under  a  notice  of  the  Guild  House.  Of  the 
family  possessions  he  leaves  the  use  of  Spain's  Hall  for  one  year  to  his  wife,  and  an  annuity  of 
;^200,  issuing  out  of  the  Manor  of  Spain's  Hall  The  Manor  of  Jekells,  then  occupied  by  Robert 
Choate,  with  Bradfield  Wood  and  Cheerewood,  was  charged  with  an  annuity  of  ^"200  to  the 
testator's  daughter,  Ruth  Kempe,  for  her  life  and  in  full  settlement  of  any  dower.  This  Ruth 
was  evidently  the  widow  of  William  Kempe,  son  of  the  testator,  for  the  next  clause  in  the  will 
provides  for  Mary  Kempe,  the  testator's  grandchild,  the  only  child  of  this  William  and  Ruth,  his 
wife,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Sir  Gilbert  Gerrard,  of  Harrow-on-Hill.  On  this  grandchild  was 
settled  a  lease  of  two  houses  in  Southampton  Buildings,  in  the  parish  of  St.  Andrew,  Holborn, 
and  other  reversions  in  case  the  testator  had  no  son  by  his  third  wife.  He  also  provides  for  his 
sisters  described  as  follows  :  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Ralph  Outlaw,  of  Little  Winchingham,  Co. 
Norfolk  ;  Isabell,  wife  of  the  late  Edward  Colfer,  Esq.,  of  Norwich  :  Frances  Doughtie,  of  Hamur, 

L 


lo  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

in  Norfolk,  widow  ;  and  Mary,  wife  of  John  Kitchingman,  of  the  City  of  Norwich,  Gent.  He 
also  leaves  legacies  to  his  father-in-law,  Thomas  Stewart,  Gent.,  and  his  sister,  Sarah  Stewart ; 
also  to  his  son-in-law,  Sir  Thomas  Gardiner,  Knight,  and  his  brother-in-law,  Edward  Kempe,  one 
of  the  Fellows  of  Queens'  College,  Cambridge.  His  nephew,  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing, 
Baronet,  and  his  "  virtuous  Lady,"  are  to  have  mournine  rings,  also  his  nephew,  Thomas  Kempe, 
brother  of  the  Baronet,  and  his  niece  Shelton.  Several  cousins  are  also  mentioned,  among  them 
being  Mary  Chaplyn,  William  Leigh,  Minister  of  Grotten  {hodie  Groton),  in  Suffolk,  Clement  and 
Henry  Pamen.  The  will  mentions  many  properties,  freehold  and  leasehold,  in  Finchingfield, 
Sampford  and  Wimbush,  the  chief  of  which  revert  to  the  testator's  kinsman,  Thomas  Kempe, 
citizen  and  draper  of  London,  whose  descent  we  shall  presently  show. 

■  Elizabeth  Kempe,  the  widow  of  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall,  married  again  within-a 
few  years  of  his  death,  her  second  husband  being  Robert  King,  of  Great  Thurlow,  in  Suffolk.  By 
this  husband  she  had  an  only  daughter,  Letitia,  who  eventually  married  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  the 
third  Baronet  of  Gissing,  thus  again  linking  the  two  Kempe  families. 

The  fact  of  this  Elizabeth  having  come  from  Barton  Mills  may  explain  the  appearance  of  a 
Kempe  family  at  that  place,  but  we  are  unable  to  say  for  certain  that  the  William  Kempe,  whose 
will  was  proved  in  1674  (P.  C.  C,  16  Dycer)  was  of  either  family.  He  mentions  his  mother, 
Elizabeth,  leaving  her  for  life  a  messuage  and  land  lying  in  Forncett  and  Tacolneston  in  Norfolk, 
which  may  have  been  settled  on  Elizabeth  Kempe,  the  second  wife  of  Sir  Robert,  of  Spain's  Hall, 
and  sister  to  the  Norfolk  baronet.  This  William,  of  Barton  Mills,  otherwise  called  Barton  Parva, 
speaks  of  his  brother,  Robert  Kempe,  his  wife,  Frances,  and  daughter  Joice.  After  the  death  of 
this  child  all  the  testator's  property  was  to  revert  to  Robert  and  his  heirs,  failing  which  the 
reversion  was  to  benefit  Mr.  Peter  Watts,  of  Bungay,  and  his  heirs.  The  mention  of  Bungay 
suggests  that  this  William  may  have  been  related  to  a  Robert  Kempe  of  that  place,  whose  will  was 
proved  in  1659  (P.  C.  C,  541  Pell),  leaving  his  property  to  Margaret,  his  wife,  and  his  children, 
Robert,  Thomas,  and  Elizabeth  Kempe.  Robert,  of  Bungay,  was  an  innkeeper,  while  V/illiam, 
of  Barton  Mills,  was  a  vintner,  trades  which  may  well  be  connected,  but  which  are  somewhat 
unlikely  occupations  for  such  landed  gentry  as  would  be  the  sons  of  both  Sir  Roberts. 


CHoAT'TETi   TV. 

THE  KEMPE  ALMSHOUSES  AND  BENEFACTIONS. 

IT  is  unknown  when  the  guild  or  confraternity  was  founded  at  Finchingfield,  but  the  names  of 
the  founders  are  given  in  Wright's  "  History  of  Esse.x  "  as  Henry  Onions,  William  Sergeant, 
Richard  Walkfar,  Richard  Mortimer  and  a  Kempe,  whose  Christian  name  is  not  shown. 
This  religious  association  was  formed  for  the  purpose  of  finding  a  priest  to  sing  masses,  and  was 
known  as  the  Trinity  Guild.  It  was  at  first  endowed  with  lands  in  Finchingfield  called  "  Onions" 
and  "  Mortimers,"  and  had  a  "  Yeld  "  Hall  upon  the  hill. 

This  house,  doubtless,  was  on  the  hill  upon  which  the  present  Guild  House  stands,  and  on 
which  the  fine  parish  church  is  situated.     It  is  possible  that  the  chief  timbers  are  part  of  the 


The  Kempe  Almshouses  and  Benefactions. 


II 


The  Guildhall  Almshouses  at  Finchina:field. 


original  "  Yeld  Hall,"  and  that  it  dates  from  about  1450.  We  give  an  illustration  of  the  present 
exterior  and  of  the  interior  of  the  chief  room,  now  used  as  a  parish  room.  The  floor,  as  will  be 
seen,  is  curved  excessively 
from  the  weight  of  the 
superstructure.  In  the 
building  is  a  library  con- 
taining a  few  old  books. 
When  these  were  seen  the 
library  was  in  disorder,  and 
it  is  possible  that  among 
the  old  bundles  of  papers  a 
careful  searcher  might  find 
some  of  antiquarian  in- 
terest. A  weekly  distri- 
bution of  bread  and  other 
relief  takes  place  still  at 
the  Guildhall,  which, 
doubtless,  includes  the  be- 
quests of  the  Kempes. 
Those  entitled  to  the  alms 
produce  a  token  of  white 
metal  in  accordance  with 
ancient  custom.  Adjoining 

the  Guildhall  are  the  almshouses,  which  if  not  founded  by  the  Kempes  were  at  least  benefitted  by 
them,  and  are  now  carefully  tended  by  the  family  occupying  Spain's  Hall.  At  the  extinction  of 
the  religious  guild,  the 
Guildhouse  was  evidently 
deemed  the  property  of 
the  Kempes,  who  seem  to 
have  kept  it  up  for  the 
benefit  of  the  parish  until 
Sir  Robert  Kempe  defi- 
nitely settled  it  upon  the 
poor  of  Finchingfield  as  a 
perpetual  almshouse.  Ad- 
joining this,  as  shown  in 
our  illustration,  are  other 
almshouses,  founded  about 
1560  by  Sergeant  William 
Bendlowe,  and  frequently 
benefitted  by  the  Kempes. 
William  Kempe,  the 
silent,  had  settled,  in  1623, 
an  annual  rent  charged  on 
the    Spain's    Hall    estate, 

of  £10,   and   Sir  Robert,    by   his    will  of  1663,    gave   thirty-eight  acres   of  land  called  Spains 

L  2 


Interior  of  the  Guildhall. 


12  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

or  Parkfield  for  the  following  purposes  :  For  the  "  Minister  ''  of  Finchingfield  to  catechize  in  the 
church  every  month,  on  the  first  Friday  at  two  o'clock,  ^6,  and  _^3  to  be  expended  by  the  church- 
wardens for  bread,  to  be  distributed  to  those  who  attend  the  catechizing,  and  if  any  abatement 
occur  in  the  rent  the  minister's  allowance  is  to  be  proportionately  less,  but  the  £•})  is  in  any  case 
to  be  distributed  in  bread  or  other  alms.  The  will  of  this  benefactor  speaks  of  the  almshouse  as 
"  my  almhouses  called  the  Guildhall,  in  Finchingfield,"  bequeathing  to  the  inmates  at  his  funeral 
a  mourning  gown.  He  further  states  that  he  made  an  engagement  with  his  late  "  dear  uncle, 
William  Kempe,"  to  found  a  Guildhouse  for  the  poor  and  to  settle  upon  it  sufficient  endowment. 
He  also  speaks  of  the  Finchingfield  Church  as  being  the  place  where  his  "dear  uncle  William  and 
many  other  of  my  ancestors  have  heretofore  been  buried,  and  where  my  wife,  Dame  Elizabeth 
Kempe,  and  three  of  my  children  lye  already  interred." 

The  chapel  of  the  Kempes  is  now  maintained  by  the  Ruggles-Brise  family  as  owners  of 
Spain's  Hall.  It  contains  the  mural  monument  of  the  celebrated  mute  William  Kempe  (1628),  a 
brass,  which  we  reproduce,  of  Robert  Kempe  (1527),  and  an  altar  tomb  under  which  is  the  vault  ot 
the  Kempes.  The  chapel  is  at  present  very  bare,  devoid  practically  of  seats,  and  is  used  as  a 
vestibule  by  the  Spain's  Hall  tenants.  It  contains  an  ancient  chest,  now  the  receptacle  for  the 
paraffin  and  cleaning  rags  for  the  lamps  which  light  the  church.  No  heraldic  glass  now  remains 
to  the  Kempes  or  their  relatives,  but  the  chancel  screen  is  the  very  same  on  which  many 
generations  of  the  family  must  have  gazed,  and  the  church  is  one  of  the  finest  and  most  interesting 
in  the  country. 


CHoATTE-B^   V. 

PENTLOW      HALL. 

"X^TTE  have  to  return  to  George  Kempe,  son  of  William  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall,  by  Mary, 
\  \  /      daughter  of  John  Colt.     He  was  married  three  times,  first  to  Margaret  Large,  by  whom 
▼  ▼  no  issue  is  recorded  ;  secondly  to  Margaret  Apulderfield,  by  whom  he  had  a  large 

family,  and  thirdly  to  Lady  Mary  Woodhouse,  of  whom  we  shall  have  more  to  say.  The  second 
wife  was  apparently  an  heiress,  as  the  Heralds  allowed  her  arms  to  be  quartered  by  her  descendants 
and  they  are  emblazoned  upon  the  tomb  at  Pentlow.  These  arms  also  appeared  quartered  by  the 
Kempes  of  Kent  and  Sussex  and  point  to  the  belief  in  the  common  descent  of  the  families  through 
the  above  marriage  and  the  Chiches,  which  is  interesting  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  Kempe  stocks 
were  quite  distinct.  What  lands  she  brought  to  George  Kempe  we  cannot  say  for  certain,  but  it 
seems  likely  that  lands  at  Pentlow  and  Cavendish,  formerly  the  property  of  the  Feltons,  had  come 
to  the  Apulderfields  before  this  heiress's  union  with  the  Kempes,  for  George  Kempe  was  the  first  to 
hold  Pentlow  Hall,  although  his  brother  Arthur  is  the  first  to  figure  in  the  registers  in  the  church 
adjoining  the  hall  grounds. 

The  first  entry  is  the  baptism  of  Marie,  the  daughter  of  Arthur  Kempe,  Gent.,  on  loth  August, 
1589,  after  which  no  further  record  of  Arthur  occurs  ;  but  John  Kempe,  Gent.,  has  the  following 


Pent  low   Hall. 


13 


children  baptized:  Drew,  6th  November,  1591  ;  Margery,  6th  August,  1599;  Drewsella,  23rd 
December,  1601  ;  George,  12th  November,  1602  ;  John,  13th  May,  1604,  and  Tabitha,  8th  August, 
1606.  George  Kempe,  a  son  of  this  John  Kempe,  Gent.,  was  buried  there  3rd  May,  1594,  and 
George  Kempe,  Esq.,  of  Pentlow,  grandfather  of  these  children,  was  entombed  in  the  Kempe  Chapel, 
at  Pentlow,  on  the  last  day  of  March,  1607,  his  will  being  proved  in  the  Prerogative  Court  of 
Canterbury  (35  Huddleston)  on  14th  April,  1607-  It  is  dated  at  Tottenham,  Middlesex,  on  23rd 
March,  1605,  and  starts  with  a  bequest  of  £2^  ixs.  od.  to  the  churchwardens  of  Pentlow  and 
_^3  6j.  8</.  for  the  reparation 
of  Pentlow  Church.  Of  the 
first  fund,  which  was  to  re- 
main in  stock  for  ever,  eight 
poor  folk  dwelling  in  the 
parish  were  to  share  the  in- 
terest. To  his  son  Charles 
Kempe  (who  was  of  Waltham- 
stow)  he  gave  ^200  ;  to  his 
son  William  Kempe  j^ioo 
towards  bringing  up  his 
children  ;  to  his  son  Chris- 
topher _^20  ;  to  his  daughter, 
the  wife  of  Robert  Green, 
Gent.,  £^0^  and  to  his  grand- 
daughter Theodora  Green 
;^2oo.  To  every  child  of 
his  nephew,  the  late  Arthur 
Kempe,  ^^20,  and  to  his 
nephew  John  Kempe  £io. 
To  John  Kempe,  his  eldest 
son,  he  left  the  lease  of  the 
Rectory  of  Tottenham  (which 
was  held  from  the  Dean  and 
Chapter  of  St.  Paul's),  but  the 
testator's  widow  was  to  have 
the  occupation  of  it  for 
twenty  weeks  next  after  her 
husband's  death  and  option  to 
take  it  on  lease  for  six  years 
at  _^20  a  year.  The  testator 
left  his  eldest  son  sole  execu- 
tor,  but  begged   him  not  to 

meddle  with  or  enquire  into  any  moneys  which  the  widow  claimed  as  her  own  by  right  of  birth, 
by  previous  marriage  or  by  settlement.  George  Kempe,  another  son,  is  mentioned,  of  whose 
descendants  some  account  has  been  given  in  our  Norfolk  section  under  Wooddalling  and  Lyng. 

George  Kempe,  the  testator,  was  a  judge  and  a  lawyer  of  some  repute,  a  note  book  of  cases  in 
which  he  apparently  took  part  was  recently  offered  for  sale  by  a  Bristol  bookseller,  being  marked 
Georgius  Kempe.     The  Gentleman  s  Magazine  of  1808  states  that  Lady  Woodhouse  was  Mary, 


Tomb  of  the  Kempes  in  their  Chapel  at  Pentlow,  Essex. 
Photographed  by  F.  Stokoe,  of  Clare. 


14  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kernpe  Families. 

the  daughter  of  John  Corbet,  of  Sproughton,  in  Norfolk,  Esq.,  and  that  she  married  first  Sir  Roger 
Woodhouse,  and,  as  here  recorded,  afterwards  George  Kernpe  ;  of  her  identity  there  is  no  doubt, 
for  John  Corbet  was  a  witness  to  this  will  and  Mary  Corbet  witnessed  a  Kempe  will  in  1667,  it  is 
however  confusing,  as  the  above  writer  found,  that  at  this  period  the  Corbets  were  also  closely 
related  to  some  of  the  Gissing  (Norfolk)  Kempes.  In  the  Middlesex  County  Records  we  find  that 
on  2nd  September,  1601,  John  Bryan,  late  of  London,  yeoman,  broke  burglariously  into  the 
dwelling-house  of  George  Kempe,  Esq.  at  Tottenham,  and  stole  therefrom  a  pair  of  black  silk 
garters,  of  the  goods  and  chattels  of  Thomas  Woodhouse,  Esq.,  then  a  guest  at  the  house.  The 
culprit  however  obtained  a  pardon  as  he  could  read  like  a  clerk. 

John  Kempe,  Esq.,  the  eldest  son,  inherited  all  his  father's  lands  in  Essex,  and  was  evidently 
living  at  Pentlow  Hall  when  his  father  died,  as  appears  from  the  above  register,  and  had  married 
previous  to  1591.  His  wife  was  Eleanor,  daughter  of  ...  .  Drew,  of  Devonshire,  from  which 
fact  the  first  child  received  his  Christian  name.  Drew  Kempe  however  died  young  and  con- 
sequently a  daughter  was  baptised  Drewsella.  She  bore  fourteen  children  in  all,  but  of  these  we 
only  trace  three  who  survived  childhood,  namely:  George,  who  became  a  Baronet ;  John,  who  left 
a  son  of  the  same  name,  and  a  Lucy,  who  probably  married  a  Mr.  Taylor. 

John  Kempe,  of  Pentlow,  was  a  student  at  Lincoln's  Inn  in  1580,  and  in  the  practice  of  the 
law  acquired  some  wealth,  for  we  find  his  possessions  at  death  comprised  Pentlow  Hall  and  the 
Manors  of  West  Walton  and  Whitehouse,  in  South  Lynne,  Norfolk,  Wyleigh  Hall  and  Park, 
Clapton  Park,  lands  in  Cavendish,  and  the  advowson  of  the  church  at  Pentlow  ;  he  was  buried 
with  his  father  and  wife  in  the  Kempe  Chapel  of  Pentlow  Church,  and  the  fine  tomb  of  which  we 
give  an  illustration,  still  exists.  The  tomb  was  repaired  about  1830  at  the  cost  of  the  Rev.  E.  M. 
Mathew.     The  inscription  on  it  is  as  follows  : 

George  Kemp,  whose  life  spake  to  his  virtuous  prayse. 
Lies  here  entombed  after  his  end  of  days. 
Fame  tells  the  world  his  life  and  death  was  such 
On  Truth's  report  can  never  prayse  too  much  ; 
Religion,  justice,  mercy,  bounty,  peace, 
'  With  faithful  plainesse  was  his  fame's  increase. 

In  King's  Bench  Courte  full  fifty  years  found  just, 
Who  reads  this  truth  but  need  commend  him  must. 
From  race  of  worship  his  life's  beginninge  spronge, 
Of  William  Kempe,  Esquire,  the  sixt,  and  youngest  son 
Whose  Manor  House,  Spaines  Hall  in  Essex  knowne, 
Tells  from  that  roote  this  worthy  branche  was  growne. 
Seventy-six  years  he  lived,  and  children  eight. 
Five  sonnes,  three  daughters,  on  his  age  did  wayte. 
Monday,  on  March  the  three  and  twenteth  day, 
"  In  peace  Death's  hand  did  take  hira  hence  away. 

One  thousand  six  hundred  and  six,  of  Christ  the  yeare, 

His  soule,  as  wearie  of  her  mansion  here 

Made  haste  to  heaven,  with  Christe  for  aye  to  dwell,  , 

Happie  are  they  that  live  and  die  so  well. 

Here  lyeth  John  Kempe,  that  worthy  esquire. 

That  never  detracted  the  poor  man's  hire. 

Of  veritie  and  knowledge,  a  studious  seeker, 

Of  word  and  promise  a  faithful  keeper. 

Chaste  Elinor  Drew  of  Devonshire, 

Daughter  of  John  Drew  an  Esquire 

Was  his  virtuous  wife,  by  mother  honoured 

To  him  children,  seven  and  seven  did  she  beare, 

As  by  this  monument  to  you  doth  appear  ; 

He  lived  forty-eight  yeare,  too  short  a  time. 

And  died  the  seventh  of  January, 

One  thousand,  six  hundred  and  nine. 

Heaven  hath  his  soule  through  Christian  grace 

Earth  his  bodye  entombed  in  this  place. 


Pentiow  Hall. 


IS 


In  the  east  window  of  the  Kempe  chapel  there  are  fragments  of  heraldic  glass,  but  being 
merely /a 7«/^a^  glass  the  colour  has  now  almost  disappeared.  One  can,  however,  distinctly  trace 
the  outline  of  the  arms  of  the  family  there,  a  chevron  engrailed  between  three  estoiles,  which 
arms  are  emblazoned  on  the  tomb,  with  the  seven  other  quarterings  authorised  impaling  others. 

The  will  of  John  Kempe,  of  Pentiow,  Esq.,  Avas  proved  in  the  Prerogative  Court  of  Canter- 
bury (14  Wingfield).  It  is  very  long  and  gives  much  detail  of  his  properties,  which  we  cannot 
find  space  for  here  ;  it  bequeathes  to  his  wife,  Elenor,  his  Manor  of  Pentiow  for  fifteen  years  and 
the  use  of  lands  there,  and  at  Cavendish  and  Foxearth,  she  keeping  such  of  the  children  who 
may  be  under  age  until  their  twenty- first  birthday.  The  chief  part  of  the  estates  passed  ultimately 
to  his  son  George. 

The  register  shows  that  John  Kempe.  Esq.,  was  buried  on  8th  January,  1  609,  and  that  a 
daughter  of  John  Kempe,  Esq.,  was  baptized  there  on  ist  August  following  named  Magdalen. 
We  do  not  know  if  this  was  a  posthumous  child  or  the  daughter  of  John  Kempe,  the  testator's 
son.     She  does  not  appear 

'on  the  pedigree   made  at        "^j^^  "'2^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

the  Heralds'  Visitation, 
and  may,  perhaps,  have 
died  young. 

The  baptisms  of  child- 
ren of  George  Kempe 
appear  from  16 11  to  16 19, 
but  the  father  of  these 
settled  at  Wooddalling  and 
Norwich,  and  has  been 
already  considered  in  the 
Norfolk  section. 

George  Kempe,  the 
son  of  John,  was  baptized 
as  the  son  and  heir  on  12th 
November,  1602,  and  was 
therefore  but  a  child  at  his 
father's  death.  He  studied 
the  law  and  became  a  pro- 
minent judge,  residing  chiefly  in  London.  The  Middlesex  Session  Rolls  record  that  he  and  his  grand- 
mother. Lady  Mary  Woodhouse,  otherwise  Mrs.  Mary  Kempe,  were  recusants  in  1 641,  he  being 
then  described  as  late  of  St.  Giles-in-the-Fields,  and  she  as  late  of  St.  Giles-in-the-Fields  and  of 
Saffron  Hill,  while  in  1633  she  appears  to  have  been  residing  at  St.  Andrew's,  Holborn.  On  5th 
February,  1624,  George  Kempe,  then  of  Pentiow,  was  created  a  Baronet  by  King  James,  and 
about  this  time  married  Thomazine,  daughter  of  Sir  Robert  Brooke,  who  bore  him  two  daughters, 
Mary,  who  married  Sir  John  Winter,  and  Katherine,  whose  husband  was  Windsor  Finch,  Esq. 
Thomazine  died  in  1663  and  Sir  George  in  1667,  leaving  no  son  to  inherit  the  baronetcy. 

The  will  of  Dame  Thomazine  was  nuncupative,  and  administration  of  her  estate  was  granted 
to  her  daughter,  Catherine  Finch,  on  20th  July,  1663,  Lady  Mary  Winter,  the  latter's  sister, 
consenting.  Thomazine  died  in  the  parish  of  St.  Andrew's,  Holborn,  in  which  parish  the  family 
had  a  residence.  (The  will  is  to  be  found  in  the  P.  C.  C,  91  Penn.)  The  will  of  Sir  George 
Kempe  styles  him  "  Knight  and  Baron  of  Pentiow"  ;  it  is  dated  20th  March,  1  663,  and  was  proved 


Pentiow  Hall,  a  seat  of  the  Kempes  of  Esse.x,  1 500-1650. 


1 6  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

by  John  Woolfe  on  22nd  January,  1666-7.  At  the  date  of  making  this  will  Thomazine  was 
living,  and  provision  was  consequently  made  for  her,  while  to  his  daughter  Katherine  (then  single) 
he  bequeathed  his  lands  at  Clacton,  Essex,  and  the  large  diamond  ring  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
wearing,  and  lands  at  Harking,  Suffolk,  the  Manor  of  West  Walton,  Norfolk ;  lands  at  Walpole 
and  Walsoken,  in  the  latter  county,  were  to  be  held  in  trust  by  his  executors  and  the  rents  appUed 
for  the  benefit  of  Mary  Winter,  his  other  daughter,  and  the  testator's  sister,  Lucy  Kempe,  these 
estates  reverting  after  their  death  to  George  Kempe,  Gent.,  "  nephew  "  (cousin)  of  the  testator. 
Annuities  were  also  provided  for  Elizabeth  Jernegan,  William  Eldridge,  Mrs.  Taylor,  "  sister  "  of 
the  testator,  and  his  cousin,  Mrs.  Frances  Quintain.  It  appears  from  this  will  that  part  of  the 
Norfolk  property  mentioned  had  been  devL-^ed  to  Katherine  by  the  will  of  Sir  Robert  Brooke.  Some 
at  West  Walton  seem  to  have  belonged  to  the  Spain's  Hall  and  Pentlow  Kempes  for  generations. 

By  the  last  will  the  Pentlow  estates  were  to  pass  to  George,  the  son  of  Christopher  Kempe, 
who  was  sometime  a  resident  at  West  Smithfield  and  Clerkenwell,  London.  This  Christopher 
was  the  fifth  son  of  George  Kempe,  Esq.,  of  Pentlow,  and  was  buried  there  on  13th  August,  1630. 
We  have  not  found  his  will,  and  can  but  conjecture  that  administration  was  granted  to  his  widow 
Agnes,  who  was  daughter  and  heiress  of  Matthew  Cockrode,  whose  arms  were  eventually 
quartered.  Her  children  recorded  were  as  follows  :  George,  who  inherited  from  Sir  George 
Kempe,  Bart.  ;  Thomas,  the  latter's  heir  ;  Anne,  who  married  ....  Gage  ;  Elizabeth,  who 
married  John  Springham,  of  Edmonton,  Middlesex,  and  Mary,  who  was  the  wife  of  Edward 
Chaplin.  Agnes  Kempe  resided  at  Finchingfield,  and  was  probably  buried  there,  her  will  being 
dated  in  that  parish  on  4th  February,  1652,  and  proved  in  London  on  June  17,  1656  (P.  C.  C, 
220  Berkley).  She  leaves  to  her  son,  Thomas  Kempe,  citizen  of  London,  /lOO,  and  a  legacy  to 
each  of  his  children.  To  her  daughters,  Anne  Gage  and  Mary  Chaplin,  and  their  children  likewise 
legacies  are  left,  while  the  poor  of  Finchingfield  are  also  benefitted.  It  is  possible  that  it  was  this 
Agnes  Kempe,  widow,  who  was  described  as  Anne  Kempe,  widow,  and  was  a  recusant  living  at 
Saffron  Walden  with  Lady  May  Woodhouse  in  1633,  at  which  time  it  may  be  noticed  there  was 
a  William  Kempe,  Esq.,  recusant,  living  in  Clerkenwell,  London,  where  Christopher  had  been  a 
few  years  previously.  Of  this  William  Kempe,  however,  we  have  no  further  knowledge  by  which 
to  identify  him.  George  Kempe,  the  eldest  son  of  Christopher,  died  without  issue,  and  his 
property  thus  passed  to  his  younger  brother  Thomas,  who  married  four  times.  His  first  wife  was 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Richard  Randall,  by  whom  he  had  two  daughters,  Mary,  who  married 
Benjamin  Goodrich,  and  Elizabeth,  who  became  William  Minors's  wife.  The  second  wife  was 
Mary,  daughter  of  Andrew  Parne,  and  she  bore  also  two  daughters  (Elizabeth,  who  married  Ralph 
Minors,  and  Mary,  whose  husband  was  a  Bernard).  She  also  had  two  sons,  the  younger  being 
named  Andrew,  is  said  to  have  been  seated  at  Dorrington,  but  we  do  not  trace  him  at  any  place 
of  that  name  ;  her  eldest  son  was  John,  and  he  eventually  inherited  the  Spain's  Hall  and  other 
family  estates.  By  his  third  wife,  who  was  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  another  Ralph  Minors,  he  had 
Thomas  Kempe,  who  seems  to  have  married  a  Rebecca  Cooper  ;  Ehzabeth,  who  was  married  to  a 
Rogers,  and  Anne,  who  was  married  first  to  Thomas  Briscoe  and  secondly  to  Jernaghan  Chaplin. 
The  fourth  wife  of  Thomas  was  Elizabeth  Springham,  by  whom  he  left  no  issue.  He  died  early 
in  1692,  and  his  will  was  proved  that  year  on  the  8th  February  (P.  C.  C,  138  Fane)  in  London. 
This  will,  dated  at  Finchingfield  the  previous  September  i6th,  mentions  the  following  relatives  : 
Elizabeth,  his  wife,  his  daughters,  Mrs.  Bernard,  Mrs.  Minors,  Mrs.  Cooper  and  Mrs.  Rogers,  his 
relative,  Dame  Elizabeth  Kempe,  widow  of  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  Knight,  and  his  grandsons, 
Andrew  Kempe  and  John  Kempe.  Susan  Kempe  is  mentioned,  but  her  degree  of  relationship 
does  not  appear. 


The  later  Kemps  of  Essex.  17 

It  is  noticeable  that  the  testator  does  not  mention  his  sons,  and  the  presumption  is  that  the 
eldest,  if  not  both,  was  dead.  There  is  a  will  of  a  Thomas  Kempe,  clerk,  of  Foxearth,  proved  in 
171 8,  though  dated  in  1692,  and  it  is  likely  that,  as  the  Kempes  of  Pentlow  owned  land  at  Foxearth, 
this  Thomas  was  a  near  relative  of  the  family,  and  thus  was  presented  to  the  living  through  their 
influence.  Curiously,  this  testator,  like  the  last,  speaks  of  his  daughter  Mary  Barnard,  he  also 
leaves  legacies  to  Elizabeth  Holbrough,  widow  ;  Francis,  the  wife  of  William  Nicholls,  and  Thomas 
the  son  of  Hannah  Clopton.  Bequests  are  also  made  to  the  poor  of  Foxearth  and  those  of  Preston 
St.  Mary,  in  Suffolk,  and  the  residue  of  his  estate  is  left  to  his  son  Henry  Kempe,  who  was 
appointed  executor. 

John  Kempe,  the  eldest  son  of  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Finchingfield,  married,  but  we  have  not 
traced  the  wife's  name.  They  left  a  son  named  John,  who  inherited  the  Spain's  Hall  property, 
also  two  sons  named  Thomas  and  Andrew,  who  seem  to  have  died  young.  Andrew  was  bequeathed 
both  the  water  mill  and  windmill,  under  his  grandfather's  will,  but  we  have  no  knowledge  of 
his  having  been  in  actual  possession  of  them.  John  Kempe,  the  heir,  died  unmarried  in  1726, 
being  the  last  male  Kempe  to  possess  the  Spain's  Hall  property,  which  had  been  in  the  family 
some  400  years.  His  will  was  proved  2nd  February,  1726,  by  his  executrix  and  chief  legatee, 
Mary  Kempe,  his  eldest  sister.  He  provides  annuities  for  life  to  his  sisters  Anne  Kempe,  of 
London  ;  Alice,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Osbourne,  of  London  ;  Ehzabeth  and  Rebecca  Kempe,  of 
Finchingfield,  and  Spain's  Hall,  while  the  residuary  estate  is  left  to  his  sister  Mary.  With  so  large 
a  fortune  she  quickly  found  a  suitable  husband  in  the  person  of  Sir  Swinnerton  Dyer,  Baronet,  of 
Dunmow,  ancestor  of  the  present  baronet  of  that  name  ;  the  property  thus  passed  to  the  Dyers,  who 
however  soon  parted  with  it.  We  have  been  unable  to  ascertain  if  any  Kempe  portraits  or  other 
relics  of  the  family  are  still  in  the  Dyer  family.  .    ^  ,  • 


THE   LATER   KEMPS   OF   ESSEX. 


IN  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  there  was  a  suit  in  the  Court  of  Chancery  between  Arthur  Kempe 
and  Anthony  Golding,  Esq.,  regarding  the  Manor  of  Waltons,  in  Purleigh,  demised  by  the 
Earl  of  Oxford  to  George  Golding,  deceased,  and  by  the  latter  assigned  to  Arthur  Kempe. 
The  identity  of  this  Arthur  is  not  absolutely  determined,  but  he  was  in  all  probability  one  of  the 
Arthur  Kempes,  of  Finchingfield,  mentioned  in  Chapter  H.,  while  from  the  time  of  these 
proceedings  the  Essex  Kempes  held  at  least  an  interest  in  this  property.  We  however  have  not 
searched  the  local  registers  and  must,  for  lack  of  evidence,  leave  a  break  in  the  records  until  1688, 
when  the  will  of  Richard  Kempe,  of  Purleigh,  was  proved  in  the  Court  of  the  Archdeaconry  of 
Essex,  by  William  Walker,  Gent.  (139  Parrett).  The  testator  leaves  all  his  household  effects  to 
his  son  Richard  and  daughter  Frances  Kempe.  He  leaves  to  his  executor,  the  said  William 
Walker,  of  Cold  Norton  Hall,  in  trust,  his  house  called  Purleigh  Barnes  and  all  the  rest  of  his 
lands,  the  income  to  provide  for  the  maintenance  of  the  children  until  the  age  of  twenty-one  and 


1 8  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

then  to  become  their  absolute  property.  The  will  provides  that  in  case  both  these  children  die 
before  such  age  the  estates  are  to  pass  to  the  children  of  John  Wehb^  of  Southchtirch,  in  the  same 
county,  and  in  case  of  their  death  the  property  is  to  revert  to  the  children  of  Christopher  Persons^ 
of  Soiithchurch. 

This  is  the  first  mention  we  have  of  a  connexion  of  Kempes  with  Southchurch  and,  as  will  be 
presently  seen,  the  Persons — otherwise  Parsons — family  were  most  important  parishioners  of  this 
place,  and  were  undoubtedly  the  relatives  of  the  known  ancestors  of  the  present  George  Kemp,  Esq., 
M.P.  Before  however  we  dwell  further  on  this  branch,  who  settled  at  Southchurch  about  1700,  we 
must  digress  to  speak  of  a  celebrated  John  Kempe  who  was  connected  both  with  the  Earl  of  Oxford 
and  one  named  Walker,  and  who  seems  to  belong  to  this  family. 

It  will  be  noticed  from  the  foregoing  chapters  that  the  Kempes  of  Finchingfield  showed 
evident  sympathy  with  the  Puritan  preachers,  at  any  rate  from  the  close  of  the  Commonwealth, 
although  in  his  younger  days  Sir  Robert  Kempe,  of  Spain's  Hall,  had,  with  his  friend  Sir  Robert 
Kempe,  of  Gissing,  been  a  royalist  and  high-churchman  ;  this  Puritan  feeling  evidently  grew 
stronger  in  the  succeeding  generations,  and  both  those  of  Southchurch,  Prittlewell  and  the  celebrated 
John  Kempe's  family  were  distinctly  inclined  to  independency. 

The  father  of  the  antiquary  John  Kempe  was  a  merchant  and  a  member  of  the  Leathersellers' 
Company  of  London,  and  his  mother  was  a  Miss  Hope  Gilbert,  who  was  married  to  John  Kempe, 
the  elder,  by  Hcence  in  I  685-  In  1690  administration  of  her  husband's  estate  was  granted  to  her 
by  the  Prerogative  Court  of  Canterbury,  and  her  own  will  was  proved  in  the  same  Court,  by  her 
daughters  Hope  and  Mary  Kempe,  in  January,  17 14.  This  will  is  dated  at  Exeter  on  27th  April, 
1 7 10,  and  leaves  the  personalty  to  the  daughters  after  a  legacy  to  each  of  her  sons  John  and 
William  Kempe.  The  names  of  Elizabeth  and  Hannah  Kempe  and  John  Munsie  (?  Mounsey) 
appear  as  witnesses. 

John  Kempe,  F.R.S.,  the  elder  son,  had  doubtless  enjoyed  the  use  of  his  father's  residence  in  St. 
Martin's  Fields  from  the  time  of  his  majority,  and,  having  ample  income  and  cultivated  taste, 
devoted  his  time  to  gathering  together  a  wonderful  collection  of  ancient  coins,  curios  and  old 
works  of  art,  of  which  he  drew  up  a  detailed  explanatory  catalogue.  He  became  Fellow  of  the 
Royal  Society  in  17 12.  His  tastes,  if  not  his  family  connexion,  led  to  intimacy  with  Lord  Harley,  son 
of  the  Earl  of  Oxford,  to  whom  this  unique  collection  was  to  be  offered  at  the  collector's  decease  for 
the  sum  of  ;^2, 000.  Lord  Harley  however  (the  founder  of  the  Harleian  Library)  declined  the 
offer,  and  consequently  the  museum  was  parted  with  by  auction  in  small  lots  for  the  total  sum  of 
_^i,090  8j.  6^.,  and  the  account  of  the  contents  of  the  museum,  written  by  himself,  was  edited  by 
the  noted  Robert  Ainsworth,  and  published  by  John's  brother,  William  Kempe,  in  1720,  under 
the  title  o{  '■'■  Monvmenta  Vetustatis  Kempiana^''  being  sold  by  J.  Osborn,  in  Lombard  Street,  and 
other  booksellers.  One  of  the  wills  of  the  Spain's  Hall  Kempes  mentions  a  relative  named 
Osbourne  as  a  bookseller.  The  fact  that  this  John  Kempe  or  his  brother  arranged  with  an 
Osborn  to  sell  his  book  strengthens  the  supposition  of  the  close  connexion  which  then  (i 700-1 720) 
existed  between  the  Southchurch,  Purleigh,  St.  Martin-in-Field,  and  the  Finchingfield  Kempes. 
Copies  of  the  "  Monvmenta  "  still  e.xist  in  various  libraries. 

John  Kempe,  the  antiquary,  dated  his  will  at  St.  Martin's-in-Fields,  26th  March,  17 16,  and  it 
was  proved  in  the  Prerogative  Court  of  Canterbury  by  his  brother  William  on  24th  September, 
1717  (171  Whitfield).  The  testator  desired  to  be  buried  near  his  dear  mother  in  Bunhill  Fields,  a 
burial  place  closely  identified  with  dissent.  To  his  sister,  Hope  Kempe,  he  left  his  Manor  of 
Hockley  Hall,  lately  surrendered  by  Ellena  Swinsford  ;  to  his  sister,  Mary  Kempe,  he  left  X-°o 
South   Sea  Stock  and   money  raised   by  the  sale  of  his  antiquities  ;   to   his  cousin,   Ehzabeth, 


The  later  Kemps  of  Essex.  19 

daughter  of  his  uncle  James  Kempe,  South  Sea  Stock  of  the  face  value  of  ;^ioo  and  debts  due 
from  William  Paterson  ;  to  his  cousin,  John  Madden,  a  legacy;  also  rings  or  their  value  to  his 
landlord  Walker^  William  Tanner,  goldsmith,  in  Cheapside,  John  Hannon,  Dr.  Crichlowe,  Mr. 
Humphrey  Wanley,  Mr.  Thomas  Smith,  of  New  Inn,  and  Samuel  Noble,  bookseller. 

William  Kempe,  the  brother,  wrote  as  the  will  directed  to  Lord  Harley,  then  Earl  of  Oxford, 
and  his  letters  are  to  be  seen  in  the  British  Museum  ;  a  more  recent  note  says  that  this  William 
Kempe  was  an  undertaker  living  or  carrying  on  business  at  Surrey  Street,  Strand.  We  have 
no  proof  of  this,  and  believe  that  having  inherited  the  residence  of  his  brother  in  St.  Martin's-in- 
Fields  he  removed  thither,  for  the  goods,  credits  and  effects  of  a  William  Kempe  of  that  parish 
were  granted  to  his  widow,  Martha  Kempe,  on  23rd  April,  1746,  by  authority  of  the  Prerogative 
Court  of  Canterbury. 

Purleigh  is  but  a  short  distance  from  Maldon,  in  Esse.x,  and  from  the  following  details  it  will 
be  seen  that  Thomas  Kemp,  of  Abridge,  otherwise  Heybridge,  now  part  of  Maldon,  was 
apparently  akin  to  both  Richard  of  Purleigh  and  the  Kempes  of  Southchurch  and  neighbourhood. 
The  will  is  dated  2nd  June,  1720,  and  was  proved  by  the  executor,  Henry  Lewsley,  alias  Howsley, 
on  9th  of  the  same  month  (P.  C.  C,  138  Shaller).  To  his  son,  Thomas  Kemp,  the  testator  left 
his  farm  and  land  at  Little  Wakering  in  the  occupation  of  John  Cattline,  and  an  estate  at  Great 
Wakering  to  his  daughters,  Sarah  and  Mary  Kemp,  including  his  oyster-laying,  stating  that 
Arthur  Kemp,  his  eldest  son,  had  inherited  an  estate  from  his  late  mother  and  was  therefore  well 
provided  for.  Henry  Hewsley,  of  Langford  (near  Maiden),  was  instructed  to  sell  a  farm  and  land 
lying  at  South  Shrewsbury,*  Co.  Essex,  and  to  divide  the  sum  so  raised  equally  between  the 
testator's  four  children.  Edward  Berry,  of  All  Saints',  Maldon,  was  also  appointed  executor  and 
shared  the  responsibility  with  Howsley  als.  Lewsley. 

Robert  Johnson,  William  Remmington  and  Andrew  Yardley  witnessed  this  will.  It  will  be 
noticed  that  a  Johnson  was  made  guardian  of  the  infant  son  of  Daniel  Kempe  of  Barking,  with 
whom  it  is  likely  that  this  testator  was  closely  related. 

Little  and  Great  Wakering  lie  close  to  Southchurch  on  the  east  side  of  that  parish,  while 
Prittlewell  adjoins  Southchurch  on  the  west.  Within  these  four  parishes  from  1720  therefore  it 
is  certain  that  the  Kempes  held  property,  and  within  the  next  decade  it  is  certain  that  they 
resided  there,  if,  indeed,  they  did  not  do  so  much  earlier.  Christopher  Parsons  mentioned  in  the 
will  of  Richard  Kempe,  of  Purleigh,  as  of  Southchurch  in  1688,  was  churchwarden,  and  is  buried 
in  a  large  altar  tomb  directly  east  of  the  chancel,  while  around  him  are  the  tombs  of  later  gene- 
rations of  his  family  whose  descendants  still  reside  in  the  parish.  The  present  vicar  has  been  good 
enough  to  carefully  search  the  parish  registers  and  finds  that  the  first  mention  of  a  Kemp  occurs 
on  nth  November,  1734,  when  Susannah,  daughter  of  Thomas  Kempe,  by  Susannah,  his  wife, 
was  baptized.  This  couple  also  had  the  following  children  baptized  there,  Elizabeth  Abigail,  1735, 
Johanna,  1736,  Thomas,  J738,  and  John,  1739.  These  sons  may  both  have  died  infants,  for  a 
Thomas  Kemp  was  buried  there  in  1738  and  a  John  in  1740.  It  is,  however,  possible  that  it  was 
Thomas  the  father  who  was  buried  in  1738,  and  that  the  youngest  son  was  posthumous,  or 
baptized  when  older  than  usual. 

The  registers  of  Great  and  Little  Wakering  have  been  searched  by  ourselves,  and  the  tombs 
at  both  examined,  but  no  mention  of  a  Kempe  was  found  at  either  place  ;  however,  it  is  evident 
that  the  Kempes  had  a  residence  here  before  that  of  Southchurch,  for  the  estate  of  John  Kemp 
of  his  Majesty's  ship  Kent  in  the  King's  service,  formerly  of  Much  Wakering,  was  granted  in 

*  Thus  in  the  Probate  ;  evidently  a  clerk's  error  for  Shoebury.  i'   ,  ',      -i    ' 


20  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

^73:  to  Jane  Kemp,  widow,  his  relict.  These  were,  we  have  little  doubt,  the  ancestors  of  the 
subsequent  Southchurch  and  Prittlewell  Kemps,  but  as  both  died  intestate  it  is  extremely  doubtful 
if  proof  will  be  forthcoming  to  actually  establish  this  point. 

The  registers  of  Prittlewell  have  also  been  searched  by  ourselves,  and  are  found  to  contain 
Kemp  entries  from  1754,  in  which  year  Henry  Chacey,  of  Great  Wakering  married  Hannah 
Kemp,  spinster,  of  Prittlewell.  It  must  be  noticed  that  a  Robert  CajnJ)  married  Mary  Marsh  at 
Prittlewell  on  7th  November,  1737,  and  although  very  late  for  such  a  change  in  the  spelling  it  is 
not  impossible  that  the  numerous  Camps  whose  graves  mingle  with  the  Kemps  at  Prittlewell  are 
of  the  same  family,  although  reverting  to  an  old  form  of  the  name.  The  Camp  entries  continue 
to  1823  and  perhaps  later. 

Close  to  the  altar  tomb  of  the  Marshalls,  on  the  the  south  side  of  the  church,  is  the  earliest 
stone  of  the  Kemps.  It  commemorates  Martha  Kemp,  who  died  6th  September,  1742,  aged 
twenty-five  years,  wife  of  John  Kemp,  who  was  buried  in  the  same  grave  in  1757,  aged  forty-two. 
With  them  lie,  as  the  stone  informs  us,  eight  of  their  grandchildren.  In  the  last-named  year  we 
find  an  administration  granted  to  Daniel  Kemp,  son  of  John  Kemp,  of  Prittlewell. 

Another  stone  in  the  churchyard  records  the  name  of  John  D.  (?  Durival)  Kemp  who  died  i8th 
June,  1 8 10,  aged  seventy-two  years.  The  second  name  of  this  individual  is  variously  spelled  Durival, 
Durivel,  Durrival  and  Derwell.  Why  it  was  given  is  unknown,  much  research  having  failed  to 
discover  its  existence  as  a  surname  in  Essex  or  elsewhere.  The  most  plausible  suggestion  made 
with  regard  to  it  is  that  it  is  a  variant  of  Durrell  used  as  a  Christian  name  by  the  Shorts,  of  Kent, 
one  of  whom  married  Martha  Kemp,  of  the  Norfolk  family.  According  to  a  tradition  among  the 
present  representatives  of  the  family  their  ancestors  came  from  Norfolk.  Elizabeth  Rust,  John 
Durival's  grandmother,  wrote  the  name  in  contracted  form  "Durr."  which  looks  as  if  she  regarded  it 
as  a  well-known  Christian  name  for  which  "  Durr."  was  the  recognized  abbreviation.  It  is  also 
possible  that  if  Durrell  or  Durwell  was  derived  from  Kent  it  was  through  relations  directly 
intimate  with  the  Kemps  of  Prittlewell.  That  they  had  relatives  in  Kent  of  the  name  of  Marshall 
is  conclusively  proved  by  names  mentioned  in  the  wills  and  polls  of  Kent  for  the  period. 

Among  the  administrations  in  the  Prerogative  Court  of  Canterbury  is  one  granted  in  1768-q 
to  John  Durivel  Kemp  for  administering  the  estate  of  his  father  John  Kemp,  late  of  Prittlewell, 
whose  widow,  Mary  Kemp,  died  before  she  had  taken  out  letters  of  administration.  In  the  same 
year  John  Durival  Kemp  had  to  administer  the  estate  of  his  brother  Robert,  who  evidently  died 
very  shortly  before  his  father,  who  should  have  performed  this  duty.  Robert  Kemp  was  a  bachelor  ; 
we  do  not  know  of  what  he  died,  but  three  deaths  in  one  househould  so  near  together  suggest 
some  infectious  disease  as  the  cause. 

A  Bible  in  the  possession  of  Clement  Kemp,  Esq.,  J. P.,  contains  this  inscription:  "Elizabeth 
Rust's  book,  December  25th,  1775,  which  I  promise  to  my  grandson  John  Durr.  Kemp  when  please 
God  to  call  me."  Evidently  John  Durival  Kemp's  mother  was  a  Mary  Rust.  How  he  was  related  to 
John  Kemp,  who  died  in  1757,  we  do  not  know.  He  may  have  been  nephew,  but  cannot  have 
been  grandson.  John  Kempe,  of  "  His  Majesties  ship  Kent^^  may  very  probably  have  been  his 
grandfather.  In  1759  administration  of  the  goods  of  Mary  Kemp,  spinster,  of  Clerkenwell,  was 
granted  to  Joseph  Rust,  he  being  nephew  and  next  of  kin.  How  they  were  related  at  all  to  J.  D. 
Kemp  we  can  only  conjecture.  "Nephew"  may  have  been  used  to  signify  "cousin."  John 
Durival  Kemp's  will  shows  that  he  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife  being  named  Martha  and  the 
second  Mary.  The  latter  died  the  6th  May,  1826,  aged  seventy-four.  In  the  Prittlewell  register 
a  John  Kemp  is  shown  to  have  been  united  to  Mary  Beadle,  a  widow,  on  the  14th  September,  1772. 
Whether  the  entry  refers  to  John  Durival  is  somewhat  doubtful.     Martha  was   the  daughter  of 


The  later  Kemps  of  Essex. 


21 


Thomas  Sumner,  with  whose  son  also,  Thomas,  her  husband  was  for  many  years  in  partnership. 
She  was  buried  at  Prittlewell,  as  the  will  testifies.  From  1784  to  1810  John  Durival  Kemp  was 
rated  as  a  householder  at  Southchurch,  whither  he  probably  removed  on  the  death  of  Thomas 
Sumner,  Sen. 

John  Durival  Kemp  is  said  to  have  been  the  father  of  eighteen  children,  but  we  do  not  know 
the  names  of  all  of  them.  A  Thomas  Sumner  Kemp  was  baptized  in  May,  1772.  He  was 
unfortunately  drowned  on  the  nth  June,  1799,  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven,  as  another  stone  placed 
"  by  a  sincere  friend,"  at  Prittlewell,  informs  us.  No  other  Kemp  is  recorded  as  having  been 
baptized  at  Prittlewell  till  1780,  in  which 
year  their  twin  son  and  daughter,  Henry  Carr 
and  Mira,  were  baptized  on  15th  October. 

We  find  however,  in  1797,  administra- 
tion of  the  goods  of  William  Marshall 
Kemp,  of  Southend,  Master  of  the  smack 
Two  Partners,  granted  to  John  Durival 
Kemp.  He  cannot  have  been  born  later 
than  1776.  John,  who  continued  the 
principal  family  line,  being  married  in  1793, 
and  Robert  Kemp,  co-executor  of  John  of 
their  father's  will,  must  have  been  among 
the  elder  members  of  the  family,  but  the 
dates  of  their  births  are  unknown.  The 
following  children  were  baptized  at  South- 
church  :  Elenor,  4th  June,  1785  ;  Frederick, 
3rd  June,  1786  ;  Martha,  9th  June,  1787  ; 
Charlotte,  nth  October,  1788  ;  Frederick 
Carr,  in  1793.  There  were  besides  these, 
three  daughters,  Eliza,  Louisa  and  Mary, 
whose  ages  are  unknown.  The  rest  of  the 
children,  of  whom  nothing  whatever  is 
known,  probably  died  in  infancy.  Some 
account  of  John  will  be  found  in  the  next 

chapter.  Robert  emigrated  to  the  United  States  where  he  continued  the  line,  though  little  is 
known  to  the  present  writers  of  his  descendants.  Henry  Carr  Kemp  died  in  1837  without  issue. 
His  twin  sister,  Myra  Sumner,  married  a  Mr.  Hardwick.  She  died  5th  September,  1873,  being  the 
last  survivor  of  the  family  of  John  Durival  Kemp  ;  her  will  was  proved  by  George  Tawke  Kemp. 
Eliza  became  the  wife  of  William  Hunter,  eldest  son  of  William  Hunter,  of  Bury  St.  Edmunds. 
He  was  an  Alderman  of  London  and  held  the  office  of  Lord  Mayor  in  1852.  Louisa  married  (first) 
a  Mr.  White  and  (secondly)  a  Mr.  Mundy,  a  missionary  in  India,  who  published  a  brief  memoir 
of  her,  largely  made  up  of  introspective  excerpts  from  her  diary.  Mary  married  a  Mr.  Richardson. 
The  late  Rev.  Henry  Kemp  Richardson,  some  time  rector  of  Leire,  was  their  son, 


Alderman  William  Hunter,  Lord  Mayor  of  London. 


22 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


.DESCENDANTS    OF    THE    PRITTLEWELL    KEMPS. 

JOHN  KEMP,  son  of  John  Durival  Kemp,  married  Susan  Stonnard,  by  whom  he  had  seven 
sons  and  five  daughters.  He  died  at  Thetford,  1844-  She  died  at  Cheltenham,  26th 
January,  i860,  aged  ninety  years.  With  their  family  commences  the  connexion  of  the 
Kemps  with  Lanc.-\shire,  three  of  his  sons  having  migrated  from  Essex  to  that  county  for  different 
reasons.  John  Abbot  Kemp,  their  eldest  son,  was  born  at  Broomhills,  Great  Stambridge,  9th 
February,  1794.  Why  he  received  the  name  of  Abbot  (so  spelled  in  his  father's  family  Bible)  is 
unknown.     He  married    Elizabeth,   daughter  of  John  English  Tabor,   of   Fenns,   Booking,    i6th 


John  Abbot  Kemp,  ancestor  of  George  Kempe,  M.P. 


Mrs.  J.  Abbot  Kemp  tiee  Tabor. 


August,  1821.  He  then  lived  at  Stambridge,  but  soon  afterwards  removed  to  Prittlewell.  He 
had  three  sons:  Clement,  born  at  Prittlewell,  15th  January,  1824;  Owen,  born  at  Prittlewell, 
19th  March,  1826  ;  and  George  Tabor,  born  in  London,  3rd  July,  1834,  died  6th  July, 
1900.  Two  excellent  likenesses  of  John  Abbot  Kemp  and  his  wife,  in  their  prime,  are  in  the 
possession  of  the  family,  executed  by  a  neighbour  in  London — Mr.  Heffernan,  an  assistant  in  the 
studio  of  Sir  Francis  Chantrey.  John  Abbot  Kemp  retired  to  Southport  for  his  health  in  i860, 
and  died  there  20th  May,  1869.  He  was  for  many  years  a  deacon  at  Westminster  Chapel.  His 
widow  died  31st  July,  1875- 


Descendants  of  (he  Prittlewell  Kemps.  23 

Mary  Ann,  the  fourth  child  of  John  Kemp,  was  born  17th  June,  1798.  She  became  second 
wife  to  Mr.  Henry  Brown,  of  Thetford.  She  died  at  Sevenoaks,  5th  March,  1875.  Mr.  Brown, 
by  his  first  wife,  became  father  of  the  late  Edward  Keer  Brown,  J. P.,  and  the  late  William  Brown, 
of  Great  Yarmouth.  His  second  wife  bore  him  a  son,  Henry,  believed  to  have  been  lost  at  sea,  and 
three  daughters,  Alice  Louisa,  Susan  Stonnard  and  Ellen  Kemp,  all  of  whom  died  unmarried.  Ellen 
Kemp,  the  last  survivor,  Avent  out  as  a  missionary  to  China,  in  connection  with  the  Sheo-Yang 
Mission,  after  she  was  fifty  years  of  age.  She  was  killed  by  the  overturning  of  a  native  cart  in 
1898.  The  fifth  child  was  Susan,  born  13th  January,  1800,  who  married  Robert  Jacomb,  after- 
wards Jacomb-Hood,  of  Bardon  Park,  Leicestershire.  She  died  8th  June,  1873.  Mr.  Jacomb-Hood, 
who  died  in  May,  1901,  was  a  Director  of  the  London,  Brighton  and  South  Coast  Railway  Company. 
He  was  an  engineer  by  profession.     Mr.  Percy  Jacomb-Hood,  the  well-known  artist,  is  his  son. 

John  and  Susan  Kemp's  third  son  and  seventh  child  was  Frederick,  born  12th  March,  1803. 
When  a  young  man  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  late  Sir  P.  Hesketh-Fleetwood,  whose  steward  he 
was  for  many  years.  He  had  much  to  do  with  laying  out  the  town  of  Fleetwood.  His  wife  was 
Charlotte  Titherington.  He  had  two  daughters  of  whom  one  married  the  late  Major  Poste,  by 
whom  she  had  a  son,  F.  W.  B.  Poste  (B.A.,  Camb.,  1894).  Frederick  Kemp  died  14th  March,  1883 
There  is  a  stained  window  to  his  memory  in  the  parish  church  of  Bispham,  where  he  lived.  Emma 
Kemp,  born  25th  December,  1805,  died  unmarried  at  Cheltenhan,  15th  December,  1862. 

The  twelfth  and  youngest  child  of  John  Kemp  was  George  Tawke  Kemp,  late  of  Rochdale. 
He  was  in  partnership  in  the  silk  trade  at  Spitalfields,  and  also  at  Middleton,  Lancashire,  with 
the  late  Thomas  Stone,  latterly  a  partner  with  Messrs.  Peek,  Frean  and  Company,  biscuit 
manufacturers.  Mr.  G.  T.  Kemp  also  joined  Mr.  Frederick  Kelsall,  whose  daughter  he  married, 
in  the  business  of  flannel  manufacture.  He  died  while  on  a  visit  to  Egypt  for  his  health 
March  20th,  1877,  having  been  born  on  the  I7tli  of  the  same  month  in  18 10.  He  left 
a  son,  the  present  Major  George  Kemp,  M.P.  for  the  Heywood  Division  of  Lancashire,  and  five 
daughters.  He  was  distinguished  for  his  Hberality  in  religious  and  philanthropic  causes.  He  was 
a  liveryman  of  the  Fishmongers'  Company  from  1837  and  joined  the  Court  of  the  Company  in 
1848.     His  widow  still  lives. 

Two  of  George  Tawke  Kemp's  daughters  have  entered  the  mission  field.  Miss  Jessie  Kemp 
first  went  out  to  India,  but  was  obliged  to  return  home  on  account  of  her  health.  She  afterwards 
went  to  China  under  the  auspices  of  the  China  Inland  Mission.  While  engaged  in  this  work  she 
married  Mr.  T.  W.  Pigott.  They  and  some  other  friends  eventually  formed  themselves  into  an 
independent  mission,  the  Sheo-Yang  Mission.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pigott  were  murdered  with  their 
son,  Wellesey,  by  the  "  Boxers  "  about  27th  June,  1900.  Mrs.  Pigott's  sister  above  referred  to  is 
Florence,  now  the  wife  of  Dr.  Edwards.  They  worked  first  with  the  China  Inland  Mission  from 
which  they  seceded  with  Mr.  Pigott.  Miss  Ellen  Kemp  Brown  was  another  member  of  the 
Sheo-Yang  Mission.  Mr.  George  Kemp,  M.P.,  was  born  in  1866.  He  was  educated  at  Mill  Hill, 
Shrewsbury  and  Trinity  College,  Cambridge,  graduating  B.A.  with  honours  in  the  Classical  Tripos 
in  1888.  He  distinguished  himself  as  a  cricketer,  playing  for  Lancashire  and  for  Cambridge 
University.  He  is  a  principal  shareholder  in  the  firm  of  Kelsall  and  Kemp,  Ltd.  He  married  the 
Lady  Beatrice  Mary,  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Ellesmere. 

Major  George  Kemp,  M.P.,  served  in  South  Africa  with  the  Duke  of  Lancaster's  Own  Yeomanry 
for  eighteen  months  ;  in  his  absence  he  was  re-elected  to  represent  his  constituency.  Since  his 
return  from  the  war  Mr.  Kemp  has  been  gazetted  as  major.  He  has  just  accepted  the  command 
of  a  Yeomanry  Regiment  and  is  again  going  to  South  Africa  for  active  service. 

Turning  to  the  family  of  John  Abbot  Kemp,  Clement  married  Elizabeth  Tabor,  daughter  of 


24  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Fa-jnilies. 

John  Tabor,  of  Booking,  by  whom  he  had  three  sons.  She  died  8th  November,  1895,  aged 
seventy-four.  He  is  a  Liveryman  of  the  Fishmongers'  Company,  having  been  admitted  in  1847. 
He  is  also  a  J. P.  for  the  Borough  of  Romsey  where  he  resided  from  1886-96.  His  business  life 
was  chiefly  spent  in  Lancashire  in  the  silk  business  of  his  uncle. 

His  sons,  who  were  all  born  at  Middleton,  are  John  Tabor  Kemp,  M.A.,  Camb.  ;  (B.A. 
Emman.  Coll.,  1884),  born  5th  October,  i860;  Herbert  Clement  Tabor  Kemp,  now  resident  at 
Tarkastad,  South  Africa,  proprietor  of  the  Tarka  Herald^  born  26th  September,  1862  ;  and 
Cecil  Tabor  Kemp,  pharmaceutical  chemist  in  business  at  Hereford,  born  i6th  April,  1868. 
Mr.  H.  C.  T.  Kemp  married  Edith  Emily,  daughter  of  Henry  Hunt  Wells  of  Rockwood, 
Coernay,  Cape  Colony,  on  20th  October,  1896. 

Mr.  Owen  Kemp,  younger  surviving  son  of  John  Abbot  Kemp,  resides  at  Walthamstow  ;  he 
passed  many  years  of  his  life  in  Australia,  where  he  married  Miss  Catherine  Caroline  Cater. 
George  Tabor  Kemp  likewise  emigrated  to  Australia,  where  he  married  late  in  life. 

The  arms  of  the  Kemps  of  Prittlewell  are  said  to  be  the  same  as  those  of  the  Kemps  of  Spain's 
Hall  and  Pentlow,  the  authority  being,  so  far  as  we  can  ascertain,  the  semi-official  acknowledg- 
ment of  the  claim  of  Alderman  William  Hunter,  to  impale  such  arms,  in  right  of  his  wife  (who, 
as  stated  above,  was  daughter  of  John  Durival  Kemp,  of  Prittlewell),  contained  in  Burke's 
"  Illustrations  of  Heraldry." 


Jo 


PIS  held  the  same  office  1231. 

ir"  Rohert  Kempi  and  Matilda,  at  Uxhridge,  1331. 

held  a  messuage  at  .Enfield,  1 389.         Rickard  Kempe,  at  Harmondswarth,  1407. 


■  leld  lands  in  Tiburn  Manor  1405  and 

Thomc^  /  Trinity,  Aldgate    1440-.'.      M.P.  for 

\.     Will  proved  14:42. 

Tijj;-        f  _^  (roved  at  Lambeth  1458. 
William  Kempe' 


John  Kempe, 
of  Aldgate. 


Robert  Kempe, 
alias  Campe, 
living  1442. 


of  London.:=Agnes. 


vidow],  George  Kempe, 

2-63.  of  Hatnpstead, 

living  15-3. 
Finchley.-^Joan.  /\n7i 


Robert  Kemp, 


'empe,  of  Weston  ^Suffolk)  and  Gissing  {Norfolk)=Margaret  or  Elizaieth,  d  of 
living  1473. I      William  Curzon,  of  Stutton. 


Ann  Clifford,-=^Robert  Kempe,  of 
of  Kent.       I    Weston  &■  Gissmg, 
died  1526. 


I»  1593) 


of  Bury  St. 
Edmunds 


4  llen,=3artAolomew  Kempe, 


of  Gissing,  Margaret  K. 

died  1554,  aged?,2.       Beiufactress. 
^William  Dane, 
Aid.  of  London. 


Edmund  Kempe,  Citizen=Bridget,  d.  of         Ralf  Kempe, 
and  Merchant  of  London.  \     John  Style.  livine  Ia~-k' 

Will  1542.         I '  ^  ^'■" 

Hurnphrey  Kempe, 

{^claimed  as 

ancestor  hy  the 

Cornish  Kempes') 


James  Kempe^Anne  Powle, 
of  Acton.       I 
living  1566. 
(may.  1544)    I 
Powell  Kempe. 


\nythuin,=:.Robert  Kempe,  of      Bartholomew  Kempe,  of  London,-=.Barbara  Sharpe,        Edward  Kempe,  of  London,-=..ignes  Page, 


^uck- 
msh 


Gissvig  &  Flordon. 
died  1596,  aged  So 


M.P.  for  Eye  1 586  fir  Shaftesbury, 
luld  land  at  Hendon  1565 


\st  husb. 
Thomas  Phillips 


ram.-^Richard  K'mpe,  of  Gissing, 
'fad.    I     mar.atBampstead  l^tt. 


.  at  Savoy 
Chapel  l6t  r. 


Citizen  6*  .Hercer 


tViV/1594. 


Robert  K.     Charles  K.     Edmund  K.     Margaret  K 


j iempe,  of  Gissing,  bapt.  at  Hampstead  1 567.  | 

_   '      .     „     ^   _<^.  of  Arthur  Harris,  died  16  [2.  Bartholomew  Kemte. 

rrancis  Kempe,'=k       ■'   ,  k         t  r      j       im 

jr  xtrn.,,i.J,  I  bur.  at  Croydon  iddi. 

."J      ,\f  f  '        Kempe,  Baronet,— Jane,  d.  of  Sir  Matthew  Browne,      ' 
'"^fLr:-  I.-      '.g  Flordon,  5rc.     ;  of  Betchworth. 

Jd  1647.  ; 


Bridget  Adlin.-=zBartholomew  Kempe,  of  London  and  Croydon, 
I living  1626. 


Nicholas  Kempe, 

(^said  to  have 
died  unmarried") 


Will  1656. 


Ann  ■=zRobert  h 
More.         went  at 
but  retu 


Francis  K.      William  K.     Robert  K. 
living  1626. 

1st  wife.  2nd  wife. 

Cicely  Kester ,-:=.Sir  Nicholas  Kempe,  Knight,-^^arah  James 

mar.  1577.  of  Finchley  and  Islington.  widow  jf 

S.P.  Will\(^2\.  J. P.  for  Middlesex.     Thos.  Draper 

Steward  of  Fulham. 


Robert  Kempe,     "ggj    ' 
in  Virginia. 


,^lTTERHOUSE,^Mary,  d.  of  George 
Hendon  in      |    NichoU,  of  Hendon, 


ed  1712. 


married  1 68  2. 


Elizabeth  Kempe.=:Wm.  Atley,  of 

Shepherd's  Bush. 


Alice  Kempe.=John  Sutton,  of 
Dollis,  Hendon. 


I                       1st  wiie.            I                                 2nd  wife.                       | 
Anne  K.             Sarah  .  .  .=Daniel  Kempe,  of=Ellenor                 Susannah  K.=Wm.  Snoxall- 
I      CliTTERHOUSE,      j   (?  Arrowsmith) 
I    Will  proved  1749. 


Mary  K. 


Jos 
d.a 


1  ov 


Tlumas  Hitchin,  1 

mar.  there  l66< 

Jacob  Hitchin,  of- 

I 
Jacob  Hitcnin,  of, 
1700-17" 


of 
ower 
1  died 
tad  St. 
I  p.  1797. 


I  J  I 

Daniel  Kempe,       Sarah  Kempe,         Mary  Kempe, 

d.  an  infant.  :^J.  Pippin,         =:T.Dowdeswell, 

1^19.  mar.  1742.  mar.  1745. 

(both  by  licence  at  St.  Paul's  Cath.) 


Joseph  Kempe, 
bur.  at  Hendon 
1693. 


John  Kempe,       Daniel  Kempe,  of^Dinah. 
d.  an  infant.  Parson's  Street,    I 

Hendon,  d.  1763.  j 
Edward  Clark.e.^Dinah  Kempe. 
mar.  1774/5.  (only  child) 


John  Kempe,  of  CliTTERHOUSE  and=Louisa,  dau.  of  John  Bishop,  of=Dr.  George  Goodwin, 

3.  of  Dover  Street,  Piccadilly,  M.D.,  born  I  Piccadilly  &  Hendon,  by  Mary  |     of  Queen  Street, 

1740,  bur,  at  Hendon.  Will  1795.      |     Penny,  of  Wells,  died  1838.     I       Westminster. 


Tlwmas  Hitchin  0,  ^^^^^       Elizabeth  Augusta  Kemp, 
i/.,  174-- 1797- r.  at  bap.  1775,  of  Hendon 

I  ,      6.  and  Westminster,  died 

William  Hitchin, 
l766-l832.=.l/aj-j 


Joseph  Hitchin. 
1808-18  ^8.=iE'/!>i 


Elenor  Augusta  Kemp, 
bom  1780,  of  Hendon, 
died  unmarried  1 8  38. 


Tlu  Rev.  Samuel  C'larles  Godwin, 

of  Enhvrst,  Sussex,  and  of  Charing 

Cross,  died  in  Paris  1835. 


Susannah  Kemp 

1st  husb. 
^Thomas  Pitt. 

2nd  husb. 
=John  Lodge. 


sumed  name 
!n  vault  of 


William  Hitchin\ 
Hitchin  s  Beach 


hm. 


Frederick  Brookes, 

bom  1802,  died  1824, 

bur.  at  Wells  Cathedral. 


Daniel  Bowden  Brookes, 
bora  1807,  died  1808. 


of  The=N  :)rah  Goddard. 
lorn  1840.    I 

4  daughttys. 


Charlotte  H.  Louisa  Clyraer.=Thomas  Hitchin,  of^Eliza  Golding. 

1842-73.  I    London,  born  1845.  widow  of 
r  daughter.  Alison. 


Fanny  H.-K. 
1864-1873. 


la  H.-K. 
Utie.") 


Alice  H.-K. 


William  Hitchin-Kemp, 
of  Twickenham,  bora  1875. 


Arthur  Hitchin-Kemp, 
bora  1877. 


I 
Nellie  H.-K. 


Louisa  w 
living  at 
Margate. 


nidi 


Hilda  H.-K. 


24  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Keinpe  Families. 

John  Tabor,  of  Booking,  by  whom  he  had  three  sons.  She  died  8th  November,  1895,  aged 
seventy -four.  He  is  a  Liveryman  of  the  Fishmongers'  Company,  having  been  admitted  in  1847. 
He  is  also  a  J. P.  for  the  Borough  of  Romsey  where  he  resided  from  1886-96.  His  business  life 
was  chiefly  spent  in  Lancashire  in  the  silk  business  of  his  uncle. 

His  sons,  who  were  all  born  at  Middleton,  are  John  Tabor  Kemp,  M.A.,  Camb.  ;  (B.A. 
Emman.  Coll.,  1884),  born  5th  October,  i860;  Herbert  Clement  Tabor  Kemp,  now  resident  at 
Tarkastad,  South  Africa,  proprietor  of  the  Tarka  Herald^  born  26th  September,  1862  ;  and 
Cecil  Tabor  Kemp,  pharmaceutical  chemist  in  business  at  Hereford,  born  i6th  April,  1868. 
Mr.  H.  C.  T.  Kemp  married  Edith  Emily,  daughter  of  Henry  Hunt  Wells  of  Rockwood, 
Coernay,  Cape  Colony,  on  20th  October,  1896. 

Mr.  Owen  Kemp,  younger  surviving  son  of  John  Abbot  Kemp,  resides  at  Walthamstow  ;  he 
passed  many  years  of  his  life  in  Australia,  where  he  married  Miss  Catherine  Caroline  Cater. 
George  Tabor  Kemp  likewise  emigrated  to  Australia,  where  he  married  late  in  life. 

The  arms  of  the  Kemps  of  Prittlewell  are  said  to  be  the  same  as  those  of  the  Kemps  of  Spain's 
Hall  and  Pentlow,  the  authority  being,  so  far  as  we  can  ascertain,  the  semi-official  acknowledg- 
ment of  the  claim  of  Alderman  William  Hunter,  to  impale  such  arms,  in  right  of  his  wife  (who, 
as  stated  above,  was  daughter  of  John  Durival  Kemp,  of  Prittlewell),  contained  in  Burke's 
"  Illustrations  of  Heraldry." 


vf/ 


KEMPS     r)I      viiDDLESEX. 


»  Dmin  a/Lmdon,  143:. 
^21-6  and  It  Lamieth  I45. 
Xtmpt,  'Bis/iofi  of  Lmdm  1448-89  {itparai 


HampMadjri 
o/fiiitiilon  14 


i,»  1461) 
,mv  K.mpt.lw. 
'.o/Kinlah  Tm 


p„,t,h  of 
iPribrndar-. 


Stephen  Kempe,   uned  for  leaving  the  King 
Amaldus  de  Campis,  Ma5E  :r  of  the  Knight's  Hospita 
William  Kempe,  rewarded  by  thi  K:  ng  for  catching  a  Whale  r 
i  Kempe,  "  Eiheator  "  to  the  King  (for  iV  iiddlesex),  1389. 

:r.  Keeper  of  the  King-'s  Wardrobe  141s  and  King's 
i-Thames  1434  and  1436.     (Deeds  ex.  iiing)     : 
/  Kim/t.ofl,l,nglon  (fruiC,  I465. 


r  London  Bridge, 
trgeant  1438, 


ThoTTios  Kimpe. 
.  Kimp,,  Gnl.  of  Ha, 


(MON  Kempe,  alias  Campe,  held  lands  in  Tibum  Mane 
in  the  parish  of  Holy  Trinity,  .Aldgate,  1440--. 
iMiddlesex  1113-1414.     Will  provjd  1442. 
Esquire,  of  London.     Will  proved  at  Lambeth  1458. 

IPE,  CJtiien  and  Fishmonger  of  London.^.^gnes. 


Gtorst  Ktmp,,  tfFin:hUy=^yoat 


Robyl  Kt,np,, 
living  1443. 


Riiirl  Ki-tpi.  of  Wislon  (_S-ffolf)  0 


AlUn,=BarlJiolor 


John  tCimpt.  ofKmgUon.=.ilis. 
W,U  Ij35.  1       „ 

Wdliam  Ktmpt. 


miliam  Ktmpt,  ofKiiigs 

I  lm«S  I49=- 

?oJin  Kimpi,  afStaijus, 


7£T 


Richard  Ktrnpt,  chuf  raUpayer  at  Bed/on. 
.  =John  Kim 


Willesden  and  Hendon, 


EH:a  Smythuin,^Ro6eri  Kunpe,  of  BirUwlomew  Kempe,  of  L.mdan,-^Barhara  Sharpe,        Edward  Kempt,  of  Limdon,^=i.Aents  Past 

of  Buck-       \Gt,n„g&F!or,hn,  M.P.Jhr  Eyef^Z(,&  SJ.afie,6urv.\     &ur.  at  Savoy  Citi^tn4.\fercer  \     Wilt  I^Sa. 

inghamshtre.    \  diidll(^t,agid%Q.  held  land  at  Hendon  l<^b%.  Chapel  \t\\,      1  j j 1 

I  '      I  Robert  K.      Charles  K.     Edmund  K.     Margaret  A 


=.[fary  .  .  =Jokn  Kempt,  of  Hampuead         Fra,u:is  Kempe,  of  Willesde,i.= 


Frojtcis  Kempt,— Amv  Marih.       John  K. 
ofWilUidtn,  WilUt^l. 


1  K~  Francis  K.  hapt.  <it= 


I 
Wiltia 


.  Kempe, =         John  Kei 


William  Kj^Mary  Hogema 


^Robert  Kempti^Rose 
I       went  abroad       Rtppx 


itl  K.        William  K.         Henry  K.       Robert  Kempe=DoroiAy.        Thomas  Marzh,  of  Lmdon. 
of  Long  Lane. 


d.  be  fc 

(pel  haps  of 
AJdei  manbury, 

the  Actor) 

Humphrey  Kempe, 


WU^I  prov< 


it  Croydon  1662.     living  r6a6. 


r  K.     William  K.    Robtr 


Cicely  Kester,^Sir  Nicholas  Kempe,  Knight,^=Sarak  James 

mar.  1577.  of  Finchtev  and  Islington.  widow  of 

SJ'.  Will  1624.  J. R.fir  Middlesex.     Thos.  Draper 


Henry  Kempe, =.in: 

buried  Jt 
Hampstead, 


Rose  Kempe.=Hen.y  Budder. 


upe,  of  Cliuerhouse, 
ighwaymen,     S.P. 
m  1674-  - 


Thomas  Kempe,  of  Crickie  wood,=El!en  (?  Taylor) 

,  (and  of  Chrisichurch,  London)    I 

Will  proved  1674. |  


E,^I  fary,  d.  of  G«orge 
I    Nicholl,  of  Hendon, 


Mary  Nobte,  of  L 
licence  1691,  bur. 


.  by=Ma]Or  Thomas  Kempe,  of  the 
■'3,      I     Tower  of  London  &  Qr.  Mr. 
Will  proved  1727- 


of  Hendoi 


Mary  K.         Joseph  K.  Noble  K. 


T.'iomas  Hitchin,  of  MiddUwich, 

mar.  there  1660.       ! 
Jacob  Huchm,  of  MiddlemuJi. 

Jacob  Hxtchtn,  ofM^SaraA. 

1700-1768.  I  I703-'3oo. 

Thomas  Hitchin,  of=Mary  Wrinck. 


William  Hiichm,  of  .Widdlewuh, 
i:66-li-:,2— Margaret  Egerlon. 

Joseph  Hitchvt,  of  Middlewich, 
liQ^-l%-:,ij=Eit:abtth  Jackson. 

William  HtUhui.  Founder  of 
HtUhm's  Beach,  Nevt  Zealand. 


'.  Walker, 
;ndon  1759- 

c  Dupuy.  =;Elizabeth  Kemper.  .  .  Rigby. 
.t  Hendon  |  | 

1765.  t  I 

IsaacDupuy,  liv.  1797.         Elizabeth  Rigby. 


;v.  Thomas  Kempe,  D.D-=Mary,  Lady  Banff, 
Rector  of  St.  Michael,  d.  at  Kensington. 

Crooked  Lane,  bur.  at  Will  proved  1784. 

Cheam.  Will  1769. 

Catherine  S 


ien  Kempe.=Edward  Shon,  Sec. 


Daniel  Kempe,  of  Daniel  Kempe,       Sarah  Kempe, 

the  Mint,  Tower  d.  an  infant,            =J.  Pippin, 

of  London,  died  [;I9-                  m^''-  1743. 

at  Gc.  Ormond  St.  (both  by  licence 
igedgi.  Will  p.  1797. 


=T.  Dowdeswell, 

mar.  1745. 
t  St.  Paul's  Caih.) 


John  Kempe,       Daniel  Kempe,  of=T)inah. 
d.  an  infant.  Parson's  Street,     I 

Hendon,  d.  1763.  | 
Edward  Clarke.=Dinah  Kempe. 
mar.  1774/5.  (only  child) 


740.  bur,  at  Hendon.  Will  179f 


LoveniTT  St.  and 
Golden  Sq.,  Lond. 

Solicitor 
(Gray's  Inn  [77911 
I 

William  Hitchin,  of  the  B.  i  F.  Bible=CH.-vBLOi 

Society,  bom  at  Athenon  1807.       I  b 

died  at  Margat*  [884. | i 

Freherick  Wjlllam  Hitchin-Kemp,  of  Margate. 

Greenwich  1335,  assumed  name  and  irros  of  Ken 

heir  to  his  uncle  and  mother  1868,  by  royal  pat 


Kemp,  heiress.         Daniel  Kemp,  of  Dover  Si 
:e  3  June,  1799.  Piccadilly,  died  in  Hoila 

s-in-the-Fields,         1794  while  serving  as  Sure 


i  Brookes,  hein 


1  Bishop  Kemp,       Lo 


i-KEMP,  of  Goodyers,  Hendon, 
:mp  by  royal  licence  1838,  bur.  . 
Kemps  of  Clitterhouse)  1368,  u 


lisa  Augusta  Kei 
Dm  1772,  bur.  at 
Hendon  1776. 


1  wi'stm 


Frederick  Brookes, 
bom  1802,  died  1824, 
bur.  at  Wells  Cathedra!. 


Merchant,  of  London. 


Frederick  Hitchin-Kemp,  of  Catford,  I 


1  Clymer.=Thomas  Hitchin,  of=EIi2a  Golding. 
I    London,  bom  1845.  widow  of 

I  daughter.  Alison. 

i i 

Arthur  Hitchin-Kemp,  NeUie  H.-K. 


lUda  H.- 


Angela Winifred  H.-K. 


Reginald  Pym  Hitchin-Kemp, 


SKCXION     III.  PART    II. 


CHoATTETi   I. 

EARLY    KEMPES    AND    CAMPES   OF    MIDDLESEX. 

INCLUDING  as  it  does  the  great  metropolis,  little  doubt  will  be  entertained  that  at  one  time 
or  another  every  Kempe  family  in  England  must  have  been  represented  there.  We  cannot, 
of  course,  in  this  section  deal  with  every  individual  Kemp,  Kempe  or  Campe  who  has  made 
London  his  home,  or  conducted  his  profession  or  trade  there  ;  nor  would  this  be  necessary,  for  in  many 
cases  due  mention  of  such  residence  has  appeared  in  the  section  of  this  work  in  which  his  family  are 
considered.  Like  other  Counties,  Middlesex  was  evidently  the  home  of  many  individuals  of  the 
name  (and  its  variants)  from  a  very  early  period,  and  it  is  difficult  to  say  whether  the  Stephen 
Kempe  who  was  fined  for  leaving  the  Court  of  King  Stephen  in  1 1  27  was  then  in  London  or  at 
Winchester  or  other  Royal  City.  As  Prior  of  the  Knights  of  Hospitalers,  Amaldus  de  Campis  and 
his  successor  Bertrand  de  Campis  probably  resided  at  St.  John's,  by  Smithfield,  close  to  which  was  the 
Hospital  and  Church  of  St.  Bartholomew,  of  which  one  Rogerus  de  Kempele  was  Prior  in  1 359  ; 
both  the  Knights  Hospitalers  and  Bartholomew  Hospital  had  property  in  and  around  Paddington 
and  both  had  interests  at  Hendon  and  Tiburn.  (Concerning  the  exact  locale  of  which  there  has 
recently  been  much  debate  in  Notes  and  Queries?)  The  latter,  being  partially  within  the  present 
district  of  Paddington,  was  held  by  the  Knights  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem,  whose  badge,  the  Lamb 
and  Flag,  surmount  still  the  church  at  Hendon,  which  in  early  times  was  attached  to  them.  A 
portion  of  Tiburn  was,  as  we  remarked  in  the  Norfolk  section,  leased  at  about  1490  to  the 
Blaverhauset  family  who  thenceforward  had  a  residence  at  Hampstead  within  the  ancient  parish 
of  Hendon,  and  intermarrying  with  the  Kempes  of  Norfolk  seem  to  account  for  some  of  that  family 
being  connected  with  this  immediate  district.  Before,  however,  the  Blaverhausetts  obtained 
possession  of  these  Middlesex  lands,  we  know  that  a  Thomas  Kempe  of  the  Kentish  family  was 
appointed  an  Escheator  to  the  King  for  the  County  of  Middlesex  ;  this  was  about  1 389,  at  which 
time  a  William  Campe  held  a  messuage  at  Enfield,  his  inquisition  being  made  in  the  I2th  year  of 
Richard  II.  In  1405  Simon  Campe  held  land  then  worth  £io  in  the  manor  of  Tyburn,  as  is 
proved  by  the  Middlesex  Subsidy  Roll  of  6th  Henry  IV.  Simon  Campe,  who  was  presumably  this 
same  individual,  was  Member  of  Parliament  for  Middlesex  in  1413  and  the  following  year,  and  it 
is  likely  that  he  was  also  the  same  who  possessed  land  in  the  adjoining  County  of  Buckinghamshire 
in  1429,  where  his  name  appears  as  Simon  Kempe.  In  1440  we  find  the  first  Simon  Kempe  as  a 
landholder  in  Kent,  and  in  1442  the  will  of  Simon  Kempe  alias  Campe,  of  Tiburn,  Middlesex,  was 
proved  in  the  Prerogative  Court  of  London.  Stow,  in  his  "  Survey  of  London,"  before  the  Great 
Fire,  says  that  ancient  tombs  of  Simon  and  John  Kempe  were  then  existing  in  the  Church  of  Holy 
Trinity,  otherwise  called   Christchurch,  by  Aldgate,  while  the  probate  calendar  describes  Simon 

M 


26  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Campe  as  of  Holy  Trinity  Priory.  There  was  another  Priory  of  that  name  at  Kilburn,  close 
to  Hampstead,  Tiburn  and  Willesden,  where  from  about  this  date  the  Kempes  of  Middlesex  certainly 
established  themselves. 

Simon  Campe's  will  is  dated  2Sth  August,  1442,  and  styles  him  "  Esquire,"  a  parishioner  of 
St.  Catherine's,  near  the  Tower  of  London,  and  of  Holy  Trinity^  within  Aldgate.  He  desires  to  be 
buried  at  the  "  High  Cross  "  at  Aldgate,  and  bequeaths  sums  to  Holy  Trinity  Priory,  the  Church 
of  St.  Catherine,  the  several  houses  of  the  Friars  of  London  and  to  the  house  of  the  Carthusians, 
as  well  as  the  Hospital  of  Bedlam.  He  directs  that  his  Chaplain  shall  be  provided  with  "  means 
according  to  the  exigency  of  his  need,"  with  instructions  to  the  said  Chaplain,  "Master  William," 
to  pray  for  the  repose  of  the  souls  of  the  testator  and  his  wife  Margaret.  John  Burgh,  the  elder, 
John  Burgh,  the  younger,  and  William  Reynold  were  appointed  the  executors  to  see  these 
charities  and  trusts  duly  carried  out.  To  his  brother  Robert  he  left  a  sum  of  money,  and  to  his 
brother  John  funds  to  enable  him  to  pass  through  College.  The  lands  mentioned  by  the  testator 
were  situated  at  "  Tiburn,  Lilleston,  Westburn,  Charing,  Gye  and  elsewhere  in  Middlesex."  These 
were  left  in  trust  for  the  benefit  of  his  wife.  No  children  are  mentioned,  but  it  is  possible  that 
the  lands  were  entailed,  in  which  case  it  would  not  be  necessary  to  bequeath  them  to  his  son 
and  heir. 

Long,  however,  before  this  we  trace  Campes  or  Kempes  to  the  district  immediately  around 
Willesden.  In  the  Feet  of  Fines  for  Middlesex  (printed  by  Hardy  6"  Page)  we  have  distinct  evidence 
of  individuals  of  these  names  holding  land  in  the  county,  and  although  these  records  give  but 
scattered  information  it  wonld  be  reasonable  to  suppose  that,  from  the  earliest  mention,  1331, 
the  Kempes  were  men  of  some  property  around  Uxbridge,  which  place  stands  on  the  border  of 
this  county  and  Buckinghamshire.  Within  the  latter  county  some  of  the  earliest  known  Kempes 
of  Hendon  certainly  held  property  which  may  have  been  handed  down  to  them.  The  Fine  of 
1331  records  that  William  le  Fader,  Robert  Kempe  and  Matilda,  his  wife,  were  concerned  with  a 
messuage  in  "  Woxebridge,"  while  in  1520  a  Walter  Champyon  (another  recognized  variant  of 
the  name  of  Kempe),  who  was  a  Citizen  and  Draper  of  London,  held  premises  at  "  Woxebridge  " 
and  "  Hillyndon,"  now  called  Uxbridge  and  HiUingdon. 

A  few  miles  south  of  these  places  is  Harmondsworth,  whereat  Richard  Kempe  was  a  land- 
holder in  1407,  and  is  mentioned  as  such  in  a  Fine  made  that  year  with  Alan  Wombe,  clerk, 
William  Ashe,  Stephen  Young  and  Matilda,  the  Litter's  wife.  Within  the  Diocese  of  London 
there  was  a  clerk  named  Ralph  Kempe,  between  1422  and  1429,  who  seems  to  have  gone  to 
Harlow,  Essex,  as  Vicar  of  that  place  ;  about  this  time,  as  we  have  noted  in  the  Kentish  section,  a 
Ralph  Kempe  witnessed  a  deed  of  his  relative  Peter  Kempe,  of  Brabourne,  and  it  is  very  likely  that, 
as  this  Ralph  is  not  traced  in  Kent,  he  is  identical  with  this  clergyman.  And  it  is  further 
likely  that  from  him  the  name  of  Ralph  was  handed  down  to  several  generations  of  Middlesex 
Kempes.  On  the  other  hand  we  know  of  a  later  Ralph  Kempe,  of  Gissing,  who  also  disappeared 
from  his  native  place  and  may  have  come  through  the  influence  of  the  Blaverhausets  to  Middlesex 
as  subsequent  events  seem  to  indicate.  Before  his  time,  however,  we  know  of  two  William 
Kempes  of  considerable  standing  in  the  county,  the  first  was  an  Esquire  whose  estate  was 
administered,  on  his  decease,  by  a  John  Cowper,  of  London  (a  point  maker),  by  virtue  of  a 
commission,  issued  13th  July,  1458,  under  the  seal  of  the  Archbishop,  as  recorded  at  Lambeth 
Palace.  The  second  William  Kempe  was  a  Citizen  and  Fishmonger  of  London,  and  his  estate 
was  granted  on  3rd  October,  1461,  to  Agnes  Kempe,  his  widow,  John  Payne  and  William 
Harding.  (Lambeth  Wills  and  Administrations.)  The  fact  of  the  grants  of  administration  being 
obtained  at  Lambeth  may  indicate  that  the  lands  which  these  early  Kempes  of  Middlesex  held 


Early  Kempes  and  Campes  of  Middlesex.  27 

were  part  of  the  Episcopal  estate  of  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  as  John  Kempe  was  the 
Archbishop  and  resident  at  Lambeth  until  within  a  few  years  of  these  grants  it  is  extremely  likely 
that  he  had  admitted  his  own  near  kinsmen  to  the  lands  which  he  held  in  virtue  of  his  position. 
He  has  been  so  constantly  charged  with  nepotism  that  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  this  was  the 
actual  case,  and  we  suggest  that  it  is  probable  one  of  these  William  Kempes  was  the  father 
of  the  next  Ralph  Kempe  known  to  Middlesex,  and  consequently  founder  of  the  Kempes  of 
Marylebone  and  the  earliest  settlement  of  Kempes  at  Hampstead  and  Willesden. 

In  the  4th  year  of  Edward  IV.  (1465)  David  Kemp  was  concerned  with  lands  at  Islington  with 
Thomas  Clifford  and  William  Underbill.  From  this  time  the  name  of  David  was  closely  associated 
with  clerical  Kempes  around  Middlesex  and  away  in  Cornwall,  the  latter  being  possibly  attributable 
to  quite  a  different  origin — the  St.  David  of  Wales  and  Cornwall. 

In  the  extreme  east  borders  of  Middlesex  undoubtedly  the  Essex  Kempes  held  property  from 
very  early  times,  and  before  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century  they  had  tenements  or  interests  in 
land  at  Hackney,  and  a  little  later  at  Tottenham,  but  of  this  see  under  the  Kempes  of  Essex. 

Turning  to  the  earliest  Calendars  of  the  Commissary  Court  of  London  we  find  that  the  will 
of  Radulph  Campe  was  proved  in  1445  ;  possibly  this  is  a  testament  of  that  Ralph  Kempe  who 
we  mentioned  above  as  a  cleric,  which  seems  the  more  likely  in  that  only  three  years  before  the 
wills  of  Simon  and  Margaret  Camp  were  recorded  in  the  same  Court  (as  well  as  being  proved  in 
the  Prerogative  Court  of  Canterbury),  as  of  Tiburn,  Holy  Trinity  Priory,  and  other  lands  in 
Middlesex.  Simon  was  a  name  frequently  occurring  before  1440  among  Kentish  Kempes,  after 
which  it  disappeared  in  that  county  and  continued  in  Middlesex,  thus  giving  some  further  evidence 
in  favour  of  the  Kempes  of  the  latter  being  akin  to  the  former. 

Turning  again  to  Commissary  wills  we  find,  in  addition  to  the  above  Campes,  the  following 
Kempes  in  the  Calendar,  but  unfortunately  many  of  the  original  wills  and  the  registers  containing 
copies  of  them  are  now  missing  :  Thomas  Kempe,  1426  ;  John  Kempe,  1430  ;  Stephen  Kempe 
(see  Kent),  1431  ;  Richard  Kempe,  1436  ;  John  Kempe,  1439  ;  Richard  Kempe,  1441  ;  Robert 
Kempe,  1445  ;  Thomas  Kempe,  1464  ;  Richard  Kempe,  1462  ;  Thomas  Kempe  (circa),  1466  ; 
Margaret  Kempe,  15 10,  and  Alice  Kempe  about  the  same  time.  In  the  Prerogative  Court  of 
Canterbury  the  first  Kempe  of  Middlesex  without  the  alias  of  Campe  is  one  Ralph  Kempe,  whose 
will  was  proved  in  1477,  he  being  a  merchant  of  St.  Michael's,  Bassinghall,  London,  and  of 
Bedfont,  in  Middlesex  ;  before  however  going  into  details  of  his  family  we  may  give  a  list  of  the 
earliest  Kempes  whose  wills  appear  in  the  Calendars  of  the  Consistory  Court  of  London,  which 
are  as  follows  : — John  Kempe,  of  Westminster,  1540-8  ;  Thomas  Kempe,  between  1549  and  1559, 
and  Ralph  Kempe,  between  1539  and  1559.  The  number  of  Campe  and  Kempe  wills  in  the 
various  Probate  Courts  under  which  the  Middlesex  lands  were  administered  are  sufficient  to 
show  that  from  very  early  times  the  name  represented  considerable  people  in  the  county, 
more  particularly  from  the  period  at  which  John  Kempe,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  his 
nephew,  Thomas,  Bishop  of  London,  held  lands  there.  The  latter,  we  know,  instituted  his 
relative  William  Kempe  to  the  Prebends  of  Hoxton  and  Kentish  Town  (having  their  corps 
in  this  county),  and  presented  him  to  the  Rectory  of  Stepney  so  late  as  1476-  The  Bishop 
was  still  living  at  the  death  of  Ralph  Kempe  of  London  and  Bedfont,  and  but  for  subsequent 
connexion  of  the  Norfolk  Kempes  with  the  parish  of  St.  Michael,  Bassinghall,  we  should 
not  doubt  of  this  Ralph  being  distinctly  near  kin  to  the  Bishop.  Then,  too,  we  have  to  notice 
that  the  later  Kempes  of  this  parish  came  through  the  influence  of  Sir  James  Yarford  and 
the  Greshams,  and  may  have  been  but  remotely,  or  totally,  unconnected  with  this  Ralph  Kempe  who 
was  certainly  buried  there  in  1477.     The  pedigrees  of  the  families  of  Norfolk  and  Kentish  Kempes, 

M  2 


28  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Fajnilies. 

as  duly  noticed  in  their  respective  sections,  still  are  unconnected  so  far  as  actual  evidence  can  be 
found,  but  it  seems  possible  that  the  connexion  was  far  closer  in  the  time  of  Archbishop  Kempe  than  the 
pedigrees  would  lead  one  to  suppose,  for  there  was  evidently  friendly  communication  between  the 
branches  ;  and  the  feet  of  Archbishop  Kempe  benefitting  places  in  Norfolk  may  indicate  that  in 
the  Norfolk  Kempes  he  acknowledged  the  senior  branch  of  his  family  :  be  this  as  it  may,  we  will 
treat  of  the  two  Kempe  lines  who  resided  in  St.  Michael's  parish  in  the  same  chapter,  as  from  each 
doubtless  some  modern  Kempes  of  Middlesex  descended. 


CHqATTE%    II. 

KEMPES    OF    ST.    MICHAEL'S,    BASSINGHALL,    ^c, 

WE  now  come  to  the  consideration  of  the  earliest  pedigree  which  we  have  been  able  to 
form  from  the  available  records  of  Middlesex. 
Ralph  Kempe,  of  the  Parish  of  St.  Michael's,  Bassinghall,  in  the  City  of  London, 
was  a  merchant  in  the  woollen  trade,  then,  undoubtedly,  the  most  profitable  of  English  industries. 
From  his  will,  which  alludes  to  garments  of  Ms  own  weaving^  it  is  evident  that  he  manufactured 
the  cloth  as  well  as  dealing  with  the  raw  material.  From  Kent,  doubtless,  he  derived  much  of 
his  wool,  for  then,  as  now,  the  county  was  particularly  suitable  for  sheep  farming,  while  the 
author  of  the  "  Scots  of  Scott's  Hall  "  states  his  belief  that  a  certain  early  Kempe,  of  Wye, 
described  as  a  "  scissor,"  was  a  merchant  tailor  akin  to  that  celebrated  Flemish  weaver,  John 
Kempe,  who  established  the  woollen  cloth  trade  in  England  about  1331-  We  do  not  agree  with 
this  opinion  as  dates  and  records  show  that  Kempes  (or  de  Campis)  were  settled  at  Wye  before 
the  time  of  the  weaver,  nor  do  we  think  it  likely  that  the  name  of  the  Kempes'  seat  at  Wye, 
"  Ollantigh,"  is  derived  from  "  Olla,"  meaning  wool,  and  "  tigh  "  a  house,  but  it  is  at  least 
interesting  to  notice  how  much  the  Kempes  had  to  do  with  the  woollen  and  weaving  trade  from 
the  time  of  the  Flemish  settlement  down  to  the  last,  and,  indeed,  the  present  century 

Ralph  Kempe  probably  inherited  his  lands  at  Bedfont  from  one  of  the  Kempes  or  Campes 
whose  wills  we  have  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  chapter,  and  it  is  evident  from  his  own  will  that 
he  held  lands  also  at  Twykenham,  Feltham,  and  Houndslow  as  well  as  his  residence  and  place  of 
business  in  Bassinghall  Street.* 

Ralph  Kempe  mentions  in  his  will,  dated  22nd  October,  1 4-7T,  Dame  Katherine  Burton, 
whose  family  had,  about  1460,  largely  rebuilt  the  Church  of  St.  Michael's,  John  Burton,  a 
citizen  and  mercer  of  London,  being  then  buried  in  the  place  of  honour  in  the  choir  and  his  trade 
mark  being  carved  on  all  the  bosses  of  the  roof  in  acknowledgment  of  his  liberality.  As  usual  at 
this  period  the  testator  (Ralph)  left  a  considerable  amount  to  religious  institutions,  hoping  that  the 

*  It  may  not  be  unworthy  of  notice  here  that  nearly  opposite  the  present  Wool  Exchange,  in  the  next  street  (Coleman  Street),  was 
until  the  Fire  of  London  an  old  wool  shop  known  as  "  The  Woolpack,"  on  the  site  of  which,  subsequent  to  the  fire,  a  new  house  was  erected  ; 
this  passed  to  the  Kempes  of  Hendon,  and  the  deed  specifying  that  this  property  was  on  the  site  of  the  old  "  Woolpack  "  is  still  in  possession 
of  the  head  of  the  family  (F.  W.  Hitchin-Kemp).  This  old  building,  although  close  to  Bassinghall,  stood  within  the  parish  of  St.  Stephen's, 
Coleman  Street,  of  which  the  parishioners,  as  ordained  by  Bishop  Thomas  Kempe,  elect  their  own  Vicar. 


Kempes  of  St.   Michael's,  Bassinghall,  l^c.  29 

various  fraternities  would  "  pray  for  the  health  of  his  soul."  Among  others  he  mentions  as 
recipients  of  his  charities  Charterhouse,  Austin  Friars,  Holy  Trinity  at  Houndslow,  and  the 
Churches  of  Bedfont,  Feltham,  Twickenham  and  St.  Michael's,  directing  that  he  should  be  buried 
in  the  Lady  Chapel  at  the  last  named  church.  To  his  wife,  according  to  the  ancient  custom  of 
London,  he  left  a  third  of  his  estate,  and  the  remainder  to  his  sons,  John  and  Thomas  Kempe,  after 
legacies  had  been  paid  to  his  sister  Ann,  John  and  Florence  Poynes,  John  Pothe  or  Potle,  his 
cousin,  Henry  Bompstead,  William  Buxton,  his  cousin,  Elizabeth  Kempe,  John  Botiller  and  the 
Worshipful  Sir  Richard  Pygot,  Sergeant  of  Littleshull. 

The  lands  at  Twickenham  and  Bedfont  remained  with  his  issue  for  some  generations,  as  we 
shall  see,  and  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  within  a  couple  of  miles  from  Twickenham,  at  Kingston- 
on-Thames,  a  William  Kempe,  of  Westminster,  held  lands  so  early  as  1 436,  the  original  deed 
showing  that  he  obtained  it  from  a  John  atte  Forde,  being  still  preserved  in  the  Record  Office. 
"AtteForde,"  at  such  a  date  would  be  likely  to  represent  one  named  John /zVz'w^  a^  the  ford  of 
the  Brent"  otherwise  Brentford,  which  is  a  couple  of  miles  north  of  Twickenham.  Thus  possibly 
William  Kempe,  of  Westminster  and  Kingstone,  was  the  William  Kempe,  Esquire,  whose  estate 
was  administered  in  1458,  and  he  may  have  been  father  or  kinsman  of  this  Ralph  Kempe,  of 
London  and  Twickenham.  Between  the  latter  and  Kingston  lies  Teddington,  and  there  at  a  very 
early  date  it  is  claimed  the  ancestors  of  numerous  Kempes  long  resident  in  the  parish  were 
settled  ;  if  this  is  correct  the  ancestors  must  have  been  but  humble  folk,  for  we  do  not  trace  the 
name  in  the  Subsidy  Rolls,  nor  among  the  wills.  From  this  stock  the  Kempes,  who  long  held 
an  inn  on  the  river,  descended,  one  of  the  family  being  now  a  well  known  optician  in  London. 
The  tombs  at  Teddington  bear  witness  to  numerous  Kemps  who  have  been  buried  there  in  the 
last  two  centuries,  and  a  long  article  saying  that  they  were  descendants  of  Danish  "  Kimpes '' 
appeared  in  a  local  newspaper  a  few  years  ago. 

In  1510,  Margaret  Kempe,  of  Isleworth  (between  Twickenham  and  Brentford),  left  or  gave 
some  cottages  in  that  parish  to  the  poor  widows  of  the  adjoining  parish  of  Heston.  Lysons  says 
16 10,  but  this  is  clearly  a  mistake  as  seen  from  his  remarks.  These  almshouses  were  doubtless 
founded  under  the  will  of  Margaret  Kempe,  of  Middlesex,  which  we  have  stated  in  the  former 
chapter,  was  proved  in  or  about  15 10.  Three  years  later  we  find  that  a  Ralph  Kempe  was 
appointed  to  the  Vicarage  of  Feltham,  and  surmise  that  this  presentation  was  then  in  the  hands 
of  the  Kempes,  for  this  vicar  was  a  grandson  of  Ralph  Kempe,  of  St.  Michael's.  (Perhaps  it  was 
he  who  was,  in   1539,  presented  to  the  living  of  Oakely  Parva,  Essex,  and  died  there  4th  March, 

1540.) 

In  1531  Ralph  Kempe,  clerk,  John  Kempe,  gentleman,  and  Giles  Kempe,  gentleman,  paid 
a  fine  concerning  two  messuages  called  "  Richmonds  "  and  '"  Hedgelands  "  and  land  in  Twicken- 
ham, which  further  identifies  this  Vicar  of  Feltham  with  the  others,  while  the  same  year  another 
fine  is  recorded,  the  parties  to  the  deed  being  John  Kempe  and  Margaret,  his  wife,  with  Hugh 
Ellis,  Henry  Norres,  Esq.,  Robert  Norwych,  Sergeant-at-Law,  John  Holden,  clerk,  Richard  Heryng, 
clerk,  and  John  Mores,  concerning  premises  at  Bedfont.  Among  the  original  deeds  at  the  Record 
Office  there  is  a  grant  by  Ralph  Kempe,  Vicar  of  Feltham,  son  and  heir  of  John  Kempe,  formerly 
of  Twickenham,  Esquire,  to  William  Tyler,  Knight,  William  Cowper,  gentleman,  John  Holden, 
clerk,  Thomas  Stanard,  Vicar  of  Twickenham,  and  John  Crofton,  Yeoman,  "  of  a  close  in 
Twickenham  called  'Andrew's  merche.' "  This  is  dated  loth  January,  18  Henry  VIII.,  i.e., 
1527-  It  will  be  remembered  that  one,  John  Cowper,  of  London,  was  administrator  to  William 
Kempe,  Esquire,  in  1458,  thus  again  pointing  to  the  kinship  of  this  Twickenham  Kempe  family 
with  him.     A  still  later  occurrence  of  the  two  names  together  is  found  in  the  Close  Rolls  of  15 


30  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families 

Elizabeth  (1573),  John  and  William  "Coper"  being  then  concerned  in  transactions  with  a 
Thomas  Kemp.  Between  Bedfont  and  Kingstone  lies  Hampton,  it  was  there  that  Giles  Kempe 
mentioned  above  resided  in  1524,  as  shown  by  the  existing  Subsidy  Roll,  he,  doubtless,  deriving 
the  property  from  the  Twickenham  Kempes.  We  find  that  a  John  Kempe  left  by  will  to  his 
father^  Giles  Kempe,  in  1537,  a  sum  of  money,  to  his  Aunt  Alice  another  sum,  while  his  estate 
at  Kingston-on-Thames  was  to  be  enjoyed  by  his  wife  of  the  same  name.  This  will  describes  the 
testator  as  a  taylor,  and  was  proved  in  the  Archdeaconry  Court  of  Surrey.  The  aunt  mentioned 
died  the  same  year,  her  will  being  recorded  in  the  same  register  and  it  describes  her  as  also  of 
Kingston-on-Thames  ;  she,  too,  mentions  Giles  Kempe  and  friends  named  Frankys,  Symonds, 
Warner,  Sherwood,  Hall,  Buchard  and  Fox. 

In  the  Subsidy  Rolls  of  Middlesex,  1524-  (which  are  the  earUest  that  give  the  names  of  the 
ratepayers),  we  find  that  at  that  date  the  Kempes  were  well  scattered  about  the  county,  and  that 
they  held  some  position  as  regards  respective  wealth.  In  addition  to  Giles  living  at  Hampton 
there  was  a  Richard  "  Campe  ''  there  who  seems  likely  to  be  the  Richard  Kempe  who  died  at 
Willesden  in  1539  (of  whom  we  shall  speak  in  our  next  chapter),  while  at  Hampstead  at  that  date 
William  Kempe  heads  the  list,  being  rated  at  ^15  ;  and  George  Kempe  and  Margaret  Kempe, 
widow,  are  each  rated  at  £\o  as  residents  of  that  hamlet.  Parts  of  this  Subsidy  Roll  are  missing, 
but  in  1549  there  is  further  evidence  confirming  these  settlements  of  Kempes  and  showing  that 
John  Kempe,  rated  at  ^20,  was  living  in  or  near  Kensmgton,  William  Kempe,  rated  at  ^11,  was 
at  Paddington,  Richard  Kempe,  rated  at  ^15,  was  at  Willesden  (second  only  to  Sir  Richard 
Read  of  that  Parish),  George  Kempe  was  still  rated  at  £\o  at  Hampstead,  and  James,  living  at 
Kentish  town,  was  then  assessed  at  £10  also. 

Of  the  latter  we  get  a  glimpse  from  the  will  of  Mychell  Kempe,  dated  at  Kentish  Town  in 
1542  as  a  parishioner  of  St.  Pancras.  (Wherein  the  lands  attached  to  the  Prebend  of  the  name 
lie  and  which  had  been  enjoyed  until  about  1523  by  William  Kempe,  the  kinsman  of  Archbishop 
and  Bishop  Kempe.)  The  will  is  recorded  in  the  Court  of  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  St.  Paul's, 
and  subject  to  a  provision  for  the  testator's  wife  Agnes  and  small  legacies,  leaves  all  the  estate  to 
James  Kempe,  his  brother. 

In  1564  Peter  Kempe,  gent.,  with  Anthony  Browne,  Esquire  ;  Sir  Walter  Mildmay,  Knight ; 
Sir  Anthony  Cooke,  Knight,  and  Robert  Wyngfeld  were  concerned  with  Sir  William  Cecil, 
Knight,  in  manors,  lands,  fo'c,  in  Lincoln,  Northampton,  Rutland,  Hertford,  and  in  the  parishes 
of  St.  Clement  Danes,  St.  Martin's,  St.  Margaret's,  Westminster,  Kentish  Town  and  Enfield,  in 
Middlesex.  All  these  except  Peter  Kempe  and  Cecil  appear  as  connected  with  the  Kentish 
Kempes,  and  we  think  that  this  Peter  Kempe  must  be  the  same  as  one  of  his  name  who  was 
Steward  to  the  first  Lord  Burleigh,  but  as  to  whose  family  connexions  we  are  quite  in  the  dark. 
No  Peter  occurs  in  the  pedigrees  of  Kentish  Kempes,  but  the  name  was  in  use  soon  after  this  date 
by  the  Slindon  branch  of  that  family,  while  it  was  also  used  by  the  Norfolk  Kempes  at  a  still 
later  period. 

We  must  refer  once  again  in  this  chaper  to  a  later  Subsidy  Roll,  that  of  1563,  in  which  we 
again  find  that  the  Kempes  retained  their  positions  at  Marylebone,  Hampstead  and  Willesden 
with  Hendon,  while  James  Kempe  appears  at  Acton  and  a  Peter  and  William  Kempe  at  St. 
Katherine's,  near  the  Tower,  and  that  at  Bedfont  Richard  Kempe  is  a  landholder.  Presumably 
it  was  this  last  named  Richard  who  with  John  Kempe,  Gent.,  was  fined  with  a  Thomas  Dove  for 
premises  in  which  they  were  jointly  interested  at  Staines,  which  is  near  Bedfont.  Richard  was 
buried  at  St.  Michael's  Bassinghall,  as  appears  from  the  register  in  1576,  while  probably  John  was 
the  same  as  he  who  died  at  Hampstead  in  1574  iyide  Chapter  III.) 


Kempes  of  St.  Michael's^   Bassinghall^   ^c.  31 

Here  we  leave  for  the  present  this  earhest  Middlesex  Kempe  family  to  notice  Edmund 
Kempe,  a  citizen  and  merchant  of  London  who  flourished  before  1542.  This  Edmund  was 
undoubtedly  son  of  Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing,  and  formerly  of  Weston,  Suffolk,  his  mother  being 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  William  Curzon,  of  Stunon,  in  Suffolk.  In  his  pedigree  in  the  Harleian 
MSS.  (1154)  he  is  stated  to  be  "  heire  elect"  to  Robert,  of  Gissing,  and  in  his  will  (1542)  he 
mentions  many  of  his  relations  from  Norfolk.  There  can  therefore  be  not  the  least  doubt  as  to  his 
parentage,  yet  by  a  blunder  of  several  genealogists  he  is  repeatedly  shown  as  eldest  son  of  one  of 
the  Kempes  of  Ollantigh,  Kent,  and  the  wish  being  evidently  father  to  the  thought,  he  has  been 
claimed  as  founder  of  the  Kempe  family  of  Cornwall.  Without  a  knowledge  of  exact  dates  there 
might  be  some  apparent  ground  for  such  a  claim,  as  this  Edmund  had  a  son  as  mentioned  in  his 
will  named  Humphrey  Kempe,  and  that  name  was  one  of  the  early  favourites  among  the  Cornish 
family,  but  as  will  be  seen  in  the  notice  of  Kempes  of  Cornwall,  the  family  was  already  established 
in  that  country  when  Edmund  was  an  infant.  Even  admitting  the  claim  that  this  Edmund  was 
their  progenitor  their  claim  of  direct  descent  from  the  Kentish  Kempes  must  fail  through  this 
medium,  at  least  Edmund  Kempe  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  Mercers'  Company  of  London, 
who  appointed  him,  in  succession  to  Richard  Gresham,  Surveyor  Accountant  of  St.  Paul's  School, 
which  office  he  held  from  1536  to  1537.  In  1538  as  a  Mercer,  rated  at  /40,  he  had  to 
provide  four  suits  of  arms  and  armour  for  the  protection  of  the  City  of  London.  He  obtained 
lands  at  Acton  and  leave  to  erect  a  chapel  there,  in  which  perhaps  he  had  intended  to  be  buried, 
but  finding  that  St.  Michael's,  Bassinghall,  would  afford  him  a  more  prominent  burial  place  he 
was,  at  his  request,  buried  beside  Sir  James  Yardford,  formerly  Lord  Mayor  of  London,  connected 
with  Emund  Kempe  through  the  latter  marrying  Bridget,  daughter  of  Elizabeth  Style,  who 
married  as  her  second  husband  the  said  Sir  James  Yardford  or  Yerford.  In  the  register  of  St. 
Michael's  it  is  recorded  that  Edmund  Kempe  was  buried  there  on  2nd  July,  1542,  and  that  his 
wife,  Bridget,  was  buried  there  on  7th  April,  1540. 

Edmund  Kempe's  will  was  proved  in  the  Prerogative  Court  of  Canterbury  in  1542 
(8  Spert),  and  is  interesting  as  clearly  stating  many  relationships  and  mentioning  numerous 
influential  London  commercial  friends,  such  for  instance  as  his  kinsmen  Sir  Richard  Gresham, 
Knight,  Sir  John  Gresham,  Knight,  and  William  Gresham,  and  his  motherin-law,  Lady  Yarford. 
We  cannot  give  all  the  names  and  bequests,  but  it  is  sufficient  to  mention  that  he  speaks  of  his 
relatives  Nicholas  Rokewood,  Cisily  Melton  and  Humphry  Style  to  identify  him  with  the  Norfolk 
and  not  the  Kentish  line.  To  his  chapel  at  Acton  he  bequeaths  a  vestment  that  lyeth  there,  and 
"  a  table  with  six  leves  of  the  Passion  of  Chryste  that  standeth  on  the  Aulter  there."  To  his 
son,  James  Kempe  (see  above)  he  leaves  his  house  and  lands  at  Acton,  and  the  rest  of  his  leases  in 
Middlesex  he  bequeaths  to  Humphrey  Kempe,  his  younger  son,  with  an  annuity  of  £\o. 

It  is  noticed  above  that  at  this  time  (1542)  a  James  Kempe  was  living  at  Kentish  Town  with 
a  brother  named  Mychell,  possibly  the  latter  had  been  so  named  from  being  born  in  the  parish 
of  St.  Michael's  ;  be  this  as  it  may  the  name  was  not  (to  our  knowledge)  handed  down,  and  we 
find  that  James  appears  at  Acton  in  the  Subsidy  Roll  of  1563.  In  1566  James  Kempe,  Gent., 
Anne,  his  wife,  and  their  brother-in-law  and  sister,  William  and  Margaret  Dane,  paid  a  fine  for 
lands  and  premises  in  Acton,  East  Acton  and  Church  Acton.  This  wife  of  James  Kempe  is 
shown  on  the  pedigree  above  quoted  as  Anne,  daughter  of  .  .  .  Powell  or  Powle,  "  brother 
to  him  that  was  one  of  the  six  Clerks  of  Chancery,"  and  we  find  from  the  marriage  licenses  that 
the  marriage  took  place  on  12th  June  1544,  two  years  after  Edmund  Kempe's  death,  the  bride- 
groom being  stated  to  be  a  "Gentleman  of  London."  In  1556  James  Kempe,  Gentleman, 
John  Garraway  and  Christopher  Leyland  were  presented  at  the  Court  of  the  Countess  of  Bedford 


32  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

for  keeping  to  pasture  loo  acres  of  land  in  Acton,  which  land,  according  to  agreement,  should 
have  been  sown  four  times  within  the  last     .     .     .     years. 

No  will  of  this  James  Kempe  has  been  found,  and  the  latest  trace  of  him  appears  to  be  in 
1566  when  perhaps  he  parted  with  his  Middlesex  property  to  seek  his  fortune  elsewhere.  We 
have  searched  the  early  registers  of  Acton  and  St.  Michaels,  Bassinghall,  but  do  not  find  that 
James  was  buried  at  either  of  these  places.  At  the  latter  church  his  grandmother,  the  Lady 
Yarford  was  buried  beside  her  second  husband  in  1548,  and  many  of  her  family  (the  Styles)  were 
with  the  Greshams  buried  there  also.  Her  son,  Sir  Humphrey  Style,  Knight,  of  Beckenham, 
Kent,  made  his  will  in  1552,  and  mentions  therein  the  children  of  his  late  "brother  Kempe," 
leaving  black  gowns  and  memorial  rings  to  James  Kempe  and  his  wife,  ^'■Humphrey  Kempe  and  his 
hiswife,^''  Robert  Rokewood  and  Bridget,  his  wife,  and  Ellis  Wymarsh,  all  of  whom  belonged  to 
the  Norfolk  Kempe  family.  This  will  affords  us  the  only  intimation  that  Humphrey  Kempe  was 
married,  which  event  doubtless  took  place  after  that  of  James,  and  as  no  will  of  a  Humphrey 
Kempe,  of  Middlesex,  save  that  of  Humphrey  Kempe,  of  Hendon,  has  been  traced  one  might  be 
justified  in  believing  that  this  younger  son  of  Edmund  Kempe,  who  inherited  "other  leases  in 
Middlesex  and  an  annuity  of  ^lo,"  was  the  founder  of  the  Kempes  of  the  parish  of  Hendon  ;  but 
with  the  pros  and  cons  of  this  we  will  deal  in  our  next  chapter. 

James  and  Humphrey  Kempe  had  a  sister  named  Margaret  Kempe,  who  married  Aldeiman 
William  Dane,  sometime  Mayor  of  London.  This  Margaret  Kempe  was  a  lady  of  the  Court  of 
Elizabeth,  and  bequeathed  to  that  Queen  ^20C  for  a  necklace.  Having  no  surviving  issue  and 
outliving  her  husband,  she  distributed  her  wealth  to  various  City  Companies.  By  her  will,  proved 
in  1579  (42  Bakon),  she  left  ^2,000  to  the  Ironmongers'  Company,  of  which  her  late  husband  was 
a  member.  This  handsome  bequest  was  the  cause  of  a  portrait  of  this  benefactress  being  erected  in 
that  Company's  hall,  which  remains  to  this  day.  The  portrait  is  not  considered  a  good  painting 
and  is  now  the  worse  for  age  ;  it  represents  Margaret  kneeling  at  an  oratory  with  a  book  of  prayers 
in  her  hands,  she  is  dressed  in  a  scarlet  robe,  a  black  hood  and  ruff  and  many  jewels.  Out  of  the 
sum  left  to  the  Ironmongers  £10  per  annum  was  appointed  for  the  Universities  of  Oxford  and 
Cambridge,  and  several  hospitals  and  prisons  were  benefitted,  but  the  most  singular  of  the 
bequests  was  the  annual  distribution  of  1,200  faggots  between  the  poor  of  the  twenty-four  wards 
of  the  City  of  London.  Margaret  Kempe  was  married  to  William  Dane  at  St.  Michael's,  Bassing- 
hall, on  22nd  May,  1540,  and  desired  to  be  buried  at  St.  Mary  Moyses  in  Friday  Street,  London, 
beside  her  husband.  Her  sister,  Bridgett  Kempe,  married  Robert  Rokewood,  of  Stanningfield, 
Essex,  and  her  other  sister,  Florence,  was  married  to  Robert  Reice  (Ap.  Reis  or  Rice),  who  was 
of  Preston,  Suffolk.     The  last  made  his  will  in  1590. 

According  to  the  pedigree  in  the  Harleian  Collection  above  quoted  James  Kempe,  the  elder 
son  of  Edmund,  had  a  son,  Powle  Kempe,  who  was  "  slayne  in  fight  upon  the  bridge  over  the 
River  Scaulde  in  the  siege  of  Antwerpe"  in  1585,  without  having  left  issue.  This  Pawle  had 
two  sisters,  Dorothy,  married  to  John  Master,  Parson,  of  Blechinglee,  Surrey,  and  Elizabeth,  who 
married  John  Shute  (Sute  or  Chute),  a  captain  in  the  Army,  who  was  born  at  Willington  in 
Somerset.  The  pedigree  would  have  us  believe  that  this  was  the  only  issue,  but  the  registers  of 
Acton  show  that  James  Kempe  had  a  son  baptized  John  there  on  20th  October,  1553,  that  Pawle 
Kempe  was  baptized  there  on  nth  December,  1554,  and  that  a  second  John  Kempe  ("son  of 
James  Kempe  "),  was  baptized  on  20th  October,  1555.  The  registers  further  tell  that  a  Humphrey 
Kempe^  son  of  ^ohn  Kempe,  was  baptized  there  on  28th  July,  1548,  but  it  seems  probable  that 
John  in  this  case  is  a  slip  for  James,  while  it  is  likely  that  the  daughter,  born  between  1548  and 
1553,  was  baptized  in  London.     Neither  of  the  John  Kempes  are  traceable  among  the  wills,  nor 


Kempes  of  Paddtngton,   Wilhsden  and  Hendon.  33 

can  this  Humphrey  actually  be  shown  to  have  reached  manhood  ;  but  the  registers  further  record 
that  in  1608  Margaret  and  Agnes  Kempe  were  baptized  at  Acton,  and  that  Henry  Kempe  (perhaps 
their  father)  was  buried  there  on  17th  May,  1616,  and  Anne  Kempe  was  buried  there  in  1605, 
after  which  no  Kempe  occurs  in  the  registers. 

It  is  possible  that  these  Kempes  of  Acton  had  representatives  later  at  Hampstead  and 
Willesden,  which  were  but  six  miles  or  so  distant,  but  the  evidence  to  hand,  after  considerable 
research,  seems  to  point  to  these  latter  being  from  the  first  Kempes  of  St.  Michael's  and  of 
Bedfont. 

It  only  remains  to  note  in  this  chapter  that  in  addition  to  the  items  above  the  following  are 
recorded  in  the  Registers  of  St.  Michael,  Bassinghall  :  3rd  November,  1541,  Henry  Kempe,  the 
son  of  Stephen  Kempe,  baptized  ;  Elizabeth  Kempe,  baptized  23rd  October,  1540  ;  Margaret 
Kymp,  widowe,  buried  18th  December,  1573  ;  Rychard  Kempe,  son  of  Stephen  Kempe,  buried 
1576  ;  Matthew  Kempe,  son  of  Stephen  Kempe,  buried  1576,  and  Richard  Kampey,  buried  14th 
February,  1581.  i  .       -, 


CHqA'PTE^    111.  ,,     . 

KEMPES    OF    PADDINGTON,    WILLESDEN    AND    HENDON. 

FROM  the  foregoing  chapters  it  will  be  seen  that  Campes,  otherwise  Kempes,  held  land 
belonging  to  Tyburn  Manors  as  early  as  1442,  from  which  time  probably  the  Kempes 
continued  to  reside  on  a  portion  of  that  manor  lying  in  the  hamlet  of  Marylebone,  within 
the  parish  of  Paddington.  Jane  Blavershauseth,  widow,  whose  son  married  Margaret 
Kempe,  of  the  Suffolk  Kempe  family,  obtained  a  lease  of  lands  at  Tyburn  before  1500,  but  if  this 
led  to  Richard  Kempe,  of  Gissing,  making  his  home  near  by  while  studying  the  law,  it  may  still 
not  indicate  that  the  Kempes  of  Marylebone,  afterwards  of  Hampstead  and  Willesden,  were  his 
near  kin. 

It  seems  more  likely  that  these  were  closely  related  to  the  earlier  settlement  of  Kempes,  first 
at  Uxbridge  and  afterwards  at  Bedfont  and  Twickenham,  mentioned  in  detail  in  the  last  chapter, 
although  it  is  singular  that  the  Styles  who  intermarried  with  Edmund  Kempe,  of  the  Suffolk 
family,  also  were  of  Uxbridge  and  Hampstead. 

At  Hampstead  three  Kempes  were  the  chief  landholders  in  1524  (the  earliest  date  at  which 
the  Subsidy  Rolls  of  Middlesex  record  the  ratepayers'  names).  In  this  Roll  Marylebone  does  not 
appear  and  consequently  we  are  unable  to  say  whether  Kempes  were  there  then  ;  if  not  they  were 
certainly  at  that  place  and  Paddington  in  1546  and  1563-  We  thus  can  trace  William  Kempe 
at  Hampstead  as  the  chief  resident  in  1523,  and  assume  that  George  Kempe,  the  second  largest 
taxpayer,  was  his  younger  brother  or  son,  while  Margaret  Kempe,  widow,  was  probably  the  mother 
of  William  Kempe,  and  may  reasonably  be  the  daughter-in-law  of  Ralph  Kempe,  of  Bedfont  and 
London.  Margaret,  the  wife  of  his  eldest  son  John,  was  Hving  in  1531,  but  it  is  hkely  that  he 
had  another  son  of  his  own  name  who  predeceased  him. 


34  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

In  1538  Richard  Kempe,  of  Wil(le)sden,  made  his  will  which  was  proved  the  following 
year  in  the  Court  of  St.  Paul's.  The  testator  provides  for  the  usual  Masses  for  his  soul  and  directs 
that  he  should  be  buried  at  Wil(le)sden.  He  provides  an  income  for  his  wife  Christian  Kempe, 
and  leaves  his  chief  lands  and  leases  to  his  eldest  son  William,  who  is  rated  as  of  Hendon  in  1546 
at  ;^I9.  To  his  second  son,  Thomas  Kempe,  he  leaves  certain  lands  or  equivalent  value,  as  also  to 
his  third  son  Humphrey  Ke.mpe.  To  his  daughter  Agnes  Kempe  he  bequeaths  such  raiment  as 
shall  be  necessary  for  her  marriage  ;  the  residue  of  his  estate  he  leaves  to  his  wife  Christian  and 
appoints  as  executors  of  his  will  his  wife  and  WilHam  Kempe,  his  eldest  son,  and  as  overseer, 
Robert  Pumbe.  The  testator's  curate,  Thomas  Hardy,  and  William  Newland  with  others,  were 
witnesses. 

Of  William,  the  eldest  son,  we  have  no  will,  but  it  was  doubtless  he  who  was  rated  at  j^i9, 
and  he  is  shown  to  have  been  living  at  Hendon  in  the  Subsidy  Roll  of  1546-  Widow  Margaret 
Kempe.  probably  his  relict,  was  living  at  Hendon  in  1563,  being  then  rated  at  _^20,  and  it  is 
likely  that  it  was  she  who  made  her  will  in  1597,  being  then  a  grandmother.  This  will  was  not 
proved  until  1607  (Commis.  of  London  XX.,  11)  and  shows  that  the  testatrix  had  property  at 
Newport  Pagnell,  Bucks,  as  well  as  at  Hendon.  The  former  proverty  she  leaves  to  her  "  son  " 
(?  son-in-law)  William  Frankhn  and  his  son,  whose  family  long  were  people  of  importance  in  and 
around  Willesden  ;  their  pedigrees  and  arms  being  duly  recorded  in  the  Heraldic  Visitation.  One 
William  Franklyn  Hved  to  be  107  years  of  age  and  was  buried  at  Willesden  in  1628,  this  may 
reasonably  have  been  the  father  of  widow  Kempe's  son-in-law,  and  as  will  be  seen  by  subsequent 
wills  the  Franklins  and  Kempes  were  long  intimately  associated.  It  may  further  be  noted  that 
the  Franklyns  of  Norfolk  had  Middlesex  property  and  may  have  been  of  the  same  stock  as  these  of 
Middlesex  and  Buckinghamshire.  As  to  the  source  of  this  Newport  property  held  by  Margaret 
Kempe  we  can  only  surmise  that  it  may  have  been  derived  from  the  Annesleys  of  that  town,  for 
Henry  Annesley  married  Dorothy,  daughter  of  John  Kempe  of  Twickenham,  some  time  previous 
to  1570.  Other  landholders  of  Newport  were  the  Mordaunts,  one  of  whom  married  the  last 
Kempe,  Knight  of  Wye,  and  a  Thomas  Mansell,  of  Chicheley,  who  owned  land  at  Newport  as  well 
as  at  Hulcote,  Northampton,  which  may  suggsst  that  he  was  connected  with  the  Kempes,  of 
Northampton,  of  Norfolk  origin. 

Margaret  Kempe  mentions,  in  addition  to  the  Franklyns,  her  son  Robert  Kempe  and  his 
daughters  Elizabeth,  Agnes  and  Dinah  Kempe.  This  Robert  does  not  appear  in  the  local  records, 
and  we  suggest  that  he  was  of  Gilston,  Herts.  The  testatrix  further  speaks  of  her  servants  Agnes 
Mery  and  Elizabeth  White,  also  John  Bethant  and  Thomas  Hyngham,  while  Edward  Pecock  and 
Matthew  Newman  were  witnesses. 

(Edward  Peacock  was  a  landholder  living  at  Finchley  and  was  connected  with  the  Kempes 
of  Croydon  (of  Norfolk  origin)  through  intermarriage  with  the  Finches.) 

Of  Thomas  Kempe,  second  son  of  Richard,  of  Willesden,  we  know  little,  but  it  is  likely  that 
he  inherited  property  at  Burnham  (Bucks)  and  died  1544,  for  a  will  appears  in  the  Prerogative 
Court  of  Canterbury  in  that  year  of  a  Thomas  Kempe  who  bequeathed  ground  at  Hedgley  Hill, 
East  Burnham  Fields  and  "  Sydnam  "  to  Thomas  God,  and  a  carpet  bearing  his  coat  of  arms  to 
Thomas  Kempe.  with  an  annuity.  The  last-named  Thomas  died  in  1560,  and  his  will  is  also 
recorded  (in  the  same  Court)  as  of  Burnham  ;  he  leaves  to  his  wife,  Margret  Kemp,  and  Thomas, 
his  eldest  son,  his  lease  of  the  Manor  of  "  Sixeham."  He  speaks  of  his  brother  Anthony  Smith  and 
his  son  John,  while  Humphrey  Kempe  is  a  witness  to  the  will.  This  Humphrey  Kempe  we 
presume  to  be  the  third  son  of  Richard  Kempe,  of  Willesden. 

Humphrey   Kempe,  we  are  informed  by  the  Clerk  of  St.  Bartholomew's    Hospital,  took  a 


Kempes  of  Paddington^   Willesden  and  Hendon.  35 

lease  of  the  Manor  of  Clitterhouse  (which  Hes  within  the  parish  of  Hendon  and  adjoins  the  present 
district  of  Cricklewood)  in  1556-  Clitterhouse  Manor  was  given  to  the  above  hospital  by  a  Walter 
Green  in  1441,  and  we  think  it  likely  that  it  was  this  same  Walter  Green  who  shared  with  Simon 
Campe  the  duty  of  representing  Middlesex  in  ParUament  in  141 3.     (See  Chapter  I.) 

Humphrey  Kempe  in  his  will,  proved  in  1610  (Dean  and  Chapter  of  St.  Paul's),  distinctly 
states  that  he  has  purchased  a  lease  of  Clitterhouse  wherein  he  then  dwelt,  and  had  settled  the 
reversion  of  this  property  on  his  surviving  son  Edward  Kempe.  His  other  leases  and  a  silver  cup 
passed  to  Humphrey  Kempe,  eldest  son  of  WiUiam  Kempe  deceased,  who  was  the  testator's  eldest 
son.  The  testator  also  leaves  legacies  to  his  third  son  John  and  his  daughter  Rose,  the  wife  of 
Thomas  Marsh.  He  further  mentions  his  maid  Margaret  "  Bayle,"  William  Huddle  and  Hugh 
Presswell,  and  makes  John  Hall,  of  London  (notary),  and  William  FrankHn,  of  Hendon,  his 
executors.  We  must  not  here  follow  each  of  the  junior  lines,  nor  the  issue  (if  any)  of  Humphrey 
Kempe,  the  grandson,  mentioned  in  the  above  will.  Edward  Kemp,  the  second  but  eldest 
surviving  son,  duly  succeeded  to  Clitterhouse,  for  we  find  a  singular  mention  of  him  in  the 
Middlesex  Session  Rolls  of  the  same  year,  it  is  as  follows  : 

"  7  February,  7  James  I. 
"  True  bill  that  at  Hendon,  in  the  night  of  the  said  day,  George  Newman  alias  Dorche,  late  of  London,  yeoman,  Joan 
Elliott,  late  of  London,  yeoman,  broke  burglariously  into  the  house  of  EDWARD  Kempe,  and  stole  therefrom  a  woman's 
violet  coloured  gown  worth  forty  shillings  and  many  other  articles  of  personal  raiment,  particularly  mentioned  and  described 
in  the  bill  of  adictment,  of  the  goods  and  chattels  of  the  said  Edward  Kempe.  George  Newman  alias  Dorche,  and  Henry 
Courte  were  at  large.  Henry  Elliott  put  himself  not  guilty,  and  was  acquitted.  Joan  Elliott  stood  mute— Ideo  h'et  judicin 
pene  fort  et  dure.     (For  that  reason  she  was  condemned  to  the  punishment  '  forte  et  dure.')  "     See  "  History  of  Hendon." 

The  punishment  consisted  of  the  culprit  being  laid  naked  on  his  back  in  a  dark  chamber, 
under  as  great  a  weight  of  iron  as  he  could  support,  until  he  died  from  the  pressure,  his  only 
sustenance  being  three  morsels  of  the  worst  bread  and  draughts  of  putrid  water  on  alternate  days  ! 

The  Hendon  Parish  Registers  are  missing  until  1656,  it  is  thought  they  were  taken  away  by 
the  Vicar,  Francis  Wareham,  who  went  to  Little  Hadham,  Herts,  about  that  date.  Curiously  a 
branch  of  the  Norfolk  Kempes  had  previously  established  themselves  at  that  place  and  the  author 
of  the  "  History  of  Hendon  "  surmises  that  the  Kempes  of  Hendon  were  descended  from  them,  as 
(according  to  him)  the  two  Kempe  families  bore  the  same  arms.  The  author  however  states 
elsewhere  that  the  Hendon  Kempes  used  for  their  arms  "  Sable,  three  garbs  or,"  while  the  arms  of 
the  Kempes  of  Little  Hadham,  in  the  Visitation  of  Middlesex,  from  which  he  presumably  took 
their  pedigree,  clearly  shows  the  others'  arms  as.  Gules,  three  garbs  or  within  a  bordure  engrailed 
on  the  last. 

But  to  return  to  the  missing  registers, — we  much  regret  their  loss,  for  it  is  evident  from  the 
Subsidy  Rolls  that  the  Kempes  were  at  Hendon  from  the  institution  of  Parish  Registers  (1539), 
and  as  the  Kempes  do  not  appear  in  the  registers  of  Hampstead  until  1565,  and  in  those  of 
Willesden  till  1572,  the  earlier  baptisms,  marriages  and  burials  of  the  family  were  undoubtedly 
recorded  at  Hendon.. 

Margaret  Kempe,  widow  above  mentioned,  expressed  a  desire  in  her  will  to  be  buried  at 
Hendon,  and  Humphrey  Kempe,  of  Chtterhouse,  and  his  descendants  also  direct  that  they  should 
be  buried  there,  although  in  the  wills  down  to  1649  they  do  not  omit  to  mention  the  poor  of 
Willesden  and  Hampstead  as  recipients  of  their  charities  ;  hence  we  may  reason  that  from  before 
1556,  when  Humphrey  took  "  Clitterhouse,"  the  Kempes  of  this  neighbourhood  considered  Hendon 
their  chief  residential  parish.  At  the  time  Humphrey  obtained  his  lease  Sir  William  Herbert, 
Knight,  ancestor  of  the  Earls  of  Pembroke  and  Lords  Powis,  held  the  Manor  of  Hendon,  it  having 
been  formerly  the  property  of  the  Bishop  of  Westminster  and  granted  to  Sir  William  Herbert  by 


36  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

Edward  VI.  in  1550  ;  this  manor  did  not  include  that  of  Clitterhouse,  but  adjoined  it,  thus 
doubtless,  although  inferior  in  station,  the  Kempes  of  Clitterhouse  must  have  been  familiar  with 
the  Lords  of  the  neighbouring  manor.  Lord  Powis,  son  of  the  above  Sir  William  Herbert,  was 
buried  at  Hendon  in  1655.  When  then  we  find  that,  in  1572,  a  Mr.  John  Kempe  obtained  a 
licence  to  marry  "  The  Lady  Herbert,  commonly  known  as  Grace  Herbert,"  we  must  surmise  that 
Grace  Herbert  was  closely  related  to  these  Herberts  of  Hendon.  However  we  have  failed  to 
identify  either  this  Grace  Herbert  with  any  on  the  Herbert  pedigree,  and  cannot  certainly  say 
which  John  Kempe  it  was  who  married  her  ladyship.  It  would  be  reasonable  to  think  that  if  she 
had  a  daughter  or  grand-daughters  her  Christian  name  would  be  passed  to  them,  hence  we  seek  for 
Grace  Kempes.  We  find  that  John  Kempe,  a  noted  preacher  and  ''the  Parson  of  Freshwater,"  in 
the  Isle  of  Wight,  speaks  of  his  daughter  Grace  in  his  will  dated  1587,  and  as  he  also  mentions  a  son 
John,  it  is  likely  that  Grace  was  his  daughter-in-law  and  identical  with  Grace  Herbert ;  when  too 
we  find  that  Caleb  Kemp,  of  Totteridge,  in  his  will  of  1638,  identifies  himself  as  grandson  of  this 
Parson  John  Kempe,  we  may  further  reason  that  John  Kempe's  family,  although  holding  property 
in  Surrey,  were  akin  to  those  of  Hendon. 

Caleb  Kempe  speaks  of  his  "  mother.  Mistress  Phoebe  Cooke,"  who  was  by  birth  a  Lister,  Oi 
Yorkshire,  and  was  married  first  to  the  Rev.  Caleb  Kempe,  son  of  Parson  John  Kempe  and  Rector 
of  Bradford,  in  Yorkshire,  and  second  to  one  named  Cooke.  Caleb,  the  younger,  married  Rose, 
daughter  of  John  Rippin,  of  Totteridge,  both  these  being  alive  in  1638,  as  well  as  Caleb's  brother 
John  Kempe  and  his  "cousins"  Moses  and  Mary  Jenkins.  As  to  these  "cousins"  it  is  at  least 
singular  that  Edward  Kempe,  of  Clitterhouse,  speaks  in  his  will  (dated  1647)  of  Richard  Jennings* 
and  Parnell  his  wife,  thus  making  it  doubtful  whether  in  this  case  Jenkins  and  Jennings  represented 
the  same  family.  Caleb  Kempe's  brother  John  probably  succeeded  his  father  as  Vicar  of  Bradford, 
for  one  of  his  name  held  that  living. 

Edward  Kempe,  of  Chtterhouse,  must  have  died  in  1648  or  1649,  his  will  having  been 
dated  in  the  former  and  proved  in  the  latter  year.  It  is  recorded  in  the  Prerogative  Court  of 
Canterbury  (184  Fairfax)  and  provides  an  annuity  for  his  wife  Ellin  and  bequeaths  to  her  the  use 
of  his  furniture  and  household  effects.  To  his  son  Thomas  he  leaves  his  lease  of  Clitterhouse  and 
his  other  lands,  and  legacies  to  the  four  children  of  this  son  at  their  respective  ages  of  sixteen. 
To  his  daughter  Rose,  the  wife  of  Henry  Budder,  and  to  his  sister  Rose  Marsh  he  leaves  sums  of 
money,  and  makes  his  "  loving  friend  "  William  Franklyn,  the  elder,  of  Brent  Street^  Hendon,  his 
overseer,  and  his  son  Thomas,  executor. 

This  is  the  first  mention  of  "  Brent  Street,"  the  property  in  which  soon  passed  to  the  Kempes 
and  is  still  retained  by  the  head  of  the  family,  but  from  the  title  deeds  of  this  estate  it  is  clear  that 
"  Goodyers,"  in  Brent  Street,  with  the  fields  (just  converted  to  Hendon  recreation  grounds)  were 
long  before  this  occupied  'oy  one  Margaret  Kempe  who  married  in  1624  a  John  East,  at  St.  Mary, 
Aldermanbury — John  East  being  the  son  of  John  East,  of  Goodyers,  who  was  living  there  in  the 
43rd  year  of  Elizabeth.  Their  posterity  sold  it  to  Daniel  Kempe,  of  Clitterhouse,  in  1691,  from 
whom  it  has  descended  to  the  present  generation. 

We  may  here  digress  a  moment  to  speak  of  a  Kempe,  of  St.  Mary,  Aldermanbury,  with  whom 
Margaret  Kempe  was  doubtless  connected.  This  parish  is  in  the  heart  of  the  City  of  London,  and 
was  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  the  parish  most  frequented  by  the  Shakesperian  actors,  indeed  it  is  in 
this  parish  churchyard  that  a  monument  has  recently  been  erected  to  commemorate  them  •  when 

♦  It  will  be  found  in  the  Kentish  section  that  an  Ann  Kempe  had  just  prior  to  this  married  a  JcriiK,  of  Norfolk,  while  some  named 
Jennings  were  related  to  the  Kempes  of  Antingham  through  the  latter's  intermarriage  with  Calthorps.  The  spelling,  even  at  this  date,  being 
far  from  uniform  we  cannot  determine  how  each  of  these  were  related  to  one  another. 


Kempes  of  Paddington^  WiUesden  and  Hendon.  37 

therefore  we  find  (from  the  Feet  of  Fines)  that  a  WilHam  Kempe  held  a  house  in  this  parish  in 
1584,  we  have  reason  to  beheve  that  the  actor  of  that  name  was  resident  here  until  that  year,  he 
then  selling  his  house  and  removing  with  his  brother  actors  to  Southwark,  where  we  find,  from 
the  "  Sacramental  Token  Book  "  of  St.  Saviour's,  that  he  resided  in  1600  and  1602,  Peter 
Hemings  and  Kobert  Nashe  appearing  on  the  same  list.  Some  of  the  name  of  Hemming  were 
certainly  related  to  Kempes  at  this  time,  for  the  estate  of  Joanna  Kempe,  of  St.  Peter,  in  Chepe, 
was  granted  to  Eose  Hemming  by  the  Archdeaconry  Court  of  London  in  1564,  Rose  being  her 
next  of  kin,  probably  her  daughter.  While  those  of  the  name  of  Hall  were  as  certainly  connected 
with  Shakespeare  himself,  as  well  as  the  Kempes  of  Acton  and  Hendon  ;  thus  it  seems  likely 
that  William  Kempe,  the  comedian,  actor,  author  and  celebrated  dancer,  was  of  the  family 
of  Hendon  Kempes,  and  we  may  thus  recount  in  this  section  what  is  known  or  surmised  of 
his  work. 

The  Camden  Society  reprinted  and  published,  in  1840,  his  book  entitled,  "  Kemp's  Nine  Dales 
Wonder," andaddedtoitveryample  introduction  and  notes,  v^\vi[& IS otes and  Queries,  the  Gentleman^ s 
Magazine  and  the  "  Biographical  Dictionaries "  have  frequently  added  or  questioned  Malone's 
account  of  him.  It  is  generally  stated  that  he  died  between  1603  and  1607,  aged  about  fifty-four. 
It  is  said  that  the  cause  of  his  death  was  a  wound  received  from  a  rapier  accidently  inflicted  while 
acting  at  the  Globe  Theatre,  but  others  believe  that  he  died  abroad  while  on  a  theatrical  tour. 
In  support  of  the  first  theory  an  item  in  the  Burial  Register  of  St.  Saviour's,  Southwark,  has  been 
put  forward  as  evidence  ;  it  reads  : 

"  1603,  November  2nd  William  Kempe,  a  man,"  (buried) 

If  this  indeed  was  the  celebrated  actor,  it  is  strange  that  his  profession  should  not  have  been 
mentioned  in  place  of  merely  "a  man,"  but  the  date  and  the  fact  of  his  having  been  a  communicant 
at  St.  Saviour's,  favours  the  belief  of  this  oeing  the  actor.  And  he  may  be  that  William  to  whom 
Humphrey  Kempe,  of  Hendon,  alludes  in  his  will,  dated  1609,  as  "my  late  son  William  Kempe." 
If  this  last  conjecture  is  accepted  it  will  be  further  evident  that  the  actor  had  a  son  William  Hving 
in  1609,  as  well  as  other  children.  Perhaps  it  was  this  William,  the  younger,  who  was  married 
at  St.  Bartholomew's-the-Less  to  Annis  Howard  on  loth  February,  1605-6.  (One  John  Howard 
is  mentioned  in  the  will  of  Sir  Nicholas  Kempe,  of  Finchley  and  London,  in  1624.)  The  actor 
attracted  much  attention  in  1599  by  dancing  from  London  to  Norwich,  and  to  repudiate 
exaggerated  accounts  of  this  exploit  he  published,  in  1600,  his  book  "  Kempe's  Nine  Dales  Wonder." 
Many  other  Jigs  and  plays,  as  well  as  educational  books,  have  been  attributed  to  him,  but  in  the 
"  Nine  Days  Wonder  "  he  declares  that  this  is  his  first  publication,  hence  it  is  very  doubtful  if 
many  books  bearing  his  name  were  actually  his  production.  It  is  however  likely  that  he  had  some 
hand  in  the  writing  of  several  plays  popular  at  the  Court  of  Elizabeth,  at  which  he  was  a  welcome 
guest.  From  the  fact  that  many  Norfolk  Kempes  were  at  the  Court  of  this  Queen  and  that  he 
selected  Norwich  (near  which  the  head  of  the  family  was  seated)  as  the  goal  of  this  Morris  Dance, 
it  has  been  reasonably  stated  that  the  actor  was  some  connexion  of  the  Kempes  of  Norfolk  ; 
certainly  the  welcome  accorded  to  him  by  the  officials  of  Norwich  on  that  occasion  was  due  chiefly 
to  his  name  as  Shakespeare's  comedian,  but  it  is  likely  also  that  he  was  known  as  a  member  of  the 
local  family  of  Kempes. 

He  dedicated  his  "Nine  Dales  Wonder"  to  "  Mistris  Anne  Fitton,  Mayde  of  Honour  to  .  .  . 
Queen  Elizabeth,"  who  was  undoubtedly  acquainted  with  Margaret  Dane,  a  Lady  of  Queen  Bess's 
train  and  a  grand-daughter  of  Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing  ;  thus,  if  not  related  to  those  of  Gissing, 
he  was  at  least  known  to  some  of  them.     Roger  Weld  was  the  Mayor  of  Norwich  when  the  Civic 


38  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

Officials  went  out  in  State  from  that  City  to  meet  "Will.  Kempe,"  the  actor,  being  presented  with 
the  following  lines  :  ■ 

"  W     With  hart,  and  hand,  among  the  rest,    :        ,  .       . 

.  '  ,  E      Especially  you  welcome  are  : 

L      Long  looked  for  as  welcome  guest, 

C      Come  now  at  last  you  be  from  farre.  '  ■       •      ._, 

O      Of  most  within  the  Citty,  sure, 
M      Many  good  wishes  you  haue  had  ; 
E      Each  one  did  pray  you  might  endure, 

W     With  courage  good  the  match  you  made.  * 

I       Intend  they  did  with  gladsome  hearts, 
L      Like  your  well  willers,  you  to  meete  : 
K      Know  you  also  they'l  doe  their  parts, 
E      Eyther  in  field  or  house  to  greete 
M     More  you  than  any  with  you  came, 
P      Procur'd  thereto  with  tromp  and  fame. 

your  well-wilier, 
T.  G." 

(T.  G.  was  Thomas  Gilbert,  who  had  been  selected  by  the  citizens  to  express  their  welcome  ; 
possibly  the  Mayor,  Roger  Weld,  was  related  to  a  "  Mrs.  Weld  "  mentioned  in  the  will  of  Caleb 
Kempe,  of  Totteridge.) 

In  ''  Hazlitt's  Handbook  to  his  Bibliographical  Collections  "  the  following  are  attributed  to 
William  Kempe  :  "A  Dutiful  Invective,"  1587  ;  ''Education  of  Children  in  Learning,"  15^8;  "A 
Translation  of  Peter  Rannee's  Arithmatic,"  1592  ;  "  New  Jigge  between  a  soldier,  a  miser  and 
Sam,  the  Clown,"  1595  ;  "New  Jigge  of  the  Kitchin-stuffe-woman,"  1595  ;  "New  Jigge  of  the 
Broomeman,"  1594-5,  and  the  above  "  Nine  Dales  Wonder  "  in  i  600.  Of  the  second  and  third  of 
these  we  believe  William  Kempe,  of  Plymouth,  a  schoolmaster,  to  be  the  author  (see  Cornish 
section)  between  whom  and  the  actor  there  appears  to  be  no  connexion. 


CHcA'PTETi    rv. 

KEMPES    OF    HENDON,    HAMPSTEAD    AND    FINCHLEY. 

WE  shall  continue  the  line  of  the  Kempes  of  Clitterhouse,  but  for  chronological  reasons 
we  must  go  back  to  the  earliest  mentions  of  Kempes  in  the  registers  and  wills  of 
Willesden  and  Hampstead. 
The  very  first  mention  of  a  Kempe  in  the  Hampstead  parish  books  is  in  1566  when  appears 
the  marriage  of  Richard  Kempe  (of  Ipswich  and  Gissing),  with  Alice  Cockerham,  whose  father, 
Phillip  Cockerham,  was  a  resident  of  this  parish  ;  in  the  following  year  (1567)  their  eldest  son,  and 
ancestor  to  the  Kempe  Baronets,  was  baptized  there. 

Four  years  earlier  than  this  baptism,  however,  it  appears  from  the  Subsidy  Roll  that  a  John 
Kempe  was  resident  at  Hampstead  ;  he  certainly  was  there  until  1574,  in  which  year  he  made  his 
will,  which  was  witnessed  by  the  above  Phillip  Cockerham  and  by  Joyce  "  Cockram  "     From  this 


Kempes  of  Hendon,  Hampstead  and  Finchley.  39 

one  might  infer  very  close  relationship  between  Richard  Kempe,  of  Gissing,  and  John  Kempe,  of 
Hampstead,  but  from  our  investigations  it  seems  that  at  least  two  generations  before  the  ancestors 
of  John  Kempe  were  at  Marhbone  and  Hampstead. 

In  the  Subsidy  Roll  of  1546  John  Kempe,  of  "  Marybone,"  was  rated  at  /18,  and  the  same 
individual  appears  also  in  the  Subsidy  of  1563  at  the  same  place.  He  died  the  following  year, 
and  his  will  was  proved  in  the  Commissary  Court  of  London  in  1564-  By  it  he  bequeathed  to 
his  wife,  Sybbell,  his  household  goods  and  a  sum  of  money,  and  to  his  son,  William  Kempe,  he 
bequeathed  his  land  so  soon  as  he  attained  twenty-one  years.  William  Bowington  and  Robert 
Westerfield  were  appointed  executors,  and  the  testator  desired  to  be  buried  at  "  Maribone  "  by  his 
seat  in  the  church.  He  provided  funds  for  the  mending  of  the  highways  between  Kilboiirne 
Bridge  and  Paddington,  and  for  alms  to  the  poor  of  the  latter  place  as  well  as  other  legacies. 
The  witnesses  were  James  Powel,  Harry  Wrench,  Nicholas  Brayfford,  Moyses  Tisdalle,  John 
Crosse,  John  Prue  and  Edward  Ellet.)  The  will  is  chiefly  important  as  mentioning  ground  at 
"  Wilsden  Grene,"  "  where  Bankes  dwelleth  "—which  Sybbell  was  to  enjoy  for  life,  thence 
reverting  to  the  testator's  son  or  his  issue— thus  showing  the  connexion  between  the  Kempes  of 
Marylebone  and  Paddington  with  those  of  Willesden. 

In  1574,  as  we  have  said,  John  Kempe,  of  Hampstead,  made  his  will,  which  is  recorded  in 
the  same  court  as  the  above.  This  testator  desired  to  be  buried  at  Hampstead,  and  left  his 
domiciliary  house  to  his  wife  Joane,  with  the  land  adjoining,  for  her  life,  after  which  it  was  to 
devolve  upon  John  Bradley,  his  daughter's  son,  or  in  the  event  of  her  issue  failing  to  William 
Kempe,  of  Marybone,  whose  relationship  to  the  testator  is  not  stated.  This  John  Kempe 
provided  for  the  mending  of  the  ways  between  Dolefield  Grene  and  Figg  Lane,  from  which  fact  it 
seems  evident  that  his  property  at  Hendon  was  reached  by  this  lane  and  may  have  been  "  Dolles," 
which  has  since  belonged  to  the  Hendon  family. 

William  Kempe,  of  "  Marylebone,"  evidently  he  who  is  referred  to  in  both  the  foregoing, 
dated  his  will  27th  April,  1592,  and  it  was  duly  proved  by  his  mother  (who  had  remarried  to  one 
named  Parker)  on  12th  June  following  in  the  Commissary  Court.  He  bequeathed  his  property 
at  Hampstead  to  his  wife  Frances,  and  all  the  rest  of  his  lands  and  tenements  to  his  son  John 
Kempe,  his  residuary  estate  being  equally  divided  between  his  son,  William  Kempe,  and  his 
daughters,  subject  only  to  legacies  to  his  cousin,  Susan  Kerrott,  his  servant,  John  Tailor,  and  to 
John  Thorne  and  Walter  Clarke,  Sibell  Mathen  and  Joan  Ware.  The  testator  left  his  lands  at 
"  Wilsden  "  to  his  father-in-law,  Henry  Pyke  and  Anthonie  Nicoll,  in  trust  for  his  younger 
children,  William  and  the  daughters  being  still  minors.  This  will  draws  together  the  lands  at 
Marylebone,  Hampstead  and  Willesden,  and  makes  it  apparent  that  the  Kempes  of  these  parishes 
were  of  the  same  stock  as  those  of  Hendon. 

The  Hampstead  line  continued  down  to  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century  as  will  be  seen 
by  the  pedigree,  but  we  need  not  support  every  step  in  this  with  quotations  from  the  numerous 
wills  and  extracts  from  the  registers  (which  we  have  duly  and  carefuly  searched),  for  the  family 
after  entering  the  City  Hfe  of  London  appear  to  have  been  influenced  by  the  success  of  their 
remote  kinsmen  in  Virginia,  and  selling  their  property  here  emigrated.  It  is  doubtful  if  any 
Kempes  from  this  line  (Hampstead)  are  now  Hving,  but  we  shall  be  glad  to  furnish  further 
information  as  to  the  records  of  Hampstead  Kempes  to  any  who  can  lay  claim  to  lineal  descent. 

As  we  have  mentioned  in  the  first  chapter,  the  earliest  Subsidy  Roll  to  show  the  names  of 
ratepayers  at  Hampstead  is  that  of  1523,  on  which  William  Kempe  heads  the  list,  George 
Kempe  being  second,  and  Margaret  Kempe,  widow,  the  third  in  ratable  value  in  this  parish. 
George  Kempe  appears  there  in  both  the  Subsidies  of  1546  and  1549,  after  which  probably  he 


40 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


moved  to  Finchley,  but  three  miles  distant,  for  we  find  tnat  George  Kempe  and  his  wife  Joan 
were  concerned  with  Thomas  Dobbys  and  Isabelle  Harryett,  widow,  in  paying  a  fine  in  1553  for 
premises  in  "  Fincheley."  Perhaps  it  was  this  same  George  who  was  of  Edmonton  and  Northawe 
in  1593,  but  as  "  Widow  Kempe  "  was  buried  at  Finchley  in  1569,  it  is  Hkely  that  George,  of 
Northawe,  was  son  to  this  couple.  We  have  searched  the  Registers  of  Finchley  but  do  not  find 
any  further  Kempe  item,  although  we  know  that  Nicholas  Kempe  (afterwards  Knighted)  was 
living  at  this  place  in  1606  as  evidenced  by  his  deed,  now  in  our  hands,  to  which  his  signature 
and  seal  are  attached.  The  seal  is  quite  perfect  and  shows  his  arms  as  three  sheaves  within  a 
bordiire  engrailed^  similar   in  detail  to  one  used  on   the  deeds  of  the  Kempes  of  Norfolk  at  this 

date.  Singularly,  although  Sir  Nicholas 
Kempe  was  a  very  prominent  judge  and 
active  in  many  capacities  around  London, 
his  parentage  is  not  known,  the  only  clue 
to  his  connexions  with  Kempes  being  his 
location  at  Finchley,  and  the  mention  in 
his  will  (P.C.C,  74  Bryde)  of  a  Ralph  Kempe, 
of  Winchcombe.  Those  who  have  a  general 
knowledge  of  Kempe  pedigrees  would  be 
disposed  to  connect  him  with  Cornwall, 
for  the  name  of  Nicholas  was  long  in  use 
among  that  family,  but  the  record  of  wills  at 
Ipswich  show  that  many  Nicholas  Kempes 
were  resident  in  Suffolk  before  1650,  and 
were  doubtless  of  the  same  family  as  the 
Gissing  Baronets  who  came  from  that  county. 
When  we  turn  to  the  name  of  Ralph  v/e  find 
it  first  at  Kent  as  the  claimed  founder  of  the 
Kempes  of  Wye,  second  at  Norfolk,  about 
1480,  and  third  in  Middlesex  as  mentioned 
in  the  first  chapter.  Winchcombe  Registers 
have  been  examined  by  the  present  incum- 
bent, but  although  we  have  some  details  of 
the  Kempes  of  that  place,  including  three 
named  Ralph,  no  Nicholas  appears,  and  it 
is  open  to  conjecture  as  to  whether  those 
Kempes  went  from  Middlesex  or  whether 
Sir  Nicholas  came  from  that  place.  We  are  incHned  to  think  that  the  former  is  most  hkely,  as  it 
is  on  record  that  Ralph  at  least  was  married  at  St.  Bartholomew's-the-Great  (London)  before  he 
settled  at  Winchcombe,  while  many  of  the  Middlesex  Kempes,  including  those  of  Hendon,  were 
connected  with  both  the  St.  Bartholomew's,  of  West  Smithfield,  as  well  as  the  hospital  of  that  name. 
There  is,  however,  another  connexion  of  Sir  Nicholas  Kempe  which  may  help  to  determine 
his  exact  relationship  with  other  Kempes.  He  is  recorded  to  have  been  Steward  of  St.  Albans, 
and  patron  of  Gilston,  Herts.  At  the  former  there  was  an  earlier  Kempe  in  the  same  office,  while 
soon  after  the  death  of  Sir  Nicholas  there  was  a  wealthy  Joseph  Kempe,  a  schoolmaster,  who 
bequeathed  his  house  called  "  Beggin  "  for  an  almshouse  for  the  poor  of  Hitchin,  for  which 
purpose   it  still   serves.     His   will    mentions   several   persons  connected    with    the    Kempes    of 


Signature  and  Seal  of  Sir  Nicholas  Kempe,  Knight,  1606. 


Kempes  of  Hendon^  Hampstead  and  Finchley. 


41 


Winchcombe.  At  Gilstone,  according  to  the  registers,  in  1647,  "  Robert  Kempe  ye  clerke 
aged  neere  a  hundred  years  was  buried  Octob.  3."  This  may  give  rise  to  the  question  was  this 
the  "son  Robert  "  mentioned  by  Widow  Margaret  Kempe,  of  Hendon.  in  her  will  of  1597-1607  ? 

Later  on  Sir  Nicholas  was  made  Steward  of  the  Episcopal  Manors  of  Fulham,  which  office  he 
held  for  a  considerable  time,  during  which  Francis  Kempe,  a  descendant  of  Norfolk  Kempes, 
settled  at  Fulham.     (See  Chapter  VIII.) 

Nicholas  was  knighted  by  James  I.  at  Theobald's  Park  on  3rd  October,  16 17,  and  was  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace  for  Middlesex  from  that  time  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  his  seventy- 
fourth  year — 1624.  He  had  married 
first  Cisily  Kester  at  St.  Dunston's-in- 
the-West,  on  24th  January,  1577,  but 
she  left  apparently  no  surviving  issue 
and  died  in  June,  1617,  being  buried  in 
Islington  Church  near  the  vault  of  the 
East  family.  His  second  wife  was  Sarah, 
daughter  of  Roger  James,  of  Holland 
(Essex),  and  widow  of  Thomas  Draper, 
of  Lincoln's  Inn.  She  had  by  her  first 
husband  several  children,  but  none  by 
Sir  Nicholas  Kempe,  who  consequently 
left  much  of  his  property  to  the  before- 
mentioned  Ralph  Kempe,  of  Winch- 
combe, while  to  the  University  of  Oxford 
he  bequeathed  jr2,ooo.  To  his  alms- 
houses at  Guildford  he  left  ^^500,  and 
plate  to  the  value  of  £S'^o  to  the  co- 
founder,  George  Abbott,  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  ;  to  the  repair  of  St.  Paul's 
Cathedral,  ^200,  and  for  the  repair  of 
the  highway  between  Islington  and 
Stroud  Green  he  also  provided,  as  well 
as  for  charity  to  the  poor  of  Islington 
and  St.  Sepulchres.  To  his  wife  he  gave 
his  coaches  and  horses,  all  his  property 
at  Islington  and  Stroud  Green  and  his 
household   effects,   and   he   gave  to    his 

"antient"  servant,  Anthony  Rigby,  his  windmill  at  St.  Margaret's  Hill,  Southwark,  and  his  houses 
in  the  Parish  of  St.  Andrew's,  Holborn,  It  is  in  reference  to  the  purchase  of  this  same  windmill 
that  the  deed  of  1606  mentioned  above  was  executed,  thus  identifying  Sir  Nicholas  with  Finchley. 

Sir  Nicholas  was  chiefly  identified  as  the  co-founder  with  Archbishop  Abbot  of  the  Trinity 
Almhouses  at  Guildford,  at  which  his  portrait  and  that  of  Abbott  still  hang.  This  hospital  is  of 
much  better  proportions  than  the  average  almshouses  of  the  period,  and  the  chief  rooms  are  so 
well  preserved  and  the  carving  so  handsome  that  every  Kempe  tourist  to  Guildford  should  seek 
admission  ;  we  must  not,  however,  devote  space  to  describe  in  detail  this  still  effective  foundation. 
We  reproduce  the  portrait  of  Sir  Nicholas,  which  Miss  Lucy  Kemp-Welch  has  specially  drawn 
for  this  purpose  from  our  photograph  of  the  original  painting,  which,  unfortunately,  has  been 
damaged  by  unskilful  varnishing.  N 


Sir  Nicholas  Kempe,  Knight,  1554-1624. 

Specially  drawn  for  this  History  by  Miss  Lucy  Kemp-Welch,  after 

the  original  painting  at  Trinity  Almshouses,  Guildford. 


42  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 


CHqA'PTE%   T). 

KEMPES    OF   CLITTERHOUSE,    HENDON. 

IN  Chapter  III.  we  showed  as  far  as  possible  how  the  Kempes  settled  at  Clitterhouse  in  1556, 
and  brought  down  the  record  of  that  family  to  1649,  when  Edward  Kempe  left  a  wife  named 
Ellen  and  a  son  called  Thomas,  who  had  at  that  time  four  children  living.  His  sister,  Rose 
Marsh,  widow  of  William  Marsh,  an  official  of  the  Lord  Mayor's  Court,  was  also  Hving,  and  seems 
to  have  left  a  daughter-in-law  of  her  name,  for  it  can  hardly  be  she  who  made  her  will  in  1711, 
mentioning  her  son,  Thomas  Marsh,  her  grandchildren,  John  Nicholl,  John  Sutton  and  Ann 
Rippin,  yet  these  names  are  clearly  relatives  of  the  Kempes. 

Thom.-\s  Kempe,  the  son  of  Edward,  was  a  "Head-borough  "  for  Hendon  (North)  in  1633, 
and  doubtless  held  office  later,  but  the  records  are  missing  from  1647  until  1679  when  his  son 
Thomas  held  that  position.  Thomas,  the  elder,  lived  still  at  Clitterhouse,  and  it  seems  he  had 
secured  the  adjoining  land  and  house  known  as  Cricklewood.  He  died  in  1667,  his  will  being 
dated  in  April  and  proved  in  December  that  year  (P.C.C,  170  Carr).  By  it  he  settled  Clitterhouse 
upon  his  son  Edward,  with  all  the  stores  and  cattle  there,  while  he  left  Cricklewood  to  his  second 
son  Thomas.  To  his  third  son,  Daniel  Kempe,  he  left  land  in  ''  Wilsden  "  called  "  ffeasant  field  " 
and  a  house  and  land  called  Burrows  Close  in  Hendon.  He  also  left  legacies  to  his  daughters, 
Elizabeth  and  Alice  Kempe,  and  the  residuary  estate  to  his  wife  Alice.  This  wife  was  sister  to 
John  and  George  Brent,  but  her  father's  name  does  not  appear  in  the  will  ;  she  lived  until  1681 
at  Finchley,  where  she  dated  her  will  9th  April,  1679.  This  will  is  full  of  details  conclusively 
showing  the  various  relationships  set  forth  on  the  pedigree  we  submit,  mentioning  her  grand- 
children WilHam,  Elizabeth  and  Jane  Atley,  and  John  and  Christopher,  sons  of  her  daughter 
Alice,  who  had  married  John  Sutton.  She  speaks  of  her  sons  Thomas  and  Daniel,  but 
Thomas  as  well  as  Edward  predeceased  her.  John  Sutton  was  appointed  executor,  and  George 
Brent  and  Daniel  Kempe  overseers.  Like  the  majority  of  women's  wills  this  enumerates  minutely 
pieces  of  jewellery  and  other  personal  effects  bestowed  upon  various  friends  and  relatives,  but  it 
does  not  omit  the  poor  of  Hendon,  and  desires  that  Mr.  Staysmore  should  preach  her  funeral 
sermon. 

It  is  probable  that  Edward  Kempe  was  appointed  one  of  the  "  Constables  "  for  Hendon  in 
I  674,  and  that  it  was  in  virtue  of  his  office  that  he  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  exciting  chase 
after  a  "notorious  gang  of  highwaymen,"  whose  career  made  a  lasting  impression  on  the  com- 
munity. Two  or  more  books  published  at  the  time  commemorate  this  event,  one  being  called 
"  Jackson's  Recantation  :  or  the  Life  and  Death  of  the  Notorious  Highwayman,"  and  the  other 
"  The  Confession  of  Four  Highwaymen,"  from  which  it  appears  that  having  been  a  terror  on  the 
main  roads  round  London  for  some  years  the  gang  had  grown  sd  bold  that  they  often  appeared  in 
broad  daylight  in  the  smaller  towns  ;  it  was  so  on  the  i8th  March,  1674,  they  having  robbed  the 
Windsor  Coach  on  Hounslow  Heath  only  two  days  previously,  they  yet  had  the  audacity  to  stop 
two  coaches  in  Bedford  Lane,  near  Staines,  about  noon  ;  expecting  to  be  quicky  followed  they 
made  off  over  the  fields  to  Acton,  thence  to  Harrow-on-Hill,  where  news  of  their  approach  had 
caused  some  forty  or  fifty  people  to  assemble  armed  with  guns.  Thus  they  turned,  rode  to 
Paddington,  thence  through  Kilburn  to  Hendon,  being  followed  all  the  way  by  such  as  could  keep 
pace  with  them.     At  Hendon  their  progress  was  checked  by  Edward  Kempe  and  others,  and 


Kempes  of  Clitterhouse,  Hendon.  43 

being  brought  to  bay  they  emptied  their  pistols  at  the  httle  band,  a  shot  lodging  in  the  breast  of 
Edward.  During  the  pause  caused  by  this  the  brigands  got  away,  but  were  stopped  finally  at 
Hampstead,  where  after  due  trial  Francis  Jackson  was  hanged  in  chains  on  the  Heath  for  the 
murder  of  Edward  Kempe  and  one  Henry  Miller.  His  gibbet  is  said  to  form  the  mantel  shelf  at 
"  Jack  Straw's  Castle." 

Edward  Kempe  evidently  had  time  to  make  a  fresh  will,  but  he  died  within  a  few  days  of  his 
wound  ;  for  the  Register  at  Hendon  records  that  he  was  buried  there  on  the  26th  March,  1  674. 
His  will  was  proved  in  the  Commissary  Court  on  the  17th  April  following  by  his  brother,  Thomas 
Kempe,  to  whom  he  bequeathed  CHlterhouse  and  other  lands  subject  to  the  payment  of /500  to 
his  younger  brother  Daniel  ;  and  / 100  to  Elizabeth  Atley's  four  children,  and  / 100  to  his  sister. 
Alice  Sutton,  and  the  residue  of  his  effects  to  his  mother  and  brother,  Thomas  Kempe,  jointly. 
The  will  mentions  also  his  cousin,  Henry  Budder,  his  relatives  Andrew  and  George  Brent  and 
Daniel  Brown.  It  is  evident  that  Edward  left  no  issue  nor  widow,  and  that  his  brother  duly 
inherited  the  property. 

This  brother,  Thomas  Kempk,  however,  died  the  same  year,  his  will  being  registered  in  the 
same  book  as  Edward's.  Tt  is  dated  at  Hendon,  29th  November,  1674,  and  was  proved  by  his 
widow,  Ellin  Kempe,  on  the  following  i8th  of  December.  To  his  brother,  Daniel  Kempe,  he 
bequeathed  Clitterhouse,  mentioning  that  the  sum  of  /Soo  bequeathed  by  Edward  was  stiU  due 
to  this  younger  brother,  to  his  sisters,  Atley  and  Sutton,  the  legacies  were  also  due,  and  subject 
to  the  payment  of  these  his  residuary  estate  including  Cricklewood  was  left  to  his  wife  and  son. 

It  is  clear  that  in  1674  Thomas,  the  son,  was  still  a  minor,  as  his  mother  was  to  hold  his 
portion  of  the  estate  in  trust  ;  when  he  was  born  is  not  certain,  but  his  father  as  a  second  son 
seems  to  have  settled  in  business  in  Newgate  Street,  London.  Possibly  his  wife  was  by  birth 
Taylor,  for  a  marriage  licence  was  issued  by  the  Court  of  Faculties  on  20th  September,  1669,  for 
Thomas  Kempe  and  Ellenor  Taylor.  If  this  was  the  Hendon  couple  the  son  Thomas  could  only 
be  a  child  of  five  or  so  when  his  father  died,  unless  by  a  previous  wife,  but  he  married  by  licence 
Mary  Noble  in  May,  1691,  by  which  time  he  was  most  Ukely  just  twenty-one.  In  April  the  following 
year  his  first  child,  Mary,  was  baptized  at  Christ  Church,  Newgate,  and  an  infant  son,  Joseph,  was 
buried  there  in  1693.  After  this  date,  and  before  1697,  Thomas  Kempe  became  an  officer 
stationed  at  the  Tower  of  London,  where  his  family  remained  just  100  years.  His  eldest  surviving  , 
son  John  Avas  baptised  at  St.  Peter  ad  Vincula,  in  the  Tower  in  1697,  and  the  other  children,  viz., 
Thomas.  Daniel,  Ellen,  Elizabeth,  Noble  and  Mary  were  all  born  or  baptized  in  the  precincts, 
while  Mary,  his  first  wife,  was  buried  at  St.  Peter's  on  2nd  April,  1727- 

It  is  evident  from  his  will  that  Major  Thomas  Kempe,  of  the  Tower,  married  a  second  wife  named 
Mary,  who  was  daughter  of  John  Braint  (or  Brent),  of  Hendon,  doubtless  related  to  the  other 
Brents  mentioned  in  the  previous  wills  ;  by  this  wife,  however,  he  left  no  issue.  Noble  Kempe 
was  buried  at  Hampstead  on  8th  January,  1701,  but  the  other  children  all  attained  a  good  age,  as 
we  shall  record.  Thomas  Kempe  was  Quartermaster  at  the  Tower  from  1699,  and  lent  consider- 
able sums  to  officers.  We  find  him  as  Major  of  the  Tower  Hamlets  Militia  in  17 12  and  as  Quarter- 
master  at  the  Tower  in  the  Army  List  of  1722,  and  in  the  Treasury  Papers  of  1725  and  1726 
several  references  are  made  to  the  petition  of  Quartermaster  Thomas  Kemp  of  the  Tower,  who 
appeals  for  the  annexation  of  the  estate  of  Brigadier  Munden,  to  whom  he  had  lent  /i,7oo. 
Brigadier  Richard  Munden  was  the  officer  selected  to  receive  the  surrender  of  the  "  Six  Rebel 
Lords,"  and  was  an  important  witness  at  the  State  trial  of  them  in  171 6,  for  which  services  he 
was  probably  appointed  Out-Ranger  of  Windsor  Forest,  holding  which  office  he  died  on  19th 
September,  1725,  in  debt  to  Thomas  Kempe.     The  Lords  of  the  Treasury  granted  his  estate  to 

N  2 


44  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Thomas  Kempe  until  the  debt  was  satisfied,  and  it  seems  that  Thomas  Kempe,  was  selected  to 
succeed  Munden  in  the  office  of  Out-Ranger,  but  he  died  suddenly  in  the  following  year  at  the  Tower, 
and  consequently  John  Short,  from  the  Tower,  was  appointed  to  Windsor.  The  will  of  Major 
Thomas  Kemp  merely  describes  him  as  Thomas  Kemp,  of  the  Tower  of  London,  Gent.;  it  is  dated 
5th  September,  1716,  and  was  proved  (P.C.C,  16  Brook)  by  his  wife  Mary  on  20th  January,  1727. 
The  testator  mentions  each  of  his  six  surviving  children,  leaving  his  Cricklewood  property  to  John, 
the  eldest  son,  with  land  also  at  Willesden,  all  of  which  was  let  and  occupied  by  tenants  of  the 
Kempes.  To  the  other  children  sums  of  money  were  left,  the  residue  of  the  estate  being  settled 
upon  his  widow  for  life  and  reverting  to  Thomas,  the  second  son.  No  will  of  the  widow  was  necessary, 
nor  has  one  been  found  ;  she  was  buried  in  St.  Peter's  ad  Vincula  on  the  12th  of  March,  1763. 

John  Kempe,  the  eldest  son,  had  married  a  wife  named  Katharine,  whose  arms  as  impaled  on 
his  tomb  at  Hendon,  claim  her  as  a  Walker,  of  London,  but  she  seems  to  have  been  either  a 
daughter  or  widow  of  Jones,  of  Walthamstow.  She  was  buried  in  a  railed  vault  at  Hendon  in 
October,  1759,  and  the  inscription  states  that  she  was  a  "  devoted  parent,"  but  how  many  children 
she  had,  or  where  they  were  baptized,  has  not  been  traced.  We  only  know  of  one  daughter, 
Elizabeth,  who  married  first  Isaac  Dupuy,  by  whom  she  had  a  boy  named  Isaac,  and  secondly  to  one 
named  Rigby,  by  whom  she  had  a  daughter  named  Elizabeth.  Both  she  and  her  two  children 
were  living  in  1797.  Her  father,  John  Kempe,  died  at  Stoke  Newington  in  1788  aged  ninety- 
one,  and  was  buried  with  his  wife  at  Hendon,  but  we  have  failed  to  trace  either  his  will  or  letters 
administrating  his  estate.  The  arms  on  his  tomb  are  well  carved  and  are  interesting  from  the  fact 
that  no  bordure  surrounds  the  three  sheaves  representing  the  Kempes  and  that  this  impales  a 
fess  between  three  crescents,  the  tinctures  in  neither  case  being  indicated.  As  head  of  the  senior 
branch  of  the  Hendon  Kemps  he  must  have  held  plate  older  than  that  which  has  been  handed 
down  by  the  collateral  hne,  and  as  it  is  Hkely  that  portraits  and  documents  have  descended  to  the 
Rigbys  or  Dupuys  which  would  add  to  our  knowledge  of  this  family,  we  shall  be  glad  to  receive 
any  notes  or  enlightenment  as  to  present  representatives  of  these  families. 

Thomas  Kemp,  the  next  younger  brother  of  this  John,  went  to  Oxford,  being  entered  at  St. 
John's  College  as  "  Thomas  Kemp,  of  the  Tower  of  London,  Gent.,"  and  graduating  there  B.A.  on 
20th  May,  1723,  and  as  M.A.  in  April,  1727.  He  was  made  Doctor  of  Divinity  in  1736,  and  was 
presented  by  his  College  to  the  Rectory  of  Cheam,  Surrey,  where  he  remained  until  1747  when 
he  exchanged  this  living  for  that  of  St.  Michael's,  Crooked  Lane,  London,  where  he  remained 
until  his  death.  He  was,  however,  buried  at  his  request  in  Cheam  Church,  where  a  stone  remains 
in  the  old  (disused)  chancel  to  his  memory.  He  had  officiated  at  Hendon  on  the  occasion  of  his 
niece's  wedding  with  Isaac  Dupuy,  which  was  solemnised  by  licence  on  24th  October,  1763  (Dupuy 
being  a  widower  of  St.  Martin's-in-Fields),  and  it  is  noteworthy  that  Dr.  Earle,*  at  this  time  Vicar 
of  Hendon,  was  formerly  Rector  of  St.  Michael's,  Crooked  Lane. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Kemp  married  Mary  Lady  Banff,  daughter  of  Captain  Ogilvie  and  widow  of  the 
Earl  of  Banff  (who  was  drowned  while  bathing)  ;  she  left  no  children.  Dr.  Kempe's  will  is  dated 
at  Cheam  3rd  July,  1745,  but  he  did  not  die  until  1769,  in  which  year  it  was  proved  by  his 
widow  (Commissary  of  London).  The  will  mentions  specially  his  sermons  and  MSS.,  which  he 
desired  to  be  disposed  of  by  his  wife  "  according  to  instructions  he  had  given  her."  He  left  the 
arrears  of  his  pay  as  Chaplain  of  Plymouth,  and  all  rents,  debts,  his  plate  and  all  personal  estate  to 
his  widow.  She  died  in  1  784,  and  her  will  was  proved  that  year  (P.C.C,  6  Rockingham)  by 
Edward  Short,  son  of  Edward  Short,  of  the  Tower  of  London,  by  Ellen,  daughter  of  Major  Thomas 

♦  Other  Earles  were  long  closely  connected  with  the  Kempes  of  South  Mailing,  while  a  third  family  spelling  their  name  Erie  succeeded 
to  Ollanty,  so  long  the  seat  of  the  Kentish  Kempes. 


Kempes  of  Clitterhouse^  Hendon.  45 

Kempe.  The  testatrix  had  omitted  to  get  witnesses  to  her  signature  to  two  codicils,  consequently 
before  proving  the  will  Daniel  Kempe,  brother  to  her  late  husband,  and  Catherine  Short,  the 
latter's  great  niece,  had  to  testify  that  the  codicils  were  in  the  handwriting  of  the  testatrix.  This 
helps  to  show  the  undoubted  identity  of  all  the  parties.  "  Mary  Kempe,  alias  Mary  Lady  Banff," 
it  appears,  died  at  Camberwell,  but  since  her  husband's  decease  she  had  been  living  at  Kensington. 
She  left  legacies  to  her  nephews,  Archibald  and  Alexander  Ogilvie,  and  her  niece  Mary  Ann 
Ogilvie,  but  her  "  fortune  "  she  left  to  Catherine  Short,  who  afterwards  became  heiress  to  her 
great  uncle  Daniel.  Lady  Banff  mentions  also  Captain  "  ffouhs,"  Sarah  Thompson  and  Miss  Anna 
Ismay,  but  e.xcept  for  certain  bank  annuities  the  will  does  not  tell  in  what  her  "fortune"  was  invested. 

In  the  Gentleman's  Magazine  of  1732  it  is  announced  that  in  March  "  Edward  Short,  Esq., 
Secretary  of  the  Office  of  Ordnance,  married  the  daughter  of  the  late  Major  Kempe."  This 
Edward  Short  made  his  will  in  1 747,  and  it  was  proved  the  same  year  by  Ellen  Short  his  widow. 

The  will  describes  the  testator  as  a  "  gentleman  of  the  Tower  of  London,"  it  leaves  the  interest 
in  Bank  Annuities  to  his  sister,  Martha  Gibson,  for  life,  and  afterwards  the  principal  was  to  revert 
to  John  Lansdell,  Chrysostom  Lansdell  and  Daniel  Kempe.  It  mentions  his  freehold  estates  in 
Windsor  Forest,  which  were  to  be  held  in  trust  for  his  son,  Edward  Short,  and  it  bequeathed  to  the 
testator's  "  sisters,"  Elizabeth  and  Mary  Kempe^  one  third  of  his  freehold  estate  in  Fleet  Street  for 
their  lives  with  reversion  for  his  said  son.  The  residuary  estate  was  bequeathed  between  the 
latter  and  the  testator's  widow,  who  with  her  brother,  Daniel  Kempe,  were  the  executors.  It 
seems  likely  that  the  Windsor  property  had  come  from  that  John  Short  of  Windsor  Castle  men- 
tioned above  and  whose  will  was  proved  in  1731. 

Ellen  Short,  the  widow,  lived  at  the  Tower  of  London  until  I  786,  when  administration  of 
her  estate  was  granted  to  her  son,  Edward  Short,  Esq.  (jun.)  The  latter  dated  his  will  at  the 
Tower  the  19th  April,  1785  ;  it  is  very  brief,  leaving  all  his  estate  to  his  daughter,  Catherine 
Short,  subject  only  to  the  payment  of  300  guineas  to  his  servant,  Hannah  Mann.  On  the  nth 
January,  1787,  Daniel  Kempe,  of  the  Tower,  Esq.,  and  John  Sudlow,  of  Monument  Yard,  London, 
Gent.,  deposed  that  this  will  was  in  the  handwriting  of  the  executor,  no  witnesses'  names  having 
been  attached,  and  on  the  following  day  the  will  was  duly  proved  by  Catherine  Short,  the  testator's 
daughter. 

Daniel  Kempe,  the  third  son  of  Major  Thomas,  made  a  report  to  the  Treasury  in  1737  on 
the  utensils  in  use  at  the  mint,  which  was  then  located  at  the  Tower  of  London,  at  this  time  he 
was  one  of  the  Moneyers.  He  became  Provost  of  the  Company  of  Moneyers  within  a  few  years, 
and  retained  this  office  until  he  retired  shortly  before  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1 797-  His 
will  was  proved  that  year  by  his  grandniece,  Catherine  Short,  to  whom  he  left  the  bulk  of  his 
property,  those  receiving  legacies  under  his  will  being  as  follows  :  Elizabeth  Rigby,  his  great- 
nephew,  Isaac  Dupuy,  his  cousins  Ellen,  Elizabeth,  and  Ann  Flower,  and  his  friends  Joseph  Sage 
and  William  Atkinson.  He  left  ^50  to  his  coachman,  ^30  to  his  footman,  and  _^70  to  his  maid 
servant,  also  ^100  to  the  Alicium,  or  Orphan  House  for  girls,  and  ^^loo  to  St.  Luke's  Hospital  in 
Old  Street.  His  consideration  for  others  is  shown  by  a  sentence  at  the  close  of  his  will,  which  says 
that  he  desires  to  be  buried  at  Walthamstow  or  Wanstead,  "  the  funeral  to  be  private,"  and  the 
mourners  each  to  have  a  "  heavy  ring,"  but  they  need  not  attend  the  funeral  I  His  reason  for 
wishing  to  be  buried  at  Walthamstow  was  that  his  grandmother  was  connected  with  the  Jones's  of 
that  place. 

Daniel  Kempe  died  at  Great  Ormond  Street,  Bloomsbury,  situated  close  to  the  P'oundling 
Hospital,  and  we  therefore  may  presume  that  it  was  one  of  his  family  who  as  a  "  Mr.  Kempe  " 
collected  funds  and  published  a  report  thereon  for  a  branch  of  this  establishment,  which  it  was 


46  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kenipe  FaTitilies. 

proposed  to  establish  at  Shrewsbury  about  the  year  1 765-  Singularly  in  the  catacombs  under  the 
Foundling  Hospital  lie  buried  two  other  Kempes,  namely,  Joseph  Kemp,  who  died,  aged  seventy- 
three  on  January  3rd,  1819,  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Kemp,  his  widow,  who  was  buried  there  in  August 
1842,  aged  ninety-one.  They  lived  in  Great  Ormond  Street,  and  the  latter  resided  at  Hampstead 
after  her  husband's  death.  Their  wills  are  duly  recorded  in  the  Prerogative  Court  of  Canterbury  in 
the  above  years  ;  we  do  not  know  how  these  were  connected  (if  at  all)  with  Daniel  Kempe  of  the 
Mint,  the  relatives  mentioned  by  them  are  as  follows  :  The  Rev.  Joseph  Wright,  Edmund  Nelson 
Wright,  Elizabeth  Wright,  Benjamin  and  Sarah  Thorpe,  Mrs.  Letitia  Marchant,  Mrs.  Sarah  Stone, 
Samuel  Barker  and  Thomas  Davis.  Joseph  Kempe  bequeathed  to  the  British  Museum  a  medal, 
which  was  presented  by  the  Empress  Catherine  of  Russia  to  the  testator's  friend  Paton. 

The  present  Secretary  of  the  Mint  has  taken  some  trouble  to  search  the  records,  and  tells  us 
that  in  virtue  of  his  office  Daniel  Kemp  removed  all  his  papers  when  he  retired,  but  that  several 
letters  and  entries  are  in  evidence  relating  to  John,  Nicholas  and  Alfred  John  Kempe,  of  the 
Cornish  Kempe  family,  who  were  successively  engaged  in  the  Mint  in  minor  capacities  Of  these 
we  shall  give  due  notice  under  Cornwall,  it  is  however  necessary  here  to  mention  the  fact  of  a 
second  distinct  Kempe  family  being  associated  with  the  Mint. 

In  further  reference  to  Daniel  Kemp's  will,  we  may  say  that  just  behind  St.  Luke's  Hospital, 
in  Old  Street,  was  that  fashionable  resort  of  the  eighteenth  century  founded  by  William  Kempe, 
a  wealthy  jeweller  of  London,  and  known  as  the  "  Peerless  Pool."  The  site  of  this  was  formerly 
known  as  the  Perilous  pond,  from  the  fact  that  on  several  occasions  when  people  resorted  to  skate 
there,  some  were  drowned  by  the  breaking  of  the  ice.  William  Kempe  constructed  from  it  two 
large  swimming  baths,  and  built  dressing  rooms,  promenades  refreshment  rooms  and  a  commodious 
residence  for  himself  in  the  grounds,  of  which  a  picture  appeared  in  Hone's  "  Every  Day  Book  " 
(1838),  with  much  interesting  information  concerning  the  charges  made  to  bathers  and  anglers,  for 
whom  a  fish  pond  was  also  provided.  The  will  of  this  William  Kempe  was  proved  in  1755 
(P.C.C.  399  Glazier)  ;  it  bequeathed  the  "  Peerless  Pool,"  consisting  of  three  tenements,  gardens, 
pleasure  baths,  cold  bath,  several  buildings  and  a  large  fish  pond,  held  of  St.  Bartholomew's  Hospital., 
to  his  son  Philemon  and  Nathaniel  Kempe,  and  his  son  in-law  Mr.  George  Roadley,  in  trust  that 
they  paid  certain  sums  to  the  testator's  wife  Sarah  and  to  his  younger  children,  namely  :  William, 
Charles,  Samuel  and  Jane  Kempe,  and  Sarah  the  wife  of  the  said  George  Roadley.  From  the  fact 
that  this  property  belonged  to  St.  Bartholomew's  Hospital,  and  that  a  Roadley  had  married  a 
grandchild  of  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Clitterhouse,  Hendon,  it  seems  likely  that  William  Kempe 
belonged  to  that  family,  but  we  have  no  definite  proof  of  this,  nor  can  we  say  for  certain  what 
became  of  the  children  mentioned  in  this  will. 

Catherine  Short,  as  we  have  seen,  inherited  not  only  the  estate  of  Daniel  Kempe,  but  that  of 
her  great-uncle  and  great-aunt  the  Rev.  Thomas  Kempe,  D.D.,  and  Mary  Lady  Banff;  it  is 
important  therefore  that  we  should  know  what  became  of  her  fortune.  We  have  made,  and  are 
■  still  making,  search  for  her  will,  and  can  only  suggest  that  it  was  she  who  married  a  Mr.  Perry  in 
1827,  at  St.  George's,  Hanover  Square,  of  which  parish  her  relative  John  Kemp,  of  Dover  Street, 
was  a  parishioner. 


% 


CHcATTEIi  VI. 

■    KEMPES   OF   CLITTERHOUSE,    ^"E^DO^— continued. 

DANIEL  KEMPE  (the  third  son  of  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Clitterhouse)  inherited,  from  his 
two  elder  brothers,  Clitterhouse  and  other  Hendon  property  in  1674;  he  married  at 
Willesden  on  7th  October,  1675,  Mary  Franklin,  by  whom  he  had  a  son  Daniel  m  1678, 
but  who  died  the  following  year,  also  Mary  Kempe,  born  1680,  who  survived.  Mary,  the  first 
wife  was  buried  at  Hendon  in  February,  1681,  and  Daniel  married  in  1682,  Mary,  daughter  of 
George  Nichol,  of  Hendon.  Some  amusing  love-letters  of  this  Mary  Nichol  are  still  preserved  by 
her  descendants  and  show  that  Daniel  Kempe  and  Randell  Nichol,  her  cousin,  had  been  rival  suitors 
for  her  hand  before  Daniel's  first  marriage.  We  may  give  a  specimen  of  her  style,  which  is  as 
follows  : 

"  nth  Oct.,  1679. 

"COUSIN  R^f:j«^^^;^^^j^^^^^y  acknowledge  all  your  loving  kindness  which  I   have  received  from  you.     But  as  for  me 

to  study  a  requitall  is  more  than  I  can  attain  to.  ,  „         ,        •  f    *     r,,*  t  thinW  if  mv 

"  Cousin  as  to  your  love  for  me  I  am  satisfied  in  it  though  you  are  pleased  to  call  my  love  imperfect.  But  I  thmk  .f  my 
love  with  yours Vere'weighed  in  the  Balances  I  should  not  be  found  much  wanting,  I  am  confident  I  could  equal  yours 
veTeTt  noffor  it! consequence  ;  therefore  knowing  the  cause  pardon  me  if  you  find  not  that  ^-^^^J'f^/^^^^^^Xlrab.e 
"Cousin  I  shall  not  make  an  apology  for  these  weak  lines  knowing  that  your  love  will  cover  ,t  with  a  favourable 
construction;  at  this  time  I  shall  say  no  more,  only  this,  to  desire  you  to  unbind  yourself  of  cupid's  bonds  lest  you  are 
intangled  by  them,  so  I  Rest  and  Remain,  ^^  ^^^^  ^^.^^^  ^^^  ^^^^^ 

From  Dallis  (Hendon).  "  (Signed)  _  M.  M.  Mary  Nicholl. 

"  Farewell  till  your  time  be  e.xpired. 

By  this  wife  Daniel  Kempe  had  the  following  children:  Helen,  EHzabeth  (who  died  an  infant), 
a  second  Elizabeth  baptized  in  1686,  Ann,  Sarah,  Susannah.  Joseph  and  Daniel.  Daniel,  the 
elder,  was  buried  at  Hendon  in  17 12,  his  will  being  proved  that  year  in  the  Commissary  Court 
of  London.  He  bequeathed  to  his  eldest  daughter  Mary,  by  his  first  wife,  /250 ;  to  his  daughter 
Elizabeth,  land  called  "  Dollis  "  (which  probably  is  meant  by  Dallis  in  the  above  letter  and  since 
called  Do'uis  Farm)  also  Thorn  Field,  all  in  Hendon  ;  to  his  daughter  Helen,  land  at  Cricklewood 
and  /2S0  ;  to  Susan,  the  wife  of  William  Snoxall,  also  a  portion  of  his  property  jointly  with 
her  sister  Ann.  This  last  bequest  was  for  their  lives  only,  and  consisted  of  the  house  and  grounds 
called  "Goodyers,"  fields  called  the  "Upper  and  Lower  Mead,"  and  two  fields  in  Braint  Street 
called  "  Stubble"  and  "  Little  Goodyers."  Goodyers,  as  has  been  stated,  had  belonged  to  relatives 
of  the  Kempes  for  a  hundred  years  before  this,  but  Daniel  Kempe  purchased  it  in  169 1,  from  which 
time  to  the  present  it  has  remained  with  his  descendants.  His  will  further  mentions  his  late 
sister  Alice  Sutton  and  her  son  John  Sutton,  to  whom  he  bequeaths  a  legacy.  The  testator  leaves 
all  the  rest  of  his  estate,  including  Clitterhouse,  to  his  son  Daniel  (who  at  this  time  had  not 
attained  twenty-one  years),  begging  him  to  listen  to  the  advice  of  his  relatives. 

From  the  time  when  Daniel  Kempe  inherited  Clitterhouse  the  Junior  branch  of  this  family 
remained  at  Hendon,  while,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  last  chapter,  the  senior  branch  Uved  in  London, 
terminating  with  Catharine  Short,  who  practicaUy  inherited  their  lands  and  fortunes.  The  earliest 
silver  now  held  by  the  representative  of  the  Clitterhouse  Kempes  dates  from  this  Daniel  Kempe, 


48 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 


and  includes  a  large  silver  pot  with  cover,  weighing  some  i6  oz.,  on  the  handle  of  which  D.K.  has 
been  stamped  (not  engraved).  On  the  face  of  the  pot  is  engraved  a  coat  of  arms, — three  sheaves 
within  a  border  engrailed,  the  tincture  of  the  field  is  not  indicated,  but  the  charges  and  border  are 
indicated  as  gold  ;  this  shield  is  of  course  the  coat  used  by  the  Kempe  Baronets,  the  Kentish 
Kempes  and  Sir  Nicholas  Kempe,  Knight  of  Finchley  (1606),  but  we  fear  that  Daniel  Kempe 
could  not  have  shown  by  what  right  of  descent  he  used  these  arms.  From  this  time  however  it  is 
evident  that  the  motto  "  Honestas  et  Veritas''  was  adopted  by  this  family,  indicating  at  least  that 
they  did  not  blindly  and  ignorantly  copy  those  used  by  the  Baronet. 

Daniel  Kempe,  the  surviving  son  of  the  last,  lived  also  at  Clitterhouse,  his  first  wife  was  named 
Sarah,  but  her  surname  does  not  appear  ;  it  is  just  possible  that  she  was  an  Arrowsmith,  for  a 
shield  of  the  Kemp  arms,  impaling  argent,  two  arrows  in  saltire  between  four  (?  bulls)  heads 
caboshed,  was  emblazoned  about  the  time  of  this  marriage,  and  is  still  preserved  in  the  family. 
These  arms  do  not  appear  correct  but  closely  resemble  those  of  Arrowsmith.     By  this  wife  he  had 

two  sons  named  Daniel,  the  first  however  died  an 
infant  in  1719,  the  second,  born  in  1728,  lived  at 
Parsons  Street,  Hendon,  during  his  father's  life. 
The  other  children  of  this  marriage  were  as  fol- 
lows :  Mary  Kempe,  baptized  1723,  who  married 
Thomas  Dowdeswell,  and  Sarah  Kempe,  born 
1724,  who  married  John  Rippin,  and  John 
Kemp,  baptized  1725,  buried  the  following  year. 
Daniel  Kempe's  second  wife  was  named  Elenor, 
she  died  in  April  1791,  aged  ninety,  having  given 
birth  to  the  following  children  :  Ellen  Kempe, 
baptized  1736  ;  Elizabeth  Kempe,  baptized  1738, 
who  married  Edward  Neeton  and  died  at  Harrow- 
on-Hill  in  1773,  and  Susan  Kempe,  who  married 
first  in  1773,  Thomas  Pitt,  and  secondly  John 
Lodge,  of  Mill  Hill  ;  she  also  had  a  son  named 
William  Kempe,  born  1743,  but  he  died  in  1746 
just  prior  to  his  father  ;  her  surviving  son  was 
John  Kempe,  of  whom  we  shall  speak  later. 

The  will  of  Daniel  Kempe  (the  second  of  his 
name  at  Clitterhouse)  was  proved  in  1  747,  with 
codicils  made  in  May  and  April  of  that  year.  He 
provided  an  annuity  for  his  wife,  and  settled 
upon  his  daughters — namely,  the  wife  of  John 
Rippin  and  the  wife  of  Thomas  Dowdeswell — for  their  joint  Uves,  "  Goodyers  "  and  the  Brent 
Street  Estate,  and  certain  rentals  on  his  daughters  Elizabeth  and  Susanah  Kempe.  He  mentions 
as  part  of  his  lands  in  Hendon,  the  following  :  "  Rowlands,''  "  Southfields,"  "  De  La  Heys," 
"Dole  Street,"  "  Thornfields,"  "Drivers,"  and  his  lease  of  CHtterhouse  which  he  left  to  John 
Kempe,  his  son,  and  his  heirs,  or  in  default  to  his  son  William  and  his  issue.  As  we  have  said, 
William  died  an  infant  and  consequently  the  whole  of  the  estate  remained  with  John. 

Daniel  Kempe  (the  third  of  his  name)  died  in  1763,  intestate,  and  his  wife  Elizabeth  was 
granted  administration  of  his  estate.  During  his  tenure  of  a  portion  of  his  father's  estate  (which 
he  probably  received  by  deed  of  gift)  a  return  was  made  of  landholders  on  the  Manor  of  Hendon : 


M" 

k 

^ ..    _^               ."^■jmbBI 

> 

1-   -^^fi6^R 

f--»«|f-             ~w 

1 

S^^^^gM 

m 

Silver  Pot,  dated  1710,  which  belonged  to  the 
Kemp(e)s  of  Clitterhouse. 


Kempes  of  Clitterhouse,  Hendon.  49 

at  this  time  (i7=;6)  we  find  that  Daniel  Kempe  held  150  acres  in  Hall  Lane  besides  some  fields 
near  the  church  and  his  residence  in  Parson's  Street. 

In  a  map  of  this  period  "  Kemp's  Wood  "  is  shown  (in  a  map  of  16 10  it  is  indicated  but  not 
named),  this  however  has  now  been  cleared  ;  it  was  situated  a  short  distance  north-west  of 
Clitterhouse,  to  which  it  belonged. 

John  Kemp,  under  his  father's  will,  inherited  Clitterhoufe  and  the  other  family  property 
mentioned  above  ;  eventually,  on  the  decease  of  the  widow  of  his  half-brother  Daniel  Kemp,  he 
also  received  the  house  in  Parson  Street  and  the  leases  of  Hall  Lane,  subject  to  provision  for  Dinah 
Kempe  (daughter  of  the  said  Daniel)  who  married  Edward  Clarke.  This  Dinah,  by  her  marriage 
settlement,  had  an  interest  in  Goodyers  but  released  this  to  John  Kemp  in  1774.  Edward  Clarke 
was  a  merchant  of  Bishopsgate  Street,  London,  and  was  connected  with  the  Clarkes  of  Marston 
Magna,  Somerset  (which  may  account  for  the  subsequent  intermarriage  of  the  Kempes  with  West 
of  England  families),  he  had  a  son  of  his  own  name  and  a  grandson  who  was  living  in  London  in 
1 813.  John  Kemp,  as  a  second  son,  was  intended  to  follow  the  profession  of  a  physician,  and 
studied  at  St.  Bartholomew's  Hospital,  at  which  he  obtained  a  certificate  in  1762  (which  is  still  held 
by  the  family)  ;  it  is  interesting  to  notice  that  this  certificate  was  issued  to  a  tenant  of  the  hospital, 
whose  family  had  continuously  been  tenants  of  the  hospital  for  over  two  hundred  years.  During 
his  elder  brother's  life  he  practised  as  an  apothecary,  and  resided  at  Dover  Street,  Piccadilly  ;  he 
married  Louisa,  daughter  of  John  Bishop,  of  Piccadilly,  at  St.  George's,  Hanover  Square,  on  8th 
October,  1769-  The  mother  of  Louisa  Bishop  was  Mary  Penny,  of  Wells,  who  was  niece  to  a 
Phillis  Hodges  of  that  place  and  of  Westminster,  who  hved  to  be  a  great  age  and  died  about  1773. 
John  and  Louisa  had  the  following  children  :  Daniel  Kempe,  born  1771  ;  William  Bishop  Kemp 
and  Louisa  Augusta  Kemp  (twins),  born  1772  ;  Elizabeth  Augusta  Kemp,  born  1775,  and  Charlotte 
Kemp,  born  1776.  Of  these,  William  Bishop  died  in  1775  and  was  buried  at  Hendon  under  a 
tomb  on  which  the  family  crest  is  well  carved  ;  Louisa  Augusta,  his  twin  sister,  being  buried  in  the 
same  grave  the  following  year. 

Daniel  Kemp,  the  only  surviving  son,  studied  at  St.  George's  Hospital  and  there  obtained  a 
certificate  as  a  qualified  surgeon  in  1792.  He  practised  for  a  short  time  as  an  apothecary  in 
Dover  Street,  Piccadilly,  but  was  soon  appointed  as  a  surgeon  in  the  army  ;  in  that  capacity  he 
served  in  Holland  and  there  died,  while  on  active  service,  on  the  29th  December,  1794-  He  had 
not  been  married. 

The  news  of  his  death  proved  the  death-blow  to  his  father,  who  died  on  28th  October  following, 
and  was  buried  in  a  vault  which  he  had  had  prepared  at  Hendon.  The  vault  is  dated  1791  and 
bears  the  Kemp  crest  and  inscriptions  to  three  generations.  His  will  is  dated  in  1792  and  con- 
sequently mentions  this  son  Daniel  as  his  heir,  but  by  a  codicil  dated  24th  November,  1795,  he 
left  his  estate  in  trust  to  provide  an  income  for  Louisa  his  wife  and  for  his  daughters  Lienor 
Augusta  Kemp  and  Charlotte  Kemp  with  ultimate  remainder  to  them  and  their  lawful  issue. 
The  lands  mentioned  in  this  will  include  Goodyers,  Brent  Street  and  Dole  Street ;  other  property 
he  mentions  is  a  "two-handled  silver  chased  cup  marked,"  also  a  "curious  Egyptian  stone  snuffbox 
gilt  with  gold,"  which  he  bequeathed  to  his  daughter  Charlotte,  but  these  are  not  now  among  the 
family  plate.  He  also  mentions  a  silver  tankard  ^'■with  the  family  arms^''  which  he  intended  should 
descend  to  his  son,  and  a  silver  pint  mug  marked  "  F.L.K.,"  which  he  left  to  his  daughter  Elenor. 
We  are  curious  to  know  who  the  initials  F.L.K.  represented  ?  The  large  silver  cup,  as  we  have 
said,  dates  from  the  time  of  Queen  Anne  and  belonged  to  the  first  Daniel  Kempe,  of  Hendon. 

Louisa  Kemp,  the  widow  of  John,  benefitted  under  the  will  of  her  father  John  Bishop,  who 
amongst  other  properties  in  and  around  London  had  curiously  a  house  in  "  Bishop's  Court,"  Old 


50  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Bailey,  this  court  however  was  so  named  through  being  once  possessed  by  the  Bishops  of  London 
and  not  because  of  its  association  with  a  family  named  Bishop.  Another  of  his  properties  worthy 
of  mention  consisted  of  a  row  of  houses  in  Kensington  High  Street,  which  had  belonged  to  the 
Munden  family,  one  of  whom  was  the  Brigadier  Richard  Munden  mentioned  in  the  previous 
chapter  ;  this  property  was  however  derived  by  purchase  and  not,  as  might  be  supposed,  through 
Munden's  estate  being  mortgaged  to  Major  Thomas  Kempe.  Louisa  Kemp  had  a  brother  named 
Matthew  Bishop  who  was  an  officer  in  Colonel  Parker's  Regiment  stationed  in  the  Isle  of  Guernsey  ; 
his  residence  was  at  Diddington,  Oxford,  where  he  died  in  1763,  in  that  year  he  made  his  will 
bequeathing  his  estate  to  his  father  John  Bishop,  then  dwelling  in  Piccadilly.  John  Bishop,  the 
father,  had  also  a  house  at  Hendon,  at  the  corner  of  Butcher's  Lane,  which  was  until  recently 
standing,  being  last  known  as  "Fosters";  his  will  is  however  dated  from  his  last  town  residence, 
Queen  Street,  Golden  Square,  on  the  25th  October,  1802- 

Louisa  Kemp,  widow,  remarried;  her  second  husband  being  Doctor  George  Goodwin,  of  Great 
Queen  Street,  Lincoln's  Tnn  Fields,  her  will  is  dated  from  Queen  Street,  Golden  Square,  and 
bequeathed  to  her  daughter  Elenor  Augusta  Kemp,  spinster  (then  residing  with  her),  her  freehold 
land  at  Brent  Street  and  "  Goodyers,"  and  to  her  grandchildren,  George  and  Charlotte  Brookes, 
the  only  surviving  issue  of  her  daughter  Charlotte,  her  land  at  Dole  Street  and  various  London 
property.  She  mentioned  her  son-in-law,  Mr.  George  Brookes,  of  Spur  Street,  Leicester  Square, 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Brookes,  of  Chamberlayn  Street,  in  the  City  of  Wells.  She  also  left  a 
legacy  to  her  son  (by  her  second  husband)  "Charles  Goodwin,  clerk,  late  of  Enhurst,  Sussex,  but 
then  residing  at  Charing  Cross";  also  legacies  to  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Goodwin,  wife  of  Dr.  Goodwin, 
and  to  Edward  Turner,  of  Hart  Street,  Covent  Garden,  the  curate  of  Orange  Street  Chapel. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  Charles  Goodwin,  mentioned  above,  died  in  Paris  in  1835,  and  we  do 
not  know  of  any  representatives  of  the  Goodwin  family  now  living,  but  it  is  possible  that  certain 
portraits  of  the  Kempes  were  retained  by  Louisa  Kempe's  second  husband,  as  such  are  not  now  in 
the  hands  of  the  descendants  by  her  first  marriage. 


CHqATTEII   ^li. 


HITCHIN-KEMPS. 

CHARLOTTE,  the  only  daughter  of  John  and  Louisa  Kemp  to  have  issue,  married  George 
Brookes,  a  solicitor  of  Coventry  Street  and  Beake  Street,  London,  at  the  Church  of  St. 
Martin's-in-Fields  by  licence  on  3rd  June,  1799-  George  Brookes  appears  in  the 
Register  of  Gray's  Inn  as  the  son  of  John  Brookes,  Esquire,  of  "Boxford,"  Sussex,  and  St. 
Andrews,  Holborn,  and  his  father  appears  to  have  been  the  son  of  James  Brookes  of  the  latter 


Hitchin  -Kemps. 


51 


iL'O  Ml  3^i^v  %i>miq4t 


parish,  where  he  was  married  to  Ann  Taylor  of  Bath  in  June,  1732  (James  Brookes  died  28lh 
August,  1784.)  George  Brookes  was  a  Uberal  supporter  of  the  Volunteer  Movement,  and  among 
the  family  plate  is  an  interesting  silver  teapot  which  was  presented  to  him  by  the  Hendon  Corps 
of  the  "S.M.L.B."  for  his  services  as  secretary  and  solicitor  to  that  Volunteer  Brigade  ;  the  inscrip- 
tion, which  is  very  laudatory 
is.  dated  1802.  By  the  co- 
heiress of  the  Kemps  of 
Clitterhouse  George  Brookes 
(senior)  had  the  following 
children  :  George,  born  29th 
October,  1800  ;  Frederick, 
born  2nd  December,  1802  ; 
Charlotte,  born  29th  Decem- 
ber, 1804,  and  Daniel  Bo  wden, 
born  22nd  November,  1807. 
The  last  named  died  22nd 
August,  1808.  Frederick  was 
placed  at  school  with  Mr. 
Lotherington,  of  Hammer- 
smith, whence  he  addressed 
many  interesting  letters  to 
his  relatives  which  are  extant. 
On  reaching  manhood  he  fell 
into  a  decline  and  died  while 
on  a  visit  to  his  uncle,  Henry 
Brookes,  Chancellor  to  the 
Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells. 
He  was  buried  in  1824  at 
Wells  Cathedra]  beside  several 
of  his  Brookes  relations,  and 
a  little  book  on  his  life  was 
written  and  published  by  his 
brother  George  that  year,  a 
copy  of  which  may  be  seen  at 
the  British  Museum. 

George  Brookes  (the 
younger)  became  heir  to  his 
mother,  and  thus  on  the  death 
of  his  maiden  aunt,  Ellinor 
Augusta  Kemp  (the  other 
co-heiress   of  the   Kemps   of 

Clitterhouse),  assumed  by  Royal  licence  the  name  and  arms  of  Kemp  in  1838.  He  had  studied  the 
law  with  a  view  of  following  his  father's  profession,  but  took  little  active  interest  in  the  business, 
which  consequently  devolved  upon  a  Mr.  Pike  (whose  descendants  still  carry  on  the  practice  of 
solicitors  at  Old  Burlington  Street,  and  have  continued  to  act  for  the  Hendon  Kemp  property). 
George  Brookes-Kemp  did  not  marry,  living  a  batchelor  life  chiefly  at  London  hotels,  but  took 


licliill.\-iil'llK'l;i 

IVciliinj  hrr  v,i 

h  ihi-fr  ,iiiniil.-iH  ill 


■/,.  .^.,-    ,.,..-■■/'  .r„M,„;. 

Slic'linjf /lil'lTl'iUV //*/'/ //. 

,„,„„„,/','  /'■•^■"■■■'■- 

J,-  ,.<//      I'cr-  i>.Tlr  ,Ulin'  -Htil 
iiul  (oiil.i-lVosI  <Hi;i 
.1  IVIic-.ui  iiiiii.;nHi-«,ii"l 
iml  .111.1  ■^.Miiihwih;! 


llTJf  IlllHAi 


Royal  Patent  granting  Arms  of  Kemp  to  George  Brookes. 


Hitchin  -Kemts. 


53 


much  interest  in  Hendon  local  politics  and  carefully  arranged  and  preserved  the  papers  and  relics  of 
the  Kemps  which  devolved  upon  him.  His  will,  proved  in  1868,  bequeathed  the  Kemp,  Brookes 
and  Bishop  Estates  to  his  nephew,  Frederick  William  Hitchin,  on  condition  that  the  heir  took  the 
name  and  arms  of  Kemp,  and  directed  that  the  family  plate  should  descend  with  "  Goodyers." 
He  was  buried  in  the  "  Vault  of  the  Kemps  of  Clitterhouse,"  on  the  north  of  Hendon  Church,  in 
1868.  The  estates  duly  passed  to  his  nephew,  Frederick  William  Hitchin,  who  was  the  son  of 
William  Hitchin  (Accountant  and  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society) 
by  Charlotte  Brookes,  the  co-heiress  of  John  and  Louisa  Kemp. 

We  may  here  give  a  few  notes  as  to  the  Hitchin  (formerly  written  Hitchen  and  Hytchen) 
family  on  whom  the  Kemp  estates  of  Middlesex  devolved.  The  above  William  Hitchin — from 
his  great  interest  in  the  propagation  of  the  Scriptures — was  pleased  to  dwell  upon  the  fact  that 
Tyndall,  the  translator  of  the  Bible,  was  known  both 
at  college  and  during  his  persecuted  life  as  "  William 
Hychins,  otherwise  Hitchins,"  this  name  appearing  in 
his  works.  We  cannot  say  for  certain  that  the 
Hilchins  of  Cheshire  came  from  his  stock  (who  were 
natives  of  Somersetshire)  but  the  Hitchins  first  ap- 
peared at  Middlewich,  Cheshire,  during  the  Common- 
wealth, and  it  is  not  improbable  that  their  settlement 
there  was  due  to  the  influence  of  Cromwell.  The 
name  occurs  in  the  Middlewich  Registers  frequently 
from  1662,  but  it  is  evident  that  the  family  were 
staunch  supporters  of  the  Puritan  doctrines,  and  it  is 
known  that  the  Independent  Chapel  at  Middlewich 
was  founded  by  them.  The  present  chapel  was  erected 
over  their  graves,  and  the  tombstones,  commemorating 
several  generations  of  them,  are  now  grouped  together 
within  a  special  enclosure  in  the  old  Dissenting  burial 
ground.  At  Newton,  in  the  Parish  of  Middlewich, 
still  stands  the  house — a  stiff,  double-fronted  Georgian 
edifice — in  which  the  Hitchins  lived  for  a  century,  it 
was  there  that  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hitchin,  second  son 
of  Thomas  Hitchin,  by   Mary  Wrench,  his  wife,  was 


born  in  177: 


This   Rev.  Thomas  Hitchin   founded 


The  first  Hitchin-Kemp — Frederick  William. 


several  chapels  in  the  Midland  Counties,  and  was  one 

of  the  earliest  supporters  of  the  Provincial  Bible  Societies.  Late  in  life  he  came  to  London  and 
formed  the  congregation,  which  afterwards  worshipped  at  Dr.  Allan's  Chapel.  When  over  seventy 
years  of  age  he  frequenty  preached  at  the  Independent  Chapel,  Greenwich,  where  his  son  William 
was  a  deacon,  and  where  his  grandchildren  were  members  of  the  congregation.  It  was  at  this 
chapel  that  his  daughter-in-law  Charlotte,  the  Kemp  heiress,  was  buried  in  January,  1853.  The 
Rev.  Thomas  Hitchin  was  buried  at  Nunhead  Cemetery  in  1856  in  the  family  grave  of  his  son. 

The  Rev.  Thomas  Hitchin  married  at  St.  Margaret's,  Westminster,  on  24th  May,  1791, 
Maria  Siddons,  who  was  related  to  the  great  actress  of  her  name.  She  studied  under  Dr.  Jenner, 
and  is  believed  to  have  been  the  first  lady  to  vaccinate  her  own  children.  By  her  he  had  several 
children,  his  eldest  son,  William,  having  been  born  at  Atherstone,  Warwickshire,  on  9th  April, 
1807.      It  was  this  son  who  married  Charlotte   Brookes  and  thus  became  father  of  Frederick 


54 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


In  Ai!'i''  Aj}i)  %jJ^^'>6tlI!'AU 


/-'■■ •S'ii   ihml.s  i:„.„i- 

,/,/,  /•    - 

,.„.,.../  >.;..;  V   '"-  r.,/  y.vA// 

r      •,',„.,   ,.j      J.....    .,    .,„  .1^,,,,  :„j 

0|OVl-lU 

Ifff  .Uil/,-//,f    A/    n.„,.„./  ,.,...;, 

,.../  .i«„ 

' •"■  ■^•■-"  ■■■•■'•   "•■    .•....•-".: 

..„,.l        V 

/,.  .„/,„/ '',.,/'.',r,„..' ,'.",'„',, 

'":""  ' 

'^.     -u^f     ',;/.    'Ipitnl  luihr  ,y 

.:,..'.,    ,:. 

'■^"    ^'    '/ —^  :,.,„'' '.  Fmfttrfl.- 

William  Hitchin,  the  heir  to  the  Hendon  Kemp  property.  Another  William  Hitchin,  son  of 
Joseph  Hitchin,  of  Middlewich  (nephew  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hitchin),  was  the  founder  of 
"Hitchin's  Beach,"  New  Zealand,  where  he  is  still  living. 

The  above-mentioned  Frederick  William  Hitchin  on  the  death  of  his  maternal  uncle,  George 

Brookes-Kemp,  in  1868,  as- 
sumed the  name  and  arms  of 
Kemp  by  Royal  licence.  He 
was  born  atTibberton  Square, 
Islington,  on  18th  January, 
1835,  he  commenced  his  busi- 
ness life  in  the  Bible  House, 
but  soon  entered  the  Bank  of 
William  Deacons  and  Co., 
London  ;  while  there,  how- 
ever, his  health  failed,  and  it 
was  thought  desirable  that  he 
should  be  placed  at  Margate  ; 
thus  he  entered  Cobb  and 
Co.'s  Bank  there  in  1855 
(afterwards  amalgamated 
with  Lloyd's),  in  which  he 
remained  for  over  forty-five 
years,  retiring  in  1900.  He 
married  on  iqth  June,  1863, 
Fanny  Pym,  daughter  of 
Thomas  Shoobridge,  of  Lon- 
don, her  mother  being  related 
to  the  Hampdens  and  Pyms 
of  Devonshire,  in  which 
county  she  spent  much  of  her 
childhood.  Mrs.  Hitchin- 
Kemp  is  an  Associate  of  St. 
John's  Ambulance  Associa- 
tion, and  is  well  known  for 
her  original  modes  of  im- 
pressing a  moral  by  means  of 
a  working  model  accompanied 
with  a  story.  Her  models, 
although  intended  originally 
for  the  amusement  and  bene- 
fit of  her  own  family,  have 
been  the  means  of  earning  funds  annually  for  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  and  these  with 
their  stories  have  been  a  great  feature  at  local,  and  even  distant,  bazaars  for  some  twenty-five 
years.  Over  twenty  of  her  Christmas  stories  have  been  printed,  and  many  copies  have  been  sold 
in  aid  of  various  charities.  She  has  presented  her  husband  with  ten  children,  the  eldest  died 
aged  nine   in    1873,   but  the  others   are  all   living  —  three  sons  and  six  daughters.      Charlotte 


tR«i.«il  II  .lH.lf  DJll.il   1 


Royal  Patent  granting  Arms  of  Kemp  to  F.  W.  Hitchin-Kemp. 


Hitchin  -Kemps. 


^5 


Hitchin-Kemp,  the  third  daughter,  married  in  1895  Edward  Riddlesdale  Whitfield,  M.A.,  of 
Dublin,  now  residing  at  Bournemouth  ;  Alice,  the  fifth  daughter,  is  devoting  her  life  to  nursing 
the  sick  poor  of  the  East  End  of  London,  the  other  daughters  are  unmarried.  Frederick  Hitchin- 
Kemp,  the  eldest  son,  was  for  many  years  engaged  in  shipping  and  army  agency  work  in 
London,  and  is  the  compiler  of  the  present  history.  He  married  in  1893  Lydia  Harris,  sixth 
daughter  of  the  late  Robert  Cadby  Bulgin 
(formerly  a  shipowner  of  Swansea  and 
Cardiff),  by  whom  he  has  had  two  children 
—Angela  Winifred  and  Reginald  Pym. 
William  Hitchin-Kemp,  the  second  son, 
was  articled  to  a  firm  of  sanitary  specialists, 
and  later  to  C.  H.  Cooper,  M.I.C.E.,  Engi- 
neer to  the  Wimbledon  Local  Board,  and 
on  the  completion  of  his  articles  was 
appointed  junior  assistant  10  their  engineer. 
He  has  since  held  similar  appointments  at 
Willesden  and  Twickenham.  (It  is  worthy 
of  notice  that  thus  a  member  of  the 
Hendon  Kemp  family  has  been  officially 
connected  with  these  two  places  in  the 
twentieth  century  in  both  of  which  his 
ancestors  were  interested  four  hundred 
years  previously.)  Arthur  Hitchin-Kemp, 
the  third  son,  was  articled  to  Blandford  and 
Lawrence,  Incorporated  Accountants  of 
London,  and  having  passed  all  the  exami- 
nations of  the  Society  of  Accountants  and 
Auditors  (Incorporated),  is  now  an  Associate 
of  that  body. 

We  give  illustrations  of  the  house  built 
by  the  first  Hitchin-Kemp  in  1870-2,  after 
the  designs  of  Alfred  Mercer-Drew.     Also 


The  head  of  the  Hitchin-Kemp  Cot. 
(An  heirloom  to  which  each  generation  is  asked  to  add  cai-ving) 


of  a  cot  in  which  the  younger  members  of  the  family  have  successively  slept,  the  carving  on  which 
is  representative  of  the  various  families  of  their  name  and  kindred. 


CHoATTETi   THU. 


KEMPS  OF  FULHAM,  CHELSEA,  AND  OTHERS. 

ROBERT  KEMP,  of  Gissing,  by  Ann,  daughter  of  Clifford  of  Kent,  had  a  son,  Bartholomew, 
who  succeeded  to  the  Norfolk  Estates  in  1527.  The  latter  had  a  large  family,  among 
whom  was  Francis  Kf.mpe,  who  settled  at  Little  Hadham  (Herts).  Francis  married 
Armynell,  daughter  of  John  Brooke,  of  London,  by  whom  he  had  three  sons,  Francis,  William, 
and  Thomas.     William,  the  second  son,  entered  the  Merchant  Taylor's  School  in  |  574,  but  is 


56  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

recorded  in  the  school  register  to  have  "died  young."  Francis,  the  eldest  son,  was  an  Attorney 
of  Common  Pleas,  having  a  residence  for  a  while  in  Fleet  Street,  he  married  first  Barbara, 
daughter  of  Leonard  Cocks,  of  London,  by  whom  he  had  the  following  children  :  Leonard,  baptized 
1593,  became  an  M.A.  ;  Bartholomew,  baptized  1595,  also  an  M.A.  and  Rector  of  Graylingham, 
Lincolnshire;  Henry,  who  was  of  the  Inner  Temple;  Frances,  baptized  1596,  married  Ralph 
Pemberton,  of  St.  Albans,  in  1616  ;  Elizabeth  Catherine  (who  married  Humphrey  Shalcrosse,  of 
London),  and  Susan. 

The  first  two  children  of  Francis  (the  younger)  were  baptized  at  St.  Dunstan's-in-the-West, 
Fleet  Street,  but  the  other  children  probably  were  baptized  at  Fulham,  for  we  find  that  on  the 
earliest  rate  book,  existing  for  that  parish,  viz.,  1615,  "Francis  Kempe,  Gent.,"  was  rated,  and 
continued  to  be  a  ratepayer  until  1635,  when  the  word  "gone"  appears  against  his  name  ;  his 
daughter,  however,  EHzabeth  Shalcrosse,  lived  subsequently  in  the  parish,  but  was  buried  at 
Digswell.  Herts,  in  1667,  aged  seventy-two.  A  monument  in  the  church  there  states  that  she  was 
the  mother  of  thirteen  sons  and  two  daughters  !  The  arms  of  Shalcrosse  impaling  Kempe  appear 
on  the  monument. 

The  Court  Rolls  of  Fulham  were  kept  for  some  years  prior  to  1  624  by  Sir  Nicholas  Kempe, 
Knight,  as  Steward  of  the  Manor,  his  arms  were  the  same  as  those  of  Francis  Kempe,  but  how 
these  two  were  related  we  have  not  discovered,  and  we  are  inclined  to  think  that  the  connection 
(if  any)  must  have  been  quite  remote  ;  it  is,  however,  singular  that  during  the  tenure  of  his  office 
Sir  Nicholas  should  have  enrolled  this  Francis  as  a  tenant. 

The  Court  Rolls  in  1626  record  that  Francis  Kempe  was  appointed  one  of  the  trustees  for 
the  "Poor's  Land"  at  Parr  Bridge,  and  that  in  1631  the  same  Francis  was  a  "defaulter"  and 
consequently  was  fined  I2d.  In  1615  Francis  Kempe,  of  Fulham,  Esq.,  became  tenant  of  five  acres 
called  "  Hale,"  abutting  on  Danes  Lane  (now  Lily  Road),  but  he  resided  in  Bear  Street  (now 
Fulham  High  Street),  retaining  his  London  residence. 

His  third  son,  Henry,  had  two  sons,  Edward,  born  1642,  and  William,  born  1650  ;  also  a 
daughter,  Ann,  who  married  Anthony  Soulhby.  So  far  the  pedigree  of  this  family  is  recorded 
in  the  "Visitation  of  London,"  made  by  the  Heralds  in  1633,  and  as  from  this  date  Kempes 
appear  in  the  adjoining  hamlet  of  Parsons  Green  and  the  neighbouring  Parish  of  Chelsea,  it 
appears  likely  that  William  Kempe.  who  was  living  at  Chelsea  in  1680,  was  the  William  men- 
tioned above.  William  Kempe,  of  Chelsea,  had  a  house  at  Parsons  Green,  overlooking  Eelbrooke, 
which  he  settled  upon  his  son  John  in  1680,  the  father  being  recorded  in  the  Manor  Rolls  as  a 
brewer  ;  he  appears  in  1686  as  a  malster,  of  Chelsea,  with  his  wife,  Dorothy,  to  have  surrendered 
the  same  house  at  Parsons  Green  to  William  Kempe,  his  youngest  son,  and  Elizabeth,  his  (the 
latter's)  wife.  The  brewer  was  evidently  a  troublesome  tenant,  for  he  is  charged  at  the  Court 
Leat,  and  Court  Baron  for  "  suflfering  his  swine  to  go  at  large  in  the  streets,"  for  which  he  was 
fined  two-and-si.x,  while  on  another  occasion  he  was  fined  thirty-shillings  for  permitting  over- 
crowding in  two  of  his  houses.  William  Kempe,  the  son,  also  described  as  a  brewer,  of  Chelsea, 
had  a  marriage  licence  in  1686,  his  bride  being  Elizabeth  Lumas,  he  being  then  twenty-five  years 
of  age  and  she  twenty-three.  (In  the  following  year  a  Daniel  Kemp,  also  a  maltster  of  Chelsea, 
and  aged  twenty-four,  had  a  licence  to  marry  Catherine  Eraser,  of  Westminster.  This  couple 
removed  at  once  to  Barking,  and  Daniel  died  there  in  1691,  his  will  being  proved  that  year  in  the 
Archdeaconry  Court  of  Essex.  He  bequeathed  his  property  to  his  son  William,  or  in  the  event 
of  his  death  during  infancy  to  Francis  and  Samuel,  brothers  of  the  testator,  and  his  wife  equally. 


Kemps  of  Fulham^  Chelsea  and  others. 


57 


He  mentions  that  ^200  was  due  to  him  under  a  prenuptial  settlement  from  his  "father  Kemp  and 
father  Fraser."*) 

Both  William  and  John  Kemp,  of  Chelsea,  as  tradesmen  of  means  and  repute,  were  licensed 
to  issue  tokens,  of  which  we  have  obtained  specimens,  they  are  respectively  marked  as  follows  : 

"William  Kempe  of  Parsons  Green  "  (in  four  lines),  and  on  the  other  side  "  Neare  Fulham.     His  Haifa  Penny  (in 
four  lines)  Jd." 

"John  Kemp  in  Putney,"  The  Cordwainers  Arms,  on  the  reverse  "  Batersey  1663  His  Half  Penny." 
"John  Kemp  in,"  the  Corwainers  Arms,  on  the  reverse  "  Putney  or  Batersey  I.  B.  K.     1663  ^d." 

From  these  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Kempes  of  Chelsea  crossed  the  river  and  established  their 
business  on   the  other  side,   and  it  seems  that  William   Kemp   was   in   1678  Churchwarden   of 

CORJES  OF       TOKENS 

ISSUED    BY   KEMPS 


Lambeth.  It  is  possible  that  they  founded  a  family  there,  for  a  Kemp  now  living  (who  has  on 
several  occasions  presented  his  poems  to  Royalty),  claims  that  his  forefathers  have  been  resident 
within  the  ancient  Parish  of  Lambeth  for  at  least  300  years.  We  have  found  no  wills  or  other 
records  to  prove  the  correctness  of  this  statement,  but  we  are  told  that  particulars  of  this  family 
appeared  some  time  ago  in  a  local  paper.     Thomas  Kemp,  grandson   of  William,  the  brewer  of 


*  In  1763  administration  of  the  goods  of  Daniel  Kemp,  of  Barking,  were  granted  to  Elizabeth,  his  widow,  and  the  will  of  the  latter  was 
dated  the  same  year  and  proved  by  Elizabeth  Knowles  (P.C.C,  557  Casar.)  The  testatrix  directed  that  Joseph  Purlic,  lighterman,  should 
carry  on  her  business,  and  Elizabeth  Knowles  should  have  charge  of  her  children  and  maintain  them  on  the  income  derived  thereby.  It  is  a 
singular  thing  that  Daniel  Kemp,  of  the  Hendon  family,  died  in  1763,  we,  however,  believe  this  Daniel  Kemp  to  be  connected  with  the  Kemps 
ot  Lamarsh,  Essex,  several  of  whom  were  named  Daniel. 


58  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Chelsea,  seems  to  have  died  in  1726,  for  a  will  of  Thomas  Kemp,  of  Putney,  dated  1725,  was 
proved  that  year.  He  left  his  estate,  which  included  houses  and  gardens  in  Putney  and  Wands- 
worth, to  his  wife,  Francis  Lucy,  with  the  remainder  to  their  children,  John,  Lucy  and  Elizabeth. 
He  mentions  his  "  sister  Arnold,"  his  brother-in-law,  John  Fletcher,  and  others.  Francis  Lucy, 
the  widow,  died  the  following  year,  and  Catherine  and  Thomas  Cotton  were  appointed  curators  of 
the  children,  who  seem  to  have  disappeared  from  the  neighbourhood. 

A  John  Kemp,  connected  with  Lambeth,  was  a  barrister,  residing  at  St.  Martin's-in-Fields,  he 
was  buried  in  the  North  Cloister  of  Westminster  Abbey,  20th  October,  1738,  and  his  wife, 
Elizabeth,  the  daughter  of  John  Staunton,  Esq.,  of  Longbridge  (Warwick),  was  buried  there  6th 
May,  1739  ;  they  left  two  children,  namely,  Boyle  Staunton  Kemp  and  Henrietta  Kemp,  who 
were  placed  under  the  guardianship  of  John,  Earl  of  Orrery.  The  will  of  this  Elizabeth  Kemp  is 
dated  from  St.  Margaret's,  Westminster,  March  21,  1739,  and  was  proved  by  the  Earl  the 
following  year  (P.C.C.,  106  Henchman).  Boyle  Staunton  Kemp  was  specially  bequeathed  his 
father's  gold  watch,  snuff  bo.x,  rings,  and  portrait,  the  residue  of  the  estate  being  equally  divided 
between  the  two  children.  Boyle  Staunton,  described  as  "  late  of  St.  Mary,  Lambeth,"  died  in 
August,  1786,  his  estate  being  granted  that  year  to  his  widow,  Mary. 

The  next  Kemp  of  whom  we  hear  connected  with  Lambeth  is  the  Rev.  Primate  Kemp,  who 
died  1789,  his  estate  being  administered  by  his  widow,  Keturah  Kemp,  who  was  buried  there,  a 
tomb  to  her  memory  recently  existed  in  Lambeth  Cemetery.  The  Rev.  Primate  Kemp  was 
Rector  of  Shenley,  Bucks. 

At  Chelsea  there  still  exists  "Kemp's  Row";  this  had,  we  believe,  no  connexion  with  the 
Kemps  mentioned  above,  but  was  built  about  1800  by  one  of  the  Kemps  of  Somersetshire,  who 
was  well  known  as  the  builder  of  churches  in  and  around  Bristol.  (It  has  been  thought  that 
Nicholas  Kempe,  a  porter  of  the  Royal  Mint  who  resided  at  Chelsea,  was  responsible  for  this  Row, 
but  this  is  a  mistake.) 

We  may  note  here  that  the  Church  of  St.  Anne's,  Soho,  was  built  about  1678  on  Kemfs 
Field^  which  was  formerly  within  the  Parish  of  St.  Martin's-in-Fields  ;  and  that  "  Kempes  Court," 
near  Oxford  Street  and  Broad  Street,  still  exist  ;  we  cannot  say  for  certain  how  these  names 
originated,  but  close  to  the  latter  was  a  brewery,  the  proprietors  of  which  were  for  several  genera- 
tions of  a  Kemp  family,  then  living  at  Bloomsbury. 

Leaving  the  western  districts  of  London  we  must  notice  a  family  of  Kempes,  who  for  200 
years  held  a  little  property  between  Shoreditch  and  Bishopsgate.  Several  old  maps  of  this  district 
show  "  Kempe's  Garden  "  at  the  corner  of  Cock  Lane,  near  Shoreditch  Church.  The  first 
mention  of  the  parish  as  connected  with  Kempes  occurs  in  1665,  when  Judith  Snow,  of  St. 
Leonard's,  Shoreditch,  widow,  twenty-two,  was  licensed  to  marry  Ralph  Kemp,  a  widower,  twenty- 
six,  of  St.  James's,  Clerkenwell  ;  her  estate  — which,  doubtless,  included  this  Shoreditch  land — was 
granted  to  her  husband  in  1681,  she  having  died  intestate.  {See  Ralph  Kemp  of  Winchcomb.) 
We  must  not  give  in  detail  the  generations  of  this  family,  some  members  of  which  were  wealthy 
distillers  and  victuallers,  while  others  were  goldsmith's  and  watchmakers.  One  of  their  relatives 
was  a  soldier  serving  in  the  West  Indies,  connected  with  whom  was  Nathan  Crossley,  who  lies 
buried  in  a  church  at  Shoreditch.  Thomas  Kemp  seems  to  have  been  the  last  to  reside  on 
the  Cock  Lane  property,  he  was  living  there  in  1807.  Close  by  was  Spittalfields,  where  at 
this  date  more  than  one  Kemp  carried  on  business ;  a  little  later  a  Kemp  from  Prittlewell 
wasengaged  in  the  Spittalfields  silk  trade,  but  these  last  two  Kemps  were  unconnected  with  the 
old  local  family. 

In  conclusion  of  these  notes  on  the  various  groups  of  Kemp(e)s  settled  in '  Middlesex,  we  may 


Kempes  of  Herts,  Berks,   Bucks  and  Surrey.  59 

mention  three  parishes,  with  which  numerous  Kempe  families  were  at  one  lime  or  another 
connected.  The  first  is  St.  Dunstan's,  Stepney,  which  before  the  seventeenth  century  was  a 
residential  suburb  ;  the  second  was  St.  James's,  Clerkenwell,  which  enjoyed  for  a  time  a  good 
reputation  as  a  residential  quarter  ;  the  third  is  St.  Dunstan's-in-the-West,  Fleet  Street,  which 
was  much  patronised  by  most  of  the  Kempes  connected  with  the  law  and  some  others. 


CHqA'PTER    IX. 

KEMPES    OF    HERTS,    BERKS,   BUCKS   AND    SURREY. 


HERTFORDSHIRE. 

THE  number  of  Kempes  we  have  found  settled  in  Middlesex  from  early  times  would  lead 
one  to  expect  that  many  from  this  source  might  be  found  in  the  neighbouring  counties 
of  Herts,  Berks,  Bucks  and  Surrey,  but  a  careful  search  in  the  various  Probate  Courts  to 
which  these  were  subject  shows  but  few  Kempes,  mostly  widely  separated  as  to  time  and  residence 
— the  chief  settlers  of  standing  coming  from  a  distance,  viz.,  Kent  and  Norfolk. 

Taking  first  our  gleanings  of  Kempes  in  Hertfordshire,  we  find  in  the  Archdeaconry  Court 
of  St.  Albans  one,  John,  in  the  callendar  for  the  period  extending  from  1471  to  1536,  his  abode 
is  not  given.  From  about  1554  a  Nicholas  Kempe,  Esq.,  was  Steward  of  St.  Albans,  he  being 
succeeded  in  this  office  by  Sir  Nicholas  Kemp  (Knight),  who  was  also  patron  of  Gilston.  At  the 
latter  place  Robert  Kempe,  "  nigh  a  hundred  years  old,"  was  buried  in  1  647-  It  was  also  in 
the  latter  parish  that  Sir  John  Gore  Hved,  who  married  one  of  the  Kentish  Kempes.  David 
Kempe  was  Archdeacon  of  St.  Albans  from  1  560  till  I  580,  being  also  Vicar  of  Rickmans- 
worth  and  Prebend  of  Harleston  (which  points  to  his  being  connected  with  the  Kempes  of 
Twickenham),  he  seems  to  have  been  also  at  Croydon,  and  is  probably  the  testator  of  a  will 
proved  at  Gloucestor  1581,  which  states  that  the  David  of  that  city  was  a  priest  hving  in  the 
close  of  the  Cathedral. 

We  have  mentioned  that  a  Francis  Kempe  from  Gissing  resided  at  Little  Hadham  about 
1570,  but  he  seems  to  have  returned  to  his  native  county,  and  it  was  probably  his  younger  son, 
Thomas,  who  was  described  in  a  London  Poll  as  a  "  stranger  "  in  Farringdon  Ward  in  1595,  and 
belonging  to  the  County  "of  Hertford,  Gent."  In  1593  George  Kempe,  of  Northawe,' was 
assessed  at  /30  for  the  defence  of  the  Kingdom  ;  he,  we  believe,  was  formerly  a  resident  of 
Hampstead,  and  is  perhaps  the  same  as  a  Jesuit  of  his  name  who  was  with  others  charged  with 
conspiracy  in  connexion  with  a  London  plot  in  1 626  ;  this  would  account  for  no  will  being 
traced,  as  his  property  would  probably  be  confiscated.  In  1  566  Stephen  Kempe,  son  of  William 
Kempe,  of  Broxbourne,  was  apprenticed  to  William  Cooke,  a  citizen  and  stationer  of  London. 

Joseph  Kempe,  of  Hitchin,  Gent.,  married  Anne  Luke,  and  by  his  will,  dated  and  proved  in 
1654  (P.C.C,  23 T  Alchin),  he  bequeathed  to  the  town  his  "mansion  house"  called  "Beggin" 
for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  of  the  parish,  endowing  it  with  lands  and  appointing  as  the  first 
trustees  of  this  charity  the  following  :  Ralph  Skinner,  of  Hitchin,  Gent.,  Robert  Draper,  Francis 

o  2 


5o  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

Audlev  James  Turner,  Jeremy  Carter  and  Nathaniel  Hobbs.  The  two  first  of  these  were 
certainly  connected  with  Sir  Nicholas  and  the  Kempes  of  Winchcombe,  while  the  will  shows  that 
the  testator  had  "  hereditaments  "  in  the  Parish  of  Godmanchester,  where  his  "  kinsman,  John 
Sell,"  lived.  He  mentions  Susan  Tapenden,  widow,  his  sister,  Helen  Kempe,  and  his  ''  half  sister, 
Mary  wife  of  .  .  .  Farmer."  Several  other  names  appear,  but  we  have  failed  to  trace  his 
exact 'connection  with  the  Norfolk  or  Kentish  Kempes,  whose  arms,  impaling  those  of  his  wife, 
appeared  over  his  tomb.  This  almshouse  is  still  a  benefit  to  the  poor,  a  good  account  of  it  with 
illustrations  has  recently  appeared. 

In  1  696  the  will  of  an  Edward  Kemp,  of  Chipping,  Barnet,  victualler,  was  proved,  he  left 
sons  named  Edward  and  John,  and  daughters  named  Hannah,  Elizabeth,  Sarah,  Susannah  ;  his 
wife,  Hannah,  being  executrix  and  residuary  legatee.  The  next  will  of  a  Kemp  in  this  county  was 
proved  in  1744,  this  being  the  testament  of  John  Kempe,  of  Sawbridgeworth.  The  Probate 
Reo-ister  for  this  period,  however,  does  not  exist,  so  we  have  no  details.  About  this  date  a  William 
Kempe  was  appointed  Attorney-General  of  New  York,  we  do  not  know  that  he  was  connected 
with  this  county,  but  on  his  decease  his  office  was  given  to  John  Tabor  Kemp,  who  we  may  presume 
was  either  his  son  or  at  least  a  relative.  This  John  Tabor  Kemp  was  Attorney-General  of  New 
York  for  many  years,  and  on  his  return  to  England  resided  at  St.  Margaret's  Herts,  from  which  his 
will  is  dated  in  1792  (P.C.C,  471  Fountain)  stating  his  late  official  position,  and  that  he  had 
formerly  resided  at  Marylebone  and  Jermyn  Street,  Westminster.  To  his  son,  Edward,  then  a 
minor  he  bequeathed  the  ultimate  residue  of  his  estate,  providing  an  annuity  for  his  wife,  Grace, 
and  portions  for  his  daughters,  Maria,  Elizabeth,  Anne  and  Henrietta.  The  will  directs  his 
executors  to  endeavour  to  trace  and  recover  some  stocks  (valued  at  £2,12^^  which  had  been 
settled  on  his  wife  after  the  death  of  her  mother,  Abigail  Cox.  Edward  Kemp,  the  son,  became  a 
clero-yman,  and  was  the  founder  of  a  "  Kempe  Fund,"  now  benefiting  the  Bristol  Blind  Asylum. 
He  lived  at  Bath  and  aftewards  at  Bristol. 

BERKSHIRE. 
Berkshire  had  a  family  of  Yeoman  Kempes  at  least  as  early  as  the  end  ot  the  fifteenth  century  ; 
how  they  were  connected  with  other  families  of  the  name  we  are  unable  to  say  ;  the  earliest  will 
we  have  traced  as  representing  them  was  proved  in  the  Archdeaconry  of  Berks  in  1531.     The 
testator  was  of  Westbrook,  in  the  Parish  of  Boxmoor,  and  mentions  his  wife,  Margaret,  and  his 
son  William.     The  will  of  the  latter,  dated  1542,  and  proved  in  the  same  Court,  speaks  of  his 
mother    Margaret,  as  still  living,  his  wife  Alys,  and  his  daughters,  Joan  and  Alys  ;  he  left  his 
property  at  Boxworth  to  his  son  Robert.     (Richard  and  John  Kempe  were  witnesses.)     The  will 
of  John  Kempe,  of  Westbrooke,  was  proved  in  1557,  and  describes  the  testator  as  a  "husband- 
man "  he  bequeathed  to  his  children,  John  and  Ann,  at  the  respective  ages  of  twenty-one,  his 
farming  stock  ;  his   wife,  Margaret  Kempe,  inheriting  his  residuary  estate.     Another  will  of  a 
Kempe  of  Boxworth  (or  an  Administration  of  his  estate),  was  registered  in  1  558,  after  which  the 
family  seem  to  have  removed  to  Welford  and  Kentbury.     William  Kempe's  estate  at  Welford 
was  administered  in  1  62  1  ;  and  that  of  Simon  Kempe,  of  Kentbury,  in   1  630.     The  will  of  a 
Thomas  Kempe,  of  Welford,  was  proved  in  1672,  and  one  of  "  Fetiplace  Kemp(5(?r,"  of  Kentbury, 
in  1697.    Richard  Kemp,  of  Kentbury,  must  have  died  about  1719,  for  inventory  of  his  personal 
effects  with  a  bond  for  their  administration  are  entered  in  the  Archdeaconry  Book  of  that  year. 
Thomas  Kemp,  of  Boxford,  a  Yeoman,  dated  his  will  1728,  but  it  was  not  proved  until  1741 
(Cons.  Sarum) ;  it  mentions  his  wife,  Joan  Kemp,  his  daughter,  Frances  Castle,  and   his  grand- 
children, Mary  Castle,  Mary  Sarah  and  Elizabeth  Wells.     An  administration  of  the  goods  and 


Kempes  of  Herts ^  Berks,   Bucks  and  Surrey.  6i 

effects  of  Simon  Kemp,  of  Welford,  was  granted  in  1  749  ;  this  is  the  last  Kemp  will  recorded  in 
the  Archdeaconry,  and  we  have  no  evidence  of  the  name  occuring  at  Welford  later.  Not  far, 
distant,  however,  is  Enbourn,  where  Kemps,  doubtless  related  to  the  above,  lived  from  at  least  the 
middle  of  the  sixteenth  century  until  about  1700  or  later,  their  wills  having  been  proved  in  1591, 
1632,  1641,  1670,  and  1690.  Beside  the  above  there  were  a  few  scattered  Kemps  at  Reading, 
Farringdon,  Newbury,  Shrivenham,  Hungerford  and  Abingdon. 

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. 

From  at  least  the  thirteenth  century  Kemps  have  been  found  in  Buckinghamshire,  but  it  is 
singular  that  many  of  these  early  Kemps  appeared  to  have  resided  in  the  county  merely  on 
account  of  their  ecclesiastical  appointments.  Alan  Kempe  was  concerned  at  "  Little  Willeston '' 
between  the  years  I  250  and  I  272  with  William  De  Bellocampo,  who  was  one  of  the  Earls  of 
Warwick  ;  a  second  instance  of  a  Bellocampo  and  a  Kempe  occurs  in  Buckinghamshire  at  an  early 
date,  and,  as  we  have  had  occasion  to  remark  earlier,  there  appears  just  reason  for  supposing  that 
some  Kempes  derived  their  name  from  that  illustrious  family.  In  1311  Alan  Kempe  was  made 
Rector  of  Great  Loughton.  In  1381  William  Kempe  and  others  were  appointed  by  the  King 
to  arrest  certain  men  charged  with  felony  at  Stoke,  by  Stony-Stratford,  and  charged  to  bring 
them  to  Windsor  Gaol.  In  1404  a  grant  was  made  of  lands  in  the  Parish  of  Chalfont-St-Giles, 
Bucks,  to  Henry  Kempe  ;  and  in  1407  John  Kempe,  afterwards  the  Archbishop,  was  presented 
to  the  Rectory  of  Slapton. 

Ii^  1533  Queen  Mary  presented  William  Kempe  to  the  Rectory  of  Cotteslow,  and  soon  after 
this  date  David  Kempe,  the  Archdeacon  of  St.  Albans,  held  the  Vicarage  of  Rickmansworth,  close 
to  the  Middlesex  border  of  this  county. 

We  have  mentioned  under  Hendon  Kempes  two  Kempes  of  Burnham  (in  Cotteslow  Hundred) 
who  died  respectively  in  1544  and  1560,  these  evidently  used  a  coat  of  arms,  but  their  con- 
nexion is  a  little  uncertain,  and  we  do  not  find  any  trace  of  Kempes  in  this  locality  after  the 
latter  date. 

About  1600  Robert  Kempe,  son  of  Edward  Kempe,  of  the  New  Forest,  and  grandson  of 
one  of  the  Kempes  of  Ollantigh,  settled  at  Chipping  Wickham  (or  Wycombe),  having  married 
Dorothy  Elliott,  of  Hampshire;  he  made  his  will  in  1621  (P.C.C.,  15  Savile),  bequeathing  an 
annuity  of  ^loo  to  his  wife,  as  well  as  a  legacy  of  ^200.  He  mentions  also  his  daughters, 
Elizabeth  and  Dorothy,  and  his  sons,  Francis  and  Thomas.  The  will  also  mentions  his  brothers, 
Francis  and  Thomas  ;  the  last  named  had  settled  in  Hampshire,  while  Francis  subsequently 
removed  from  Basingstoke  to  Wycombe,  where  he  died  in  1649-  His  will  was  proved  that 
year  and  describes  him  as  "of  Cliffords  Inn,  London,  Gent.,"  and  expresses  his  wish  to  be  buried 
in  the  Church  of  St.  Dunstan's-in-the-West.  He  left  his  house  known  by  the  sign  of  "  George 
and  the  Three  Cups,"  situated  at  Chipping  "Wicombe,"  to  his  daughter  Susannah  for  life,  with 
reversion  to  the  issue  of  Henry  Kemp  (the  testator's  son),  or  in  default  of  such  issue  to  his 
daughters,  Ann  and  Susan.  To  his  daughter,  Elizabeth  Catherine,  he  left  ^500  ;  to  his  daughter 
Frances  ^4°°  i  to  his  son  Leonard  ^500  ;  to  his  son  Bartholomew  £^00  ;  and  to  his  wife  ;^50o 
and  an  annuity  of  £i-\0-  The  will  also  mentions  his  "brother,"  Humphrey  Clarke,  of  London, 
dyer.  A  blunder  appears  to  have  been  made  by  the  Heralds,  as  the  issue  mentioned  in  this  will 
is  attached  to  a  pedigree  of  a  branch  of  the  Norfolk  Kempes,  whereas  this  man  clearly  belonged 
to  the  Kentish  stock.  The  error  seems  to  have  arisen  from  the  coincidence  that  a  Francis  Kempe 
from  each  family  was  a  parishioner  of  St.  Dunstan's-in-the-West  (See  aw/fz  Fulham  Kempes).  In 
1651    administration  of  another  Francis   Kempe,   Gent.,   of  Wycombe,    was  granted  to  Anne 


62  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Kempe  his  relict,  but  it  is  not  clear  whether  this  was  a  son  of  Robert  or  Francis  Kempe,  as  both 
had  sons  of  the  name.  That  this  grant  does  not  refer  to  the  Francis  who  made  the  above  is  clear, 
for  the  former  mentioned  his  wife,  Helen,  who  was  daughter  of  Gawton,  of  Southwark.  "  Francis 
Kempe,  second  son  of  Francis  Kempe,  Gent.,  of  Wycomb,"  was  born  ist  November,  1644,  and 
entered  at  the  Merchant  Taylor's  School  in  1657,  this  evidently  was  the  grandson  of  Robert 
Kempe  of  Wycombe, 

The  principal  monument  in  the  Church  of  Chipping  Wycombe  is  within  the  Communion 
rails,  the  inscription  on  a  brass  plate  being  as  follows  : 

"Here  lyeth  the  body  of  Robert  Kempe,  who  departed  this  life  the  20th  November,  A.D.  1 62 1.  /  Wife,  children, 
wealth,  this  world,  and  life  forsaken.  /  In  silent  dust  I  sleep  ;  whence  once  awaken,  /  My  Saviour's  might  a  glorious  change 
will  give,  /  So  losing  all  I  gayne,  and  dying  live,  /  My  fame  I  trust  the  world  with,  for  'tis  true,  /  Posterity  gives  every 
man  his  due." 

His  daughter,  Dorothy,  married  by  licence,  dated  29th  November,  1632,  John  Gore,  of 
Bassetsbury,  a  widower,  then  aged  thirty-four,  she  being  described  as  the  "  daughter  of  Robert 
Kempe,  late  of  Wycombe,  Esquire,"  and  her  age  being  stated  to  be  twenty-four.  Sir  John  Gore, 
Knight,  was  afterwards  seated  at  Gilston,  Herts,  where  Sir  Nicholas  Kempe,  Knight,  had 
previously  been  patron  of  the  Church.  The  second  daughter  of  Robert  Kempe  married  WiUiam 
Adams,  of  London,  citizen  and  draper  ;  their  son,  Robert  Adams,  was  knighted,  and  seems  to  have 
been  married  to  another  Elizabeth  Kempe  at  West  Ouantoxhead,  Somerset,  on  23rd  February, 
I  654,  by  John  Tuberville,  Esq.,  J.P.,  being  the  official  appointed  to  celebrate  marriages  under 
the  order  of  the  Cromwellian  Parliament.  This  Elizabeth  Kempe  was  the  daughter  of  John 
Kempe,  of  West  Quantoxhead,  who  made  his  will  in  I  662  (and  which  is  recorded  at  Wells), 
mentioning  his  grandchild,  Robert  Adams,  son  of  Robert  Adams  of  the  same  place.  This  testator 
also  speaks  of  his* daughter,  Elizabeth  Adams,  Mary  Bartlett,  and  his  grandchildren,  John  and 
Alexander  Kempe,  of  Coombe  Florey,  to  whom  was  due  legacies  under  the  will  of  an  Andrew  Kemp. 

The  will  of  Anne  Kempe,  of  Wycombe  (widow  of  Francis,  who  died  1651),  was  proved  in 
1665  (P.C.C,  73  Hyde).  It  left  to  her  son,  Francis  Kempe,  certain  bonds  for /2 50  given  by 
James  Bigg,  of  "  Chipping  Wicomb,"  and  legacies  to  her  daughters,  Dorothy  and  Ann,  and  to  her 
son-in-law  Marshall  Bridges  and  his  wife,  Mary.  The  testatrix  also  states  that  her  son,  William 
Kempe,  of  London,  Merchant  Taylor,  was  indebted  to  her,  upon  bond,  for  some  ;^8oo,  which  she 
desired  should  be  paid  to  her  two  unmarried  daughters.  From  the  parish  register  of  St.  Dionis 
Barkchurch,  London,  we  find  that  Marshall  Bridges  of  that  parish,  Unendraper,  married  Mary 
Kempe,  of  St.  Michael's,  Cornhill,  on  28th  April,  1 659-  In  Wells  Cathedral  is  a  flagstone 
surmounted  by  their  arms  (argent,  on  a  cross  sable  a  leopard's  face  Or)  of  "  Kempe  Bridges,  son  of 
Marshall  Bridges,  Chancellor  and  Canon  Residentiary  of  that  Cathedral,  by  Frances  Kempe,  of 
Wycombe,  Bucks."  He  was  born  in  1665,  became  a  Fellow  of  All  Soul's  (by  right  of  descent 
from  the  Founder's  kin),  and  married  Frances,  daughter  of  Robert  Creighton,  only  surviving  son 
of  Robert  Creighton,  Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  The  stone  also  commemorates  a  second  Kemp 
Bridges  of  Wells,  who  married  Eleanor  Dawson,  and  dying  in  1792  left  a  son,  Kemp  Bridges, 
born  1749.  The  Gentleman'' s  Magazine  of  the  period  stated  that  Kemp  Bridges,  formerly  of 
Bedford  Street,  Covent  Garden,  died  at  his  apartments  in  Manchester  in  January,  1792  in  his 
seventy-seventh  year,  and  that  he  was  the  youngest  son  of  the  Rev.  Marshall  Bridges,  the 
Chancellor  of  Wells.  The  latter  is  mentioned  in  the  will  of  Anne  Kempe,  relict  of  Robert 
Kempe,  of  Shenstone,  Co.  Hereford,  as  then  (1677)  of  Tiberton  Court,  which  was  long  the 
residence  of  the  Bridges.  Robert  Kempe,  of  Shenstone,  was  son  of  Edward  Kempe,  and  nephew 
to  Robert  Kempe,  of  Wycombe.  William  Kempe,  the  eldest  son  of  Francis  and  Anne  Kempe,  of 
Wycombe,  was  Hving  in  1  665,  as  mentioned  above,  he  then  being  a  merchant  of  London.     We 


^  Surrey  Kempes.  63 

have  not  traced  his  will,  but  that  of  a  Mary  Kemp,  widow,  of  "  Chipping  Wycomb,"  dated  in 
1719  and  proved  the  following  year  (Arch.  Bucks)  may  be  his  wife's.  It  directs  that  she  shall  be 
buried  in  the  middle  of  the  chancel  of  the  church  at  Chipping  Wycomb,  and  bequeaths  legacies  to 
her  grandchildren.  William  and  Ann  Taylor,  and  to  Kemp  Parker,  son  of  her  daughter  Mary, 
wife  of  William  Parker  ;  others  mentioned  are  Ann,  wife  of  John  Cock,  of  Wycomb,  Ralph 
Whitnell  (Tanner),  and  Ambrose  Eldridge,  Gent.  From  the  fact  that  no  sons  are  named  we  may 
surmise  that  this  widow  was  the  last  of  the  Kempes  of  Wycombe,  we  having  no  evidence  to  the 
contrary.  At  Iver  (Bucks)  Philip  Kemp  died  between  1736  and  1742,  his  will  being  proved 
in  the  later  year  (P.C.C,  191  Trenley).  It  bequeaths  his  property,  as  to  one-fourth,  to  his  nephew, 
William  Kemp  ;  as  to  another  fourth  part  to  Ann  Mitchell,  and  the  remaining  two-fourths  to  his 
kinsman,  Philip,  the  son  of  his  nephew,  William  Kemp.  Elizabeth  and  Thomas  Martin  were 
witnesses.  We  may  remark  that  the  family  of  Franklins  who  were  akin  to  Hendon  Kempes  were 
connected  with  Iver,  but  we  cannot  say  this  testator  was  related  to  the  Wicombe  Kempes  or  those 
of  Middlesex. 

As  to  other  Kempes  of  Buckinghamshire  we  can  only  allow  space  to  give  a  mention  of  wills 
and  administrations  recorded,  although  we  have  many  details  concerning  them.  In  the  Arch- 
deaconry Court  of  Bucks  the  following,  in  addition  to  those  above  mentioned,  occur  :  Margery 
Kemp,  of  Great  Missenden,  1680  ;  William  Kemp  of  same,  1680  ;  another  William  Kemp  of  same 
in  1688  ;  John  Kemp,  1692  ;  WiUiara  Kemp,  of  Langley,  1693  ;  William  Kemp,  of  Akeley,  1694; 
Thomas  Kemp  of  same,  1767.  Three  named  Thomas  Kemps  respectively  in  1760,  1776  and 
1818  of  Swanbourne.  William  Kemp,  of  Great  Missenden,  1808,  and  William  Kemp,  of  Great 
Horwood,  1826.  In  the  Prerogative  Court  of  London  (except  those  mentioned  above)  we  find 
only  one  administration  of  a  Kemp  of  this  county,  viz.  :  The  goods  of  Mathew  Kemp(ff?)  were 
granted  to  Susannah,  his  mother,  in  1699,  he  having  died  a  bachelor  intestate.  He  is  stated  to 
have  lived  formerly  in  the  parish  of  St.  Andrews,  Holborn. 

The  Rev.  Alfred  Arrow  Kempe,  Rector  of  Wexham,  belongs  to  the  third  branch  of  the 
Cornish  Kempe  family.  In  the  official  return  of  the  "  Greater  Landowners  "  in  1874,  he  is  shown 
to  have  then  held  some  twenty  acres  of  land  at  Wexham. 

The  name  is  now  represented  in  the  County  at  Aylesbury  and  Great  Horwood — William 
Kemp  being  a  leaseholder  at  the  former  place  and  a  Mrs.  M.  A.  Kemp  residing  at  the  latter. 


CHqATTEX   X. 


SURREY  KEMPES. 


■;■)■. 


A  MONG  the  earliest  known  Kempes  of  Surrey  we  have  notes  of  the  following  individuals,  but 

/— \       so  little  can  be  ascertained  concerning  them  that  we  fear  they  were  not  a  thriving  family 

in   this  county.      Ailwin   Kempe  held  a   small  quantity  of  land    in   the    Hundred  of 

Blackheath  (near  Guildford)  in  1205,  and  in  1272  Martin  Kempe,  of  Guildford,  had  some  interest 

in  lands  in  Hampshire,  which  then  were  settled  upon  Netley  Abbey  ;  a  copy  of  the  deed  with 

his  signature  is  in  the  possession  of  James  Kemp- Welch,  Esq.     Perhaps  this  Martin  Kempe  was 


6_^  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

identical  with  a  Martin  de  Campo,  who  at  this  period  held  land  in  Norfolk.     In  1235  one,  Gilbert 
Kemp,  resided  at  Chertsey,  and  in  1285  Hamo  de  Campo  was  residing  at  Rotherhithe. 

At  Kingston-on-Thames,  certainly,  a  Kempe  of  standing  held  property,  for  a  deed  exists  at 
the  Record  OfHce  showing  that  William  Kempe,  of  Westminster,  bought  of  John  atte  Forde,  of 
Yvere,  lands  at  Kingston  in  1436.  This  William  Kempe,  of  Westminster,  was,  we  suggest,  related 
to  the  Archbishop,  for  while  the  latter  was  rising  to  fame  William  Kempe  was  appointed  Keeper  ot 
the  King's  Wardrobe  at  Westminster,  and  subsequently  he  was  known  as  the  "  King's  Sergeant." 
Perhaps\villiam  Kempe,  who  paid  the  account  of  the  fete  called  "  Kynggam,"  celebrated  m  the 
twenty-first  year  of  Henry  VII.  (1505),  was  a  grandson  or  great-grandson  of  this  individual.  In 
i-^y.  a  John  Kempe,  of  Kingston-on-Thames,  made  his  will,  he  being  a  tailor.  He,  too,  we  think, 
niay  be  a  connexion  of  both  William  of  Westminster  and  the  Kempes  of  Twickenham.  The  will 
of  Alys  Kempe,  of  Kingston,  was  proved  in  1537,  after  which  the  Kempes  seem  to  disappear  from 
this  spot,  although  it  has  been  stated  in  the  local  papers  that  the  Kempes  of  Teddington  (adjoining) 
have  continued  from  before  the  sixteenth  century  down  to  the  present  time.  How  true  this  is  we 
have  no  means  of  proving,  as  both  Subsidy  Rolls  and  Probate  Records  give  no  evidence  of  their 
early  establishment  there,  however  from  at  least  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century  Kempes 
were  certainly  numerous  at  Teddington,  and  one  family  resided  there  until  the  last  decade.  One 
representative  of  this  family  is  an  optician  of  London,  Henry  Cornelius  Kemp,  of  Thavies  Inn, 
and  another  is  Henry  Herbert  Kemp,  of  West  Kensington. 

In  the  fifteenth  century  we  find  that  Kempes  of  Kent  were  intimate  with  the  Brownes  of 
Betchworth,  and  in  the  following  century  an  alliance  united  these  two  famihes.  It  is  just  possible 
that  this  marriage  was  the  reason  for  Kempes  establishing  themselves  in  and  around  Betchworth 
a  little  later  but  before  we  trace  their  advent  we  find  that  a  branch  of  the  Norfolk  Kempes  settled 
at  Croydon,  they  being  also  subsequently  coTmected,  though  but  distantly,  with  the  Brownes  of 
Betchworth. 

The  founders  of  the  Surrey  branch  of  the  Norfolk  Kempes  were  Bartholomew  Kempe  and 
Barbara  Sharpe,  who  were  married  at  St.  Martin's-in-the-Fields  on  14th  September,  1562.  In 
i;6:;  this  Bartholomew  paid  a  fine  for  lands  in  which  he  held  an  interest  at  Hendon.  We  do  not 
know  when  he  died,  but  in  the  will  of  his  widow  she  states  that  he  was  buried  in  the  Savoy 
Chapel,  and  she  desired  that  her  body  should  rest  beside  his  there.  Her  will  (P.C.C,  41  Wood) 
was  proved  in  1611  and  mentions  her  grandchild  and  son,  both  named  Bartholomew  Kempe,  also 
Thomas  Cotton,  of  Bartholomew's-the-Less,  and  her  steward,  Walter  ffinch.  Among  the  silver 
enumerated  were  spoons  ''with  falcons  on  their  topsj^  evidently  in  allusion  to  the  Kempe  crest. 
Also  a  "  bell  silver  salt  "  with  a  cover  and  her  husband's  coat  of  arms  engraved  thereon.  The 
will  of  Walter  Finch,  of  Croydon,  was  proved  in  1626  (P.C.C,  125  Hele),  and  mentions  as  chief 
legatees  Bartholomew,  William  and  Francis,  the  three  sons  of  Bartholomew  Kempe,  "  late  of 
Croydon,  Gentleman." 

Turning  to  the  early  records  of  the  Surrey  Archdeaconry  Court  we  find  that  the  will  of  a 
John  Kempe,  of  Godstone,  was  proved  in  1530,  that  another  probate  of  a  John  Kemp  of  that  place 
is  registered  in  1=^49,  that  of  a  Joan  Kemp,  of  Godstone,  appears  in  1550,  and  a  mention  of 
property  at  Godstone  occurs  in  the  will  of  a  celebrated  John  Kempe,  "  Parson  of  Freshwater," 
dated  1579.  John,  of  Freshwater,  seems  to  have  been  connected  in  some  way  with  the  Kempes 
of  Middlesex,  but  possibly  only  through  his  grandson's  intermarriage  with  a  Rippin,  of  Totteridge. 
The  land  mentioned  was  bequeathed  by  Parson  Kemp  to  his  sons,  Tobias,  Caleb  and  John,  and 
the  eldest  surviving  heir. 

Ewell,  Dorking,  Banstead,  Moulsey  and  Cobham  have  also  had  families  of  Kempes,  but  these 


Surrey  Kempes.  65 

appear  to  have  been  but  birds  of  passage,  and  little  worthy  of  note  attaches  to  them.  Guildford 
and  Southwark  in  the  eighteenth  century  had  also  many  Kempes  ;  one,  William  Kemp,  of 
Guildford,  a  brewer,  is  said  to  be  the  ancestor  of  a  Sussex  Kemp  family,  if  so  he  was  also  of 
Wapping  and  came  from  Kent  (z^z'afe  Sussex). 

Returning  to  the  Kempes  of  Croydon  we  may  say  that  their  pedigree — going  back,  to  the 
early  ancestors  of  the  Norfolk  Kempe  Baronets — is  included  in  the  printed  "Visitation  of  Surrey." 
As,  however,  it  gives  but  two  generations  actually  resident  in  this  county,  and  the  last  named 
thereon  returned  to  Norfolk,  we  have  not  thought  it  worth  printing  here.  Several  entries  con- 
cerning these  Kempes  are  contained  in  the  local  Church  Registers,  and  have  also  been  printed  in 
the  County  Histories.  On  this  pedigree  appears  the  name  of  a  Nicholas  Kempe,  who  is  marked 
as  having  died  a  bachelor.  Apart  from  that  statement  it  is  evident  from  the  dates  inferred  that 
it  was  not  this  Nicholas  Kempe  who  was  co-founder  with  Archbishop  Abbott  of  the  Trinity 
Hospital,  Guildford. 


(Note.— Sir  John  M, 
(or  Willis 
whence  th 
this  cannc 
of  OUanti 


en,  of  Tregothnan  (by  Eliz.  d.  of  Nicholas  Lower,  Harl.  MSS.  1 164,  70) 


of  (?  Tremayne)  widow  of  Tozar. 

d.  of  Robt.  Smith,  of  Tregoneck,  married  at  Blisland,  20  Sept.  1540. 
irl.  MSS.  1079,  196)     Will  proved  1586. 


29  Sept.  1572. 


Elizabeth  Kempe. 


Christopher  Kempe. 


I  zna  son.  I         i i  r  1  1  1 

Richard  Kempe,         Humphrey  1     honour  K.  Jane  K.  John  K.  Robt.  K.  Digory  K.  Humphrey  K. 


bap.  at  B. 
28  Apr.  1566. 


son  and  1 


bap. 15; 


bap.  1575.         bap.  1578.        vide  Chart,         bap    1582. 
bap.  1579. 


bap.  1386. 


Humphrey  Kempe,  a  sailor,  •  g     ^^^ 

bur.  at  B.  1632.     S.P.  h 

Will  1636,  P.C.C.  61,  bii 

Pile  '• 


William  K. 
bap.  1589. 


. . .  d.  of .  . .  Maunder,=Nichoias  Kempe,  of  Crugsillick,  in  Veryan. 
of  Probus. 


Richard  Kempe,  of  Tragony,=A.^  j^^^ 
b.  1683,  d.  at  Bath  1736.  ^ 

Will  proved. 


Richard  Kempe, 
I.  1681. 


d. .  .  of .  .  Foot,=:Nicholas  Kempe, 


of  Trecossick, 
in  Verya 


-child. 


James  Kempe,  s.  &  h.  Willian 

1.  1736,  d.  unmarried,  d.  unit 
Will  dated  1738,  1.  i 

proved  at  Bodmin.  1 

Dorothy,  d   of  James  Boriase,=N^  _^^l^  j^^^       ^^1^  j^^;^  j^^g3  Kempe, 

ofTreludry  of  her  brother.  d.  unmarried. 


s.  and  heir. 


Re  Thomas  Kempe,  died  at  sea, 

s.  of  John,  of  Gerrans,  at  Col. 

1682,  aged  16.     Beneficed 

in  Somerset  1692/1708. 

Will  1689/96. 


John  Kempe,=Grace,  d.  of  Sir  Nich.  Trevanion,  Henry  Kempe,=Mary,  d.  of 

s.  &  h.         j  Knt.,  Gov.  of  Pendennis.  ob.  S.P.  Sir.  N.  T. 


Hannah  Kempe, 
d.  unmarried. 


Nicholas  Kempe, 
of  Plymouth, 
vide  Chart  H. 


Jane  Geak,  h.  of  Bonithons,=Saitjj.3J^,^  Kempe,=David  Hewis, 
mar.  lie.  Court  of  bxeter,  of  Truro 

16  June,  1833. 


I  I  3rd  son. 

John  Kempe,  s.  and  h.=Letitia  Maria,  d.  of  Anne,  d.  of=Arthur  Kempe, 

of  Crugsillick,  John  Coryton,  J.Coryton,  aj_:..i 

'  "  '  of  Crocaden. 


ob.  22  Aug.  18 14.  S.P.  of  Crocaden. 


I 
Samuel  Kempe, 
d.  on  a  voyage 
of  discovery  with 
Capt.  Cook,  1747, 


Capt.  Nicholi 

ob.  182 

buried  at 

(unmarriec 


M.  A.  Kempe, 
d.  unmarried. 


Sophia  Kempe, 
d.  unmarried. 


Harriett  Kempe,^Admiral  Sir  John 
Devonshire. 


Admiral, 
born  174O) 
of  Palone, 
Cornwall, 
d.  aet  80. 


Eliz.  Mary,I  =:Wm.  Courtenay,  of  Walreddon 
[).  16  Feb.  1786.  Devon,  4  June,  1 807. 


Anne  Coryton  Kempe,=§Mathew  Garland  Gregor, 
of  Gerrans,  4  Aug.  1803. 


Augustas,  d.  of  C 

of  Hartley  F 

d.  lit 


Coryton  Sylvanus  Sampson  Kempe, 
6ist  Regiment,     d.  S.P. 


Wm.  Hussey  Blomfield  Kempe,=  Maria  Kempe, 

laie  of  Custom  House,     ^^   I  Wriford, 

drowned  in  "  Princess  Alice."   |  ob.  S.P. 


Charles  K. 

b.  1799- 
d.  unmar. 


John  Kempe,=Sui  j^^^i     ^^j    j  ^f 

^r^^-  V  W.J.  Harper, 

Cu 


Charles  Patrick  K.         Maria  Letl 

of  London,  born  18, 

Surgeon.  ^Stephen  E 

;t=Eleanor  M.  Taylor,  of  Crego,  in 

I  Lanihoi 

A  I 

John  Henry  Kempe, 
born  1844. 


of  Shoreham. 


Wm.  Sandford  B.  K.      Edw.  Ar.  K.      Gilbert  Bunington  K.      Arthur  Kempe, 

of  Exeter, 
M.D.,  M.R.C.P. 


K.       Wm.  Coryton  K.       Arthur  Marshall  K.       Earnest  Harper  K.       Agnes  May  K.       Gladys  Noel  K. 


CORNWALL,     No.     I. 


B._Sir  John  MacLean  ^laies  that  the  ancestors  of  this  Richard 
(or  William)  were  long  seated  at  Trevelver,  Cornwall, 
whence  ihey  removed  lo  Lavethan  In  1475.  Consequently 
thi5  cannot  be  a  great-grandson  of  any  Kcmpe  Knight, 


I.  of  Thomas  St.  Aubyn,  of  Clow 


e.^ohn  Kempe,  Lavethan.^uUa 
lliam  Kempe,  of  Lai'c 


in,  of  Tregothnan  (by  Eliz.  d.  of  Nicholas  Low 


I.  of  (.?  Tremayne)  widow  of  To: 


John  Kempe.=Winifred,  d.  of  Philip  Pen! 


Richard  Kempe,         Humpkrcy  Kempe.=Jane.  d.  of  Thos.  Peyton,  of        Dorothy  Kempe.=John  Truebody. 

bap,  at  B.  son  and  heir.         I     Edmundsbury,  Customer  bap.  at  B.  of  Castle,  In 

38  Apr.  1566.  of  Plymouth  by  Cicily  ir  Apr.  1568.  Laulivery. 


bap.  at  B. 
II  Nov.  i;6. 


Humphrey  Kempe,  : 


Cecilia  Kempe, 
lap.  13  Mar,  1603, 
ir..ii  B.  3  Apr.  1642. 


J...  Kempe, 

Phillipa,  d.  of . 


I'iHiam  Kempe.: 
b.  1629  I.P'.M. 


3  May,  l6o=,        bap,  13  > 
1  Mar.  1603. 

4  and  settled  at  Veryan, 


?if  hard  Kcmpe,  of  Trapony,=Anne,  d,  of  Jai 

b.  1683,  d.  at  Bath  1736.  of  Little  C 

Will  proved.  Ad.  173! 


amcs  Kempe,  a.  &  h.         William  Kempe,         Elizabeth  Kempe,  co-h.  Ann  Kempe,  Ursula  K,' 

.  1736,  d,  unmarried,  d.  unmarried,  to  her  bro.,  1.  1736.  I.  1736.  I,  1731 

Will  dated  1738.  I-  1736-  =jQscph  Taunton,  1738.     =John  Thompson,  =Samuel  ] 


fWm.  Williams,=John  Kempe,  : 
of  Rosea 
St.  Gerr 


,nd  heir,=. .  .  widow  of  . .  .  Hix,  of  S 

e,  3rd  wife. 

s.  ^. . . .  d.  of . . .  Leonard. 


i.  of . . .  Maunder,=Nichoias  Kempe,  of  Crugsillick,  in  Veryan. 


Mary,  eldest  d.  of= 

=NichoIas  Kempe, 

Henry  Kempe,  of=Ann,  d.  -if  Franc 

Arthur  Spry,  of 

of  Rosteaeue, 

Middle  Temple.          Bonny,  Gold- 

Place,  by  Mary,  d. 

Will  1680,             smith,  mar.  by  1 

of  Richd.  Gayer. 

1.  1681. 

b.  1654.               27  Feb.  1677-3. 
at  Ex.  Col.  Ox.  1673 

Francis  K,  ob.  an  infan 

William  Kempe,         Richard  Kempe, 


nfant  1680,  only  child. 


r  K.=Wm.  Wills) 


I  2nd  ion. 
Charles  ICempe,  of  Crci,gsillick,= 


d.  unmarried. 


S.amucl  Kempe,         Capl.  Nicholas  Kempe,  R 
d.  on  a  voyage  ob.  1829,  a;t  73, 

of  discovery  with  buried  at  Bridgend, 


■.  John  Kempe,:=Frances,  d.  of  Rev.  Cory, 
:ar  of  Fowery,     I      of  Costeiort,  died  at 

ob.  1862.  Fowery,  22  May,  1848, 
^1  set  70  M.I. 


.  Kempe,         Si^phia  Kempe, 


t  Kempe,=Admiral  Sir  John 


Charles  Travenion  Kempe,  s.  Si  h.=Eliz.  d.  and  co-heir  of 

Vic.of  Breage,  Rec.  of  St.  Mich.    |  Rev.  Edward  .Marshall, 

Carhayes,  ob.  1851,  tet  74.         |       Vic,  of  Breage. 


Col.  J,.'  I   .\r  hur  Kempe,=Eli2.  d.  of  John  Penhalloi 

of  t        [i  dia  Co.  I      Peter  Crugnurrion,  in 

ob.  I8I1     J   )ct.  1830,       I  PhiUeigh. 


.  d.  of  Jenkin,=Willia 


Augustas,  d.  of  Capt.  W.  P.  Dayltin,=Rev.  Edward  .Marshall  Kempe, 
of  Hartley  Ho,  co.  Devon,  Vicar  of  Linkinhorne. 

d.  1862.  S.P. 


Charles  K.        John  Kempc,=Susan,  d.  of  John 
b.  1799.  Com,  R.N.     I     Rundle,  of  Alan 

d.  uumar.  b.  1804.  ^  Prym,  Col.  of 


iny  Helen  Dumpster  Douglas 


loryton 
6ist  1 


Wra.  Hussey  Blomfield  Kempe,= 


s  Cory  Kempe,^Laui 


Charles  Patrick  K.         Maria  Letitia  K. 
of  London,  born  1S33, 

=Slephen  Robe 


Catharine  Eliz.  K.         Louisa  K. 

b.  1S36,  m.  1863,  born  19 

=John  Wm.  Harney,      May,  1846, 

Com.  R.N.  died  10 

Jan.  ISSS. 


tev.  George  Henry  K. 
Vicar  of  Croydon, 
bom  4  July,  1844. 


John  Arthur  K., 
of  Birmingha 
bom  26  Oct.  i; 


Emily  Maty  K.       Henrietti  Frances  K.       Faniiy  K.       Mary  K.-      Eciith  K.       Alice  Mai 


„  d.  of 
Rear-Admiral 
Pulling. 


Chas.  Marshall  Kempe,=Maria,  only  d.  of        Wm.  Sandford  B.  K.      Edtv.  , 


lington  K.      Arthur  Kempe, 


Chas.  Gilbert  I).  K.       Edith  Dougl.as  K.       Wm.  Coryton  K.       Anhur  iMarshaU  K. 
Surgeon  Salisbury  Hospital, 


larper  K.      Agnes  May  K.      Gladys  Noel  K. 


Section   IV. 


The   Kemp  and   Kempe 


FAMILIES    OF 


Cornwall,  Sussex  and 
The  South  of  England. 


THE 


Kempes  of  Cornwall,  Sussex  and  the  South  of  England. 


CHcA'PTETl   I. 

TRADITIONS    AND    EARLY    KEMPES    AND    KYMPES. 

IT  may  be  well  to  state  the  traditions  of  the  Cornish  family  before  entering  upon  \h& facts,  as 
while  the  latter  do  not  entirely  support  the  former,  the  result  of  our  researches  proves  that 
these  Kempes  have  been  longer  established  in  their  native  country  than  their  pedigree  and 
traditions  claim.  Briefly,  we  may  say  that  the  several  pedigrees  which  have  been  lent  to  us  by 
recognised  chiefs  of  the  various  branches  show  that  their  first  claimed  Kempe  ancestor  of  Cornwall 
was  a  grandson  of  one  Edward  Kempe,  a  citizen  and  merchant  of  London,  the  latter,  being  stated 
by  Burke  and  others,  to  be  third  son  of  Thomas  Kempe,  Knight,  of  OUantigh,  while  Burke  says 
that  Richard  Kempe  was  living  at  Lavethan  in  1500.  The  second  tradition  rests  largely  on  this 
first  one,  as  members  of  the  family  have  explained  that  the  Kempes  of  Cornwall  used  the  three 
sheaves  on  a  red  ground  as  their  arms,  xvithout  the  engrailed  border  used  by  the  Kentish  Kempes, 
as  the  border  was  used  to  indicate  that  the  first  known  user  of  it  (Archbishop  Kempe)  was  a 
younger  son,  whereas  they  claim  that  the  elder  branch,  which  they  represent,  did  not  use  the 
border  until  many  years  after  the  Archbishop  had  died,  the  subsequent  use  of  his  addition  to  the 
shield  being  the  outcome  of  a  natural  pride,  and  the  desire  to  identify  themselves  more  plainly 
with  him  and  his  nephew,  who  it  is  known  also  used  the  border. 

The  traditional  absence  of  the  "  bordure  engrailed  "  is  borne  out  by  many  deeds  relating  to 
Cornwall,  which  bear  as  the  seal  of  Cornish  Kempes  three  garbs  without  any  bordure,  and  by  these 
arms  being  emblazoned  on  the  chief  family  tomb  of  the  Kempes  of  Lavethan,  in  Blisland  Church, 
dated  1624- 

We  have  pointed  out,  both  in  the  Kentish  and  Norfolk  sections,  that  Edmund  Kempe,  the 
well  known  citizen  and  merchant  of  London,  was  not  of  the  OUantigh  family,  but  claimed  himself 
to  be  "  heire  elect  "  to  Robert  Kempe,  of  Gissing  and  Weston,  and  using  the  latter's  arms  (with 
the  bordure)  and  quarterings — which  are  quite  different  from  the  quarterings  used  by  Kentish 
Kempes.  He  is  further  stated  in  the  "  Visitation  of  Middlesex  "  to  have  been  a  native  of  Suflfolk, 
and  his  will,  still  extant,  proved  in  1542  (P.C.C,  8  Spert)  fully  confirms  his  relationship  to  the 
Norfolk  and  Suffolk  families,  and  shows  that  his  two  sons,  James  and  Humphrey,  were  not  at  that 
date  even  married,  hence  neither  could  have  been,  as  the  Cornish  Kempes  would  have  us  believe, 
founder  of  the  Cornish  family.  Again,  as  both  must  have  used  the  bordure  engrailed,  they  are 
not  likely  to  have  handed  down  the  coat  without  it.  It  is  useless  therefore  for  the  Kempes  of 
Cornwall  to  try  to  attach  themselves  to  the  Kentish  Kempes  through  Edmund  Kempe  or  his  sons, 
but  this  does  not  necessarily  prove  that  they  did  not  spring  from  the  same  stock  as  those  of 
OUantigh.     Although  no  coat  without  the  bordure  engrailed  is  recorded  to  have  been   used  by 


2  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

the  earliest  Kempes  of  Wye,  the  explanation  of  the  border  being  used  to  indicate  a  junior  line  is 
feasible  if  it  were  claimed  to  have  been  so  used  before  the  fifteenth  century.  By  the  usage,  how- 
ever, of  the  sixteenth  century  the  younger  branch  would  be  indicated  by  cadency  or  "  house- 
marks,"  which  were,  and  are  still,  exact  in  their  significance.  In  order  therefore  to  explain  the 
use  of  the  recognised  coat  of  the  Cornish  Kempes  we  must  suppose  that  their  branch  was  severed 
from  the  Kentish  or  Suffolk  family  not  later  than  about  1400,  and  to  presume  that  before  that  date 
their  family  had  been  using  arms.  No  record  of  the  Heralds  attributes  arms  to  Campes,  Kempes, 
or  Kympes  so  early  as  this,  and  strange  to  say  the  arms  so  long  proved  to  have  been  used  by 
Cornish  Kempes  have  never  yet  been  authorized  by  the  Heralds'  College,  although  Burke  gives 
their  pedigree  and  remarks  on  their  arms  in  his  History  of  the  Commoners.  Sir  John  MacLean, 
who  gave  some  account  of  the  Kempes  of  Blisland  in  his  history  of  that  parish  and  Trigg  Minor, 
wrote  to  James  Fletcher  Kempe,  of  Liverpool  (who  claimed  to  be  the  head  of  the  family), 
that  it  was  very  desirable  that  the  pedigree  he  held  should  be  recorded  officially.  Seemingly 
the  expense  which  this  would  entail  has  hitherto  barred  its  accomplishment.  We  know  of  some 
200  representatives  living,  and  suggest  that  one  of  them  should  take  the  initiative  and  get  the 
others  to  subscribe  to  a  general  fund  to  effect  this  undertaking,  so  that  the  pedigree,  if  not  the 
right  to  ancient  arms,  may  be  authenticated.. 

We  will  now  notice  as  briefly  as  possible  the  earliest  recorded  existence  of  the  name  of  Kempe 
in  Cornwall,  Devonshire,  Somerset  and  districts,  taking  into  account  possible  variants  of  the  name. 
Cornwall  being  in  touch  with  Ireland  some  Kempes  of  the  latter  country  are  likely  to  have  been 
akin  to  the  Cornish  Kempes. 

The  very  earliest  mention  of  a  Kempe  in  the  Calendars  of  the  Prerogative  Court  of  Canter- 
bury (the  jurisdiction  of  which  covered  the  whole  of  the  south  of  England)  is  in  1418,  when 
John  Kempe,  a  "clerk"  (z.^.,  priest),  of  Budleigh,  Devon,  is  recorded  to  have  left  a  will.  It  is 
dated  1416,  is  written  in  Latin,  and  describes  the  testator  as  of  "Budlegh,"  in  the  Diocese  of 
Exeter,  but  gives  no  clue  as  to  his  family  connexions.  In  the  same  Probate  Court,  in  1425,  the 
will  of  Nicholas  Kempe,  of  Mark,  Somerset,  was  proved  ;  this  also  is  in  Latin,  and  except  for  wills 
relating  to  Kempes  of  Middlesex,  is  the  second  earliest  now  recorded  south  of  Ipswich,  thus  giving 
some  ground  for  the  claim  that  as  regards  property  and  social  standing  the  Kempes  of  south- 
west England  took  the  lead.  Curiously  this  testator  also  was  a  priest,  being  chaplain  of  Mark  ; 
it  is  possible  that  he  was  from  Kent,  and  owed  his  presentation  to  the  influence  of  Archbishop 
Kempe,  who  by  this  time  was  in  power.  This  seems  the  more  probable,  as  the  name  of  Nicholas 
Kempe  is  recorded  on  the  Kentish  Subsidy  Rolls  in  1418  and  subsequently  disappears.  The 
testator  leaves  legacies  to  his  brother  John  Kemp,  Robert,  the  son  of  his  "cousin,"  John  Thomas, 
John  Pogge,  William  Baggerly,  Lord  Sutton  [sic)  of  Bristol,  and  several  others,  and  the  will  was 
proved  by  John  Lynde,  of  Lyndefield,  apparently  on  behalf  of  the  executors,  John  Thomas  and 
the  testator's  brother,  John  Kemp,  who  were  residuary  legatees. 

It  is  worth  mention,  that  throughout  this  will  the  final  e  is  omitted,  and,  indeed,  although 
for  the  past  two  centuries  the  Cornish  Kempes  have  most  carefully  maintained  the  use  of  the  fifth 
letter,  the  early  wills  and  other  local  records  show  that  Kempe  was  not  the  most  common  spelling 
adopted  by  their  ancestors,  Kympe  being  certainly  more  used  down  to  say  1600.  Indeed,  Kympe, 
or  Kimpe,  is  found  as  a  frequent  variant  throughout  the  south-west  of  England  as  the  following 
facts  testify.  At  Wells,  Somerset,  are  copies  of  the  following  wills  :  John  Kympe,  Portishead, 
1597;  Alice  Kemp,  Portishead,  1615;  John  Kempe,  Portishead,  1615,  and  Robert  Kempe, 
Backwell,  1623.  These  documents,  which  have  been  searched,  clearly  show  that  these  spellings 
represented  the  same  family,   the  first  also^  being  spelled   Kz^mpe.     These  Kempe  and   Kympes 


Traditions  and  early  Kempes  and  Kympes.  3 

appear  from  the  wills  to  be  closely  related  to  those  in  Gloucestershire,  from  the  borders  of  which 
they  were  but  a  few  miles  distant.  At  Gloucester  we  find  that  while  testators  spell  their  names 
Kempe  in  1558  and  1560,  Kympe,  Kimpe  and  Keempe  occur  in  1558,  1566,  1592  and  1619. 
Some  of  these  testators  indicate  that  they  are  foreign  weavers,  but  Robert  Kempe,  of  Winchcombe 
(1560),  we  have  reason  to  believe,  had  a  right  to  arms  (Gules  three  garbs  or  within  a  bordure 
engrailed  of  the  last)  being  near  kin  to  Sir  Nicholas  Kempe,  ot  Middlesex.  The  Calendars  of 
Wills  at  Bodmin  have  not  been  searched  by  the  present  compilers,  as  Sir  John  MacLean  having 
evidently  examined  these  when  writing  his  Cornish  parochial  histories,  the  chief  representatives 
now  Hving  have  thought  our  making  the  search  quite  unnecessary.  The  Wills  of  Devonshire, 
recorded  at  Exeter,  do  not  include  any  Kempes,  but  are  noticeable  as  spelling  the  name  with  only 
two  exceptions  without  the  final  e,  there  being  ten  Kemps  between  1592  and  1742,  the  exceptions 
being  Toby  Kemp^,  of  Stoke  Damerel,  1644,  and  John  Kemp^,  of  Mawnan,  1720.  The  last, 
certainly,  was  of  Cornish  descent,  but  those  of  Stoke  Damerel  had  been  settled  there  for  many 
generations  and  were  akin  to  those  of  Rame,  one  of  whom  is  called  so  late  as  1613  "Robert 
Campion,  Rector  of  Rame." 

The  historical  family  of  Kempe,  of  Liskeard,  is  certainly  descended  from  John  Kympe^  who  is 
recorded  in  the  Manorial  Rolls  of  that  place  in  1502-  Nor  was  this  spelling  merely  a  fault  of  the 
scribe,  for  in  1540  William  "  Kympe  "  paid  XII  pence  at  the  Homage  to  the  Lord  the  King, 
from  whom  he  held  some  land  at  Liskeard.  In  the  following  year  with  his  co-tenants,  John 
Harell  and  John  Kyng,  he  paid  another  XII  pence,  the  name  again  being  spelled  "  Kympe."  In 
1 618  Thomas  Kympe  was  rated  for  an  acre  of  timber  of  forty  years  growth,  and  a  tenement  in 
Bodnell  South  ;  the  first  occurrence  of  the  spelling  Kempe  being  towards  the  close  of  Queen 
Elizabeth's  reign,  when  "  H.  Kempe,"  otherwise  called  Humphrey  Kemp,  appears  as  a  suitor  for 
lands  held  of  the  Queen  at  Blisland. 

The  Manor  of  Liskeard  was  the  subject  of  an  inquiry  in  1624,  when  it  was  found  to  be  a 
portion  of  the  Duchy  of  Cornwall,  and  the  evidences  then  collected  are  preserved  at  the  British 
Museum  (Ad.  MSS.  24,  748  and  24,  750);  they  show  that  Blisland  in  the  fourteenth  century  was 
the  property  of  Bello  Campo,  Earls  of  Warwick,  with  whom  (as  we  have  before  stated)  we  have 
reason  to  suspect  many  "  Kempes  "  were  akin,  if  not  actually  descendants  of  that  noble  family. 

It  would,  at  least,  be  reasonable  to  suppose  that  descendants  of  a  previous  proprietor  would 
hold  an  interest  in  part  of  his  estate,  hence  we  suggest  that  this  is  quite  as  likely  an  origin  of  the 
Cornish  Kempes  as  the  traditional  one.  Touching  on  this  interchange  of  Kempe  and  Campo  we 
may  refer  to  the  Kentish  Section,  Chapter  II.,  where  the  coincidence  of  an  Arnulphus  Kempe  and 
Campo  Arnulphi  are  mentioned  as  existing  contemporaneously.  Some  of  the  earliest  Kympes, 
of  Cornwall,  do  not  appear  to  have  been  large  landholders,  but  the  earliest  marriages  on  the 
pedigree  certainly  point  to  the  Kempes  of  Lavethan  being  persons  of  some  social  standing,  while 
Sir  John  MacLean  tells  us  that  before  1475  they  were  "seated"  at  Trevelvar,  moving  their 
principal  residence  to  Lavethan  in  Blisland  in  that  year  !  This  authority  further  states  that  in 
the  reign  of  Edward  I.  John  Kempe,  junior,  sued  John  Hyke  ("  Bocher  ")  in  a  plea  of  trespass  at 
Trevelver.  Accepting  this  statement — the  original  authority  of  which  we  are  not  told— it  rather 
favours  our  belief  that  the  Bello  Campo  family  may  have  been  progenitors  of  these  Cornish 
Kempes.  In  1572  John  Kempe,  second  son  of  Thomas  Kympe  or  Kempe,  of  Lavethan,  was 
seated  at  Trevelver,  showing  that  for  100  years  at  least  those  of  Lavethan  held  their  property  at 
Trevelver. 

John  Kemp  held  lands  at  Miniver  valued  at  53.?.  ^d.  per  annum  in  1521-3,  and  these 
descended  to  Margaret  Kemp,  who  was  assessed  there  in  1571-     In  the  former  year  an  Arthurus 


4  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Kemys  was  a  tenant  at  St.  Miniver,  which  suggests  another  origin,  for  Camois,  otherwise  Kemys, 
was  a  family  of  great  power  in  South  Wales,  and  certainly  had  some  representatives  in  Cornwall  ; 
yet  we  know  of  instances  in  which  Kemys  and  Kempes  were  interchanged,  and  we  think  that  this 
Arthur  Kemyes  was  most  hkely  a  Kympe,  otherwise  Kempe.  At  Tintagel  in  1546  there  was 
at  least  one  "  Kzmpe  " ;  and  a  Walter  Kvmpe,  of  Swilly,  living  in  1563,  son  of  Argent  was  the 
founder  of  a  family  of  Kempes  who  were  long  resident  in  and  around  Plymouth.  In  the  chapter 
on  the  origin  of  the  name,  it  is  shown  that  Kemp  and  Kemys  probably  have  the  same  meaning, 
the  latter  being  a  translation  of  the  former.  All  the  landholders  in  Cornwall  mentioned  in 
"  Domesday  "  have  Saxon  names.  It  is  therefore  in  entire  accord  with  reason  to  suppose  Kemys 
to  be  the  Cornish  equivalent  of  Kemp. 

Concerned  with  this  Walter  Kympe  were  several  persons  named  Rede,  his  wife  being  Rose 
Rede,  on  whom  lands  in  Plymouth  and  Stoke  Damerel  were  settled.  The  name  of  Rede  is 
mentioned  in  the  will  of  Thomas  Kempe,  Bishop  of  London,  the  individual  being  "  a  boy  of  my 
{i.e.,  the  Bishop's)  chapel"  ;  possibly  the  Redes  of  Devon  and  Cornwall  were  earlier  related  to  the 
Kentish  Kempes,  but  of  this  we  have  no  actual  evidence.  Seemingly  the  Stoke  Damerel  Kempes 
were  people  of  some  property,  and  it  is  possible  that  the  arms  ascribed  in  British  Armourals  to 
Kempes  of  Devon,  viz..  Gules  a  bend  vair  between  three  escallops  argent,  pertained  to  them. 

Before  closing  this  chapter  we  may  note  a  connexion  of  distant  Kempes  with  the  south-west 
of  England.  The  Kempes  of  Norfolk  claim  descent  from  one,  "  daughter  of  Barnstaple,"  which 
name  is  suggested  to  be  associated  at  a  remote  date  with  this  part.  The  members  of  the  same 
family  early  in  the  sixteenth  century  intermarried  with  Masters,  of  Somerset,  and  Cockerhams,  of 
Devon.  The  Essex  Kempes  had  at  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century  relatives  in  this  part  in 
consequence  of  intermarriage  with  an  "  Elenor  Drew,  of  Devonshire,"  and  the  Kentish  Kempes 
were  represented  in  Cornwall  about  itoo,  as  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Sir  Thomas  Shirley,  by  a 
daughter  of  Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Ollantigh,  married  Edward  Onslow,  of  St.  Tudy. 


CHqATTE%^  II. 

LAVETHAN    AND    BRANCHES. 

SIR  JOHN  MACLEAN  in  his  "  History  of  Blisland  "  tells  us,  that  the  Manor  of  Barlandew, 
in  the  Parish  of  Blisland,  was  so  called  from  "  lande  " — God's  inclosure — and  "  bar  " — 
over — thus  signifying  the  summit  above  God's  enclosure.  This  derivation  well  accords 
with  the  site  on  which  the  Kempes  built  their  house  "  Le  bidhen,"  (corrupted  to  Lavethan, 
originally  meaning  simply  "  the  meadow,")  which  is  beautifully  placed  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
church.  It  was  hither  that  they  removed  from  Trevelver  in  1475-  For  the  next  200  years  they 
were  among  the  chief  landowners  in  Blisland,  being  Lords  of  the  Manor  of  Barlandew,  which  in 
1654  consisted  of  the  following:  Twelve  messuages,  six  cottages,  two  water  corn  mills,  two 
tucking  mills,  sixteen  gardens,  sixteen  orchards,  400  acres  of  land,  fifty  acres  of  wood,  fifty  acres 
of  moor,  300  acres  of  furze  and  heath  and  lis.  rent  in  Barlandew,  Lavethan,  Hevycroft,  Kemyes- 


Lavethan  and  Branches.  5 

house,  Atwell  Brownwelly,  Nailboro,  Whitstile  (otherwise  Puddietown).  Scribbell  Stokesley.  and 
appurtenances  in  St.  Blisland  and  St.  Breward,  all  of  which  were  then  sold  by  William  Kempe, 
Esquire,  to  Christopher  Walker. 

The  pedigree  of  the  family  as  given  in  the  above  "  History  of  Blisland  "  commences  with  a 
William  Kempe,  of  Lavethan,  who  is  said  to  have  married  Grace,  daughter  of  John  Boscawen,  of 
Tregothnan,  by  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Nicholas  Lower.  This  marriage  is  supported  by  a  reference 
to  Harleian  MSS.  11 64,  fo.  70,  and  except  for  the  fact  that  this  Kempe  is  called  Richard  by  Sir 
Edmund  Burke,  we  have  no  reason  to  question  its  correctness.  Whether  Richard  or  William 
does  not  matter,  but  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  ancestors  of  this  man  were  Kempes  long  settled 
at  Blisland  and  that  he  was  not  (as  erroneously  claimed  by  modern  genealogists  of  the  family) 
grandson  of  Edmund  Kempe,  of  London.  Alfred  John  Kempe,  himself  a  descendant  of  these 
Lavethan  Kempes,  is  mainly  responsible  for  this  mistake.  Being  an  antiquary  of  considerable 
repute  the  present  compilers  regret  the  necessity  of  contradicting  him,  but  in  face  of  considerable 
evidence  it  is  important  that  members  of  the  family  should  correct  their  pedigrees  in  this  particular. 

The  second  generation  shown  on  the  Blisland  pedigree  is  a  John  Kempe,  of  Lavethan,  who  is 
stated  to  have  married,  first,  Alice,  daughter  of  Thomas  St.  Aubin,  of  Clowance,  by  whom  he  had 
a  son,  William  Kempe,  his  successor.  John  married  for  his  second  wife  (so  the  pedigree  asserts) 
Juliana,  the  widow  of  Toser,  but  by  her  no  issue  is  recorded,  although  it  is  likely  that  she  was  the 
mother  of  several  children.  We  are  disposed  to  think  that  this  widow  was  the  daughter  of 
Tremayne,  for  Margaret  Kempe,  widow  of  William  Kempe  (the  ne.xt  generation),  who  is  said  to 
have  been  a  daughter  of  Robert  Smith,  of  Tregoneck,  had  as  witnesses  to  her  will  dated  I  586 
Richard,  John  and  Jane  Tremayne,  and  mentions  her  brother,  Robert  Smith,  her  sons,  John 
and  Christopher  Kempe,  her  daughter  Ehzabeth,  and  Winifred,  wife  of  her  son,  John  Kempe. 
Although  dated  at  Clerkenwell,  London,  her  will  clearly  identifies  her  with  Cornwall  apart  from 
these  names,  as  she  speaks  of  her  personal  property  at  Trevelver,  and  leaves  405.  to  the  poor  of 
St.  Miniver.  This  will  (P.C.C,  43  Wmdsor)  is  further  of  considerable  importance  as  showing 
another  slight  error  in  the  pedigree,  for  Winifred,  wife  of  John  Kempe,  is  undoubtedly  the  same 
as  Winifred  Penkiville,  daughter  of  Philip  Penkiville,  of  Ross  Crowe,  who  married  John, 
second  son  of  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Lavethan,  seated  at  Trevelver.  Presumably  Trevelver  reverted 
to  him  on  his  mother's  death  under  a  provision  of  his  father's  will. 

John  Kempe  and  Winifred  Penkiville  were  the  ancestors  of  all  the  branches  known  to  be 
represented  at  the  present  time,  who  on  the  strength  of  the  pedigree  claim  Royal  descent  from 
Catherine  Courtney,  who  is  stated  to  have  married  the  son  of  this  Margaret  and  William  Kempe 
of  Lavethan.  The  name  of  the  son  is  given  as  Thomas  Kempe,  who  was  buried  at  Blisland  on 
23rd  March,  1571.  If  this  is  correct  it  follows  that  John  Kempe  was  not  of  the  Courtney  blood, 
being  merely  brother-in-law  to  Catherine  Courtney,  hence  his  descendants  have  no  right  to  the 
Royal  lineage  which  the  pedigree  claims  through  this  intermarriage.  The  Courtney-Kempe 
alliance,  however,  undoubtedly  left  issue,  which  for  a  time  remained  at  Blisland,  but  at  length 
seem  to  have  become  involved  in  costly  litigation  which  so  impoverished  them  that  the  head  of 
the  family  had  to  part  with  the  Lavethan  property  as  above  stated  in  1654.  He  then  settled  at 
Veryan,  where  his  second  son,  Philip,  was  married  in  1690,  his  wife  being  Katherine  Penwarne. 
Richard  Kempe,  the  elder  brother  of  the  last  named  Philip,  having  settled  at  Tregony  and 
married  Ann,  daughter  of  James  Day,  of  Little  Colan,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons,  who  died 
unmarried,  and  two  daughters,  the  eldest  of  whom,  Elizabeth,  marrying  Joseph  Taunton,  and 
Ursula  Kempe,  the  younger,  marrying  Samuel  Hawis,  of  Penryn.  Elizabeth  became  heir  to  her 
brothers  and  thus  conveyed  the  estates  to  her  husband  in  1738.     This  seems  to  have  been  the 

p 


6  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

last  of  the  senior  Kempe  line  ;  meanwhile  the  second  branch,  starting  with  John  and  Winifred 
Kempe,  had  been  gaining  in  property  and  in  position,  and  established  themselves  at  Rosteage  as 
we  shall  presently  see. 

We  must,  however,  first  note  a  few  facts  concerning  the  decadence  of  the  Kempes  of  Lavethan, 
and  the  records  of  them  at  Blisland  Church. 

We  crreatly  regret  that  our  efforts  to  obtain  an  illustration  of  their  important  tomb  have 
failed,  but  we  still  hope  to  secure  a  drawing  or  photograph  from  which  copies  could  be  made  for 
the  numerous  Kempes  who  now  represent  the  family.  Sculptured  in  low  relief  on  an  altar  tomb 
are  three  figures,  on  the  dexter  side  male  and  on  the  sinister  female.  The  first  two  males  appear 
as  civilians,  and  are  marked  respectively  H.  K.  and  W.  K.  The  third  is  girt  with  a  sword  and  is 
marked  H.  K.  The  three  females  are  respectively  marked  I.  K.,  G.  K.,  and  C.  K.  Behind  the 
first  is  a  skull,  and  above  is  an  escutcheon  of  arms — Gules,  three  garbs  or.,  impaling  Or.  a  cross 
engrailed  sable,  representing  the  Kempe  intermarriage  with  Peyton.  The  inscription  on  the  tomb 
is  as  follows  : 

"  Here  lyeth  the  bodye  of  Humphiey,  sonne  and  Heyie  to  Thomas  Kempe  of  Lavethan,  Esquire,  who  departed  this 
life  the  tenth  daye  of  November  Anno  Domini  1624  and  married  Jane,  the  daughter  of  Thomas  Peytonne,  Esqvire,  Customer 
of  Plymouth  and  Cornwall.  No  sweeter  comfort  dothe  betide  mankinde  Then  to  depart  this  life  with  a  quiet  minde,  F'irme 
confidence,  pure  conscience  unmolested  By  Gviltincss  of  sinne  or  vice  detested  ;  Such  hap  I  hope,  such  Grace  had  I  the 
rather  Because  I  dyde  a  husband  and  a  father.  Dyde,  no  vent  hence,  for  they  that  leave  posterite  Live  in  their  offspringes, 
dye  not  properly." 

The  figure  of  the  son  girt  with  a  sword  represents,  undoubtedly,  Humphrey  Kem^pe,  whose 
will  was  proved  in  1630  (P.C,  61  Pile).  It  commences  with:  ^'- 1  Humphrey  Kempe  intending 
God  Willing  some  long  Voyage  wherefore  have  thought  it  expedient  to  leave  for  lynds  {?  lines)  to  be 
executed  by  my  mother  Mrs.  Jane  Kempe  and  Cecilie  my  sister,''^  and  proceeds  to  bequeath  £^0 
in  the  hands  of  his  brother  to  the  sister  Cecilie,  and  _;^20  to  his  sister  Grace,  £2  each  to  his 
brother's  "  four  children,"  and  the  residue  of  his  effects  to  his  mother,  with  whom,  he  adds,  he 
was  then  living.  He  was  probably  a  sailor.  His  mother  was  the  daughter  of  Thomas  Peyton,  the 
latter  being  son  of  Christopher  Peyton,  of  Bury  St.  Edmunds.  Frances,  sister  to  Thomas  Peyton, 
married  John  Hart,  of  Highgate,  Middlesex,  and  left  a  son.  Sir  Eustace  Harte,  whose  half  brother, 
Henry  Harte,  is  frequently  mentioned  as  a  relative  connected  with  the  sale  of  Lavethan. 

It  seems  that  in  February,  1599,  two  years  before  the  sale  of  the  Manor  of  Blisland  to  the 
Stanhopes,  the  Queen  granted  to  Humphrey  Kempe  and  Jane,  his  wife,  with  John  their  son,  a 
farmhouse,  seven  acres  and  outmoors  at  a  rental  of  30^'.  per  annum.  In  1602  the  outmoors  were 
released  by  the  Kempes  to  the  Stanhopes,  and  by  deed  dated  nth  December  the  same  year  the 
Stanhopes  sold  to  William  Kempe,  son  and  heir  apparent  of  Humphrey,  the  reversionary  interests 
of  the  above  farmer's  house  and  other  buildings  and  orchards.  There  was  about  this  time 
litigation  as  to  the  ownership  of  a  mill  and  other  property  which  had  been  held  by  the  Kempes, 
but  it  seems  that  their  title  was  not  good,  and  they  consequently  had  to  relinquish  it.  Pre- 
sumably as  a  result  of  this  loss  they  had  to  mortgage  other  property,  and  being  still  in  difficulties 
Humphrey  and  Jane,  and  William,  their  son,  sold  their  interest  at  Lavethan  to  Sir  Eustace  and 
Henry  Harte  by  deed,  dated  6th  November,  1624. 

(Sir  Eustace  Harte,  Knight,  of  Highgate,  was  buried  at  St.  Paul's  Wharf,  London,  in  which 
parish  Kempes  appeared  about  the  time  of  this  breaking  up  of  the  Lavethan  estate.  One,  William 
Kempe,  of  St.  Peter's,  Paul's  Wharf,  a  clothworker,  had  married  Elizabeth  Gardiner,  widow,  there 
in  1579-80,  and  at  that  church  in  1608  Elizabeth  Kempe,  late  of  Kingston,  married  John 
Bodleigh.  We,  however,  cannot  say  for  certain  if  these  belonged,  to  the  Cornish  family  which 
Eustace  Harte  befriended.) 


'-,V'        Liskeard  and  St.  Germans.  7 

In  the  church  at  Blisland  there  are,  or  were  recently,  two  more  epitaphs  to  the  local  Kempes. 
They  are  given  in  the  "  History  of  Blisland  "  as  follows  : 

"  Here  lyeth  the  Body  of  John  Kempe,  who  lived  in  Allernum  and  was  born  in  Tresineck,  being  aged  75  years,  Anno 
Domini  1728.     Heares  peace  and  rest  within  my  Grave  /  Which  in  my  life  /  Could  never  have." 

"  Here  lyeth  Mary  the  wife  of  John  Kempe  who  was  born  in  Stoke  Klemsland,  whose  name  of  Smeath,  being  aged  84 
years.  /  The  heart  knoweth  his  own  bitterness  and  a  stranger  does  not  inter  meddle  with  his  joy,  For  in  the  presents  of  God 
is  fulness  of  Joy,  /  At  his  right  hand  are  pleasures  for  ever  more." 

A  note  states  that  according  to  the  register  Mary  Kempe  was  buried  on  28th  October,  but  the 
year  is  not  stated.  We  can  only  wonder  what  was  the  cause  of  this  couple's  unhappiness. 
Kempes  are  shown  to  have  been  frequently,  if  not  constantly,  at  Alternon  between  1605  until 
the  above  date,  the  will  of  a  miller  of  this  place  named  John  Kempe  was  proved  at  Bodmin  in 
April,  1667,  and  an  Edward  Kempe,  also  a  miller  there  in  1679- 

The  Registers  of  Blisland  contain  numerous  Kempe  items  from  their  commencement  down 
to  1742,  when  Edward  Kempe,  aged  about  twenty-three,  was  buried  there  ;  but  it  seems  impossible 
to  include  all  the  items  in  one  pedigree,  and  there  is  little  doubt  that  strangers  of  the  name 
frequently  came  to  the  parish  from  other  Kempe  centres.  Anyway,  the  Kempes  of  Blisland  lost 
their  prestige  before  1750. 


CHqA'PTETI    III. 


LISKEARD    AND    ST.    GERMANS. 


"^^TTE  mentioned  in  Chapter  I.  that  so  early  as  1502  John  Kympe  held  land  at  Liskeard, 
\  \  /  and  that  in  1540  William  Kympe  had  succeeded  him  ;  the  next  note  we  have  is  the 
VV  Subsidy  Roll  of  1544  for  the  hundred  of  Trigg,  when  John  Kympe  is  rated  at /20 
and  William  Kympe  at  /15.  In  1554  Jacob,  otherwise  James  Kemp,  was  Member  of  Parlia- 
ment for  Liskeard,  while  John  "  Keym  "  was  M.P.  for  Helston.  In  1577  John  Kemp  with  others 
was  indicted  as  a  Papist,  for  aiding  and  abetting  of  the  Bull,  and  was  adjudged  upon  the  Statute  of 
Premunire  "to  lose  lands  and  goods  and  to  undergo  pepetual  imprisonment  at  the  Queen  Majesty's 
pleasure."  We  cannot  say  with  certainty  that  this  Kemp  was  of  Liskeard,  but  the  bill  of 
indictment  describes  the  offenders  as  "  Papists  of  Cornwall,"  thus  it  seems  likely  that  the  testator, 
whose  will  was  proved  in  1593  as  William  Kempe,  of  "  Lyskeard,"  Cornwall,  may  have  been  his 
son,  for  the  will  directs  his  friends,  John  Notle  and  John  Kempe,  "  in  special  confidence  to  labour 
and  endeavour  to  recover  "  his "  interest  and  right  in  several  tinworks  in  Lankhooles  and 
Hondrethin,"  and  to  apply  the  profits,  when  obtained,  for  the  benefit  of  James  Blaye's  children, 
John  Bloye  and  Jone  Bloye,  Jane  Notley,  John  Ingowe  ;  Elizabeth  Jago,  Robert  Fudge,  WilUam 
Marshe  and  John  Vosper  are  also  mentioned,  but  no  Kempe  relationships  are  stated. 

We  hear  nothing  more  of  the  tinworks,  so  fear  that  they  were  not  recovered.  The  next  will 
of  a  Kemp  at  Liskeard  is  that  of  Peter  Kemp,  dated  1622  and  proved  the  following  year  (P.C.C, 
16  Swan).     To  Thomas  Kemp  of  the  same  parish,  yeoman,  /20  was  bequeathed,  and  bequests  to 

p  2 


8  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Keinpe  Fajnilies. 

his  sister  Alice  Edle  and  brother  Edward.  Humphrey  Virler  is  designated  the  testator's  "cousin," 
and  Patience  Bishopp,  Mrs.  Faith,  Jane  Penrose,  Mr.  Pennant  and  others  are  mentioned.  A 
charity  of  some  unknown  date  was  founded  at  Liskeard  by  a  John  Kempe,  and  in  1588  WiUiam 
Kempe  was  a  subsidy  payer  there  and  termed  a  "  superior  burgess."  Peter  Kempe  was  Town- 
Sergeant  of  Li.skeard  for  some  years  prior  to  1662,  about  which  time  Richard  Kempe,  of  Liskeard, 
was  licensed  to  issue  farthing  tokens,  of  which  specimens  still  exist  though  rare.  His  token  was 
marked  on  one  side  "  Richard  Kemp,  60,"  with  three  fleur  de  lis,  and  on  the  other  "  In  Lisscard, 
'/j."  It  is  likely  that  the  fleur  de  lis  were  in  allusion  to  his  arms,  for  a  recognized  Kempe  coat 
was  ''  ermine,  on  a  saltire  engrailed  five  fleur  de  lis.  Or,"  while  in  Ireland  Kempes  had  a  similar 
shield,  namely,  "  Or,  on  a  saltire  gules  five  fleur  de  lis  of  the  first,  the  crest  pertaining  to  which 
was  an  Antilope  passant,  Or,  collared  azure.  This,  or  another  similar  one,  is  also  said  to  have 
been  used  by  some  Kemp  family  of  Scotland. 

The  first  Kemp(e)  will  recorded  at  Exeter  is  that  of  Henry  Kemp,  of  St.  Erney,  which  place 
is  close  to  St.  Germans  and  between  Liskeard  and  Rame.  It  is  likely  that  this  Henry  was  from 
.he  latter  family,  as  one,  Henry  Kempe,  of  Crede,  is  mentioned  in  1573  as  party  to  a  Rame  deed. 
We  have  not,  however,  seen  the  will  and  must  leave  this  in  doubt. 

We  will  briefly  give  the  evidence  concerning  the  Kempes  of  Rame  and  Plymouth,  many  of 
which  details  are  found  in  "  Miscellanea  Genealogica,"  under  a  notice  of  the  Furneaux  family,  one, 
Emma  Kempe,  having  married  John  Furneaux  on  25th  February,  1652,  at  Stoke  Damerell,  as 
recorded  in  that  parish  register.  Possible  Furneaux  was  a  variant  of  "  Fyneaux,"  if  so  perhaps 
John  Fyneaux  mentioned  as  concerned  with  lands  of  the  Kentish  Kempes  about  1520  was  related 
to  this  John  Furneaux.  Rose  Rede,  daughter  and  heir  of  Thomas  Gaynor,  and  widow  of  Stephen 
Rede,  held  lands  in  Plymouth  and  Stoke  Damerell  for  her  own  use  in  1533,  the  reversion  being 
entailed  first  to  Robert  Rede  and  his  issue,  which  failing,  the  remainder  was  for  Richard  Rede, 
and  if  his  issue  failed  the  remainder  was  settled  upon  Argent  Kempe  and  his  right  heirs,  or  the 
last  failing  then  to  the  right  heirs  of  the  donor.  The  lands  concerned  were  then  valued  at  345.  4^. 
In  1563  lands  at  Wortha,  in  Mary  Tavy,  were  granted  by  Simon  Rowe  and  Rose  his  wife  to 
Walter  Kympe  and  Anne,  his  wife.  In  1566  the  latter  couple,  with  Symon  Rawe  and  Rose, 
his  wife,  were  jointly  interested  in  a  freehold  lease  and  tenement  and  close  at  Plymouth,  which 
they  seem  to  have  made  over  to  Phillippa  Dingle.  In  1571  John  Rede  released  his  right  to 
lands  in  Stoke  Damerell  and  Plymouth  and  Compton  to  the  right  heir  of  Rose  Rede,  widow, 
namely,  Mr.  Walter  Kempe,  of  Stoke  Damerell.  In  1573  lands  in  Marwell  were  held  by  Henry 
Kempe,  of  Crede,  Elizabeth,  his  wife,  John,  their  son  and  heir  apparent,  who  together  settled  the 
property  on  Richard  and  Robert  Kempe,  sons  of  the  above  named  John,  who,  however,  is  called 
"  son  of  Walter."  That  same  year  Robert  Kjympe  had  a  grant  of  annuity  from  John  Ernestsettle, 
of  St.  Budeaux,  Robert  apparently  having  married  Emma,  daughter  of  this  grantor,  the  annuity 
being  charged  on  land  in  Plymouth.  In  1606  Sir  John  Hele  and  Mary,  his  wife,  made  over  a 
lease  of  three  parts  of  Swilly  for  life  to  Mr.  Tobias  Kempe  and  Joan  Dawe,  and  in  1611  Robert 
Kempe  settled  by  deed  on  his  son,  Tobias  Kempe,  his  lands  in  Plymouth,  Stoke  Damerel,  and  at 
Mary  Tavy.  This  Tobias  was  aged  thirty  years  at  his  father's  death,  and  married  Joan,  daughter 
of  .  .  .  Dawe,  of  Maker.  She  was  living  a  widow  in  1647,  as  she  then  assigned  her  interest 
in  the  above  three  parts  of  Swilly  to  her  daughter  Emma,  this  being  confirmed  on  the  daughter's 
marriage  to  John  Furneaux  in  1652,  and  a  further  gift  made  of  lands  in  Stoke  Damerel  and 
Plymouth  as  well  as  at  Heavitrce.  In  |  689  the  will  of  John  Furneaux  was  proved  and  settled 
upon  his  issue  these  lands.  Meanwhile,  however,  other  interests  in  Swilly,  Stoke  Damerel  and 
Plymouth  were  retained  by  the  Kempes;   Pascho  Kempe,  of  Swilly,  brother  to  Emma  Furneaux, 


Liskeard  and  St.  Germans.  9 

holding  at  least  one  eighth  of  Swilly  in  I  647.  This  moiety  he  bequeathed  to  his  sister,  whose 
husband  purchased  another  moiety  from  Abraham  Rowe,  and  the  balance  of  the  interests  from  Sir 
E.  Hungerford.  How  Sir  E.  Hungerford  obtained  his  moieties  we  cannot  say,  but  we  must 
remark  that  a  Richard  Hungerford  in  his  will  of  |  5  I  O  mentions  his  "  cousins,"  Margaret  Kempe 
and  Robert  Blaverhauset,  both  of  whom  were  connected  closely  with  the  Kempes  of  Gissing  as 
well  as  with  the  County  of  Warwick. 

An  early  Kempe  of  note  evidently  connected  with  Rame,  was  William  Kempe,  Master  of  the 
Grammar  School  at  Plymouth,  erroneously  supposed  by  some  to  be  identical  with  the  actor. 
William  Kempe,  the  schoolmaster,  made  his  will  in  i6oi,  and  it  was  proved  the  same  year, 
whereas  the  actor  was  living  in  1603,  and  possibly  later.  The  will  mentions  his  father,  Walter 
Kempe,  his  brother  Robert,  and  his  sisters,  Thomasine  and  Jona^y,  leaving  to  the  latter  his  smallest 
volume  of  the  EngHsh  Bible.  He  further  mentions  his  brother-in-law,  John  Honkin,  his  cousin, 
Pascowe  Kempe,  of  Rame,  and  his  wife  Joan,  while  he  gives  the  names  of  his  children  as  William, 
Judith,  Elizabeth,  Joan  and  Wilmot  ;  besides  these  he  speaks  of  his  property  at  Ware,  and  leaves 
alms  to  the  poor  of  Plymouth,  Stoke  Damerel,  Stonehouse,  and  St.  Budork.  It  was,  undoubtedly, 
this  William  Kempe  who  wrote  "  A  Dutiful  Invective  "  in  1  587,  and  in  the  following  year 
another  book  "  Education  of  Children  in  Learning."  He  also  translated  Peter  Ramus'  Arithmetic 
in  1  592.  The  name  Pascowe  is  derived  through  a  marriage  between  Thomasine  Kempe  and 
John  Pascowe,  and  the  widow  of  the  latter  we  find  married  Francis  Croker,  Gent.,  at  St.  Stephen's 
Church. 

In  the  Church  of  Rame  is  a  floor  slab  commemorating  the  following  :  Paschoe  Kempe,  of 
Rame,  who  died  i8th  July,  1628  ;  Aquila  Blake,  son  of  John  B.  of  this  parish,  died  1631,  also 
Joan,  wife  of  Pascho.  Evidently  other  names  were  inscribed,  but  these  now  are  obliterated.  The 
will  of  this  Pascowe  Kempe  was  proved  in  1628  (P.C.C.,  112  Barrington).  It  described  the  testator 
as  of  Rame,  and  bequeaths  charity  to  the  poor  of  that  parish  and  of  Stoke  Damerel,  St.  Johns  and 
St.  Anthony.  The  will  mentions  the  testator's  cousin,  Nicholas  Kempe,  and  his  brother,  Thomas 
Kempe,  John  and  Edward,  sons  of  the  latter,  and  numerous  other  relatives.  His  sister  Wilmot  is 
doubtless  the  Wilmot  mentioned  in  the  former  will.  It  also  mentions  Tobias  Kempe,  of  whom 
we  have  already  spoken. 

The  will  of  another  Pascho  Kempe,  a  resident  of  Stoke  Damerel,  was  proved  in  1  649 
(P.C.C.,  39  Fairfax).  It  speaks  of  lands  and  tenements  in  Plymouth  and  Stoke  Damerel,  Nether 
Swilley,  and  "  Cumpton  "  (?  Cullompton),  also  Wortha  Mills,  which  he  had  inherited,  he  states, 
from  his  father,  Tobias.  The  bulk  of  these  he  left  to  his  sister  "  Emb  "  Kempe.  Among  other 
friends  he  mentions  Honor  Dingle,  daughter  of  John  Dingle,  of  Lavaniche,  and  John  Webb,  a 
brazier,  of  Plymouth. 

The  will  of  a  third  Pascho  Kempe  was  proved  in  165 1  (P.C.C,  244  Grey).  It  commences 
"  Be  it  remembered  that  Pascho  Kempe,  late  of  Stoke  Damerel,"  and  goes  on  to  bequeath  his 
estate  in  trust  to  his  wife  for  hfe,  with  a  remainder  to  his  daughter  Joan.  This  Joan  married 
Blake,  who  became  administrator,  Elizabeth  Kempe,  the  widow,  having  died  without  proving 
the  will. 

We  hear  no  more  of  the  Kempes  of  Stoke  Damerel  until  1  769,  when  Anthony  Kemp,  a 
mariner  of  His  Majesty's  ships  Norfolk  and  York.,  but  late  of  Stoke  Damerel,  a  bachelor,  left  a 
little  property,  which  was  administered  by  his  sister,  Ann  Martin,  a  widow. 

We  know  of  a  few  later  Kemps  of  Plymouth,  but  it  does  not  follow  that  these  belong  to  the 
old  family.  One  instance  is  the  Rev.  Thomas  Kemp,  D.D.,  of  the  Hendon  family,  who  was  for  a 
time  Chaplain  of  Plymouth,  as  he  states  in  his  will  proved  1  769.     Between  Liskeard  and  Rame 


lo  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

is  the  parish  of  Saltash,  where  Edward  Kempe  died  between  1  634  (when  his  will  was  made)  and 
1637  (when  it  was  proved)  (P.C.C.,  140  Goare).  This  testator  mentions  John  Horrenden,  Thomas 
Bignell,  Robert  Walker  and  others,  but  he  mentions  no  Kempe  relatives  with  the  exception  of  his 
only  daughter,  Elizabeth,  who  had  married  John  Horrenden,  father  of  the  above  legatee.  This 
testator  is  described  as  a  merchant,  and  was  evidently  in  the  weaving  trade,  for  he  leaves  to 
Thomas  Bignall  one  pair  of  his  looms,  "  if  he  be  so  minded  as  to  follow  the  trade  of  weaving." 
We  do  not  know  at  what  this  testator's  estate  was  valued,  but  we  presume  that  he  was  wealthy, 
for  he  instructed  his  executors  to  bury  him  in  the  middle  of  a  chancel  of  the  parish  of  St.  Stephen's, 
to  the  poor  of  which  parish  he  left  40.?.  "  to  keep  them  at  work,  but  not  otherwise." 


gi^' 


\A»^TI  ^^i^tJ^  PENRYN,  FALMOUTH  AND  GERRANS. 

<v**     -   , 

E  cannot  attempt  to  dwell  on  each  interman-iage  shown  in  the  accompanymg  pedigrees, 

but    it    will    be  seen    that   Nicholas    Kempe,   son   of    John    Kempe,    by    Winifred 

W*^"'  -         ^       ^  ^  Penkivell,  purchased  Rosteage,  in  the  Parish  of  Gerrans,  from  Reginald  Mohuri  in 

>*^       -^y^^I  6  1  9,  from  which  time  the  senior  branch  of  John  Kempe's  issue  made  this  their  seat.     We  have 

Iv*^  ^    ,     not  found  the  will  of  John   Kempe,  of  Levethan,  nor  that  of  Nicholas,  of  Rosteage,  the  first 

L*i^.  ^1***  Kempe   will  connected  with  this  place  being   that   of  Jone  Kempe,  proved  in  1653-     She  is 

aJ^^"**"^  1ju>  described  as  a  widow,  of  Rosteage,  in  the  parish  of  Gerrans.     She  mentions  John  Kempe,  her 

^Ll*^t^  eldest  son,  Wilmutt  Kempe,  and  her  daughters-in-law,  Mary  Kempe  and  Grace  Kempe,  and  her 

y  '^  ^grandchildren,  John,  Thomasine  and  Anne   Kempe,  also  her  daughters,  Phillippa  Fudge,  Ann 

^^^Aj^o^      Hawke,  Susan  Hobbs  and  Rebecca  Webber,  from  which  it  appears  that  despite  the  pedigree  she 

*\5  c*y:^     was  closely  connected  with  the  Kempes  of  Stoke  Damerel  and  Plymouth.     The  only  estate   men- 

li*   '  S"*^     tioned    is    "  Pentawadden,"    in  the    parish  of  Gerrans,  with   deeds   appertaining   thereto   dated 

^  .     M'.'  '        1640,  and  deeds  giving  title  to  an  estate  called  "  Cellerin  Petegrew  "  in  the  same  parish  dated 

3^1-.^'-        1632,  which  she  left  to  her  son  James,  while  the  residue  of  her  personal  estate  was  to  be  divided 

\r    p  between  her  four  sons,  Anthony,  Nicholas,  Richard  and  this  James.     The  younger  sons  do  not 

(K^V*^    appear  on  the  pedigree,  but  undoubtedly  left  issue,  which,  however,  we  cannot  attempt  to  follow. 

ci/^     -        Her  son  John  was  in  the  parish  of  Gerrans  in  1672,  and  her  grandson   Nicholas  was  there  in 

y^dr  1  698,  and  later  in  Penryn. 

.        I  Arthur  Kempe,  of  Rosteage,  son  of  the  last  named,  was  customer  at  Falmouth,  and  in  1711 

Qy'^    i^*^        and  1712  was  sheriff  for  the  county,  John  Worth,  of  Penryn,  evidently  his  kinsman,  being  the 
ly^  ^  ^^  ^»^ther  sheriff  in  those  years.     He  married  Honor,  daughter  of  Christopher  Huddy,  by  whom  he 


'  f^^^ad  Nicholas,  his  son  and  heir,  and  Arthur  Kempe,  who  became  Governor  of  St.  Mawes  Castle, 

^     ^       V^<efftd  a  son  Charles,  of  Crugsillick.     Nicholas,  the  eldest  son,  was  sheriff  for  Cornwall  in  1761,  and 

(T     y>\  *      «feh^  banner  which  he  used  during  his  shrievalty  is  still  preserved,  being  now  in  possession  of  James 

•^  fS^      y^letcher  Kempe,  Esq.,  of  Liverpool,  who  is  declared  to  be  heir-at-law  to  the  late  head  of  this 


Penryn^   Falmouth  and   Gerraus. 


II 


family.  The  illustration  of  this  banner,  which  we  reproduce,  is  from  a  photograph  taken  per- 
sonally. It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  although  the  family  has  been  accustomed  to  use  as  their 
motto  an  appropriate  text  of  scripture  in  Latin,  the  sheriff  gave  its  English  equivalent  :  "  They 
that  sow  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy,"  for  the  benefit  of  his  pious  supporters.  The  will  of  this 
sheriff  styling  himself  Nicholas  Kempe,  of  Rosteage,  Esquire,  was  proved  in  1768  (P.C.C,  206 
Seeker).  After  pious  phrases — not  common  at  this  period — he  bequeathed  to  his  brother  Charles, 
of  Carsillich,  and  his  sister  Ursula  in  trust  all  his  lands,  tenements  and  personal  estate,  instructing 
them  to  pay  all  the  debts  of  his  late  father,  Arthur  Kempe,  and  afterwards  to  raise  ^9°°  fo''  '^""^ 
benefit  of  his  three  daughters,  Mary,  Dorothy  and  Ursula,  and  the  remainder  of  his  estate  was  left 
in  trust  for  his  son,  Samuel  Kempe,  and  his 
heirs.  This  will  is  dated  7th  September 
1754,  and  the  original  probate  is  in  the 
hands  of  the  above-mentioned  James 
Fletcher  Kempe.  Attached  to  the  will  are 
copies  of  accounts  kept  by  the  executors 
showing  how  the  estate  was  administered. 

Samuel  Kempe,  the  eldest  son,  was 
born  in  1728,  and  was  therefore  not  a 
minor  at  his  father's  death,  and  the  estates 
were  evidently  put  in  the  hands  of  the 
testator's  brother  and  sister  in  order  to 
realise  sufficient  to  pay  mortgages  on  the 
estates,  the  testator  feeling  that  his  son  was 
not  a  suitable  person  to  be  entrusted  with 
this  responsibility.  Indeed,  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  the  honour  of  serving  as  sheriff 
had  lead  the  two  last  generations  into  great 
expense,  and  that  Samuel  Kempe  was  not 
niclined  to  economise.  When  at  length, 
after  satisfaction  of  the  debts  of  his  fore- 
fathers, Rosteage  came  into  his  hands,  he 
found  he  was  unable  to  keep  up  such  an 
establishment  as  it  necessitated,  and  either 
by  deed — of  which  there  is  no  evidence — 
or  by  mortgage,  or  other  arrangement, 
Rosteage    passed    into    the    hands   of   the 

Harris  family.  It  has  long  been  a  bone  of  contention  that  the  Harris's  had  no  real  title  to  the 
estate,  but  we  fear  now  that  too  many  years  have  elapsed  to  permit  of  the  Kempes  making 
good  their  title.  Nicholas  Kempe,  the  eldest  son,  was  a  commander  in  the  Royal  Navy, 
and  died  in  1829,  aged  seventy-two,  and  his  brother,  John  Kempe  (who  purposely  dropped 
the  final  "e"  from  his  name),  became  a  merchant  in  New  York,  where  he  died  in  1824. 
William  Kempe,  the  third  son,  was  living  in  1824,  and  was  the  only  one  of  these  sons  whose 
issue  survived.  He  had  sisters  named  Jane  and  Honor.  These  five  children  give  rise  to  a 
serious  question  in  law.  The  first  and  second  having  died  without  issue,  the  issue  of  the 
third  son  would  naturally  be  heirs-at-law  to  the  Rosteage  property,  if  recovered,  while  the 
personal  estate,  if  entailed,  should  have  passed  to  WiUiam  Kempe's  eldest  son.     It  is  important 


B;inner  of  Nicholas  Kempe. 


12  Historv  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

therefore  that  exact  evidence,  with  proofs  of  the  decease  without  issue  should  be  put  in,  in  case  of 
Nicholas,  John,  and  other  heirs-at-law.  Thanks  to  the  trouble  which  James  Fletcher  Kempe  has 
taken  to  gather  together  official  copies  of  probates  and  certificates,  he  has  established  his  title  to 
the  personal  effects  of  his  grandfather,  William  Kempe,  who  resided  for  a  time  at  Tyne  Villa, 
Devon,  and  afterwards  on  the  continent,  where  he  died.  It  is  noteworthy  that  some  Kempes  of 
New  York  and  Bermuda,  who  have  for  some  generations  been  most  careful  to  preserve  the  final 
"e"  to  their  name,  were  told  by  their  father  that  the  reason  for  doing  this  was  because  they  were 
the  head  of  a  family  Avho  had  considerable  property  in  Cornwall. 

The  tradition  spontaneously  sent  to  us  by  the  head  of  this  Bermuda  family,  who  had  no 
exact  knowledge  of  the  Kempe  family  of  Cornwall,  is  to  the  following  effect  :  "  My  father, 
William  Kempe,  was  a  native  of  Cornwall,  England,  and  born  in  1804-  Left  his  home  when 
quite  a  boy  and  joined  H.M.  Navy.  Served  for  some  time  under  Admiral  Lord  Dundonald  (or 
Cockerhan)  in  American  waters.  Returned  to  England  and  entered  the  coastguard  service. 
Married  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Bullen,  of  Hampshire,  by  whom  he  had  three  sons,  Richard, 
William  and  James.  Later  joined  the  convict  service  and  came  to  Bermuda,  bringing  his  family 
with  him.  Shortly  after  coming  out  his  wife  died  (about  1849)-  Some  years  later  he  retired 
from  service  on  a  pension,  and  remained  here  till  his  death,  which  occurred  23rd  January,  1865. 
The  three  sons  are  still  living,  and  have  issue  "  ..."  I  remember  when  very  young  my 
father  taking  me  to  his  mother's  home  (his  father  being  then  dead),  and  his  two  sisters  were  then 
living.  I  also  remember  being  told  by  my  father  that  his  brothers  were  lost  at  sea.,  and  that  he 
was  t\\& youngest  child ^  but  only  surviving  son." 

This  statement,  if  compared  with  the  pedigree,  will  be  found  to  coincide  with  the  facts  as 
given  by  James  Fletcher  Kempe,  the  heir-at-law,  with  but  a  slight  difference  as  to  the  date  of 
birth  of  William  Kempe,  father  of  Richard  Kempe,  the  writer  of  the  above  letter.  It  may  be 
nothing  more  than  a  mere  chance,  and  the  two  families  may  not  be  connected,  but  as  we  have 
not  received  or  found  proofs  of  the  death  of  the  elder  brothers  of  James  Fletcher  Kempe's  father, 
it  is  still  open  for  us  to  suggest  that  one  of  these  brothers  was  the  founder  of  the  Bermuda  Kempe 
family.  If  this  founder  proves  to  be  an  elder  brother,  his  issue  would  be  morally  entitled  to  any  relics  of 
the  Cornish  family  which  might  be  considered  heirlooms.  It  is  not  for  us,  however,  to  enter 
upon  the  legal  aspect  of  this  strange  coincidence,  but  it  is  our  duty  to  state  that  James  Fletcher 
Kempe,  on  his  return  from  New  Zealand,  made  application  to  the  Court  of  Chancery,  who  granted 
to  him  as  apparent  heir  the  personal  effects  of  his  grandfather,  which  included  the  family  banner 
above  mentioned,  a  signet  ring  which  had  long  been  in  the  family,  and  numerous  family  documents. 

The  will  of  John  Kemp,  late  merchant  of  New  York  (mentioned  above),  was  dated  in  London 
on  the  19th  March,  1818,  and  written  in  the  form  of  a  letter,  states,  that  he  was  then  leaving  for 
New  York,  and  thus  appointed  as  attorneys  and  executors  his  brother,  Nicholas  Kempe,  and  his 
sisters,  Mrs.  Janes  Larbeck  and  Mrs.  Honor  Stevens.  The  will  leaves  his  property  in  New  York 
to  Eliza  Kemp,  his  wife,  for  life,  with  residue  (subject  to  a  few  legacies),  to  his  brothers  and  sisters. 
This  was  proved  in  Liverpool  on  9th  July,  1824,  the  said  brothers  and  sisters,  with  a  brother 
William,  having  given  evidence  to  support  the  validity  of  this  will.  By  an  arrangement  made 
between  these  parties  it  was  agreed  that  the  estate  should  be  invested  in  the  British  funds,  and 
the  interest  from  ^1,500  each  was  to  be  respectively  paid  to  the  four  parties.  The  estate  is  said 
to  have  proved  of  considerably  less  value  than  was  expected,  owing  to  the  small  value  of  American 
stocks,  which  had  to  be  realised. 

The  will  of  Jane  Larbeck  was  dated  at  Chepstow,  5th  March,  1840-  She  mentions  her 
grandsons,  William  Kempe  Larbeck  and  John  Kempe  Larbeck,  also  her  nephew,  William  KEMPfc;, 


The  Second  Branch.  13 

junior,  and  her  nephew,  Nicholas  John  Kempe  ;  also  James  Fletcher  Kempe,  William  Kempe, 
Sarah  Kempe,  and  Mary  Ann  Kempe,  sons  of  her  nephew,  Nicholas  John  Kempe.  Administra- 
tion of  this  will  was  granted  to  her  brother  William,  i8th  December,  1843. 

The  will  of  Honor  Stevens,  widow,  was  dated  from  Roath  Castle,  Glamorganshire,  21st 
February,  1841.  She  states  that  she  was  lately  residing  at  Farnham  Surrey,  and  she  wished  to 
be  buried  beside  her  late  husband,  John  Stevens,  at  Lewisham.  She  left  legacies  to  her  nephew, 
William  Kempe,  junior,  and  her  nephew,  Nicholas  John  Kempe,  and  stock  (of  the  face  value  of 
i"i,ooo)  to  her  brother,  William  Kempe,  of  Roath  Castle. 

William  Kempe,  of  Roath  Castle,  Glamorganshire  (formerly  of  Liverpool),  sold  his  residence 
about  1830  to  Lord  Bute's  agent,  and  then  purchased  Teign  Villa,  which  he  sold  after  the  death 
of  his  wife,  and  in  1851  he  left  England  for  France,  where  he  is  said  to  have  died  in  1858, 
aged  eighty-nine.  This  William  was  the  fourth  son  of  Samuel  Kemp,  and  born  at  Rosteage  in 
1770,  where  he  lived  for  ten  years.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  went  to  Lisbon,  and  is  said  to  have 
made  a  fortune  there.  Coming  home  in  1805  he  went  into  partnership  and  lost  the  greater 
portion  of  it.  This  William  Kempe  probably  married  in  1805,  and  we  suggest  that  William 
Kempe  (afterwards  of  Bermuda)  was  born  in  1806,  and  therefore  was  the  elder  brother  of 
Nicholas  John  Kempe,  father  of  the  present  legal  head  of  the  family. 

Among  the  documents  descended  to  James  Fletcher  Kempe  is  an  interesting  map  and 
architectural  drawing  of  Roath  Castle  and  its  estate.  The  castle  was  an  embattled  edifice  with  a 
wide  front  built  in  five  sections,  and  stood  in  a  park  of  about  fifty  acres  in  all,  with  Ty-yn-y-coed  farm, 
it  included  143  acres  adjoining  the  property  of  the  Marquis  of  Bute  and  the  CardiflF  Corporation. 

A  biography  of  Nicholas  Kempe,  R.N.,  who  died  at  Bridgend,  South  Wales,  aged  seventy- 
two  in  1829,  appeared  in  the  Gentleman'' s  Magazine  in  July  that  year.  It  is  very  interesting, 
the  more  so  that  it  was  written  by  his  learned  kinsman,  Alfred  John  Kempe,  the  antiquary.  In 
addition  to  the  fact  that  this  Captain  Nicholas  went  on  a  voyage  of  discovery  with  Captain  Cook, 
it  states  that  during  the  revolutionary  war  with  the  LTnited  States  he  was  much  on  the  American 
station,  and  was  for  three  years  in  East  India,  and  latterly  in  the  West  Indies.  The  circumstance 
of  his  having  been  in  the  West  Indies,  coupled  with  the  fact  of  his  brother  being  a  merchant  in 
New  York,  appears  a  very  good  reason  why  a  nephew  of  his  should  settle  at  Bermuda.  Richard 
Kempe  and  William  Kempe,  now  of  Bermuda,  and  their  brother  James  Kempe  of  New  York,  are 
sons  of  the  William  Kempe,  "  a  native  of  Cornwall  "  mentioned  above  as  settling  in  the  West 
Indies  in  1848.     They  have  each  several  children  living. 


CHcATTETi    V. 

THE    SECOND     BRANCH. 

'T^TTE  have  said  that  Nicholas  Kempe,  of  Rosteage,  mentioned  in  his  will  Charles  Kempe, 

\  \  /        his  second  brother,  seated  at  Crugsilich.     This  Charles  married  his  kinswoman,  Ann 

▼   ▼  Kempe,  heir  to  her  brother  James,  who  died  unmarried,  which  James  was  a  son  of 

John  Kempe,  eldest  son  of  Nicholas  Kempe,  of  Crugsilich  and  Veryan,  the  last   named   being 

second  son  of  the  first  Nicholas  Kempe,  of  Rosteage.     Thus  two  branches  were  represented  by  the 


M 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Konpe  Families. 


issue  of  Charles  Kempe,  of  Crugsilich,  and  Ann.  Their  eldest  son,  James,  was  a  surgeon  at  Truro. 
His  children,  however,  were  all  daughters,  and  their  line  passes  from  our  notice.  Charles,  the 
second  son,  was  Rector  of  St.  Mabyn,  and  the  founder  of  a  family  which  we  shall  notice  presently. 
Arthur  Kempe,  the  third  son,  was  an  Admiral,  and  is  at  present  represented  by  Edward  Marshall 
Kempe,  of  New  Shoreham.  Charles  Kempe,  of  St.  Mabyn,  left  a  son  John,  who  was  Vicar  of 
Fowey,  and  died  in  1862,  leaving  the  following  family  :  John,  commander  in  the  R.N.  ;  George 
Henry,  Rector  of  Bicton  ;  James  Cory,  Rector  of  Huish  and  Merton,  Devon,  and  Arthur  Kempe, 
of  Exeter,  surgeon.  John  Kempe,  R.N.,  left  two  daughters  and  a  son,  Charles  Patrick  Kempe,  a 
physician,  who  practised  in  Bayswater,  and  died  aged  sixty-six  on  the  12th  May,  1900.  His  will 
was  proved  that  year  in  the  principal  registry,  and  his  son,  also  a  doctor,  now  represents  the 
second  line  of  this  ancient  family. 

George  Henry,  the  Rector  of  Bicton,  left  two  sons,  both  unmarried  as  yet,  viz  ,  George 
Henry,  now  a  vicar  of  one  of  the  Croydon  churches,  and  John  Arthur,  a  medical  practitioner, 

living  at  Birmingham.  The  elder  has  inherited  the  principal 
estates  at  Veryan,  which  have  been  in  the  family  for  some 
200  years.  Dr.  John  Arthur  Kempe  has  been  good  enough 
to  send  us  a  copy  of  his  book-plate,  which,  however,  he 
states,  perhaps  jocularly,  to  be  "  the  only  genuine  One,"  and 
claiming  that  his  brother,  George  Henry,  is  the  senior  repre- 
sentative of  the  Kempes  of  Veryan.  As,  however,  their 
father  was  born  in  1809,  and  Charles  Patrick  Kempe's  father 
was  born  in  1S04,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Rev.  George  Henry 
is  a  junior  representative  to  Charles  Patrick's  eldest  son. 
Dr.  Charles  Patrick  Kempe,  as  head  of  the  Veryan  family, 
inherited  the  books  collected  by  successive  generations,  and 
cut  from  one  of  these  a  book-plate,  which  is  at  least  150  years 
old,  and  which  is  now  in  our  possession,  while  that  sent  in 
by  John  Arthur  Kempe  is  a  fine  modern  example. 

The  issue  of  James  Cory  Kempe  were  John  Henry 
and  James  Arthur,  with  several  daughters,  who  are  also 
represented. 

Arthur  Kempe,  of  Exeter,  Surgeon,  born  in  1812, 
met  with  his  death  in  the  great  disaster,  the  wreck  of  the 
Princess  Alice.  At  the  time  Arthur  Kempe,  his  eldest  son,  was  a  student  at  college,  and  not  yet 
prepared  as  a  qualified  surgeon.  This  fact,  and  his  lack  of  knowledge  of  the  family  estates,  we 
understand  resulted  in  considerable  loss  to  the  family,  but  he  has  now  one  of  the  best  practices  in 
the  West  of  England,  and  still  holds  a  considerable  portion  of  his  father's  estate.  He  has  to  regret 
the  loss  of  an  ancestral  ring  which  it  was  his  father's  habit  to  wear.  This  was  a  Cornish  diamond  of 
considerable  size,  very  heavily  mounted,  and  we  understand  bore  his  arms.  It  dropped  from  the 
finger  of  his  father  when  on  a  visit  to  Cornwall  and  has  never  been  found.  He  owns  a  pedigree 
showing  the  descent  of  his  family,  not  merely  from  the  Kempes  of  Levethan,  but  from  the  Kings  of 
England  and  numerous  old  Cornish  families,  with  the  arms  of  those  which  his  family  represent. 

Arthur  Kempe,  the  Admiral,  had  the  following  sons  as  well  as  daughters.  The  eldest,  Charles 
Trevanion,  was  Vicar  of  Breage  ;  the  second  was  John  Arthur,  Colonel  in  the  East.  India  Company, 
and  the  third,  William  Peter,  a  Captain  in  the  same  Company.  The  eldest  left  a  son,  Edward 
Marshall  Kempe,  Vicar  of  Linkinhorne. 


Book-plate  used  by  Nicholas  Kempe. 


;h)= 

"^        2nd  wife.  3nd  husb. 

4int,=.  .  .  d,  and  co-heir  of  .  .  .  Meriton,  of  Co.  Oxford.=:.  .  .  Dixon,  the  Mezzotint  engraver. 


^abeth,  rehct  of 
Capt.  Bennei. 


Thomas  Lamburner  Kempe, 
of  H.M.  Post  Office,  died  unmarried. 


Jemima  I 
died  an 


Rev.  Joh?^' 

Recto 
Piccadill] 
Oue( 
b.  9  Mai — 


Rev.  Edv 

Chapla 

b.  9  Jul.  t 

Vic.  of  ] 

=Mara:ai 


-Harri 
b. 

— Edwi 
b. 

— Wm. 
b. 

— Mar; 

h 

— KatH 
b. 


William.  Hunter. 


Eleanor  Charlotte  Hunter,  niece  of  Anne  K.  relict  of  J.  K. 
b.  1763  ab.  at  Upper  Gower  Street,  Oct.  1829. 


Caroline  Wilhelmina  K. 
b.  14  Mar.  1820,  1.  1899. 

^Percy  Davies,  of 
Crickhowell,  Brecon. 


Adeline  Octavia  K. 
b.  19  Nov.  1821, 

mar.  1844. 

=;John  Benson, 

d.  1887. 


Charles  Nicholas  K. 

b.  23  Aug.  1827, 

Uving  1899. 


Eleanor  Mary  Brandreth  K. 
b.  3  Dec.  1829,  m.  1851, 
^Capt.  Alfred  Parish. 


Ernest  Courtney  Kempe,  J.P. 

b.  5  Sep.  1854,  m.  1894. 
=:Marguerite  Maude  Giles. 

— Geveril  Hugh  Courtney  K. 
b.  18  Sept.  1895,  d. 

— Humphrey  Gilbert 
Courtney  K. 
b.  25  Feb.  1897. 


Austin  Arrow  K. 
b.  II  June,  1856, 

m.  1891. 
=Ada  Anderson. 

Doris  Mary  K. 
b.  13  Mar.  1894. 


Beatrice  Mary  Amelia  K. 
b.  17  June,  1858,  m.  1877. 

1st 
=John  Goldney  (d.  1883) 

2nd 
=G.  Herbert  Walker,  Sec. 
Works  Dept.,  Calcutta. 
(?  no  issue) 


Walter  Alfred  K. 
b.  i860,  d.  1863. 

Eliz.  Elenor  K. 

b.  I  Feb.  1864, 

d.  1881. 


Reginald  Carlisle  K. 

b.  23  Nov.  1831, 

m,  1859. 

=.\da  Sophia  Bristow, 

d.  1880. 


I 

Evelyn  Violet  Kempe, 

b.  14  Apr.  i860, 

d.  1896,  m.  1883. 

=Capt.  Raymond  Crawford. 


Reginald  Bristow  Kempe, 
b.  23  Sep.  1861. 


Geraldine  Beatrice  Kempe, 
b.  2  Aug.  1863.  m.  1885. 
1st. 
=Wilfred  Cole  Verner,  d.  1889 

2nd 
=Edward  Alexander  Harvey, 
m.  3  Feb.  1894. 


CORNWALL,     No.     lU. 


Harold  Carlisle  Kempe, 

b.  10  Oct.  1865, 

d.  1889. 


t  Rosteage  1770,  lived  at  Shaldon,  Devon,=Sarah,  d.  of  Rev.  John  Lyne,  Rector  of  St.  Ives, 
at  Pau,  France,  1859.  i     born  at  Liskeard  1775,  bur.  at  Ringmore  1844. 


Nicholas  John  Kempe,^Ellen,  d.  of  Isaac  Holmes, 
b.  at  Liverpool  1808,  \  bur.  at  Wadsley,  Yorks.  18 
bur.  at  Sydney  1882.     I  m.  1829. 


I 
M;.ry  Ann  K. 


James  Fletcher  Kempe,  of  Liverpool:=Anne  Doyle, 
b.  1836. 


Arthur  K. 
b.  and  d.  1852 


John  K. 
of  Liverpool. 


14 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


issue  of  Charles  Kempe,  of  Crugsilich,  and  Ann.  Their  eldest  son,  James,  was  a  surgeon  at  Truro. 
His  children,  however,  were  all  daughters,  and  their  line  passes  from  our  notice.  Charles,  the 
second  son,  was  Rector  of  St.  Mabyn,  and  the  founder  of  a  family  which  we  shall  notice  presently. 
Arthur  Kempe,  the  third  son,  was  an  Admiral,  and  is  at  present  represented  by  Edward  Marshall 
Kempe,  of  New  Shoreham.  Charles  Kempe,  of  St.  Mabyn,  left  a  son  John,  who  was  Vicar  of 
Fowey,  and  died  in  1862,  leaving  the  following  family  :  John,  commander  in  the  R.N.  ;  George 
Henry,  Rector  of  Bicton  ;  James  Cory,  Rector  of  Huish  and  Merton,  Devon,  and  Arthur  Kempe, 
of  Exeter,  surgeon.  John  Kempe,  R.N.,  left  two  daughters  and  a  son,  Charles  Patrick  Kempe,  a 
physician,  who  practised  in  Bayswater,  and  died  aged  sixty-six  on  the  12th  May,  1900.  His  will 
was  proved  that  year  in  the  principal  registry,  and  his  son,  also  a  doctor,  now  represents  the 
second  line  of  this  ancient  family. 

George  Henry,  the  Rector  of  Bicton,  left  two  sons,  both  unmarried  as  yet,  viz  ,  George 
Henry,  now  a  vicar  of  one  of  the  Croydon  churches,  and  John  Arthur,  a  medical  practitioner, 

living  at  Birmingham.  The  elder  has  inherited  the  principal 
estates  at  Veryan,  which  have  been  in  the  family  for  some 
200  years.  Dr.  John  Arthur  Kempe  has  been  good  enough 
to  send  us  a  copy  of  his  book-plate,  which,  however,  he 
states,  perhaps  jocularly,  to  be  "  the  only  genuine  Dne,"  and 
claiming  that  his  brother,  George  Henry,  is  the  senior  repre- 
sentative of  the  Kempes  of  Veryan.  As,  however,  their 
father  was  born  in  1809,  and  Charles  Patrick  Kempe's  father 
was  born  in  1804,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Rev.  George  Henry 
is  a  junior  representative  to  Charles  Patrick's  eldest  son. 
Dr.  Charles  Patrick  Kempe,  as  head  of  the  Veryan  family, 
^^^  inherited  the  books  collected  by  successive  generations,  and 
cut  from  one  of  these  a  book-plate,  which  is  at  least  150  years 
old,  and  which  is  now  in  our  possession,  while  that  sent  in 
by  John  Arthur  Kempe  is  a  fine  modern  example. 

The  issue  of  James  Cory  Kempe  were  John  Henry 
and  James  Arthur,  with  several  daughters,  who  are  also 
represented. 

Arthur  Kempe,  of  Exeter,  Surgeon,  born  in  1812, 
met  with  his  death  in  the  great  disaster,  the  wreck  of  the 
Princess  Alice.  At  the  time  Arthur  Kempe,  his  eldest  son,  was  a  student  at  college,  and  not  yet 
prepared  as  a  qualified  surgeon.  This  fact,  and  his  lack  of  knowledge  of  the  family  estates,  we 
understand  resulted  in  considerable  loss  to  the  family,  but  he  has  now  one  of  the  best  practices  in 
the  West  of  England,  and  still  holds  a  considerable  portion  of  his  father's  estate.  He  has  to  regret 
the  loss  of  an  ancestral  ring  which  it  was  his  father's  habit  to  wear.  This  was  a  Cornish  diamond  of 
considerable  size,  very  heavily  mounted,  and  we  understand  bore  his  arms.  It  dropped  from  the 
finger  of  his  father  when  on  a  visit  to  Cornwall  and  has  never  been  found.  He  owns  a  pedigree 
showing  the  descent  of  his  family,  not  merely  from  the  Kempes  of  Levethan,  but  from  the  Kings  of 
England  and  numerous  old  Cornish  families,  with  the  arms  of  those  which  his  family  represent. 

Arthur  Kempe,  the  Admiral,  had  the  following  sons  as  well  as  daughters.  The  eldest,  Charles 
Trevanion,  was  Vicar  of  Breage  ;  the  second  was  John  Arthur,  Colonel  in  the  East.  India  Company, 
and  the  third,  William  Peter,  a  Captain  in  the  same  Company.  The  eldest  left  a  son,  Edward 
Marshall  Kempe,  Vicar  of  Linkinhorne. 


Book-plate  used  by  Nicholas  Kempe. 


CORNWALL,     No.    IL 


Nicholas  Kempe,  of  Plymouth,  (3rd  son  of  Nicholas  K.  of  Crugsilhch)^ 


Thomas  Lambumer  Kempe, 
H.M.  Post  Otfjce,  died  unmarried. 


Edward  Gibbon  Kempe. 


.Alfred  John  Kemi 

b.  I4june,I7«4.d 

bur.  at  Fulhai 


,=Mary,  d.  of  J.  Prior,  a  Capt.  in  t 
related  to  Prior,  the  Poei 
'    b.  9  Dec    1791,  d.  1864. 


Chas.  Stothard,  F.S.A.=Anne  Eliza  Kempe.=Rev  Edw 
d.  I82t.  d.  1883, 

(.\rtist)  (.Authoress) 


1  Kempe.^Harriet  Wood,         Mary  Anne  Kempe,         Selina  .\ugu! 


-Edward  Challis  K, 


—Margaret  Caroline  K. 


John  Arrow  Kempe, 

Dep.  Chairman  of 

H..M.  Customs, 

b.  5  Jan,  1846,  m  1872. 

=Mary  Jane  Edwards. 


Vic.  of  Folkestone. 


Alfred  Bray  Kempe.  F.H.S. 
Chancellor  of  St.  Albans, 
Newcastle  and  Southwell, 
b,6Jul.  1849,  m.  1887. 

=Mary  Bowman,  she  d. 


3ald  Northcote  K. 
.  II  Mar.  I88l. 

-John  Erskine  K. 


>  Kempe,       Caroline  Wilhelm 

iSl8,  b.  14  Mar.  18-0,  1 

18J7.  =Percy  Davie! 

Crickhowell,  Bre 


Gerald  Steuan  K 
b.  6  July,  1850,  m. 
=.\Iary  Ann  Russ 


t  Ravenscroft  K. 


-Gerald  Austin  K. 


Ernest  Courtney  Kempe,  J.p,  At 

b.  s  Sep.  1854,  m.  1894.  b. 
^Marguerite  Maude  Giles. 

—Geveril  Hugh  Courtney  K.  | 


' — Humphrey  Gilbert 
Courtney  K. 
1p.  25  Feb.  1897. 


B  Mary  Amelia  K.         Walter  Alfred  K. 


=John  Goldney  Cd.  1883) 


Evelyn  Violet  Kempe, 

b.  14  Apr.  i860, 

d.  1896,  m.  1883. 

^Capt.  Raymond  Crawfor 


=Wilfred  Co! 
=Edward  Alt 


CORNWALL,     No.     IIL 


vtde  A  Chait  I, 


living  1843  (?  of  Bermuda) 


,  Devon,=Sa.ah,  d.  < 


Nicholas  John  Kempe,=Ellen,  d.  of  Is: 


s  Fletcher  Kempe,  of  Liveipool^Anne  Doyle. 


The    Third  Branch.  15 

The  second  had  a  son,  John,  who  was  a  Fellow  of  Exeter  College,  Oxford,  and  the  third  left 
two  sons,  of  which  Coryton  Silvanus  Sampson  Kempe  was  of  the  63rd  Regiment,  while  his  brother, 
William  Hussey  Blomfield  Kempe,  was  one  of  the  chief  officials  of  Her  Majesty's  Customs. 

Space  at  our  disposal  prevents  us  commenting  upon  many  members  of  the  family  who  have 
distinguished  themselves,  but  the  ancestral  wills  show  that  the  second  branch  of  the  Cornish  family, 
namely,  that  of  St.  Veryan,  have  continued  for  over  200  years  to  maintain  their  position  as  worthy 
members  of  this  ancient  family. 


CHoATTETi    VI. 

THE     THIRD     BRANCH. 

NICHOLAS  KEMPE,  of  Plymouth,  third  son  of  Nicholas  Kempe,  of  Crugsilich,  might  be 
termed  a  junior  line  of  the  second  branch,  but  the  descendants  have  carved  out  for 
themselves  such  a  distinct  course  of  life  that  we  prefer  to  treat  them  in  a  separate 
chapter.  Nicholas,  of  Plymouth,  was  an  officer  of  that  port,  connected  chiefly  with  the  collection 
of  duties.  It  was  probably  due  to  this  Government  appointment  that  his  son  secured  the 
honourable  position  of  bullion  porter  in  the  Royal  Mint.  It  is  very  singular  that  at  this  time  a 
Daniel  Kempe,  of  the  Hendon  family,  was  Provost  of  the  Company  of  Moniers,  and  was  therefore 
the  officer  under  whom  Nicholas,  the  bullion  porter,  served.  Between  these  families,  if  any 
connexion  existed  at  all,  the  distance  must  have  been  very  great,  for  both  families  can  count  their 
ancestors  back  to  1500  for  certain,  while  in  both  cases  also  it  is  evident  that  their  ancestors  were 
respectively  settled  in  their  native  places  for  some  generations  earlier.  It  is  still  more  remarkable 
that,  side  by  side  with  the  Kempes  of  Hendon,  three  successive  generations  of  the  Cornish  Kempes 
held  offices  in  the  Tower  of  London.  The  Master  of  the  Mint  has  been  good  enough  to  make  an 
exhaustive  search  among  the  records,  and  has  sent  in  about  twenty  references  to  the  Cornish 
family.  We  cannot  give  space  to  reproduce  these  interesting  items  in  full  ;  but,  briefly,  they 
include  the  following  : 

14th  May,  1756.  Appointment  by  the  Treasury  of  Nicholas  Kempe  to  be  porter  of  His  Majesty's  Mint,  within  the 

Tower  of  London. 

loih  July,  1759.  Nicholas  Kempe,  as  porter,  being  entitled  to  a  salary  of  £.\.S,  and  standing  indebted  to  a  William 

Mills,  of  Mark  Lane,  merchant,  as  surviving  executor  of  the  last  will  of  James  Hatch,  of  London,  for  ;^2oo, 
he  assigned  the  said  salary  of  ^45  a  year  "  for  so  long  a  term  as  the  said  Nicholas  Kempe  shall  live." 

28th  January,  1763.       Nicholas  Kempe's  renewed  appointment  as  porter  of  the  Mint. 

27th  July,  1774.  Probate  of  the  will  of  Nicholas  Kempe,  Esq.,  late  of  Chelsea,  appointing  his  wife,  Mrs.  Ann  Kempe, 

sole  executrix. 

29th  June,  1774.  Petition  of  Nicholas  Kempe  to  the  Treasury  reminding  them  that  he  had  served  in  capacity  of  porter 

"  for  eighteen  years  with  a  character  unimpeached,"  and  begging  that  as  severe  indisposition  renders  him  unfit 
to  attend  to  the  office  himself,  that  their  Lordships  will  permit  him  to  resign  in  favour  of  his  son  John  Kempe, 
who  has  officiated  for  him  for  the  last  two  years  !  (We  may  remark  on  this  item  the  cool  way  in  which 
the  porter  introduced  his  son  and  thus  freed  himself  from  handing  over  his  pay,  which,  as  above  recorded,  was 
mortgaged  to  satisfy  a  debt,  so  long  as  he  held  the  appointment,  for  naturally  the  pay  of  another  could  not  be 
claimed  by  his  creditors.) 


i6  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Keinpe  Families. 

1 2th  August,  1774.        Appointment  of  John  Kempe  as  porter  of  the  Mint. 

2lst  June,  1820.  John  Kempe  is  relieved  from  part  of  his  duties,  instead  of  which  other  responsibihties  are  imposed. 

1 2th  February,  1S22.     Mr.  John  Kempe  having  become,  from  age  and  infirmities,  incapable  of  giving  requisite  attendance 

to  his  office,  which  consists  in  his  attendance  on  the  Receipts  and  Deliveries  of  the  Bullion  weighed  into  the 

Mint,  in  the  arrangement   and  assortment  of  the  several    Ingots  in  the  Strong  Hold,  his  superannuation  is 

applied  for.     Certificate  and  length  of  service  of  Mr.  Kempe  is  enclosed,  giving  the  former  as  65  and  the  latter 

as  50  years.     His  allowance  for  the  remainder  of  his  Ufe  is  fi.xed  at  £10'^  per  annum. 
4th  June,  1S22.  The  allowance  reduced  to  ^90  per  annum, 

loth  August,  1822.       A  request  from  John  Kemp  for  increase  in  the  allowance. 
30th  July,  1823.  The  probate  of  the  will  of  the  late  John  Kempe  was  exhibited  this  day  at  the  Mint  Office;    Ann 

Kempe,  widow  of  the  deceased,  and  Alfred  John  Kempe  were  noted  as  the  e.xecutors. 
6th  December,  1811.     Appointment  of  Mr.  Mushet  in  place  of  the  late  Mr  John  Kempe. 
4th  October,  18 1 5.        Acknowledgment  and  receipt  of  a  petition  of  H.  A.  Kempe  for  a  position  on  the  staff  of  the  Mint. 

Mr.  A.  J.  Kempe  being  unfitted  by  ill-health  to  execute  the  duties  of  his  position  as  third  clerk  at  the 

Mint,  is  forced  to  retire,  and  begs  that  as  some  recompense  for  the  loss  of  his  position   he  may  receive  a 

computed  sum  in  lieu  of  annuity. 
2 1  St  October,  18 1 5.       Petition  of  Mr.  Kempe  again  praj'ing  for  financial  assistance  or  a  minor  appointment. 
5th  November,  1815.    Their  Lordships  reply  that  the  shortness  of  his  period  of  service  prevents  them  granting  him  an 

allowance. 

On  the  gth  July,  1829,  A.  J.  Kempe,  addressing  from   Rodney  Buildings,  Kent  Road,  tenders  his 

prices  for  supply  of  coals  to  the  Mint,  and  a  reply  from  the  Clerk  of  the  papers  regretting  that  he  cannot 

accept  the  same. 

We  must  now  return  to  Nicholas  Kempe,  the  first  porter  who  held  office.  He  married,  first, 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  James  Humphreys,  of  Deptford,  by  whom  he  had  three  sons  ;  John,  the 
eldest,  as  we  have  seen,  succeeded  his  father  at  the  Mint  ;  James,  the  second  son,  was  a  Captain  in 
the  Royal  Navy  and  married  Elizabeth,  relict  of  Captain  Bennett,  by  whom  he  had  children,  one 
of  whom  married  a  Mr.  Hunter.  Except  for  the  latter's  issue.  Captain  James  Kempe  left  no 
surviving  children.  He  died  in  1829,  and  a  memoir  written  by  his  nephew,  Alfred  John  Kempe, 
appeared  that  year  in  the  Gentleman^ s  Magazine.  Thomas  Lamburner  Kempe  was  the  third  son 
of  Nicholas  Kempe,  and  held  a  position  in  His  Majesty's  Post  Office,  dying  unmarried.  Nicholas 
Kempe  lost  his  first  wife  in  1762,  and  administration  of  her  estate  was  granted  to  him  that  year  ; 
his  second  wife  was  the  beautiful  co-heiress  of  the  Merton  famity  of  Oxfordshire,  a  lady  whose 
portrait  is  frequently  to  be  seen  in  collections  of  engravings.  To  her  Nicholas  was  most  deeply  attached, 
and  left  the  whole  of  his  property  unreservedly  to  her.  On  his  death  she  married  Dixon,  the 
celebrated  Mezzotint  engraver,  and  consequently  conveyed  the  Cornish  relics  and  estate  to  this 
husband.  The  children  consequently  were  shorn  of  their  just  expectations.  The  villa  at  Chelsea, 
where  Nicholas  Kempe  dwelt,  was  a  rendezvous  for  all  the  men  of  letters  and  art  of  this  period, 
and  among  his  treasures  he  had  the  veritable  piano  used  by  Haydn  in  his  early  compositions. 

John  Kempe,  the  eldest  son,  as  we  have  stated,  was  for  some  fifty  years  at  the  Mint.  He 
married  Ann,  daughter  of  James  Arrow,  of  Westminster,  but  whose  family  was  of  Irish  extraction  ; 
her  father  was  architect  to  the  king,  and  remembered  playing  as  a  child  with  the  little  prince, 
afterwards  George  III.,  and  jumping  him  up  and  down  the  staircase  at  Hampton  Court  in  a  basket. 
Mr.  Arrow  had  a  large  house  in  Tothill  Fields,  afterwards  used  as  a  barrack.  By  this  wife  John 
had  the  following  children  :  Jemima,  Edward  Gibbon,  Alfred  John  and  Ann  Eliza.  The  first  two 
died  in  infancy,  the  last  inherited  her  grandfather's  love  of  art,  and  in  conjunction  with  her 
brother  published  sketches  and  descriptive  matter  of  an  antiquarian  nature.  It  was  owing  to  this 
that  she  became  acquainted  with,  and  eventually  married,  Charles  Stothard,  F.S.A.,  the  compiler 
of  that  great  standard  work,  "  Monumental  Effigies."  The  death  of  this  husband  was  very  tragic. 
While  the  guest  of  a  friend  he  had  obtained  permission  to  make  detailed  drawings  of  an  altar  piece, 
and  had  arranged  for  his  friend  to  call  at  the  church  at  a  certain  time  to  drive  him  back  to  dinner. 
When  the  friend  entered  he  was  horrified  to  find  the  poor  artist  lying  dead  at  the  foot  of  a  ladder, 


The    Third  Branch. 


17 


having  evidently  dropped  insensible  from  a  blow  which  he  received  in  too  quickly  ascending  the 
ladder  from  some  protruding  masonry.  Ann  Eliza,  his  widow,  afterwards  married  the  Rev.  E.  A. 
Bray,  M.A.,  Vicar  of  Tavistock,  who  had  exchanged  the  Bar  for  the  more  congenial  duties  of  a 
Clergyman.  This  husband  was  well  known  to  the  literary  world  as  the  adapter  of  the  orthodox 
sermons  of  our  old  divines  to  a  more  modern  and  popular  style.  After  her  second  marriage,  as 
Ann  Elizabeth  Bray,  she  wrote  numerous  books,  which  are  not  yet  forgotten. 

Alfred  John  Kempe,  the  only  son  of  John,  as  we  have  seen,  was  the  third  generation  to  hold 
office  at  the  Mint.  He  was  educated  first  by  Monsieur  Lepere,  who  had  been  cure  of  Fecamp,  in 
Normandy,  and  afterwards  by  Monsieur  Rivoult,  who  kept  a  school  at  Walworth.  These 
instructors  led  him  to  a  taste  for  French  literature,  and  being  a  great  lover  of  theatrical 
performances  he  translated  and  adapted 
some  of  the  Comedies  of  Moliere.  At  an 
early  age  he  evinced  a  great  talent  in  the 
exercise  of  his  pencil,  both  in  sketching 
from  nature  and  in  humorous  delineations 
of  character.  With  these  qualifications,  it 
is  regretted  that  Alfred  John  Kempe  was 
not  brought  up  to  some  profession  in  which 
he  would  have  undoubtedly  been  led  to 
eminence.  In  early  life  his  only  occupation 
was  that  of  an  officer  in  the  Tower  Hamlets 
Militia,  in  which  he  held  commission  for 
five  years.  He  next,  as  we  have  seen,  spenf 
some  time  at  the  Mint,  but  was  unfitted 
for  clerical  work  such  as  this  involved. 
His  taste  for  antiquities  having  been 
cherished  during  some  excursions  which 
he  took  with  Charles  Stothard,  he  was  led 
to  write  occasional  articles  on  the  subject 
for  the  Gentleman'' s  Magazine,  and  was 
engaged  by  that  publication  to  review 
books.  Gradually  he  became  known  as 
an  authority  in  antiquarian  matters,  and 
was  elected  a  Fellow  of  the  Society  of 
Antiquaries.  He  visited  many  places  in 
England,  and  carried  out  considerable 
excavations  in    Roman    encampments    and  , 

ancient  sites,  publishing  the  result  of  such  labours  in  such  books  as  "  Tavistock  and  its  Abbey  " 
and  the  antiquities  of  "  St.  Martin  le  Grand."  One  of  his  most  interesting  papers  was  a  report 
of  curiosities  found  on  the  site  of  St.  Michael's,  Crooked  Lane,  which  had  been  pulled  down 
for  the  construction  of  the  present  London  Bridge.  It  was  at  this  church  that  John  Kempe, 
the  Archbishop,  was  a  Rector,  and  from  the  pulpit  of  which  that  great  man  became  known  as 
a  powerful  preacher.  It  was  also  at  this  church  that  a  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Hendon,  was  for  many 
years  the  Minister. 

Alfred  John  Kempe  married  Mary,  daughter  of  J.  Prior,  a  Captain  in  the  Army,  in 
1808,  and  had  by  her  eleven  children,  ten  of  whom  lived  to  advanced  ages,  and  the  majority  have 


Alfred  John  Kempe,  Antiquary. 


1 8  History)  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

left  such  large  families  that  there  are  at  the  present  time  nearly  150  descendants  of  this  marriage. 
Alfred  died  in  1846,  and  was  buried  in  Fulham  Churchyard  with  his  sister  Ann  Eliza.  The 
simple  but  handsome  monument  over  them  gives  merely  their  age  with  the  legend  "brother  and 
sister."  His  wife  died  in  1864  The  eldest  son,  John  Edward  Kempe,  born  in  1810,  is  still 
living,  and  is  well  known  from  his  religious  works  and  sermons.  He  was  for  many  years  the 
Rector  of  St.  James',  Piccadilly,  and  was  Chaplain  in  Ordinary  to  her  late  Majesty  Queen  Victoria  ; 
his  son,  Edward  Wood  Kempe,  Vicar  of  Forty  Hill,  Enfield,  enjoyed  the  same  honour.  Both  are 
now  Chaplains  to  the  King.  John  Edward  married,  in  1843,  Miss  Harriet  Wood,  who  died  in 
1872-  Their  second  son,  John  Arrow  Kempe,  born  in  1846,  is  Deputy  Chairman  of  His 
Majesty's  Customs.  Alfred  Bray  Kempe,  the  third  son  of  John  Edward,  was  born  in  1849, 
and  is  Chancellor  of  the  Dioceses  of  St.  Alban's,  Newcastle  and  Southwell,  and  is  the  author  of 
"How  to  Draw  a  Straight  Line  ;  a  Lecture  on  Linkages."  He  was  called  to  the  Bar  in  1873  and 
joined  the  western  circuit,  was  elected  a  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society  in  1881,  and  in  1898  became 
its  Treasurer  and  Vice-President.  Perhaps  the  most  noteworthy  event  in  his  life  was  his  service 
as  Secretary  to  the  Royal  Commission  on  the  Ecclesiastical  Courts  at  the  historical  trial  of  the 
Bishop  of  Lincoln  for  Ritualistic  practices  in  1889-90,  he  being  junior  counsel  This  memorable 
trial  was  depicted  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Floris,  representing  the  Bishops  and  officials  on  that  occasion. 
x\  copy  of  this  now  hangs  in  Lambeth  Palace  Library,  where  Mr.  Alfred  Bray  Kempe  will  be  found 
amongst  the  group.  He  was  married  at  St.  James',  Piccadilly,  in  May  1877,  to  Mary,  second 
daughter  of  Sir  William  Bowman,  Bart.,  on  whose  official  pedigree  at  the  Heralds'  College  this 
marriage  is  duly  recorded.  She  however  died  in  1893,  and  in  1897  he  married  Miss  Alice  Ida 
Meadows  W^hite,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Preb.  Bonell  White,  by  whom  he  had  a  son  born  in  1900. 

Alfred  Arrow  Kempe,  second  son  of  Alfred  John  Kempe,  was  born  at  Windmill  Row, 
Camberwell,  in  1813,  and  was  educated  at  St.  Paul's  School,  where,  like  his  elder  brother  and 
Alfred  Bray  Kempe,  he  greatly  distinguished  himself.  Thence  he  went  to  Magdalene  College, 
Cambridge,  and  has  for  many  years  been  Rector  of  Wexham,  Bucks.  His  sons  are  Gerald  Stuart, 
Arthur  Granville,  Ernest  Courtenay,  Austin  Arrow  and  Walter  Alfred.  Gerald  Stuart  Kempe 
has  settled  in  Australia,  his  present  residence  being  Carandale,  Mintaro.  We  give  in  our  page  of 
Colonial  portraits  a  reproduction  of  photographs  of  himself  and  his  son  Reginald  Lewis,  who  will 
doubtless  spread  the  family  name  in  that  colony. 

Charles  Nicholas  Kempe,  the  third  son  of  Alfred  John,  was  born  in  1827,  his  birth  being 
mentioned  in  an  interesting  letter  written  by  his  father  from  Rodney  Buildings,  New  Kent  Road, 
dated  September  22nd,  1827.  (The  letter  is  addressed  to  his  friend  J.  B.  Nicholls,  the  compiler  of 
"  Londinium  Redivivum,"  introducing  a  Mr.  James  John  Harris,  who  the  writer  says  was  an  able 
Professor  of  Music,  formerly  tutor  to  their  family,  who  wished  to  present  a  copy  of  his  selection  of 
"  Songs  and  Hymn  Tunes"  to  Mr.  Nicholls  in  the  hope  of  getting  this  mentioned  in  Nicholl's 
ma<Tazine).  The  letter  says,  "My  sister  and  I  are  much  indebted  to  you  for  your  notice  of  the 
monumental  effigies  "  ....  "I  also  truly  thank  you  for  the  record  of  my  late  dear  child 
which  you  inserted  in  3'our  obituary.  I  am  happy  to  say  that  my  anxiety  on  Mrs.  Kempe's  account 
has  been  dissipated  by  the  birth  of  a  son  on  the  23rd  of  last  month,  and  that  both  mother  and 
infant  are  tolerably  well."  Charles  N.  Kempe,  the  child  thus  mentioned,  entered  the  Civil  Service 
and  for  a  long  period  was  private  secretary  to  four  successive  parliamentary  secretaries  at  the 
Admiralty,  namely,  Mr.  Bernal  Osborn,  Admiral  Lord  Clarence  Paget,  Lord  Northbrook  and  Lord 
Henry  Gordon  Lennox,  and  at  the  time  of  his  retirement  was  head  of  the  Secret  and  Military 
Branch.  He  is  unmarried,  and  lives  at  128,  Piccadilly.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Junior  Athenaeum 
Club  and  although  seventy-four  years  of  age  may  be  said  to  be  in  robust  health  and  travels  much. 


The    Third  Branch.  19 

Reginald  Carlisle  Kempe,  the  youngest  son  of  Alfred  John,  was  born  in  1831,  and  married 
Ada  Sophia  Bristowe.  He  is  patron  of  Hawkwell  in  Essex,  but  in  consequence  of  his  having 
joined  the  Roman  Catholic  Communion  forfeits  his  prerogative  to  the  University  of  Cambridge. 
He  is  still  living  at  Brighton,  and  has  two  sons,  Reginald  Bristowe  Kempe  and  Harold 
Carlisle  Kempe. 

Charles  Nicholas  Kempe,  finding  it  impossible  to  remember  all  the  names  of  his  numerous 
relatives,  took  the  trouble  some  years  ago  to  formulate  "a  family  list,"  giving  the  dates  of  birth, 
marriage  and  death  of  every  descendant  of  his  father,  of  whom  over  140  are  now  living. 


le^-. 


J1  \-c^ 

w 


?       S 


3''' f^'-  I  •»! -fj-^'e  fen    '-:?!^>-     i,-^  ^         ,.    «     _- 


V 


SECTION     IV.  PART     II. 


CHqATTE^    I. 

EARLY    AND    SLINDON    KEMPES. 


IN  our  Kentish  section  we  noted  the  apparent  identity  of  the  Kempe  family  with  that  repre- 
sented by  tenants  of  Battle  Abbey  entered  on  the  Rolls  as  "  de  Campis."  The  earliest  date 
at  which  a  Kempe  is  recorded  in  Sussex  is  in  the  time  of  Edward  I.,  when  an  Adam  Kempe 
held  land  in  Sullington,  which  is  but  six  or  seven  miles  south  of  Slindon.  In  the  same  reign  or 
the  following  one,  Galfrid  Kempe  held  messuage  and  twelve  acres  from  Battle  Abbey,  but  these 
apparently  were  in  Surrey;  he  may,  however,  also  have  held  land  at  "  Apeldraham."  In  1403 
Thomas  Kempe.  of  Nuthurst,  held  lands  there,  and  received  a  grant  of  others  at  Horsham  from 
John  Colme  of  that  place,  the  deed  being  preserved  at  the  Record  Office.  In  1436  John  Kempe 
represented  the  Borough  of  Shoreham  in  Parliament,  he,  probably,  being  of  the  Kentish  family. 
In  1452  at  the  rebellion  led  by  Jack  Cade  (and  aimed  directly  at  the  power  of  Archbishop 
Kempe  and  his  party),  one  John  Kempe,  a  labourer  of  Mundefield,  with  Richard  Roper,  Richard 
Elliot  and  others,  were  followers  of  Cade  from  this  county.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  at  this 
early  date  there  were  Kempes  in  the  lower  classes  as  well  as  those  in  influential  position.  We 
know  that  one  of  the  Kempes,  of  Ollantigh,  was  connected  by  marriage  with  this  county  ;  it  may 
be  in  consequence  that  a  very  important  branch  of  the  Wye  family  established  themselves  at 
Slindon.  This  seat,  however,  was  obtained  by  a  grant  from  the  Queen,  and  not  through  any 
connexion  with  that  Adam  Kempe  who  held  land  close  by.  The  wills  relating  to  the  county  are 
preserved  partly  at  Lewes  and  partly  at  Chichester,  those  at  the  former  court  being  apparently  the 
more  important.  They  commence  in  1541,  and  in  1547  the  first  will  of  a  Kempe  appears. 
This  is  the  will  of  John  Kempe,  of  Preston,  close  to  Brighton  ;  and  it  has  been  claimed  that  he 
was  the  ancestor  of  the  Kempes  who  founded  Kempe  Town  in  the  last  century.  From  Preston 
the  Kempes  appeared  at  Battle  and  Whatlington,  then  at  Aldbourne,  and  afterwards  at  Brighton, 
Salehurst  and  South  Mailing.  These,  however,  although  admittedly  connected  with  the  Kempes, 
of  Kempe  Town,  were  a  yeoman  family  until  the  seventeenth  century,  and  no  connexion  between 
them  and  the  wealthy  Kempes  of  Slindon  is  traceable,  nor  probable. 

The  Chichester  wills  commence  in  151 1.  No  Kempe  appears  before  1545,  but  the  names 
Cames,  Comes,  and  Combes  occurring  early  may  be  variants.  We  will  first  speak  of  the  Kempes 
of  Slindon.  It  was  in  the  first  year  of  Queen  Mary  that  Geoffrey  Poole,  keeper  of  the  manor  and 
park  at  Slindon,  granted  the  entire  estate  under  the  Queen's  sanction  to  Anthony  Kempe,  of  the 
Kentish  stock,  who  was  at  this  time  in  the  Royal  household.  We  find  among  the  State  papers 
a  letter  of  his,  dated  at  the  Royal  Palace  of  Greenwich  the  25th  February,  1556,  and  addressed 
to  the  Earl  of  Devonshire.  The  writer  makes  excuses  for  not  communicating  earlier  owing  to 
"  being  so  engaged  in  posting  between  Greenwich  and  Brussels."  He  remarks,  "  the  King  has 
not  yet  returned  to  England,  and  whose  absence  makes  the  Queen  melancholy."     Another  letter 


Early  and  Slindon  Kempes.  2i 

of  Anthony  Kempe's,  also  preserved  in  the  State  papers,  is  dated  June  14th,  1556,  at  Brussels. 
He  says,  "  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that  the  plague  has  visited  your  house.  The  Queen  is  in  good 
health.  .  .  .  Some  of  the  traitors  in  the  late  conspiracy  have  been  executed.  .  .  .  The 
King  is  still  detained  in  Brussels."  These  letters  are  sufficient  to  show  how  closely  connected  the 
Kempes  were  with  the  affairs  of  State  and  the  Royal  Household.  Anthony  Kempe's  mother  was 
present  at  the  baptism  of  Queen  Elizabeth  in  1533,  and  Anthony  himself  was  present  at  most  of 
the  Court  ceremonies  of  his  time.  He  lived  to  be  very  old  ;  indeed,  his  age  was  a  source  of  con- 
siderable trouble  to  his  relatives,  as  he  accused  his  faithful  medical  attendant  of  hurrying  his  end. 
In  the  papers  and  manuscripts  collected  during  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth  by  the  great  Lord 
Burleigh  are  letters  from  Sir  Thomas  Shirley  (who  married  Ann  Kempe,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Kempe,  of  Ollantigh)  addressed  to  Sir  Robert  Cecil,  and  saying  that  Anthony  Kempe  is  greatly 
abused  by  one,  Walmesley,  and  "  is  very  aged  and  even  worn  to  the  last."  We  have  seen  from 
the  will  of  his  mother  (Kentish  section)  that  Anthony  Kempe  was  a  staunch  supporter  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  cause,  and  that  it  was  under  Queen  Mary  that  he  received  his  grant  of  con- 
siderable estates  in  and  around  Slindon  and  other  places.  At  the  accession  of  Queen  Elizabeth, 
although  known  as  a  Romish  recusant,  he  escaped  attainder  (doubtless  owing  to  the  great 
friendship  which  existed  between  that  Queen  and  many  of  the  other  Kempes),  and  he  maintained 
the  Roman  ritual  at  Slindon  House,  where  a  chapel  and  secret  priest  chamber  were  only  recently 
dismantled.  Throughout  many  generations,  indeed,  until  the  final  heiress  caused  the  estates  to 
pass  into  other  hands,  the  rites  of  the  Roman  Church  were  kept  up  at  Slindon  without  interruption. 

Anthony  Kempe  married,  first,  Ann,  daughter  and  co-heir  of  John,  Lord  Conyers,  by  whom 
he  had  two  children,  Henry  and  Mary.  This  wife  was  buried  at  the  Savoy  chapel  beside  her 
mother-in-law.  Anthony's  second  wife  was  Margaret,  daughter  of  Sir  Edward  Gage,  of  Firle, 
Knight,  by  whom  he  had  Garret,  George,  Anthony  and  Elizabeth.  He  died  on  the  29th  October, 
1597,  and  was  buried  with  his  first  wife,  his  will  being  proved  in  the  following  year  (P.C.C, 
61  Kidd).  The  will  bequeaths  1,000  marks  to  his  daughter,  Elizabeth,  three  score  acres  of 
woodland  and  twenty-eight  of  meadow  in  Plumstead  to  his  son  George,  or  in  default  to  his  son 
Anthony,  to  the  latter  his  manor  at  Wallmore,  Gloucestershire,  to  his  daughter  Mary,  wife  of 
Humphrey  Wallrond,  1,000  marks,  and  the  residue,  subject  to  legacies  to  the  testator's  "cousin," 
Edward  Gage,  of  Bentley,  Sir  Thomas  Sholling  and  others,  was  bequeathed  to  Garret  Kempe,  his 
eldest  surviving  son.  By  codicils  his  jewels  were  equally  divided  between  his  daughters,  and  his 
mansion  house  at  Blackfriars,  London,  was  bequeathed  to  his  nephew.  Sir  Thomas  Shirley. 

Henry  Kempe,  the  eldest  son  of  Anthony,  was  born  in  15T4,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  was 
entered  at  Gloucester  Hall,  Oxford,  where  he  duly  matriculated.  He  died  without  issue  in  1592, 
in  which  year  a  Post  Mortem  Inquisition  is  entered.  Garret  Kempe,  the  second,  but  eldest 
surviving  son  consequently — as  we  have  seen  from  his  father's  will — inherited  Slindon  House  and 
the  numerous  other  manors  which  had  been  held  by  his  father.  We  gain  some  idea  as  to  the 
extent  of  his  property  by  a  casual  mention  in  the  proceedings  of  Chancery  during  Queen 
Elizabeth's  reign,  he  suing  his  factor  for  failing  to  duly  account  for  money  collected  in  Yorkshire, 
Surrey,  Gloucester,  Wilts  and  Sussex.  Garret  was  entered  at  Gray's  Inn  in  1618,  probably  living 
for  a  time  in  the  parish  of  St.  James',  Clerkenwell.  He  was  knighted  by  James  I.  in  1626, 
and  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John  Carrell,  of  Warham,  Sussex,  by  whom  he  had  issue, 
which  we  shall  presently  follow.  His  brother  George,  as  we  have  seen  firom  the  above  will, 
inherited  lands  at  Plumstead,  Kent,  which  had  belonged  to  the  Moyles  and  the  Kempes  of 
Ollantigh.  He,  however,  does  not  appear  to  have  resided  there,  and  is  probably  the  George 
Kempe,  a  Jesuit,  who  was  taken  with  other  conspirators  at  a  house  of  their  society  in  London 


22 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


about  the  year  1626,  of  which  some  account  occurs  in  the  "  History  of  St.  James',  Clerkenwell," 
and  in  the  State  papers.  This  may  have  occasioned  the  confiscation  of  his  property  and  thus 
explain  the  absence  of  a  will  or  other  trace  of  him.  However,  as  his  father  had  property  in 
Gloucestershire,  this  George  may  be  the  ancestor  of  the  Kempes  of  Shepton  Mallet,  with  whom 
the  name  of  George  was  the  constant  favourite. 

Anthony  Kempe,  the  younger  brother  of  this  George,  inherited  Walmore,  Westbury,  but 
died  at  Ham,  Wilts,  in  1648,  and  in  1649  his  will  was  proved  (P.C.C,  184  Fairfax).  An  infant 
of  his,  named  Anthony,  was  buried  at  St.  Dunstan's-in-the-West  in  1584,  and  he  had  two 
daughters,  namely,  Jean  (who  married  Thomas  Osborne)  and  EHzabeth  ;  also  a  son,  Robert,  who 
inherited  the  bulk  of  his  father's  property  and  made  his  will  in  1656  at  Ham  ;  he,  probably, 
was  the  ancestor  of  the  Kempes  of  Trowbridge,  of  whom  we  shall  presently  give  some  record. 
Returning  to  Garret  Kempe,  Knight,  of  Slindon,  he  had  the  following  children  :  Philip,  who 
was  at  Gray's  Inn  in  1619  and  married  Frances,  daughter  of  Sir  John  Webb,  of  Oldstock,  Wilts, 
by  whom  he  had  Garret,  who  died  an  infant,  and  Catherine,  who  married  Thomas  Eyre,  of 
Hassop,  Derby;  she  was  living  in  1634.  The  Eyre  family  were  connected  with  the  Rogers,  of 
Surrey,  and  both  these  families  with  Christchurch,  and  we  are  inclined  to  believe  that  it  is  due  to 
this  connexion  that  the  ancestors  of  the  Kemp-Welch  family  became  identified  with  that  town,  at 
which  another  member  of  the  Kentish  stock  lived  about  this  time,  namely,  John  Kempe,  a  leading 
Roundhead  and  member  of  the  Parliamentary  Committee  in  the  time  of  Cromwell.  Thomas 
Kempe,  the  second  son  of  Sir  Garret,  was  of  Ypres,  in  Flanders.  He  married  Mary,  daughter  of 
Sir  Anthony  Briggs,  of  Essex,  by  whom  he  had  but  one  child,  Mary,  who  married  George 
Heneage,  of  Hainton,  Lincoln.  Garrett  Kempe,  the  third  son,  eventually  succeeded  to  Slindon, 
and  married  a  daughter  of  Beale,  by  whom  he  had  issue  as  will  appear.  The  daughters  of  Sir 
Garret  were  as  follows  :  Mary,  who  married  Francis  Croote,  of  Essex  ;  Jane,  who  married  Patrick 
Plunket,  of  Ireland  ;  Elizabeth,  who  married  Thomas  Arundell,  of  Dorset,  Margaret  and  Bridget. 

Garret  Kempe,  of  Slindon,  by  the  daughter  of  Beale,  left  two  sons.  William,  the  youngest, 
had  a  son  named  Garret,  who  was  buried  at  Clerkenwell  in  1629.  Anthony,  the  eldest  son, 
succeeded  to  the  Slindon  estates  in  1666  and  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Sir  Thomas  Gage,  Bart., 
of  Firle — this  is  the  second  occasion  of  an  intermarriage  between  the  Kempes  of  Slindon  and  this 
family  of  Gage.  More  remarkable  is  the  fact  that  Sir  Garret  and  the  Gages  united  in  a  sale  of 
property  at  Shelwood  and  other  places  in  Surrey  and  Sussex  to  Sir  George  Kempe,  of  Pentlow, 
Bart.,  who  was  of  entirely  different  stock  and  diverse  arms.  Deeds  relating  to  the.se  tran.=actions 
are  preserved  at  the  British  Museum  (Add.  Charters  18,906  and  18,944),  to  which  several 
interesting  seals  are  attached.  Sir  Garret  apparently  using  as  his  badge  a  spread  eagle  or  similar 
heraldic  bird  ;  replicas  of  this  seal  occur  on  the  original  wills  of  several  Kempes  connected  with 
Worcester,  Gloucester  and  other  parts  of  England,  the  testators  of  which  have  not  positively  been 
traced  as  connexions  of  the  Kentish  stock.  We  may  here  remark  that  another  deed  in  the  same 
collection  (19,016)  is  an  indenture  signed  by  Anthony  Kempe,  of  Slindon,  relating  to  Goodwood 
Park  and  other  property,  he  having  bought  the  now  renowned  racecourse  with  its  appurtenances 
from  John  Carrell  for  the  sum  of  i"3,SOO.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  Slindon  House  has 
frequently  entertained  Royalty  even  in  recent  times.  The  last  named  Anthony  Kempe,  who  died 
in  1715,  had  the  following  family:  Anthony,  his  heir;  John,  who  died  unmarried;  Thomas, 
who  left  no  issue  ;  Philip,  who  died  at  Ghent  in  1728,  and  the  administration  of  whose  estate  was 
granted  to  his  eldest  brother  that  year,  and  Mary  Kempe,  who  married  Sir  Henry  Tichborne, 
Bart.,  of  Hampshire.  Sir  Henry  was  buried  at  Tichborne  on  20th  July,  1742,  and  his  will  was 
proved  in  the  following  year. 


Early  and  Slindon  Kempes. 


23 


Anthony  Kempe,  the  eldest  son  and  heir,  again  followed  tradition,  marrying  Anne  Brown, 
daughter  of  Henry,  fifth  Viscount  Montagu,  two  of  whose  family  had  intermarried  with  Kempes, 
the  first  to  a  Kentish  Kempe,  Knight,  and  the  second  to  a  Norfolk  Kempe,  Baronet.  By  this 
wife  he  had  two  children.  On  her  death  he  married  Jane,  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Charles  Stourton, 
third  son  of  William  Stourton,  niece  to  Lord  Stourton.  This  marriage  took  place  in  July,  1734, 
and  notice  of  it  appears  in  the  Gentleman  s  Magazine.  Anthony  died  in  1753,  aged  eighty-five, 
administration  of  his  estate  being  granted  in  1754  to  the  Hon.  Barbara  RadclifFe,  wife  of  the 
Hon.  James  Bartholomew  Radcliffe,  commonly  called  Lord  Kynnaird,  she  being  daughter  of  the 
deceased,  and  the  Hon.  Jane  Kempe,  widow  and  relict,  having  first  renounced.  Administration 
of  the  estate  of  Jane  Kempe,  the  widow,  formerly  of  Slindon,  but  who  died  in  the  city  of  Liege, 
Germany,  was  granted  to  John  Maire,  Esq.,  the  attorney  of  the  Right  Hon.  William  Lord 
Stourton,  her  brother,  on  the  9th  April,  1770-  In  addition  to  Barbara,  who,  as  stated,  married 
Lord  Kynnaird  (afterwards  Earl  of  Newburgh),  Anthony  had  a  daughter  Anne,  who  died  aged 
forty-three  in  1765  unmarried.  Barbara  was  married  in  1749,  and  is  the  ancestress  of  the 
present  Earl  of  Newburgh  and  Lord  Kynnaird,  who  are  now  chiefly  known  by  their  Italian  titles. 

She  inherited  Slindon  and  all  the  Kempe  estates,  which  passed  to  her  husband,  and  thence 
descended.  Slindon  House,  of  which  we  give  an  illustration,  is  still  standing,  and  bears  ample 
evidence  of  the  Kempes,  their  arms  and  quarterings  being  repeatedly  carved  and  emblazoned 
within  the  hall.  It  is  said  that  the  present  building  was  rebuilt  by  Sir  Garret  Kempe  about  1600, 
but  traces  of  the  earlier  mansion  are  evident. 


Slindon  House. 


Q2 


24  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 


CHqA'PTE^    II. 

SOUTH    MALLING    AND    DESCENDANTS. 

AMASS  of  tradition  and  possibly  superstition  surrounds  the  origin  of  those  Kempes  identified 
with  Kemp  Town  and  Lewes.  Their  pedigree  seems  to  have  first  seen  print  about  1828 
■  in  Berry's  ''Sussex  Genealogies,"  and  then  in  Burke's  "  Commoners,"  in  both  cases  it 
commences  with  a  George  Kempe,  of  Lewes,  who  married  Grace,  daughter  of  Thomas  Stonestreet. 
This  couple  are  represented  as  living  about  1750.  Burke  in  his  usual  questionable  introduction 
states  that  ''  one  branch  of  the  Kempes,  of  Ollantigh,  is  represented  by  the  present  Thomas  Read 
Kemp,  Esq.,  of  Kemp  Town,  near  Brighton."  Charles  Eamer  Kempe,  Esq.,  M.A.,  who  now 
represents  this  family,  and  who  has  collected  Kemp(e)  items  enthusiastically  for  a  number  of  years, 
has  repeatedly  been  approached  by  the  editors  of  genealogical  works  with  a  view  to  his  publishing 
that  line  of  ancestors  by  which  he  claims  connexion  with  the  Ollantigh  Kempes,  but  his  reply  is 
to  the  effect  that  he  questions  the  trustworthiness  of  the  works  soliciting  these  details.  His 
brother,  Captain  William  Kemp,  of  Arundel,  in  answer  to  our  inquiries  states  that  so  far  as  his 
knowlege  goes  the  pedigree  of  his  family  goes  back  some  200  years  in  a  rather  disjointed  manner. 
A  third  relative  of  Thomas  Read  Kemp,  who  has  also  collected  a  great  many  genealogical  notes 
of  the  Kempes  of  Sussex,  confirms  the  latter  statement,  and  although  both  have  a  vague  idea  that 
their  ancestors  were  for  a  long  time  connected  with  South  Mailing,  we  believe  that  the  following 
details  will  afford  them  fresh  information  and  a  better  knowledge  of  the  subject.  We,  however, 
cannot  profess  that  the  line  is  without  flaws,  nor  do  we  believe  that  it  will  give  them  indisputable 
right  to  the  ancient  arms  of  the  Kempes  of  Ollantigh. 

Roger  Kempe  posses.sed  tenements  at  Hamsey  in  1590;  he  seems  to  have  died  intestate. 
In  1601  Thomas  Kempe  was  connected  with  Albourne  and  Preston.  His  will  names  Edward 
and  William,  sons  of  his  brother  John,  with  Edward,  Alice  and  Agnes,  children  of  his  uncle 
Robert,  who  may  be  the  same  individual  as  Roger  Kempe  above.  In  1615  we  have  the  will  of 
William  Kempe,  of  Albourne,  who  desires  to  be  buried  at  Preston,  the  poor  of  which  parish  he 
remembered.  His  wife,  Alice,  and  children,  William,  Edward,  Richard  and  Mary  survived  him. 
This  last  William  Kempe  may  be  identical  with  the  first  William  Kempe,  of  whom  we  have 
record  in  connexion  with  South  MaUing,  who  was  rated  at  Hamsey  for  305-.  So'.,  and  whose  will  was 
proved  in  1656  (P.C.C,  459  Berkley).  This  will  states  that  he  was  a  yeoman,  and  that  he  had  a 
son  WiUiam  and  a  daughter  Grace,  his  wife  is  not  mentioned.  It  is  evident  that  he  had  a  little 
property,  for  he  left  a  tenement  and  land,  valued  at  _jf  10  per  annum,  to  his  daughter  Grace,  and 
the  residue  to  his  son  William.  This  son,  William,  was  also  of  South  Mailing,  a  yeoman,  but  in 
1662  obtained  z.  grant  oi  arms  under  the  hand  of  Edward  Bysshe,  Clarenceaux,  which  was  as 
follows  :  Gules,  a  fess,  ermine,  between  three  garbs  Or,  within  a  bordure  of  the  second.  And  for 
his  crest,  on  a  helmet  and  wreath  of  his  colours,  a  falcon  volant,  ermine,  standing  on  a  garb  Or, 
mantled  Gules,  doubled  argent.  This  coat  and  crest,  which  are  reproduced  in  colour  in 
"  Miscellanea  Genealogica,"  are  similar  to  those  used  for  a  time  by  Richard  Kempe,  of  Wash- 
brooke,  Suffolk,  who  was  the  ancestor  of  the  Kempe  Baronets,  but  it  does  not  follow  that  the 
Kempes  of  South  Mailing  were  in  any  way  connected  with  the  Norfolk  Kempes.  William 
Kempe,  mentioned  in  the  last  will  as  then  aged  seventeen,  was  placed  at  Christchurch,  Oxford,  and 
became  a  student  of  the  Inner  Temple  in  1674,  whither  we  shall  follow  him.     He  had,  however,  a 


South  Mailing  and  Descendants.  25 

relative,  namely,  Edward  Kempe,  of  Albourne,  a  yeoman,  whose  will  appears  in  166T-  This 
mentions  a  wife,  Anne,  and  sons  named  Edward  and  William,  the  last  named  being  appointed 
executor,  while  the  testator's  "  kinsman,"  William  Earle  of  Bartons,  was  appointed  overseer. 
The  two  families  were  from  this  time  for  at  least  100  years  closely  connected.  In  the  following 
year  a  deed  was  made  between  Edward  Kempe,  of  Albourne,  styling  himself  Gent.,  and  John 
Whitpaine,  of  Hurstperpoint,  relating  to  some  lands  at  Cowfold.  We  may  presume,  therefore, 
that  the  will  proved  in  1668  (P.C.C,  56  Coke)  of  William  Kempe,  of  Hurstperpoint,  was  that 
of  his  son  and  executor.  It  leaves  all  his  farm,  lands  and  tenements  in  Preston,  then  in  the 
occupation  of  Samuel  Friend,  to  his  loving  friend  Elizabeth  Luxford,  one  of  the  daughters  of 
Thomas  Luxford,  of  Randalls,  Gent.  The  testator  does  not  describe  himself  as  either  a  yeoman 
or  gent.,  but  as  a  "  singleman,"  so  we  suggest  that  Elizabeth  was  his  intended  wife.  William 
Kempe,  son  of  William  Kempe,  Gent.,  in  his  will  of  1689  styles  himself  "esquire,"  and  he 
seems  to  have  considerably  added  to  the  importance  of  his  family  and  to  his  estate  ;  he  certainly 
had  the  honour  of  representing  South  Mailing  in  Parliament.  He  desired  to  be  buried  in  the 
chancel  of  South  Mailing  Church  with  a  marble  slab  over  him.  This  request  was  complied  with, 
the  inscription  was  until  recently  to  be  seen  there.  The  following  inscriptions  with  others  are 
now  in  the  churchyard  at  South  Mailing  on  one  very  large  altar  tomb  :  "  Mary  Kempe,  wife  of 
William  Kempe,  the  elder,  now  living,  she  was  buried  September  3rd,  1664  "  ;  and  "Here  lies  the 
body  of  Mary  Kempe  and  John  Kempe,  dafter  [sic]  and  sown  of  William  Kempe  and  of  Mary, 
his  wife,  she  was  buryed  Desembar  24th,  1657.  He  was  buryed  April  15th,  1662."  The  above 
will  mentions  lands  and  tenements,  barns  and  malthouse  at  Albourne,  and  lands  called  Sparhaws, 
in  the  parish  of  Hamsey,  also  lands  at  South  Mailing,  Rugnor  and  Hartfield,  which  he  leaves  to 
his  loving  kinsman,  Edward  Burtonshaw,  woollen  draper  ;  no  children  or  other  relatives  appear 
in  the  will,  and  we  may  presume  that  he  left  no  surviving  issue.  It  was  consequently  from  the 
second  son  of  Edward  Kempe,  of  Albourne,  that  the  subsequent  line  of  Kempes  of  South  Mailing 
was  continued.  We  do  not  know  for  certain  that  this  was  so,  but  in  1720  William  Kempe,  of 
South  Mailing,  "  Esquire,"  made  his  will.  With  many  pious  phrases  he  desired  his  body  should 
be  buried  in  the  church  at  South  Mailing,  and  he  left  to  his  wife,  Timothy,  all  his  capital 
messuage,  &c.,  called  The  Deanery  or  College,  with  appurtenances,  wherein  he  then  dwelt,  with 
the  advowson  of  the  church,  and  also  lands  called  Beaches,  Bruxells,  and  Blackfield,  lying  in 
Hartfield,  and  lands  called  Islewoods  and  other  lands  in  the  parish  of  St.  Johns,  under  the  Castle 
of  Lewes.  The  will  is  a  very  long  one,  and  is  particularly  interesting  because  it  gives  us  a  glimpse 
of  a  family  trouble.  William,  by  his  wife  Timothy,  had  but  one  child,  Mary,  who  married 
against  the  will  of  her  parents  Richard  Russell,  of  Lewes,  M.D.  The  man  was  an  accomplished 
physician,  and  was  the  author  of  several  medical  books,  and  his  family  were  certainly  equal,  if 
not  superior,  in  station  to  the  Kempes  of  South  Mailing.  The  objection  therefore  to  him  appears 
to  have  been  that  William  and  his  wife  held  religious  tenets  entirely  opposed  to  this  worthy 
doctor.  In  any  case,  the  above  will  states  that  the  daughter  having  caused  her  parents  great 
pain  and  impaired  the  health  of  her  mother,  notwithstanding  the  many  and  frequent  admonitions 
and  persuasions  used  by  her  father,  should  forfeit  the  fortune  which  would  otherwise  be  hers,  and 
that  it  should  consequently  be  held  in  trust  for  her  eldest  son,  and  that  he  only  should  inherit 
the  South  Mailing  estates  on  condition  that  he  absolutely  and  for  ever  renounced  his  paternal 
name  of  Russell  and  assumed  the  name  of  Kemp  (with  authority  to  use  the  Kemp  arms)  without 
the  addition  or  alias  of  Russell.  Timothy  Kemp,  of  South  Mailing,  made  her  will  in  1728-  It 
is  very  brief,  and  leaves  to  her  daughter,  Mary  Russell,  all  her  real  and  personal  estate  whatsoever. 
Probate  was  granted  to  her  daughter  in  1760,  before  which  time  her  husband  had  died. 


2  6  Historv  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Richard  and  Mary  Russell  had  several  children,  and  the  eldest  son,  named  William,  complied 
with  the  requirements  of  his  grandfather's  will,  renounced  the  name  of  Russell,  and  was  granted 
by  due  authority  the  name  of  Kemp,  with  the  use  of  the  following  arms  :  Gules,  three  garbs  or, 
within  a  bordure  of  the  last  charged  with  eight  pellets  gules.  These  arms  it  is  necessary  to  notice 
were  entirely  new,  and  although  similiar,  except  for  an  addition  to  the  border  to  the  arms  used 
by  the  old  family  of  Kempes  in  Kent,  do  not  imply  at  all  that  the  heralds  believed  him  entitled 
by  descent  to  claim  kinship  to  these  worthies.  Further,  had  his  ancestors  been  direct  descendants 
of  that  WiUiam  Kempe,  of  South  Mailing,  who  obtained  arms  mentioned  above,  he  would 
probably  have  been  granted  the  use  of  that  coat  instead  of  the  new  one.  It  will  be  seen  that  if 
William  Russell,  who  assumed  the  name  of  Kempe,  left  issue,  that  his  descendants  cannot  claim 
direct  descent  by  male  line  from  even  the  Kempes  of  South  Mailing. 

(It  is  necessary  to  make  this  remark,  because  the  papers  of  the  day  frequently  speak  of  Mr. 
Charles  Eamer  Kempe  as  a  direct  descendant  of  the  great  Archbishop  of  his  name,  when  men- 
tioning that  some  window  of  his  design  and  manufacture  has  been  erected  in  a  church  or  public 
building.  Of  course  the  Archbishop  was  not  permitted  to  marry,  and  we  are  sufficiently  satisfied 
that  he  left  no  issue.) 

William  Russell,  alias  Kempe,  who  did  succeed  to  the  Kempe  property  at  South  Mailing 
and  Lewes,  was  a  Serjeant-at-Law,  and  is  credited  with  having  a  considerable  knowledge  of  the 
history  of  his  family's  estate.  In  the  local  histories  they  have  generally  omitted  to  mention  that 
his  father's  name  was  Russell,  and  merely  say  that  the  property  was  inherited  from  his  grand- 
father, William  Kemp,  who  is  said  to  have  obtained  this  property  from  Richard  Evelyn  in  1639 — 
100  years  before  the  said  William  Kemp  was  alive  !  There  are  many  letters  from  Mr.  Sarjeant 
Kemp  in  the  British  Museum  relative  to  the  local  Parliamentary  elections,  and  mention  is  made 
of  him  in  the  Gentleman^s  Magazine.  He  died  on  the  J9th  June,  1797,  aged  seventy-six,  and  his 
will  was  proved  the  following  year  (P.C.C,  39  Walpole).  He  is  therein  described  as  William 
Kemp,  of  South  Mailing,  Serjeant-at-Law,  and  the  will  is  dated  27th  October,  1794.  He  leaves 
to  his  daughter,  Timothea  Kempe,  the  watch  of  her  late  mother,  a  five  guinea  Queen  Anne  piece 
and  a  medal  of  Queen  Anne,  as  well  as  her  mother's  clothes.  To  his  daughter,  Wilhelmina 
Sophia,  as  well  as  the  above  daughter,  he  left  some  money,  and  divided  his  goods,  Government 
funds,  and  the  Deanery  of  South  Mailing,  between  Richard  Russell  Kempe,  his  son,  and  the  second 
daughter.  He  also  mentioned  his  nephews,  John  Ley  Martyn,  Esq.,  of  Southampton  Row, 
London,  and  the  Rev.  Arthur  Fredel,  Rector  of  Newhaven,  Essex.  There  is  a  clause  in  his  will 
which  must  be  recorded.  It  is  to  the  effect  that  he  had  intended  to  marry  his  deceased  wife's 
sister,  but  that  ill  health  had  prevented  this  marriage  being  carried  out.  He,  however,  provided 
for  an  expected  child.  (The  will  was  proved  by  Lestock  Wilson,  Esq.,  Abraham.  Driver,  a  land 
surveyor  in  Kent,  and  the  Rev.  Arthur  Fredel,  clerk.) 

We  now  come  to  George  Kemp,  of  Lewes,  the  first  individual  mentioned  in  the  pedigree  in 
Berry's  "  Sussex  Genealogies,"  and  so  repeated  by  Sir  Edmund  Burke.  This  George  Kemp 
married  Grace,  daughter  of  Thomas  Stonestreet,  by  whom  he  had  the  following  children  :  Thomas 
Kemp,  Nathaniel  Kemp,  of  Rottingdean,  Grace,  who  married  John  Pain,  of  Patcham  Place, 
and  Elizabeth,  besides  the  following  children  who  died  young  :  Nathaniel,  George,  Grace  and 
Anne.  The  eldest  son  married  Anne  Read,  of  Brookland,  heiress  of  Henry  Reid,  by  whom  he 
had  several  children  ;  he  was  M.P.  for  Lewes,  which  borough  was  afterwards  represented  in 
Parliament  by  his  son,  Thomas  Read  Kemp,  who  had  the  honour  of  receiving  in  this  capacity 
the  King  and  Queen  on  their  visit  to  Lewes  in  1830.  An  account  of  this  visit  was  published  that 
year,  and  fully  sets  out  the  speech  he  made  on  that  occasion  at  the  banquet,  and  his  many  acts 


South  Mailing  and  Descendants. 


27 


of  gallantry  in  escorting  Queen  Adelaide  to  the  gates  of  the  Friars,  and  thence  to  Lewes  Castle, 
and  finally  to  the  Infant's  School,  where  Her  Majesty  made  many  inquiries  concerning  the  mode 
of  teaching  the  art  of  needlework  as  performed  by  the  girls.  Throughout  these  proceedings  the 
name  of  Mr.  Kemp  occurs  as  the  leading  spirit,  and  from  this  time  until  the  death  of  the  King 
he  was  permitted  frequent  access  to  the  Royal 
residences.  A  picture  commemorating  the  visit, 
and  including  portraits  of  the  King  and  Queen  with 
Thomas  Read  Kemp,  was  for  a  time  hung  in  the 
Town  Hall,  and  is  now  the  property  of  the  Earl  of 
Chichester.  We  reproduce  a  portrait  of  this  distin- 
guished M.P.,  and  regret  that  space  at  our  disposal 
prevents  us  giving  further  details  of  his  many  public 
and  philanthropic  acts.  It  was  he  who  laid  out  and 
founded  Kemp  Town,  near  Brighton  ;  it  was  he  who 
bought  Hurstmonceaux  Castle,  which  had  belonged 
for  a  time  to  the  Kempes  of  Slindon,  and  it  was  he 
who  ran  through  three  fortunes  and  finally  died — it 
is  believed  by  his  own  hand — in  Paris.  His  death 
was  announced  as  "  sudden,"  but  no  details  were 
published.  He  was  for  a  time  a  lay  preacher,  and 
started  a  chapel  on  original  lines,  which  has  given  rise 
to  the  rumour  that  he  founded  a  sect,  his  doctrines, 
however,  seem   to  have  died   with  him,   and   their 

very  nature  is  now  a  matter  of  doubt.  The  property  on  which  Kemp  Town  was  built  came  to 
him  through  a  family  named  Friend,  a  member  of  which  has  been  mentioned  aboVe  as  a  tenant 
of  William  Kempe,  of  South  Mailing.  A  part  of  this  property,  indeed,  was  mentioned  in  a  will 
before  cited  as  "  Beeches,"  and  the  title  deeds  relating  thereto,  with  various  legal  opinions  thereon, 

are  now  preserved  in  the  British  Museum. 
It  is  presumably  from  these  documents  that 
the  printed  pedigree  was  derived.  Thomas 
Read  Kemp  was  married  at  Beddington, 
Surrey,  12th  July,  1806,  to  Miss  Baring, 
daughter  of  Sir  Francis  Baring,  Bart.,  of 
Stratton  Park,  Hants,  and  on  the  27th  May, 
1807,  his  first  child,  a  daughter,  was  born 
at  Hill  Street,  Berkeley  Square.  On  the 
2 1st  August,  1810,  his  son  and  heir  was  born 
at  the  house  of  Sir  Francis  Baring,  at  Lee 
(Kent),  and  on  the  3rd  May,  1811,  the 
death  of  his  father  was  announced  at  the 
age  of  sixty-five,  the  papers  of  the  day 
calling  attention  to  the  fact  that  he  repre- 
sented the  Borough  of  Lewes  in  six  Parlia- 
ments. In  January,  1812,  the  birth  of  another  son  was  announced,  Thomas  Read  Kemp, 
then  being  described  as  of  Lewes,  M.P.,  while  on  the  former  occasion  he  was  mentioned  as  of 
Hurstmonceaux.     In  1825  the  building  of  Kemp  Town  was  described  in  the  papers  as  proceeding 


Original  scheme  for  the  building  of  Kemp-Town. 


28  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

rapidly,  and  in  the  same  year  the  death  of  Frances,  wife  of  T.  R.  Kemp,  M.P.  for  Arundel^  was 
announced  in  the  Gentleman's  Magazine.  In  1827  Thomas  Read  Kemp  was  interested  in  the 
building  of  Belgrave  Square,  at  one  of  the  corners  of  which  he  had  a  residence. 

Nathaniel  Kemp,  brother  to  Thomas  Kemp,  M.P.,  for  Lewes,  lived  at  Preston  House, 
Preston,  near  Brighton,  and  at  Rottingdean,  and  married  a  daughter  of  John  Eamer,  Esq.,  Sheriff 
of  London,  by  whom  he  had  two  surviving  sons,  the  eldest  is  Charles  Eamer  Kempe,  M.A.,  the 
well-known  manufacturer  of  stained  glass,  and  who  owns  some  300  acres  in  Sussex,  the  younger 
son  being  Captain  William  Kemp,  now  of  Arundel.  The  last  named  has  been  good  enough  to 
send  us  a  seal  which  is  used  by  himself.  It  is  a  fine  example  of  a  modern  imitation  of  the  Tudor 
period,  and  shows  his  authorised  arms  impaling  those  of  Marsh  in  right  of  his  wife  ;  the  arms 
selected,  however,  for  his  wife  are  not  authorised  by  the  Herald's  College,  and  much  doubt  exists 
as  to  whether  his  wife's  family  can  claim  any  arms  ;  her  father,  however,  was  an  admiral  of 
distinction.  We  may  mention  that  Anne  Frances,  youngest  daughter  of  the  late  Thomas  Read 
Kemp,  Esq.,  married  Thomas  Jesson,  Esq.,  eldest  son  of  Thomas  Jesson,  Esq.,  of  Beech  House, 
Hants,  on  the  6th  October,  1846,  at  Stotfold,  Bedfordshire,  a  descendant  of  which  marriage  has 
lent  us  his  MSS.  collections  concerning  the  Kemps  of  Kemp  Town,  to  which  we  owe  many  of 
the  foregoing  details,  and  the  portrait  of  Thos.  Read  Kemp.  At  the  crossways  in  Kingston,  juxta 
Lewes,  is  a  spot  known  as  "  Nan  Kemp's  Grave,"  which  is  said  to  be  the  burial  place  of  a 
murderess  (S.A.C.,  xxix.  165). 


CHcA'PTETi^   III. 

THE     QUAKER     FAMILY. 


LIKE  the  family  so  long  settled  at  Slindon  the  ancestors  of  Caleb  Rickman  Kemp,  J. P.,  of 
Lewes,  came  from  Kent,  but  it  is  not  certain  how  they  were  connected  with  the  Kemps 
•^  of  Wye,  whose  arms  they  claim.  According  to  one  "  family  tree  ''  m  possession  of  a 
member  of  this  family  their  first  known  ancestor  was  a  William  Kemp,  of  Guildford,  a  brewer 
living  about  1750,  while  another  pedigree  states  that  this  same  William  was  of  Wapping.  Both 
versions  are  likely  to  be  true,  for  in  a  will  of  Sarah  Kemp,  spinster,  of  the  parish  of  St.  John's 
Wapping,  the  testatrix  speaks  of  her  "  uncle,  William  Kemp,"  and  relatives  living  both  in  Kent 
Surrey  and  Sussex.  William  Kemp,  oi  Brewhoiise  Lane.,  aged  sixty-six,  was  buried  at  St.  John's, 
Wapping,  on  28th  November,  1756,  and  administration  of  his  estate  was  granted  that  year  to  his 
widow,  Susannah  Kemp,  who  is  recorded  to  have  been  buried  at  the  same  church,  aged  sixty- 
eight,  in  March,  1757.  This  couple  is  shown  to  be  the  same  as  a  couple  who  were  married  at 
Beakesbourne  by  license  in  1714  by  the  Kentish  Freeholders'  List  of  1734,  when  William  Kemp, 
of  Wapping^  held  land  at  Wickham  Breux,  of  which  place  his  wife,  formerly  Susannah  Shooler, 
was  a  native.  They  had  two  children  baptized  at  Beakesbourne,  namely,  Mary,  in  171 5,  and 
Edward,   in   1717;    after  this    they  certainly  removed  from  that   parish  and   probably  were   at 


The   Quaker  Family.  29 

Guildford  for  the  next  ten  years,  thence  removing  to  Wapping  where  the  brewer  was  estabhshed 
in  1734.  In  1748  William  Kemp,  of  St.  John's,  Wapping,  was  married  to  Sarah  Bing,  of  Wick- 
ham,  Kent,  at  St.  George's,  Canterbury,  and  we  have  little  doubt  that  this  was  the  son  of  the 
elder  brewer,  but  we  cannot  identify  him  as  having  left  issue  at  Wapping.  In  April,  1751, 
Edward  Kemp,  of  St.  John's,  Wapping,  was  married  by  license  at  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  to 
Elizabeth  Dare.  This  Edward  was  probably  the  son  of  the  brewer  baptized  at  Beaksbourne,  the 
will  of  his  wife  appears  to  be  that  proved  in  London  21st  January,  1795,  mentioning  her  nephew, 
Charles  Dare,  the  elder,  of  Dowgate,  and  her  sister,  Sarah  Goodyer,  of  Cobham,  Surrey,  to  the 
latter  of  whom  she  bequeathed  certain  house  property  in  Shoreditch,  John  Crabtree,  of  Newington 
Butts,  Surrey,  and  James  Goodyer  were  the  executors.  She  does  not  mention  any  children  of  her 
own,  and  we  believe,  as  shown  by  the  pedigrees  sent  in,  that  the  only  son  of  the  Wapping  brewer 
to  leave  issue  was  John  Kemp,  who  lived  at  Grange  Walk,  Bermondsey,  and  was  a  coalfactor. 
The  name  of  John  Kemp's  first  wife  is  not  recorded,  but  she  left  daughters  whose  descendants 
were  named  Lane  and  Viner.  His  second  wife  was  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Robert  Home,  of 
Arundel  (by  Mary,  daughter  of  John  Grover,  of  Brighthelmstone),  to  whom  he  was  married  at 
the  Arundel  Friends  Meeting  House  on  6th  July,  1764.  He  died  on  loth  August,  1785,  his  age 
being  stated  to  be  fifty-five  years.  If  this  is  correct  it  would  appear  that  he  was  born  much  later 
than  those  of  the  brewer's  family  mentioned  above  ;  indeed,  it  would  seem  just  possible  that  he 
was  a  grandson  of  William  Kemp,  of  Beakesbourne.  His  wife  lived  to  her  eighty-fifth  year,  being 
buried  at  the  Friend's  Burial  Ground  at  Long  Lane,  Southwark,  in  July,  1817-  She  was  the 
mother  of  the  following  family  :  Robert,  who  died  aged  six  months  ;  Mary,  who  died  aged  sixteen 
months;  John  Kemp,  of  whom  we  shall  speak  directly;  Elizabeth,  born  in  1771,  marrying 
Thomas  Edmunds,  of  High  Wycombe,  in  1792,  and  dying  in  1836,  leaving  a  great  many  female 
descendants  ;  Marv  Home  Kemp,  died  aged  five  months,  and  Thomas  Kemp,  who  was  born  27th 
November,  1778.  This  son  married  Maria  Todd,  by  whom  he  had  at  least  three  children,  named 
Robert,  Thomas  and  Maria  ;  he  lived  in  London,  but  his  children  went  abroad,  and  except  that 
one  was  in  the  army  nothing  is  known  as  to  them  or  their  issue.  Sarah,  the  youngest  daughter 
of  John  Kemp,  of  Bermondsey,  was  born  in  1775  and  was  married  at  the  Southwark  Friend's 
Meeting  House  on  23rd  March,  1813,  to  George  Neave,  of  Poole,  a  merchant.  (It  is  noteworthy 
that  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  the  ancestors  of  the  Kemp-Welches  were  important  townsmen 
of  Poole,  and  their  religious  views  were  almost  as  strict  as  those  of  the  Quakers  ;  it  is,  however, 
believed  that  the  Kemps  of  Poole  were  descendants  of  the  Hampshire  branch  of  the  Ollantigh 
family,  and  were  but  remotely,  if  at  all,  connected  with  these  Bermondsey  and  Sussex  Quakers.) 

We  now  come  to  John  Kemp,  the  eldest  surviving  son  of  the  coalfactor.  He  was  born  at 
Bermondsey  on  29th  March,  1769,  and  was  married  at  the  Friend's  Meeting  House  at  St.  Peter's 
Court  on  21st  April,  1791,  to  Benjamina,  daughter  of  Joseph  Rickman,  a  merchant  of  Stockwell. 
He  carried  on  his  father's  business  at  Bermondsey  for  a  time,  but  being  more  disposed  for  study 
than  for  a  business  career  he  went  to  Brighton  as  a  schoolmaster,  and  was  there  buried  at  the 
Quaker's  burial  ground  in  April,  1827,  his  wife  having  predeceased  him  and  having  been  buried 
at  Long  Lane,  Southwark,  in  1799,  aged  only  twenty-eight.  She  left  the  following  family: 
Grover  Kemp,  with  whom  we  shall  deal  below  ;  Rickman  John  Kemp,  born  in  1798,  who  lived  at 
Chelsea,  but  died  at  Poole  on  26th  July,  1824  ;  Benjamina  Kemp,  born  at  Bermondsey  Square  in 
1794  and  married  Richard  Penny,  of  Poole,  a  merchant.  He  died  in  1835,  aged  forty-two,  and 
she  was  buried  in  the  Friend's  Burial  Ground  at  Poole  in  1867  leaving  eleven  children,  four  of 
whom  married  and  left  descendants,  Anne  Rickman  Kemp,  the  youngest  daughter  of  John  and 
Benjamina,  was  born  in  1796,  and  met  her  death  by  playing  with  fire  on  28th  February,  1799. 


3°  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Fatnilies. 

Grover  Kemp,  the  eldest  son  of  John  and  Benjamina,  was  born  at  Bermondsey  on  loth 
November,  1792,  and  was  educated  at  a  large  school  at  Earl's  Colne  in  Essex  (conducted  by  John 
Kirkham),  and  afterwards  at  Hitchin  and  Epping.  On  his  mother's  death  his  father  went  abroad, 
consequently  Grover  with  his  sister  Benjamina  was  placed  under  the  guardianship  of  his  grand- 
father, Joseph  Rickman,  of  Staines,  and  their  aunt,  Mary  Rickman,  to  whose  influence  is  attributed 
that  earnestness  in  religious  and  philanthropic  matters  which  both  children  evinced  as  they  grew 
older.  At  the  age  of  only  fourteen  Grover  was  apprenticed  to  Mr.  John  Glaisyer,  a  chemist  at 
Brighton,  with  whom  he  subsequently  became  a  partner,  keeping  active  in  this  business  until 
within  SIX  years  of  his  decease.  Feeling  a  keen  interest  in  study  as  a  means  of  benefitting  others, 
and  regretting  that  his  education  should  have  ceased  at  so  early  an  age,  Grover  studied  both 
ancient  and  modern  languages  in  all  his  available  time  during  his  apprenticeship,  and  while  still 
a  youth  wrote  many  essays  showing  depth  of  thought  and  care  for  the  spiritual  and  temporal 
improvement  of  the  community.  In  1816  he  was  married  at  the  Chichester  Friend's  Meeting 
House  to  Susannah,  daughter  of  Robert  Home,  of  Arundel  (by  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Caleb 
Rickman,  of  Shipley,  Sussex),  by  whom  he  had  but  one  son,  namely,  Caleb  Rickman  Kemp,  who 
is  the  last  male  descendant  of  this  family.  Grover  Kemp  began  to  speak  at  meetings  in  his 
nineteenth  year,  and  when  twenty-six  spoke  as  a  minister  and  was  recorded  as  such  by  the  Lewes 
and  Chichester  Monthly  Meeting  in  1823.  Actively  associating  himself  with  the  Friends  he 
restarted  many  disused  Meeting  Houses,  not  merely  in  Sussex,  but  eventually  in  the  West  of 
England  and  the  Midlands.  He  especially  devoted  himself  to  reaching  the  artizans  of  Wapping 
and  Ratcliffe,  and  those  at  the  potteries  and  pitmen  in  some  colliery  districts.  In  1832  he  visited 
the  South  of  France,  in  1839  the  Friends  in  Dublin,  and  in  1843  those  meeting  at  Manchester, 
Liverpool  and  Birmingham.  In  1855  he  went  on  a  similar  mission  to  the  Isle  of  Man,  and  the 
following  year  to  the  Scilly  Islands.  He  next  went  to  the  Channel  Islands  where  he  held  many 
meetings,  and  in  1857  and  1858  he  went  with  his  youngest  son  to  the  West  Indian  Islands  with  a 
view  of  freeing  the  black  population.  In  this  humane  work  he  was  greatly  aided  by  missionaries 
already  settled  there  who  lent  their  places  of  worship  that  he  might  state  to  large  congregations 
his  views  and  scheme.  In  this  same  work,  one  James  Kemp,  of  Hoxton,  had  already  taken  a 
considerable  part.  Between  these  two  anti-slavery  Kemps,  however,  no  connexion  is  known 
(z^z'a'-?  Middlesex).  So  late  as  1862  Grover  Kemp  was  authorized  by  the  Friends  to  hold  special 
services  in  the  Eastern  Counties,  thus  in  the  course  of  a  long  ministry  he  probably  visited  more 
meetings  throughout  England  than  any  other  of  the  society  had  previously  done  ;  indeed,  it  is 
very  doubtful  if  any  other  member  of  the  Quaker  body  has  since  equalled  his  work  or  visited 
more  places  in  the  execution  of  ministerial  duties.  He  was  also  one  of  the  first  and  most  active 
supporters  of  a  saving's  bank  in  Brighton.  After  publishing  many  tracts  (copies  of  which  may 
still  be  obtained)  he  died  21st  December,  1869-  He  was  buried  at  the  Friend's  Burial  Ground 
at  Black  Rock,  Brighton,  and  a  memoir  of  his  life  appeared  in  the  "  Annual  Monitor  "  of  1871. 
His  portrait  is  still  among  the  most  valued  in  the  society's  gallery  at  Bishopsgate  Street,  London. 
His  wife  died  on  27th  March,  1882,  and  was  buried  beside  her  husband.  Her  name  also  occurs 
at  the  time  of  her  death  in  the  "  Annual  Monitor,"  which  also  included  notices  of  other  members 
of  this  family,  namely,  Benjamina  Kemp,  afterwards  Penny,  in  1868,  Mary  Rickman,  afterwards 
Binns,  in  1852,  and  numerous  other  Kemps,  who,  however,  were  chiefly  connected  with  that 
Quaker  family  of  Kemps  which  we  have  noticed  in  our  Norfolk  section. 

Caleb  Rickman  Kemp  was  born  at  Brighton  on  i8th  June,  1836,  and  married  Jane  Morland, 
of  Croydon.  Like  his  ancestors  he  has  taken  a  very  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  and  was  one  of  the  representatives  selected  to  congratulate  King  Edward  the  VII.  on  his 


■ ..     Hampshire  and  Isle  of   Wight.  31 

accession,  before  whom  he  appeared  at  St.  James'  Palace  in  February,  1901.  He  was  President 
of  the  Society  of  Friends  in  1900,  and  has  for  years  taken  a  great  interest  in  the  work  of  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  of  which  he  is  Vice-Chairman.  He  is  a  Justice  of  the  Peace 
for  Lewes,  represents  the  Lewes  Castle  Division  on  the  (East)  Sussex  County  Council,  is  an 
Alderman  of  Lewes,  and  has  held  many  other  municipal  positions.  Alderman  Kemp  has  had  no 
children,  and  devotes  his  life  to  philanthropy  in  its  varied  forms. 

We  may  here  mention  that  the  County  Hospital  at  Brighton  stands  on  an  elevated  site  which 
was  given  for  the  purpose  by  Thomas  Read  Kemp,  M.P.,  mentioned  in  our  last  chapter,  he  gave 
in  all  some  /5,ooo  towards  the  erection  and  maintenance  of  this  institution,  at  which  Charles 
Gilbert  Barington  Kempe,  M.B.,  B.S.,  jM.R.C.S.,  Eng.,  has  for  some  time  been  assistant  house 
surgeon.  A  Mrs.  Kemp  is  the  treasurer  of  the  Girls'  Training  Home,  Delap  Hall,  Lewes,  thus  at 
the  present  time  we  have  four  or  five  distinct  Kempe  and  Kemp  families  represented  in  the 
County  of  Sussex.  Charles  G.  B.  Kempe  and  Charles  Marshall  Kempe,  the  Medical  Officer  for 
Health  at  Shoreham,  being  of  Cornish  origin,  while  the  others  claim  origin  from  Kentish  and 
possible  Norfolk  stock. 


CHoATTETi   IV. 

HAMPSHIRE    AND   ISLE    OF    WIGHT. 


SO  early  as  1272  there  is  no  doubt  that  bearers  of  the  name  of  Kempe  were  resident  in 
Hampshire,  and  a  deed  of  that  date  still  exists  mentioning  Martin  Kempe  as  a  tenant  of 
some  lands  which  were  then  settled  upon  the  Abbey  of  St.  Edward  at  Netley.  In  the' 
following  century  a  ring  bearing  the  name  of  Kempe  was  presumably  lost  in  the  county,  for  a 
note  of  such  being  found  and  ascribed  to  that  period  occurs  in  the  archaeological  journals  of  a  few 
years  back.  This  ring  appears  from  its  description  to  have  belonged  to  a  foreigner  of  the  name, 
and  from  this  we  might  infer  that  some  of  the  numerous  early  Kempes  in  this  county  were  of 
direct  foreign  origin.  Both  to  the  east  and  west,  namely,  in  Sussex  and  Dorset,  we  find  that  John 
Kempe  was  a  name  of  considerable  repute  in  the  fourteenth  and  early  fifteenth  centuries,  for  one 
of  this  name  represented  Lyme  Regis  in  Parliament  from  1337  to  1340  and  again  in  1354, 
while  another  of  the  same  name  was  M.P.  for  the  Borough  of  Shoreham  from  1436  to  1440- 
In  the  year  1584  Bartholomew  Kempe— who,  we  believe,  was  of  the  Norfolk  family— represented 
Shaftesbury,  and  in  the  time  of  Charles  I.  and  during  the  Commonwealth  John  Kemp,  of 
Heywood,  sat  for  Christchurch.  This  last  alone  seems  to  be  traceable  as  a  descendant  of  the 
Kentish  family,  although  in  the  sixteenth  century  several  Kempes  who  may  have  come  from 
OUantigh  were  ratepayers  in  Hants  ;  the  Manor  of  Bishopstoke  belonging  to  a  Francis  Kempe 
who  held  it  direct  from  Queen  Elizabeth.  In  1582  Robert  Kempe  held  a  house  in  Northbrook 
Street,  Basingstoke,  and  about  the  same  time  he,  or  another  of  the  same  name,  held  a  house  in 
Church  Street,  Basingstoke.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  within  the  hundred  of  Basingstoke  so  early 
as  1334  there  was  a  piece  of  land  known  as  "  Kempeshete"  or  ''  Kempeshote,"  and  this  retained 


22.  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

its  name  at  least  down  to  the  time  of  Elizabeth  ;  we  might  from  this  fact  reason  that  the 
Kempes  from  1344  held  this  site,  but  the  absence  of  records  to  prove  this  rather  suggests  that  the 
Kempes  who  held  property  from  the  Queen  were  related  closely  to  the  Kempes  of  Gissing  or 
Wye,  both  being  represented  at  the  Royal  Court  at  this  time. 

We  must  now  turn  to  the  known  branch  of  the  Kentish  family,  who  for  a  comparative  brief 
period  exercised  considerable  power  in  Hampshire. 

The  founder  of  this  branch  was  Edward  Kempe,  sixth  son  of  Sir  William  Kempe,  Knight,  of 
Ollantigh,  by  Ellenor,  daughter  and  co-heiress  of  Sir  Thomas  Browne.  This  Edward  settled  at 
"  Conns,"  in  the  New  Forest,  and  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  .  .  .  Wilmot,  of  Oxford 
and  Gloucestershire.  This  wife  was  related  to  John  Wilmot,  of  Marilebone,  and  Rose  Wilmot, 
who  married  Robert  Bromfield,  connected  with  whom  were  some  of  the  Kempes  of  Hampstead. 
Edward,  of  the  New  Forest,  died  in  1605,  and  is  commemorated  by  the  following  inscription 
which  appears  on  a  brass  in  Beaulieu  Church  : 

"  Here  lyeth  the  body  of  Edward  Kempe 

Gent :  the  sixt  sonne  of  Sir  Wilham 

Kempe,  Knight,  who  hath  left  Eli 

Zabeth  his  wife  with  Thomas,  Edward 

Frauncis  and  Robert  their  sonnes.     He 

Died  the  VHth  of  March  ano  dni.   1605." 

We  have  failed  to  trace  any  will  or  administration  mentioning  this  couple,  but  we  find  that 
Thomas,  the  eldest  son,  was  born  in  1557.  He  appears  to  have  been  at  Oxford  in  1581,  and  on 
the  death  of  his  father  inherited  the  patrimony  and  lived  thenceforward  at  Beaulieu,  where  he 
died  in  1622,  having  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Sir  William  Oglander,  Knight,  by  whom  he 
had  three  sons,  Francis,  Robert  and  John  and  two  daughters,  Elizabeth,  who  married  John  Ford, 
and  Frances,  who  married  Henry  Bromfield,  J. P.,  of  Dorset.  The  will  of  Thomas  Kempe,  of 
"Gins,"  in  Beaulieu  (pronounced  and  sometimes  written  Bewley),  was  proved  in  1623  (P.C.C, 
52  Swan)  ;  the  opening  is  indicative  of  the  Roman  faith,  and  he  bequeathed  sums  of  money  to 
the  poor  of  Bewley  and  several  servants.  He  mentions  also  the  following  relatives  :  his  brother 
Francis,  the  widows  of  his  late  brothers  Robert  and  Edward,  Sir  John  Oglander,  Knight,  Arthur 
Bromfield,  Esquire,  his  "kinsman,"  Robert  Dillingham,  Esquire,  his  brother-in-law  George 
Oglander,  Gent.,  his  wife  Mary,  and  his  children,  John,  Robert,  Francis,  Elizabeth,  Frances  and 
Amy.  He  mentions  several  items  of  his  real  estate  at  Beaulieu,  Boulnor  and  elsewhere,  the  bulk 
of  which  with  his  stock  and  cattle  was  left  to  his  wife  for  life  and,  subject  to  her  interest,  to  John, 
his  eldest  son,  to  whom  he  specially  bequeathed  his  father's  "  sealed  ring."  (Impressions  from  this 
ring  are  extant  at  the  British  Museum  and  doubtless  elsewhere,  but  we  fear  the  ring  itself  has 
passed  away.) 

John  Kempe,  the  eldest  son,  duly  inherited  the  estate,  and  it  was  he  who  represented  Christ- 
church  and  Lymington  in  Parliament,  and  conveyed  to  the  imprisoned  King  Charles  at 
Carisbrooke  Castle  the  demands  of  the  Parliamentary  Party.  He  was  Mayor  of  Christchurch  in 
the  following  years,  1625,  1033,  1640,  and  several  letters  of  his  are  still  preserved  in  the 
Corporation  chest  of  Christchurch.  He  lived  chiefly  at  Bucker's  Hard,  near  Beaulieu,  but  was 
buried  at  Boldre  Church,  where  a  bust  with  the  following  inscription  still  exists  there. 

D.  M.  S. 

lohannes  Kempe,  armiger,  pietate  in  Deum, 

patriam,  parentes  et  cognatos  nulli  secundus  ; 

modestia,  humanitate,  et  vitae  integritate 

omnibus  bonis  notus  ;    e  civibus  supremi  senatus 


Hampshire  and  Isle  of  Wight.  33 

Anglicani  non  postremus  ;  exactis  41  vitae  annis 

mortales  exuvias  hie  deposuit  resumpturus 

immortales  in  resurrectione. 

Non  diu  fuit,  sed  diu  vixit. 

Obiit  die  quinto  Octobris  anno  Dni   1652. 

Hoc  monumentum  Henricus  Bromfield,  armiger, 

sororis  suae  maritus,  in  perpetuum  amoris 

testimonium,  moestus  posuit 

Qui  clarus  fuit,  qui  charus  amicis, 

qui  patriae  fidus,  cui  decus  omne  fuit, 

occidit  ante  diem,  fatis  ablatus  iniquis, 

et  rediit  in  cineres  (proh  dolor)  ipse  suos, 

Ouod  mortale  fuit  tumulo  requiescit  in  isto  ; 

sed  nescit  leges  mens,  libitina,  tuas  ; 

nanque  expers  lethi  mortales  despicit  omnes, 

et  tenet  aetheria  pegmata  coeli  post. 

The  church  register  records  that  John  Kempe,  Esquire,  was  buried  7th  October,  1652- 
His  will  dated  at  Haywood,  in  the  parish  of  "  Bolder,  in  the  New  Forest,"  on  23rd  October,  1647, 
was  proved  in  London  on  the  28th  October,  1652.  The  will  opens  with  a  request  that  the 
testator  should  "  be  buried  according  to  the  rancke,  qualitie  and  degree  it  hath  pleased  the  Lord 
to  place  me  in,"  but  this  clause  was  struck  out  before  signing.  It  bequeaths  to  his  mother,  Mary 
Bromfield,  ^500,  ;^300  to  his  "  sister,"  Frances  Bromfield,  and  subject  to  other  legacies  it  leaves 
the  residuary  estate  in  trust  for  William  Bromfield,  during  whose  minority  his  father,  Henry 
Bromfield,  is  appointed  executor.  The  testator  mentions  his  lands  in  "  Bewley,"  Christchurch, 
Boldre,  Whippingham  and  at  Shalfleete,  the  two  last  being  in  the  Isle  of  Wight.  Among  the 
legatees  are  the  following  :  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John  Ford  (Gent.),  the  testator's  "  brother," 
Amy,  wife  of  John  Button,  Margaret  Tollesbury,  John  Baywood,  Robert  Dillingham,  Esq., 
William  Oglander,  Esq.,  the  servants  on  the  estates  and  the  local  clergy.  From  this  will  it 
appears  evident  that  this  John  Kempe  left  neither  widow  nor  children,  and  that  his  possessions 
passed  to  the  Bromfields,  his  mother,  as  indicated  by  the  will,  having  married  Henry  Bromfield, 
of  Southampton.  Thus  it  seems  that  William  Bromfield,  the  principal  legatee,  was  half  brother 
to  John  Kempe,  M.P.  We  find  that  "  John  Kempe,  son  of  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Bewley,  Co. 
Southampton,  Esquire,"  was  entered  at  Gray's  Inn  on  2nd  May,  1631,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
about  this  entry  referring  to  the  above  M.P.  for  Christchurch,  but  it  is  evident  that  there  was  a 
second  John  Kempe,  of  Christchurch,  who  died  there  just  two  years  later,  his  will  being  proved 
in  the  same  Court  as  the  foregoing  (P.C.C,  187  Wotton)  in  1658-  It  is  dated  3rd  October, 
1657,  and  describes  the  testator  ss  "John  Kemp/,  of  Weeke,  within  the  parish  of  Christchurch, 
Gent.''^  It  mentions  the  testator's  son-in-law,  Henry  Hopkins,  his  daughter  Mary  Hilles,  and  his 
two  daughters-in-law,  Dorothy  and  Alice  Warwicke,  and  a  grandchild  Thomas  Hills.  The  chief 
legatee  of  this  will  is  Tobias  Kemp/,  who  also  was  sole  executor.  From  the  mention  of  married 
children  and  of  the  grandchild,  we  infer  that  this  John  Kempt  was  older  than  the  M.P.  Possibly 
he  was  the  son  of  Parson  John  Kempe,  of  Freshwater,  Isle  of  Wight,  who  had  sons  named  John, 
Tobias  and  Caleb.*     We  may  therefore  now  turn  to  the  notes  gleaned  of  Kempes  settled  in  that 

*  We  say  possibly,  for  whereas  Kempts    requently  become   Kemps  the  converse  is  rare,  the  rule  being  that  the  more  difficult  form  to 
pronounce  or  write  yields  to  the  easier  form.    John  Kempt  may  have  been  a  migrant  from  Scotland. 


34  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

Isle,  the  earliest  of  whom,  so  far  as  our  information  goes,  is  the  said  Parson,  who  is  said  to  have 
been  beneficed  at  one  time  at  Clanfield,  Hants.  The  state  papers  contain  many  references  to  him, 
and  John  Fox,  in  his  ''Acts  and  Monuments,"  states  that  he  was  persecuted  in  Queen  Mary's 
time.  This  John.  Kempe  is  believed  to  be  one  of  those  of  his  name  included  in  the  Alumni 
Oxonienses,  he  being  either  at  All  Souls  in  1541  or  1546-  In  either  case  the  fact  of  his  being 
at  that  college  points  to  his  being  a  recognised  relative  of  the  Kentish  Kempes,  who  as  descendants 
of  the  Founder's  Kin  (Archbishop  Chichele)  were  entitled  to  privileges  as  noticed  in  our  Kentish 
section  ;  he,  however,  seems  to  have  come  from  Godstone  (Surrey),  where  the  records  show  that  a 
line  of  Kempes  had  long  been  settled.  The  State  Papers  of  1587  announce  his  death.  Sir 
George  Carey  writing  from  Carisbrooke  Castle  to  Sir  Francis  Walsingham  says,  "  The  Parsonage 
of  Freshwater  is  vacant  by  the  death  of  Parson  Kempe  .  .  .  the  place  is  fit  for  Mr.  Browne, 
Mr.  Fades  or  some  good  preacher.  (The  suggestion  as  to  Mr.  Browne  also  points  to  the  likeli- 
hood of  this  John  being  near  kin  to  the  Kempes  of  Ollanty,  as  Elleanor  Browne,  daughter  of  Sir 
Matthew  Browne,  of  Betchworth  Castle,  Surrey,  was  grandmother  to  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Beaulieu.) 
The  will  of  the  Parson  was  proved  in  1586-7,  being  dated  at  Freshwater  in  July,  1579.  It 
bequeaths  sums  to  the  poor  of  that  place  and  to  the  poor  of  Gatcomb.  Piteous  mention  is  made 
of  the  testator's  persecutions  in  former  times,  and  he  explains  his  actions  which  have  given  rise  to 
questions  as  to  his  orthodo.xy.  He  bequeathed  his  great  Bible  to  his  wife,  Anne,  with  three  other 
books,  and  his  small  Bible  to  Thomas  Banks.  He  leaves  family  silver  to  each  of  his  five  children, 
John,  Tobias,  Caleb,  Hannah  and  Grace,  and  left  his  real  estate  at  Godstone  (Surrey)  to  Tobias, 
his  son,  and  his  heirs,  or  in  the  event  of  Tobias  dying  without  issue  then  to  the  issue  of  the  said 
John  and  Caleb  Kemp.  A  list  of  debtors  and  creditors  of  the  testator  was  affixed  to  the  will, 
mentioning  Story,  Smith,  of  Havant,  Earle,  of  Havant,  and  the  testator's  brothers  Richard  and 
Edward. 

ToBTAS  Kempe,  presumably  the  same  mentioned  in  this  will,  became  steward  to  the  Oglanders, 
and  is  buried  under  an  alter  tomb  which  still  exists  in  the  chancel  of  Brading  Church.  We  have 
not  traced  his  will,  and,  as  the  records  of  such  at  Winchester  seem  to  be  very  imperfect,  we  have 
little  doubt  that  his  is  among  the  documents  which  have  disappeared.  We  have  no  trace  of  his 
marriage,  but  as  Kempes  were  from  that  time  (1620)  settled  in  the  parish,  it  seems  likely  that  the 
numerous  Kempes  of  Brading  were  his  descendants  or  kinsmen.  One  of  the  modern  representa- 
tives of  this  family  was  the  late  Dixon  Kemp,  whose  father  (Edward)  and  grandfather  (John) 
were  both  baptized  at  Brading,  where  their  ancestors  are  commemorated  for  generations  back  by 
tombstones  and  numerous  entries  in  the  registers.  Dixon  Kemp  was  born  at  Ryde  in  1839,  and 
from  boyhood  was  an  enthusiastic  boat  builder.  His  knowlege  of  naval  architecture  grew  rapidly, 
and  as  a  practical  yachtsman  he  gained  early  fame.  One  of  his  books  on  boat-building  has  been 
translated  into  German  by  the  order  of  the  Emperor,  and  is  now  the  recognised  text  book  in  the 
German  Naval  Schools.  He  was  a  member  of  many  of  the  chief  yachting  clubs,  yachting  editor 
of  The  Fields  and  contributed  articles  on  aquatic  sports  to  the  daily  and  other  papers  for  a  long 
series  of  years.  His  last  work  was  a  huge  volume  (now  sold  at  £\  45.)  on  Naval  Architecture,  an 
authority  which  will  always  be  a  book  of  reference.  He  died  after  a  short  illness  at  his  residence 
at  Kensington  in  1899  leaving  (by  his  wife,  Georgina  M.  B.  Gordon)  two  children,  Gordon 
Kemp,  born  in  1870,  and  Dorothy  Morison  Kemp,  born  ten  years  later. 

We  may  mention  that  Dixon  Kemp  had  two  great  uncles  who  started  branches  away  from 
their  native  town  (George,  the  eldest  brother  of  his  grandfather,  remaining  at  Brading).  Charles 
Kemp  was  a  silversmith  in  Fore  Street,  London,  and  James  was  a  carriage  builder  who  lono- 
flourished  at  Lime  Kiln  Lane,  Bristol.     Descendants  of  the  last  still  live  at  Bristol,  but  we  have 


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Miss  Lucy  Kemp-Welch, 


Margaret  Kempe,  wife  of  William  Dane, 
some  time  Lord  Ma3'or  of  London. 


Elizabeth  Watts, 
ancestor  of  all  Kemp- Welches. 


Sarah  .  .  .= 
d.  1813.      1 


Ma  y  K. 
1768  1816. 


Thomas  Kemp, 
b.  1758,  d.  1763. 


Martin  Kemp,  added:=EIizabeth  Watts 


George  Ki 
^Elizabeth 

A 
Issue  in  Am< 


name  of  Welch  in 

1795  by  Royal 

Licence, 


rray  K.     Augustus  K.     Anna  Maria  K.     Julia  K.  b-  I772i  d.  1837. 


b.  1780,  m.  1801, 
d.  1867. 


-A  see  helow. 


James  Kemp- Welch, — Mary  Ann  Hill, 
b.  1806,  d.  1887.  m.  1830,  d.  1856. 


Emily  Olive  .;V_     Janet  Maria  K.-W.     Harriet  Sophia  K.-W. 
1832-63  1j_  j8,g_  i3_  1838,  m.  i860. 

=:Wm.  Pratten. 
1 
\  Oakes,  m.  1867. 


^  Kemp-Welch, 
list. 


Elizabeth  K 


1live  Brown, 
m.  1879. 


Frank  K.-W. 
b.  1853. 


Thomas  K.-W. 
b.  1842. 


a  daughter. 


k.-w. 
1830. 


Thomas  K.-W. 
b.  1819,  d.  1842. 


Phoebe  K.-V\j 


Emma  K.-W.  :=.Alex.  Paris, 
b.  1846,  m.  1877. 


Harriet  Sophia  K.-W.=:Wm.  Pratten, 
m.  i860.  of  Bristol. 


Catherine  K.-^g  Leckie. 
m.  1863. 


Erratum  :  John  Kemp-\ 


Harry  K.-W.  ^Mary  Bevington. 
b.  1847,  m.  1874. 


John  K.-W.     =Julia  A.  Grindall. 
b.  1658,  m.  1884.  I 

Beryl  K.-W. 


THE    KEMP- WELCH     FAMILY. 


I  Kemp,  added^Eli2;ibeth  WiU 


=Elijabelh  Miller. 
AuoinAn,enca. 


Elizabelh— Henry  K.=Jane  Ci< 


d.  1877.         d.  I.S73.'     d.  1 


Sarah  K.        Ellen  K.        Thomas  K. 


=Wm.  Pratten. 


George  Wdloughby  Kemp-Welch,         Ridson  D.  Cope  K.-W. 


=Eli2abeth  Oakes,  «i. 


Elizabeth  K.-W.=Joscph  Walton.  Jesse  Hall  K.-W. 


Catherine  K.-VV.=W.  Walmough. 


ignes  K.-W.  =Chas.  Co; 
39.  m.  1864, 
d.  1873. 


Frank  K.-W. 

Thon 

aas  K.-W. 

Emma  K.-W.  =.(^1 

b.  1853. 

b 

1842. 

b.  1846,  m.  1877. 

Phoebe  K.-W. 


Emily  Martha  K.-W.  Mary  Grace  K.-W.=Hy.  .M.  Aldri 


Catherine  K.-W.=L.  White. 


Stanley  Kemp.Wclch,=Wilhelm 


Charles  Durant  K.-W. 


Harry  K.-W.  =Mary  Bevington.  John  K.-W.     =Julia  A.  Grindall. 


John  Kemp-Welch.         Stanley  Kemp-Welch. 


urn  :  John  Kemp- Welch,  "b.  1658  "  should  read  "b. 


The  Kemps  of  Dorset.  •  35 

no  actual  knowledge  of  the  present  representatives  of  the  second  London  branch  of  this  Brading 
Kemp  family. 

Returning  to  the  issue  of  the  old  Parson  Kemp  we  may  note  that  Caleb,  as  stated  in  our 
Middlesex  section,  was  Vicar  of  Bradford,  Yorkshire,  and  left  issue.  We  surmise  that  the  other 
son  John  was  he  who  married  Alice,  daughter  of  John  Talk,  of  Havant  (as  stated  by  Berry's 
"Hampshire  Pedigrees  "),  and  that  it  was  he  who  died  at  Christchurch  in  1656,  he  apparently 
being  M.P.  for  that  place  in  1653  and  1655.  The  present  representative  of  Sir  William  Oglander 
still  resides  on  the  family  estates  within  the  parish  of  Brading,  and  on  referring  to  the  MSS.  of 
Sir  William  and  his  descendants  he  finds  many  mentions  of  the  Kempes,  who  seem  to  have  been 
tenants  of  his  family  for  the  last  300  years.  The  Vicar  of  Brading  has  been  good  enough  to  sketch 
the  tomb  of  Tobias  Kemp,  and  gives  the  inscription  thereon  as  follows  :  "  Mr.  Tobye  Kempe, 
Ob.  1637,  clarke  to  Sir  John  Oglander,  Knight,  of  Nunwell." 

Another  and  later  conne.xion  of  Kempes  with  Hampshire  is  shown  to  have  occurred  by  the 
will  of  Anne  Kempe,  relict  of  Henry  Kempe,  of  the  Inner  Temple,  proved  in  1685  (P.C  C, 
46  Cann),  for  this  testatrix  bequeathed  to  her  daughter  Susannah  all  her  real  estate  in  the  parish 
of  Milford,  near  Lymington,  Co.  Southampton,  with  other  lands  at  Whitton,  in  the  parish  of 
Twickenham,  Middlesex,  and  at  Studley  Marsh  and  Padbrooke,  in  the  parish  of  Lydiard  Tregoze, 
Wilts.  This  testatrix  was  the  daughter  of  William  Yorks,  of  Basset's  Down,  Lydiard  Tregoze, 
and  her  husband,  according  to  an  accepted  pedigree  in  the  "  Visitation  of  Middlesex  "  made  in 
166^,  was  son  of  Francis  Kemp,  a  descendant  of  Bartholomew  Kemp,  of  Gissing.  Thus  this 
Henry  was  of  an  entirely  different  stock  from  those  Kempes  of  Christchurch  and  Beaulieu.  Henry 
died  only  a  few  months  previous  to  his  wife  and  was  buried  in  the  Temple  Church.  His  will 
proved  and  registered  in  the  same  year  and  book  as  his  wife's,  bequeathed  his  real  estate  to  his 
son  Edward,  who  was  the  executor  appointed.  Edward  Kemp  was  at  Christchurch  College, 
O.xford,  in  1661,  and  at  the  Inner  Temple  in  1669,  after  which  we  have  no  definite  trace  of  him. 
Possibly  he  may  be  the  ancestor  of  the  Dorset  Kemps,  of  whom  we  shall  speak  in  our  next 
chapter.  ..  ■  , 


CH(iATTE%_    V. 

THE    KEMPS    OF    DORSET. 

'T  ^TTE  have  already  alluded  to  the  very  early  Kempes  who  represented  Lyme  in  Parliament 
\  \  /  from  1337  to  1340,  and  again  in  1354,  and  of  a  Bartholomew  of  the  Norfolk  family 
VV  who  represented  Shaftesbury  in  1584.  But  so  far  as  we  can  trace  the  Kempes  of 
Poole  were  not  connected  directly  with  either  of  these.  Their  ancestors,  the  Welches,  had  long 
been  settled  al  Beaulieu,  Lymington  and  Christchurch,  but  it  is  not  known  yet  how  Martin 
Kemp,  of  Poole,  the  first  known  ancestor  of  the  Kemp-Welches  was  connected  with  those  recorded 
in  our  last  chapter.  One  of  the  family  and  a  friend,  who  is  an  expert  archaeologist,  have  searched 
the  local  registers  and  several  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  but  have  not  found  the  baptism  of  this  Martin 
nor  any  other  Kemp  so  named.     We  suggest  that   it  is  probable  that  the  name  of  Martin  as  a 


36  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

christian  name  was  derived  from  the  surname,  as  we  know  of  several  instances  previous  to  his 
date  of  birth  {circa  1722)  of  Martins  marrying  Kemps.  These  are,  however,  in  each  case  at  a 
distance  from  Poole,  the  nearest  being  "  Luce  Martin  als  Kempe,  of  Nettlecombe,  Co.  Somerset," 
a  widow,  who  made  her  will  in  1660  and  died  in  1663,  leaving  her  daughter,  "Ursula  Martin  als 
Kemp,"  executrix  and  principal  legatee.  She  mentions  also  her  son  Baldwin,  her  daughter 
Dorothy,  and  her  grandchildren,  Joane  and  William  Gierke.  Susannah  Kemp,  of  Richmond,  in 
her  will  dated  1684  (P.C.C,  33  Lloyd),  desired  to  be  buried  near  her  father  and  mother  in  the 
Church  of  St.  Dunstan-in-the-West,  London,  with  eight  or  ten  escutcheons  of  arms  over  her. 
She  left  numerous  legacies,  but  we  need  only  mention  here  that  she  included  the  names  of 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  Humphrey  Clerke  ;  her  niece,  Rodya  Martin,  wife  of  John  Martin,  of  Old 
Change,  London  ;  her  nephew,  Sir  Francis  Pemberton,  Knight,  and  her  niece,  Anne  Southby. 
These  names  identify  the  testatrix  as  a  member  of  the  Buckingham  branch  of  the  New  Forest 
Kemps,  and  thus  near  kin  to  John  Kempe  the  M.P.  for  Christchurch.  It  would  seem  highly 
probable  therefore  that  Martin  Kemp,  of  Poole,  derived  his  name  from  these  Martins,  and  that 
he  was  akin  to  the  Kemps  of  High  Wycombe,  Bucks,  and  their  Hampshire  cousins.  Against  this 
theory,  however,  we  must  range  the  following  evidence,  which  is  local  but  very  scattered. 
Edward  Kempe,  of  Poole,  married  Edith  Hawkins  in  August,  1665;  Edith  Kemp,  a  widow, 
was  buried  there  in  1715  ;  Edward  Kemp,  baptized  at  Poole  in  1666  (evidently  the  eldest  son 
of  this  couple),  married  Joan  Guy  there  in  1690,  and  a  son  Edward  was  baptized  there  in  that  or 
the  following  year.  In  1709  Edward  Kemp,  a  maltster,  of  Poole,  married  Jane  Crocker,  a  widow, 
and  in  1722  Benjamin,  the  son  of  Edward  and  Rachell  Kemp,  was  baptized  there.  Beside  these 
we  have  the  following  apparently  collateral  line.  Benjamin,  the  son  of  the  first  named  Edward, 
was  baptized  there  in  1668.  Administration  of  his  estate  was  granted  to  Edith  Seagar  in  1707, 
and  Nicholas,  the  son  of  Nicholas  and  Mary  Kemp,  was  baptized  there  in  1716. 

The  Kemp- Welch  family  held  property  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  but  there  are  no  wills  at  Winchester 
recording  such  property  ;  indeed,  it  is  astonishing  that  all  the  Kempes  of  Brading  should  have 
passed  away  without  having  recorded  one  will  or  administration.  Calbourne  is  one  of  the  places  in 
the  Isle  of  Wight  which  comes  under  notice,  and  the  registers  have  been  searched.  They,  however, 
included  but  two  rather  late  Kemp  items,  William,  buried  1781,  and  John,  buried  1782.  These 
were,  it  is  thought,  the  sons  of  Thomas  Kemp,  of  Brexford,  who,  with  Ellen  Grey,  were  adminis- 
trators of  the  estate  of  Elizabeth  Kemp,  their  mother,  formerly  of  Newton,  who  died  about  1740, 
she  being  the  widow  of  Richard  Kemp,  of  Calbourne,  whose  will  was  proved  in  London  1732- 
Arreton  Registers  also  include  a  few  Kempes  between  1694  and  1704,  and  those  of  Newport 
contain  Kemp  entries  between  1680  to  18 13.  In  the  last  case  at  least  more  than  one  family  of 
the  name  is  represented,  for  Lucretia,  daughter  of  John  Purcell  Kemp,  who  was  baptized  there 
in  1741,  was  certainly  of  a  Yorkshire  family,  her  baptism  being  performed  here  owing  only  to 
her  father  being  temporarily  stationed  with  his  regiment  in  the  Isle  of  Wight.  The  aunts  of  this 
John  Purcell  Kemp  were  employed  in  the  British  and  German  Royal  Courts  as  governesses  or 
some  such  capacities,  and  they  are  frequently  mentioned  in  the  state  papers  and  treasury  papers 
of  the  period.  It  is  not  impossible  that  they  were  related  to  the  Kemps  of  Poole,  but  we  do  not 
think  this  at  all  probable. 

We  must  in  any  case  leave  the  matter  in  doubt  as  to  the  parentage  of  the  first  Martin  Kemp, 
of  Poole,  his  baptism,  as  we  have  said,  has  not  been  traced,  and  except  that  he  is  said  to  have  been 
nearly  fifty  years  of  age  when  he  died  we  have  no  clue  as  to  the  date  of  his  birth.  We  know  that 
he  married  at  Poole  on  i6th  April,  1755,  Mary,  the  daughter  of  Robert  Welch,  of  Lymington. 
Both  were  buried  at  the  Congregational  Chapel   at  Poole,  he  in  1772  and  she  in   1805-     His 


The  Kemps  of  Dorset.  37 

will  was  proved  in  London  within  two  months  of  his  death  (P.C.C,  297  Taverner).  Therein  he 
is  described  as  a  merchant,  of  Poole,  and  he  bequeathed  to  his  wife  his  household  goods  absolutely, 
and  the  leasehold  estates  in  the  Isle  of  Wight  (which  he  held  from  Sir  John  Barrington)  to  her 
for  life,  after  which  this  and  his  residuary  estate  was  to  be  divided  among  his  children,  George, 
John,  Mary  and  James,  all  of  whom  were  minors.  Martin  Kemp  is  not  mentioned  in  the  will  ; 
indeed,  being  posthumous  double  probate  was  obtained  that  he  might  obtain  in  due  time  his 
share  of  the  property,  consisting  largely  of  the  merchant  business,  which,  in  accordance  with 
directions  in  the  will,  was  carried  on  by  John  Green,  of  Poole,  and  John  Holding,  of  the  City  of 
London,  banker,  until  the  eldest  child,  George,  could  manage  it.  The  business  proved  well 
founded,  and  under  its  new  management  prospered  exceedingly. 

We  need  not  give  here  details  of  all  the  baptisms,  marriages  and  births  recorded  in  the 
registers  of  Poole  Church  and  the  Congregational  Chapel  there  ;  it  will  suffice  to  say  that  nearly 
all  the  descendants  of  this  Kemp  and  Welch  alliance  were  stout  supporters  of  Congregational 
Churches,  most,  indeed,  being  identified  with  that  of  Poole,  while  those  who  migrated  to  Bristol, 
London  and  elsewhere  have  mostly  identified  themselves  actively  with  the  churches  of  the 
same  body. 

George  Kemp,  of  Poole,  the  eldest  son,  married  twice,  first  to  Sarah  .  .  .  and  secondly 
to  Elizabeth  Pearce,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  His  eldest  son  George 
married  Elizabeth  Miller,  and  several  of  his  descendants  are  now  in  America.  George  Kemp,  the 
elder,  died  in  1845  aged  eighty-nine,  and  his  son  George  died  at  Michigan,  United  States,  in 
1865,  aged  seventy-five.  Henry,  the  second  son,  also  married  twice  and  had  two  sons,  Thomas 
and  Francis,  and  three  daughters.  He  died  in  1872  aged  eighty-three.  Mary,  one  of  the 
daughters  of  George  Kemp,  the  elder,  married  Richard  Hamer  in  1821,  her  sister  Sarah  dying 
unmarried. 

The  second  branch  of  the  senior  George  Kemp's  family  is  represented  by  Francis  H.  N.  C. 
Kemp,  of  Brecknock  Road,  London,  who  is  a  son  of  Francis  John,  the  second  son  of  Henry  Kemp, 
the  second  son  of  George  Kemp,  the  elder. 

Returning  to  the  second  Martin  Kemp,  of  Poole,  we  noted  that  he  was  born  shortly  after  his 
father's  death  in  1772  ;  he  married  Elizabeth  Watts  in  1830,  she  being  related  to  Isaac  Watts 
"  the  Divine,"  so  well  known  from  his  hymns.  It  was  this  Martin  Kemp  who  by  Royal  Patent 
added  the  name  of  Welch  to  his  paternal  surname.  The  Zo«^o7z  Gazette  of  May  i6th,  1795, 
contains  the  following,  dated  from  Whitehall  : 

"The  King  has  been  pleased  to  grant  unto  Martin  Kemp  of  Tower  Hill,  London,  son  of  Martin  Kemp  of  Poole, 
Dorset,  His  Royal  Licence  and  Authority  that  he  and  his  issue  may  take  the  surname  of  Welch  in  addition  to  that  of 
Kemp  in  compliance  with  the  wish  of  hi  smaternal  Uncle  George  Welch  Esquire,  of  the  City  of  London,  Banker." 

All  the  descendants  have  duly  used  the  compound  name,  but  we  are  not  sure  that  every 
person  at  present  styling  themselves  by  that  name  is  an  actual  descendant  of  the  second  Martin 
Kemp,  to  whose  issue  the  use  of  that  name  was  limited.  Strange  to  say,  although  some  ;^5oo 
was  paid  for  this  licence,  no  arms  were  accredited  to  the  Kemp- Welches,  and  there  is  a  doubt  as 
to  the  correct  bearings  for  Welch  as  well  as  in  right  of  the  Kemp  descent.  Candlesticks,  formerly 
the  property  of  the  above  mentioned  banker,  George  Welch,  bear  as  a  crest  a  goat's  head  caboshed 
with  an  amulet  for  difference,  and  the  arms  of  Welch  as  quartered  with  the  arms  of  the  Kempes 
of  Kent  are  engraved  on  the  signet  ring  of  one  of  the  family. 


Section    V. 


The  Kemp  and  Kempe 
families  of 

The  Midlands,  Western  Counties 

AND 

North  of  England. 


B3 


The  Kempes  of  the  Midlands,  Western  Counties  and 

North  of  England. 


CHqATTE'R^    I. 


EARLY  ONES. 

IN   1352  an  enquiry  was  made  as  to  the  extent  of  the  Borough  of  Stratford-on-Avon,  the 
report  of  which  records  that  "  Robert  de  Kemesei  "  held  a  piece  of  land  there  at  a  rental  of 
twelve  pence,  and  two  other  pieces  at  two  shillings  per  annum.     At  the  same  period  "  Petras 
de  Kemes  "  held  land  at  about  the  same  value.     It  might  not  unreasonably  be  supposed  that  these 
individuals  were  forerunners  of  the  name  and  a  family  of  Kemp.     As  a  matter  of  fact,  however, 
the  addition  to  the  christian  names  simply  identifies  them  with  the  parish  of  Kempsey  in  the 
adjoining  county  of  Worcester.     In  the  case  of  Robert  this  explanation  admits  of  no  doubt  ;  Peter 
may  have  belonged  to  one  of  the  places  called  Kemeys.     But  though   we   may   not  claim  those 
persons  as   representatives  of  the  Kemp   families,   the  place    name    Kempsey,  meaning   Kemp's 
Island,  attests  the  existence  of  the  name  Kemp  at  a  far 
earlier  period  in  this  part  of  the  county.     Kempsey  is 
situated  on  the  Severn  about  two  miles  South  of  Wor- 
cester.    It  contains  a  residence  known  as  Beauchamp 
Court,  from   which  it  is  presumable  that  the  Earls  of 
Warwick,  whose  surname  as  has  already  been  stated 
more  than  once  was  de  Bello  Campo,  held  property  here. 
As  the  chief  or  sole  landowners  their  name,  as  often 
happens  in  the  case  of  place  names,  was  used  to  dis- 
tinguish   the   locality.      These    facts    lend    additional 
support  to  the  views  that  the  Kemp  and  Beauchamp 
(or  Bello  Campo)  families  are  derived  from  the  common 
stock,  though  Ave  are  unable  to  state  the  actual  line  of 
descent.      The  name  of  Bello  Campo  appears  on  the 
Battle  Abbey  Roll,  which  however  contains  no  Kemp. 
As   some   of  the   Kemps,   Edward    Kemp,   Sheriff  of 
Belton,  for  example,  used  the  royal  supporters  with  their  arms  in  the  belief  that  their  ancestors 
came  over  with  the  Conqueror,  we  are  again  forced  to  turn  to  the  line  of  the  house  of  Warwick  in 
justification  of  the  tradition.     The  earhest  mention  of  the  actual  surname  of  Kemp(e)  in  the  county 
of  Warwick  is  in  1384  when  Henry  Inge  was  charged  before  the  king's  clerk  with  having  caused 
the  death  of  Richard  Kempe,  of  Austeley,  hodie  Austray,  on  the  Leicestershire  border  of  the  county. 
Another  tradition  still  rife  among  the  Leicestershire  Kempes  is  that  their  stock  was  akin  to 
John  Kempe  the  noted  Flemish  weaver,  who  under  the  special  protection  of  Edward  III.  founded 


Arms  used  by  Edward  Kemp,  Sheriff  of  Rutland. 


1  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

his  craft  at  Kendal  in  1331.  Much  fiction  has  doubtless  gathered  round  this  man,  but  the 
royal  patents  and  other  original  records  give  us  authority  for  saying  that  long  before  1331  the 
Kempes  were  manufacturers  of  woollen  stuffs  at  Ghent,  where  a  street  was  devoted  to  their 
weaving  shops  and  was  called  "  Kempe's  Street."  We  must  not  be  too  ready  to  believe  that  this 
weaver  of  Flanders  was  necessarily  of  Flemish  origin^  for  thirty  or  forty  years  before  his  settlement 
in  England,  Guy  and  Robert  Kempi  or  Campe  were  important  British  officers  engaged  round 
Hull  to  arrest  the  unauthorized  exportation  of  wool.  And  still  earUer  a  merchant  of  Florence 
named  Cempe  was  engaged  in  the  woollen  trade  with  England,  his  name  being  spelled  in  various 
forms  recognizable  as  variants  of  Kemp.  (This  merchant  was  a  member  of  the  "  Falcon  "  Guild  of 
Merchants,  it  is  therefore  singular  that  a  Falcon  was  one  of  the  earliest  Kemp  crests.) 

In  1327,  Philippa,  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Hainault,  was  wife  of  Edward  III.,  at  whose  court 
it  was  the  fashion  to  wear  Flemish  cloth,  but  this  was  a  source  of  trouble  to  that  king,  who  was 
anxious  that  his  people  should  be  able  to  produce  as  good  a  material  as  any  imported.  The  Green 
Cloth  of  Kendal  had  already  become  known  through  the  civilized  world,  but  the  withdrawal  of 
court  patronage  had  led  to  the  manufacture  falling  into  disrepute.  Hence  when  the  Count  of 
Hainauit,  in  1330,  found  the  Kempe  weavers  of  Ghent  getting  so  powerful  that  he  feared  further 
increase  of  their  influence  (and  even  charged  them  with  treason  and  conspiracies)  they  were  glad  to 
accept  the  invitation  of  Edward  III.  to  come  to  this  country  "  with  all  implements  of  their  craft, 
their  looms  and  their  dyes.''  A  thrilling  story  of  their  landing,  apparently  founded  upon  the 
result  of  considerable  research,  was  printed  in  the  Kendal  Mercury  of  December,  1865.  It  tells  of 
the  natural  misgiving  of  the  native  weavers  of  Kendal  at  the  inroad,  under  the  king's  protection, 
of  these  hated  foreign  rivals.  But  the  local  weavers  were  soon  converted  into  willing  friends  when 
they  found  John  Kempe  to  be  a  generous  hearted  man,  ready  to  leach  all  his  modes  of  manufacture 
to  the  British  subject.  He  is  said  to  have  had  no  son,  but  brought  with  him  two  nephews  named 
Kempe  and  a  daughter  who  was  of  phenomenal  beauty  and  the  embodiment  of  kindness  This 
lovely  daughter  is  not  a  creation  of  modern  fiction,  for  she  is  recorded  to  have  married  John,  Baron 
de  Roos,  of  Kendal  Castle,  who  took  the  Kempe  weavers  under  his  personal  care.  It  is  strange  if 
this  is  merely  tradition,  that  the  Roos  or  Rous  family  and  the  Kempes  of  Suffolk  were  so 
intimately  connected  during  the  next  century,  John  Kempe,  of  Woodbridge,  being  buried  beside 
many  of  the  Rous  family,  who  founded  the  church  at  that  place. 

Few  references  to  the  name  of  Kemp(e)  have  been  found  at  Kendal,  but  it  appears  that  in 
1544  one  of  the  Kempe  weavers  was  factor  or  park  keeper  to  Walter  Strickland,  Esquire,  of 
Sizergh  Castle,  which  lies  close  to  Kendal.  This  Nicholas,  with  others  of  the  Kempes  as  subjects 
of  this  "  Lord  "  of  Sizergh,  fought  with  the  other  Kendal  men  (who  were  renowned  for  their  skill 
at  archery)  against  the  Scots  at  Flodden  Field,  as  evidenced  by  a  letter  narrating  the  fight  written 
at  the  time  by  the  Earl  of  Surrey.  Nicholas  was  not  a  common  name  among  the  Kempes,  but 
from  this  time  the  Cornish  and  other  families  frequently  selected  it  for  their  children,  possibly  on 
account  of  the  repute  in  which  this  man  of  their  name  was  held.  We  have  not  traced  the  will  of 
this  individual,  but  it  is  likely  that  it  may  yet  come  to  light  in  one  of  the  Northern  Courts. 
Although  Kempes  remained  at  Kendal  and  carried  on  their  weaving  until  the  introduction  of 
machinery,  they  do  not  appear  to  have  acquired  any  landed  property  there  until  the  end  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  Under  the  successive  lords  of  Kendal  and  Sizergh  Castles  they  were 
doubtless  tenants,  for  from  time  to  time  the  name  appears  until,  on  the  last  great  guild  procession 
of  the  Kendal  weavers  in  1761,  one  reputed  descendant  of  the  first  John  Kempe's  nephew  took 
the  principal  part  in  the  proceedings.  This  may  have  been  the  forefather  of  a  John  Kemp,  who 
as  a  landowner  under  Sizergh  and  in  the  township  of  Helsington,  received  a  grant  as  his  share  of 


Early   Ones. 


an  enclosure  which  was  allotted  to  the  freeholders,  dated  at  Heversham  Church,  14th  June,  1815- 

We  have  received  an  authentic  copy  of  this  interesting  award  from  John  Kempe,  A.M.I.C.E., 

lately  Surveyor  of  Kingston,  Middlesex,  who  was  born  at  Natland,  close  to  Sizergh  Castle,  and  is  a 

descendant  of  this  freeholder  of  Kendal, 

and  in  all  probability  a  representative  of 

the  same  stock  as  the  weaver. 

We  are  greatly  indebted  to  an  enthu- 
siastic antiquary,  Mr.  Thomas  Jennings, 

of  Kendal,  for  a  quantity  of  newspaper 

cuttings  for  years  back,  for  many  extracts 

from  Kendal,   Natland   and    other    local 

registers,  and  much  miscellaneous  infor- 
mation besides.    Mrs.  Langley,  of  Bolton- 

le-Sands,  has  very  kindly    presented    us 

with    photographs    of    one    of    the    old 

Kempes  of  Westmoreland,  from  whom 

she  is  descended,  as  well  as  an  illustration 

of  a  jug  made  by  a  Westmoreland  Kempe 

for    his    relative,    whose    name    appears 

thereon.     The  jug  bears  date   1802  and 

has  descended  with  other  Kempe  relics 

to  Mrs.  Langley.     To  John  Kemp,  Esq., 

now  settled  in  Australia,  we  are  indebted 

for  the  loan  of  the  Kendal  Mercury  for 

Decembers  in   1865,  1866  and  1867  con- 
taining the  historical  tales*  bearing  on  the 

Kempes  of  Kendal,  Sizergh  and  Natland. 

From  Kendal  the  Kempes  had  frequently  to  cross  the  country  to  the  port  of  Hull,  and  we 

know  that  under  the  laws  made  for  the  woollen 
trade  they  would  visit,  from  time  to  time,  the  centres 
appointed  as  woollen  markets.  We  cannot  prove 
that  in  this  way  they  spread  from  Kendal,  but  apart 
from  tradition,  which  says  that  the  Kempe  weavers 
of  Spott  (N.B.)  were  a  direct  branch,  it  is  reasonable 
to  presume  that  at  least  some  of  the  many  early 
Kempe  weavers  of  the  West  of  England  and  around 
the  greater  towns  were  descendants.  It  is  very 
noteworthy  that  the  Kempes  of  Lancashire,  Cheshire 
and  Leicestershire  have  continued  to  be  closely  con- 
nected with  the  woollen  and  other  weaving  trades 
from  the  earliest  available  records  until  the  present 
time.  This  section  of  the  Kempe  History  worthily 
represents  the  ifidtistrial  enterprise  of  England. 


One  of  the  last  Kempes  of  Kendal. 


The  papers  are  now  out  of  print,  and  there  being  no  copyright  we  would  suggest  to  those  Kempes  who  are  interested  in  collecting  matters 
pertaining  to  their  name  that  these  stories  should  be  printed  by  subscription. 


4  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

We  must  conclude  this  chapter  with  a  mention  of  a  few  of  the  instances  of  early  Kempes  in 
the  Midlands,  Lancashire  and  Cheshire. 

One  Kempe  was  a  tenant  at  Liverpool  in  1324,  Simon  Kempe  was  a  Member  for  Parliament 
for  the  Borough  of  Appleby  in  1329,  1330,  1335  and  1337-  Anthony  Kempe,  Gent.  (Kentish 
family),  represented  the  County  of  Westmoreland  in  Parliament  in  1557-8-  William  Kemp 
was  a  Sheriff  of  the  City  of  Chester  in  1404,  and  in  the  Chester  Recognizance  Rolls  of  1517 
Arnold  Kemp  is  recorded  to  have  held  land  at  Norley,  Cheshire  (under  Sir  Thomas  Gerrard, 
Knight)  at  a  rental  of  three  pence  per  acre.  In  the  records  of  the  Duchy  of  Lancaster  the  name 
of  Kempe  appears,  one  Randall  Kempe  being  interested  in  a  wood  and  lands  at  Newton  Heath 
(1582),  while  "  Kemp's  Hill,"  otherwise  called  "  Kympton  Hill,"  near  Belgrave  Bridge,  Leicester, 
was  a  matter  of  litigation  in  the  same  Ducal-Lordship,  between  Stephen  Harvey  and  others.  In 
1603  Hugh  Kempe,  Ralph  Jackson  and  others  were  parties  to  a  suit  concerning  lands  at 
Nuthurst,  Oldham  and  Chadderton,  and  in  the  will  of  James  Chetham,  of  Nuthur.st,  dated  1613, 
Hugh  Kempe  and  Isabelle  Jackson  and  Katherine  Jackson  are  mentioned,  and  Nicholas  Kempe  is 
a  witness  thereto.  Of  these  Ave  believe  Nicholas,  Hugh  and  Arnold  to  be  strangers  recently 
become  temporarily  interested  in  the  counties,*  but  the  others  are  likely  to  be  some  of  the  connexions 
of  the  celebrated  weaver,  unless  Simon  Kempe  is  found  to  be,  as  seems  probable,  a  kinsman  of  the 
powerful  Earls  of  Warwick  who  would  be  likely  to  mfluence  his  return  to  Parliament. 

Although  the  wills  recorded  at  Chester  are  preserved  from  1545,  no  Kempe  or  Campe  appears 
in  the  list  until  1615-  In  the  neighbouring  county  of  Staffordshire  we  find  one  John  Kempe 
paying  a  subsidy  in  1535  as  a  Burgess  of  Stafford,  and  in  Lichfield  Probate  Court  we  find  several 
early  Kempe  wills,  namely,  in  1533,  George  Kempe,  of  Sudbury  ;  1539  Reginald  Kempe,  of 
Leek,  and  in  j  54 1  Richard  Kempe,  of  Abbott's  Bromley.  This  latter  place  was  the  nest  from 
which  a  very  important  British  family  of  Kempes  came,  most  of  whom  have  been  engaged  in 
commerce  and  industry.  Generation  after  generation  they  have  increased  both  in  numbers  and 
in  wealth.     To  them  we  must  devote  the  next  chapter. 


CHcA'PTETi   II. 

ABBOTT'S    BROMLEY    AND    ISSUE. 


"X^TTE  had  fully   intended  to  give  abstracts  from  the  long  series   of  wills   which  confirm 
\\/        ""^^  pedigree  we  present,  but  the_cost  of  printing  the  latter  runs  into  such  a  large 
'    ▼  proportion  of  the  amount  subscribed  by  members  of  this  family,  that  we  have  regret- 

fully to  restrict  ourselves  to  the  limited  space  left  at  our  disposal,  and  can  only  briefly  mention 
the  wills  in  order,  with  some  few  details  of  property  and  other  items. 

In  addition  to  the  wills,  which  have  been  personally  examined,  we  are  indebted  to  the  present 
Rector  of  Abbott's  Bromley  for  about  100  extracts  concerning  Kempes  from  the  parish  register. 

*  The  name  Arnold  will  be  recollected  in  connexion  with  the  Kempes  of  Kent  and  Cornwall. 


Abbott's  Bromley  and  Issue.  5 

(As  this  required  great  labour  and  patience  on  his  part,  and  has  been  entirely  gratuitous^  we  trust 
that  some  of  the  descendants  of  this  old  family  will  at  least  benefit  the  church,  if  not  offer  some 
personal  recognition  to  the  rector.)  The  parish  is  a  picturesque  one  and  well  worth  a  visit,  but 
we  fear  that  no  trace  of  a  Kempe  monument  is  now  to  be  found. 

The  first  of  this  series  of  Kempe  wills  show  \.\\2X  previous  to  1541  ancestors  had  been  buried 
at  the  church,  for  the  testator  begged  that  his  body  should  be  laid  "  beside  his  fathers  in  Bromley 
Churchyard."  This  testator  left  his  land  and  tenements  to  his  son  John,  provided  he  paid  an 
annuity  to  his  wife  Alys.  He  also  mentions  his  son,  Thomas  Kempe,  who  was  to  enjoy  the 
deceased's  "tack,"  otherwise  called  "intack,"  which,  we  believe,  was  an  enclosure  from  the  Common- 
fields  of  the  town  and  held  by  copyhold.  Alys  was  to  have  the  use  of  a  certain  house  in  Bromley 
until  the  youngest  child  was  of  age  and  the  residue  of  his  personal  estate.  An  inventory  attached 
to  this  will  shows  that  Richard  Kempe,  of  Abbott's  Bromley,  was  a  yeoman  possessing  a  fair  farm. 
The  estate  was  appraised  by  William  Harvey  and  others  (which  William  Harvey  may  have  been 
connected  with  Stephen  Harvey  mentioned  in  our  last  chapter).  Passing  by  the  many  Kempe 
wills  proved  between  this  and  1500  we  come  to  that  of  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Abbott's  Bromley. 
There  is,  however,  no  copy  of  the  will  itself,  although  the  probate  is  duly  recorded,  with  a  grant 
of  administration  to  Jone,  his  widow,  and  an  inventory  made  of  his  estate  by  Nicholas  Harvey, 
Nicholas  Browne,  Thomas  Wakelyn  and  Nicholas  Joneson.  The  latter  shows  that  the  farming 
stock  had  increased,  and  that  in  addition  to  "  peuters  "  he  had  ''  silver  salts  "  and  silver  candle- 
sticks and  "  fine  linen  sheets,"  which  were  by  no  means  common.  The  most  interesting  items, 
however,  are  the  "  loomes  "  and  tools  connected  with  the  home  manufacture  of  woollen  and  linen 
goods.  Edward  Kempe  was  a  witness  to  this  inventory,  to  which  is  attached  a  business-like 
account  of  moneys  lent,  due,  or  owing,  which  probably  represents  his  rent  roll.  George  Kempe  is 
a  debtor  to  the  deceased  for  8.y.,  which  would  be  sufficient  rent  for  a  house  and  garden  suitable  for 
his  station  as  a  yeoman.  It  is  perhaps  this  same  George  Kempe  whose  inventory  was  made  at 
Abbott's  Bromley  ist  April,  1615  ;  this  again  is  drawn  up  by  a  Harvey,  with  the  assistance  of 
William  Wall  and  Michael  Donne.  Again  looms  and  woollen  cloth  are  among  the  chief  items, 
and  the  value  of  the  personal  effects  has  risen  from  £1%  to  ^79)  iri  addition  to  which  some  _^5 
are  owing  from  John  Jackson  and  others.  (Jackson  may  also  be  one  of  those  connected  with 
Nicholas  and  Hugh  Kempe  mentioned  as  suitors  interested  in  Nuthurst,  while  another  debtor  is 
James  Atkins,  of  Rugeley,  and  a  third  "  goodwife  "  Hemming.) 

The  will  of  Edward  Kempe  of  the  same  place  was  made  and  proved  in  1618,  and  records 
the  same  request  that  his  body  should  be  buried  "  where  my  father,  mother  and  other  friends  were 
buried  "  ;  he  mentions  his  lands  not  only  at  Abbott's  Bromley,  but  others  which  he  held  of  the 
Manors  of  Cannock  and  Rugeley  ;  also  his  daughters  Joan,  Elizabeth  and  Marie,  and  his  brother 
Thomas  Kempe,  William  Vanes,  and  his  cousins  Hand  and  niece  Bridget  Kempe.  His  niece, 
Dennis  Cartwright,  and  others  are  left  legacies  ;  and  a  bequest  left  to  his  ''  Uncle  Robert  "  Kempe. 
No  inventory  is  attached,  but  the  total  value  of  the  estate  indicates  that  he  was  not  at  this  time 
the  head  of  the  family.  Robert  Kempe,  probably  the  "uncle,"  was  apparently  a  "scrivener,"  or 
writer  at  Warwick,  and  in  that  city  his  "father  "  (?  father-in-law  or  godfather)  was  buried  at  St. 
Nicholas  Church.  His  own  father  and  mother  Kempe  were  then  living,  for  he  left  to  them  the 
house  which  he  had  in  Bromley  for  their  lives,  and  20s.  per  annum  out  of  a  house  at  Warwick. 
The  testator  mentions  his  brother,  Richard  Kempe,  his  brothers-in-law  William  Stratford  and 
William  Cartwright,  his  cousin  Robert  Morrell ;  and  he  leaves  to  his  wife,  Catherine,  his  tenement 
in  Warwick,  "  near  the  Pillory,"  two  tenements  in  West  Street  and  one  in  Smith  Street,  also  his 
residence  in  the  Market  Place,  Warwick.     This  will  was  proved  in  1624  (P.C.C,  37  Bride)  and 


6  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Farttilies. 

no  inventory  is  attached.  As  to  the  "  father  Wakefield,"  we  may  note  that  in  the  will  of  John 
Kempe,  of  the  Savoy,  London,  proved  in  1588  (P.C.C,  24  Rutland)  the  testator  mentions  his 
■'  son-in-law,  William  Wakefield,"  and  his  wife,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1581  at  St.  Michaels, 
Cornhill,  as  Sybble  Lambe,  died  in  1590.  Administration  of  her  estate  as  "  Sibelle  Kempe  ah 
Lambe  als  Cook  ah  Wakefield,  late  of  the  parish  of  the  Savoy,  Middlesex,  widow,  was  granted  to 
her  son,  Nicholas  Wakefield.  From  this  we  may  deduce  that  this  John  Kempe,  of  Savoy,  who 
was  a  Merchant  Taylor  of  London,  was  at  least  connected  with  those  of  Abbott's  Bromley, 
although  we  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  Kempes  of  Kent  had  Royal  apartments  at  the  Savoy  so 
late  as  1560.  Sybelle  may  have  been  connected  with  the  Phoebe  Cooke  who  married  Caleb 
Kempe,  Vicar  of  Bradford,  Yorks,  in  that  case  numerous  Kempes  of  Yorkshire  would  be  connected 
with  those  of  Staffordshire,  while  a  conne.Kion  between  these  and  the  Kempes  of  Hendon  through 
the  Cooke  family  would  be  traced. 

In  162T  Thomas  Kempe,  a  dyer,  of  the  Borough  of  Warwick,  died,  and  his  Avill  was  proved 
(P.C.C,  12  Barrington).  It  leaves  charities  to  the  poor  of  St.  Nicholas,  Warwick,  Kingstone,  in 
the  same  county,  and  to  Bromley  Paget's,  otherwise  called  Abbott's  Bromley.  It  mentions  his 
father  and  mother,  Robert  and  Elizabeth  Kempe,  and  his  "  cousin,"  son  of  his  brother  Robert 
Kempe,  also  the  Cartwright  family,  William  Stratford  and  the  latter's  daughter  Elizabeth  Morrell. 
He  appointed  his  brothers  William  Kempe,  "  Master  of  Arts,"  and  Richard  Kempe  executors. 
By  a  codicil  he  left  his  workshop  and  all  the  tools,  utensils  and  coppers  used  in  dying  cloth  for 
the  purpose  of  carrying  on  his  business,  in  favour  of  his  wife  Dennis,  and  he  left  a  further  legacy 
to  his  kinsman  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Vaubrooke,  in  the  parish  of  Abbott's  Bromley.  In  1652  we 
come  to  a  very  important  will,  that  of  Henry  Kempe,  who  states  that -he  was  of  Loughborough, 
but  formerly  of  Houghton-on-Hill,  Leicestershire,  but  on  proving  the  will  it  was  necessary  for 
William  Kempe,  of  Abbotfs  Bromley  to  attest  the  will,  he  being  testator^ s  eldest  brother.  From 
this  will  we  consequently  trace  a  long  line  of  mercantile  Kempes  who  spread  over  Leicestershire, 
Nottingham,  Northampton,  Lincoln,  and  have  now  many  representatives  in  London  as  well  as 
throughout  our  colonies.     This  junior  line,  however,  we  must  leave  to  the  next  chapter. 

The  will  of  Margaret  Kempe,  of  Abbott's  Bromley,  dated  sth  January,  1681,  recorded  at 
Lichfield  the  following  May,  directed  that  she  should  be  buried  at  Bromley.  She  left  bequests  to 
her  sons  Edward,  Richard  and  Robert  Kempe,  the  two  former  to  be  executors  and  Sarah,  the 
daughter  of  the  son  Robert,  and  the  testatrix's  daughter  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Robert  Lawrence,  are 
also  mentioned.  On  the  8th  December,  1682,  the  will  of  Edward  Kemp,  of  Abbott's  Bromley, 
made  on  14th -June  previous,  was  proved  at  Lichfield  by  Richard  Kempe  and  Thomas  Andrews, 
both  of  Bromley.  This  will  left  all  his  estate  in  trust  to  his  wife  to  maintain  their  children  until 
their  respective  ages  of  twenty-one,  Richard  Kempe,  the  eldest  son,  inheriting  the  lands  which  the 
testator  held  of  Walter  Bagott  at  twenty-one  and  the  residuary  estate,  eventually,  after  portions 
were  paid  to  the  other  children  on  their  attaining  that  age.  William  Kempe  of  the  same  place, 
elder  brother  to  the  above  mentioned  Henry  ot  Loughborough,  made  his  will  in  May,  1684,  and 
it  was  proved  the  following  year.  The  testator  was  "sick  and  weak  "  at  the  time  of  signing  this 
document,  and  directed  that  when  his  debts  had  been  paid  the  residue  of  his  estate  was  to  be  held 
in  trust  by  his  wife  Hannah  for  the  benefit  of  their  sons  Thomas  and  Edward  equally,  and  ''  to 
their  heirs  for  ever.'"  Thomas  Adderley,  of  Drayton,  yeoman,  and  William  Bradshaw,  of  Dunstall, 
were  the  executors,  and  George  Wright  one  of  the  witnesses.  The  seal  bears  the  initials  G.  W., 
which  doubtless  refer  to  this  witness,  possibly  the  notary  who  made  the  will.  It  occurs  again  on 
the  will  of  Richard  Kempe,  proved  in  1699-  This  testator  had  ^130  due  to  him  from  tenants 
and  others,  and  his  executors  having  renounced,  Thomas  Barker  and  Walter  Toone  proved  the  will. 


Robt  rt  Kempe, 


William  Kempe,  of  Stafford. 
Will  1559. 

Kempe.=,  .  .  Painter. 


>L  Kempe.         Geo'rg.:  Ken.pe,  of  Abbott's  Bromley,=Mane  Cartwright  Margaret  Kempe, 

ap.  1566  ;.7eaver?)  Inventory  1615.  mar.  A.B.  1593,  bap.  A.B.  1569- 

^  h;       'R  .Q64.bur.A.B.:i0Apr.i6l5.|     bur.  A.B    "=■" 


Franc:-  Ken  ^pg 

bap.  A.B.  I   ;6;' 

bm.  157  i' 


Robert  Kempe,  bap.  and  1 


I        I         I        i 
1594,  other  infants  bur.  1596-1609. 


,     ,        Elizabeth  Kempe, 
J°y*  bap.  A.B,  i6i5. 


Bridget  Kempe, 

b.  10' Dec.  1615, 

m.  I  Nov.  1638. 

=Wm.  Baggerley. 


Edward  Kempe,  Robert  Kempe, 

ap.  .A.B.31  Oct.  1619,     bap.  24  Feh.  1624, 

bur.  (?  1702)  ?  of  Belton, 

bur.  27  Feb.  1684. 


Thomas  Kempe. 
bap.  10  May,  1629. 


rge  Kempe,  Robert  Kempe, ^Margaret  . . . 
lip.  1640,  of  Warwick,  I  Will  1712. 
^70  ?  1,68 1 1  W  eaver.  Will  i686 

'yiii  1670,  I  I 

Siston,         Susannah  K.             Elizabeth  K. 
landman)         (■  ?  Sarah) 


Richard  Kempe,^iane  Waiklake,     Marian  Kempe,     Edith  Kerape, 


of  .A.B.,  yeoman, 

Will  1699, 
bur.  A.B.  1699. 
Bromley,  Hurs 
&  .Ashbrook. 


mar.  A.B.  b.  A.B.  1642,         m.  A.B.  1701, 

1668,  m.  1676.  ^Richard 

bur.  A.B.  1704.      =:John  Grane.  Smith. 


ndow)  Bourne  ,  Edith  K. 

lar.  A.B.  living  1699. 

uly,  1709.  =Thos  Smith, 

.  /^  (of  Elford) 


I  I  I 

Anne  K.  Mary  K.  Jane  Kempe, 

b.  A.B.    b.  A.B.  1672,   b.  A.B.  1673, 

1668.    bur.  A.B.  1687.  m.  A.B.  1705. 

=John  Kilby, 

A   of  Lichfield. 


Richard  Kempe, 
b.  \.B.  1677. 


Elizabeth  K. 
b.  A.B.  1679. 


■^■■,  Edith^Jno.  Bourne. 

P    Robert  Kern  p  Bourne. 


Aaron  Bourne. 


Sarah  Bourne, 


Richard  Kempe, 
s.  of  Richard, 
bur.  A.B.  1710. 


^jjk  Kemp,  of  ^jloan. 
Tin  Linford,   I   1 
bandman, 
,11  1718.         I 


The 


William  Kemp,^Hannah  Sharpe         John  Kemp, 
m.  A.B.  1671.  Dorothy 

(younger  son) 


Rose  Kemp,  Alice  K. 

m.  1659.       =(?  John)  Hill. 
=Henry  Collins. 


nckley  '     Hannah  K.  Henry  Kemp,  Hester  Kemp,  Edward  Kemp,     =Sarah,  widow  of 

[I.  bap.  &  bur.  A.B.  1676.     bap.  &  bur.  A.B.  1672.     bur.  A.B.  1682.     bap.  A.B.6  Oct.  1681.       William  Ward. 


Sat 
b.  B 


Elizabeth  Ward,  (?  Ann  or  Eliza  Ann)=William  Kemp,  of  Hinckley  and  Belton, 
mar.  B.  II  July,  1701.  I         lands  at  AUexton,  died  before  175 1. 


Sarah  K.^Dewall 


b.  J  of  East  Norton,  Grazier, 
'  I/1703.     Will  1749. 

H 

b.B 


b^ll 


Elizabeth  K. 

bap.  B.  27/4/1704. 

Eliz.  K.  b.  B.  II  Sep.  1715- 


William  Kemp,  of  Belton,  Co.  Rutland,:= 
bap,  B.  28  May,  1705.     Ad.  1788.  1 

Elizabeth  Kempe,  only  child, 
bap.  Belton,  21  Feb.  1737,  died  a  spinster 
7  May,  1793.  M.I.  Belton.     Will  1793. 


karv  Kemp,      Thomas   Kemp.     Ellenor.=Francis  Kemp,         Eleanor  Kemp,         John  Kemp,  of=Ann. 
WGodfrev.    died  unmarried,                             b.  1747,             bur.  B.  18/6/1833.     Belton,  Butcher,  I  bur.  B.  14/5/1805 
bur.  B.  6/3/1S26.             aet  84.              bur.  B.  20/8/ 182D.  35148. 
aged  73.          I 


jeo,  Godfrey,    died  unmarried, 
bur.  B.  7/2/1823, 
aged  79- 


Sarah  K.,  bap.  B.  7/11/1788,      Susannah  K.     John  K.,  bap.  29/1796, 

bur.  B.  9/ 1 2/ 1 788. B.  6/5/1700         bur.  B.  15/7/1796 


ancis  Kemp,  01  London,         Godfrey  Kemp,  b.  1785.  d.  i85o,=Isabelle  Maiim,  d.  of  Geo.  M.,  Joh     Kemp 

.  17S3 

ler,  D  I    .  1005. 


bnenn  01  rtutlani 
of  Belton  1835. 


riignam  r unlets  (^Dy  ::3aij,u         Dap.  10  J  un.  I-87. 
Jennup,  of  Spalding)  see  below. 


Isabelle  Charlotte  Kemp, 
bap.  B.  I  Aug.  1849. 


The  Rev.  Godfrey  George  Kemp,  M..\., — Harriet  Ann  Malim, 
'^b.  at  Belton  26  Aug,  1845,  bap.  2  Oct.  1845,  [      bom  Grantham, 
of  Rawreth,  Esse.x. 


Edith  Hilda  K.         Irene  K.         Minda  Mary  K.         Cyril  Godfrey  IC.         Ernest  W,  G,  Kemp. 


d  laQS  Helen  Kemp.         Sophia  Kemp,  m.  1849,  Chas.  Kemp,         Charles  Godfrey  Kemp. 

Iton  =J.T.  Spnngthorpe,  b.  &  d.  1825.  b.  1831,  d.  1863 

[.     '  Sheriff  of  Rutland,  (at  Leicester) 

Uppingham,  educated  at  Uppingham  School. 


Emil  y  K.=G.  M.  Frean.         16  A'ug,  1849. 
b.  i5  56.    I 


nry.       Margaret. 


John  Kemp.=Eleanor. 
b.  1787-       I 


,  of  J  lames  Kemp, 

n,  b.'l825,  d.  1825, 


Josiah  Kemp, 

b.  1826. 
=JaDe  Kirby 


Maria  Kemp, 
b.  I8l8. 


Helen  Kemp, 
b.  1819. 


Fanny  Kemp, 
b.  1828,  d.  1828. 


y  K.         El  lenor  Mary  K.         Francis  WilUam  K.         Jane  Maria  K.  Josiah  K.  Sarah  Ann  K 

1884.  =Alice  Rose  Lester.  =Ruth  Mary  Ward. 

r 

K.  Fra 


Ill  I 

Augustus  Lester  K.         Alice  Jane  K.         Robt.  Josiah  K,         Donald  Godfrey  K.         Ruth  K. 


6  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

no  inventory  is  attached.  As  to  the  "  father  Wakefield,"  we  may  note  that  in  the  will  of  John 
Kempe,  of  the  Savoy,  London,  proved  in  1588  (P.C.C.,  24  Rutland)  the  testator  mentions  his 
"son-in-law,  William  Wakefield,"  and  his  wife,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1581  at  St.  Michaels, 
Cornhill,  as  Sybble  Lambe,  died  in  1590.  Administration  of  her  estate  as  "Sibelle  Kempe  ah 
Lambe  ah  Cook  ah  Wakefield,  late  of  the  parish  of  the  Savoy,  Middlesex,  widow,  was  granted  to 
her  son,  Nicholas  Wakefield.  From  this  we  may  deduce  that  this  John  Kempe,  of  Savoy,  who 
was  a  Merchant  Taylor  of  London,  was  at  least  connected  with  those  of  Abbott's  Bromley, 
although  we  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  Kempes  of  Kent  had  Royal  apartments  at  the  Savoy  so 
late  as  1560.  Sybelle  may  have  been  connected  with  the  Phoebe  Cooke  who  married  Caleb 
Kempe,  Vicar  of  Bradford,  Yorks,  in  that  case  numerous  Kempes  of  Yorkshire  would  be  connected 
with  those  of  Staffordshire,  while  a  connexion  between  these  and  the  Kempes  of  Hendon  through 
the  Cooke  family  would  be  traced. 

In  1627  Thomas  Kempe,  a  dyer,  of  the  Borough  of  Warwick,  died,  and  his  will  was  proved 
(P.C.C,  12  Barrington).  It  leaves  charities  to  the  poor  of  St.  Nicholas,  Warwick,  Kingstone,  in 
the  same  county,  and  to  Bromley  Paget's,  otherwise  called  Abbott's  Bromley.  It  mentions  his 
father  and  mother,  Robert  and  Elizabeth  Kempe,  and  his  "  cousin,"  son  of  his  brother  Robert 
Kempe,  also  the  Cartwright  family,  William  Stratford  and  the  latter's  daughter  Elizabeth  Morrell. 
He  appointed  his  brothers  William  Kempe,  "Master  of  Arts,"  and  Richard  Kempe  executors. 
By  a  codicil  he  left  his  workshop  and  all  the  tools,  utensils  and  coppers  used  in  dying  cloth  for 
the  purpose  of  carrying  on  his  business,  in  favour  of  his  wife  Dennis,  and  he  left  a  further  legacy 
to  his  kinsman  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Vanbrooke,  in  the  parish  of  Abbott's  Bromley.  In  1652  we 
come  to  a  very  important  will,  that  of  Henry  Kempe,  who  states  that-he  was  of  Loughborough, 
but  formerly  of  Houghton-on-Hill,  Leicestershire,  but  on  proving  the  will  it  was  necessary  for 
William  Kempe,  of  Abbotfs  Bromley  to  attest  the  will,  he  being  testator^ s  eldest  brother.  From 
this  will  we  consequently  trace  a  long  line  of  mercantile  Kempes  who  spread  over  Leicestershire, 
Nottingham,  Northampton,  Lincoln,  and  have  now  many  representatives  in  London  as  well  as 
throughout  our  colonies.     This  junior  line,  however,  we  must  leave  to  the  next  chapter. 

The  will  of  Margaret  Kempe,  of  Abbott's  Bromley,  dated  5th  January,  1681,  recorded  at 
Lichfield  the  following  May,  directed  that  she  should  be  buried  at  Bromley.  She  left  bequests  to 
her  sons  Edward,  Richard  and  Robert  Kempe,  the  two  former  to  be  executors  and  Sarah,  the 
daughter  of  the  son  Robert,  and  the  testatrix's  daughter  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Robert  Lawrence,  are 
also  mentioned.  On  the  8th  December,  1682,  the  will  of  Edward  Kemp,  of  Abbott's  Bromley, 
made  on  14th  June  previous,  was  proved  at  Lichfield  by  Richard  Kempe  and  Thomas  Andrews, 
both  of  Bromley.  This  will  left  all  his  estate  in  trust  to  his  wife  to  maintain  their  children  until 
their  respective  ages  of  twenty-one,  Richard  Kempe,  the  eldest  son,  inheriting  the  lands  which  the 
testator  held  of  Walter  Bagott  at  twenty-one  and  the  residuary  estate,  eventually,  after  portions 
were  paid  to  the  other  children  on  their  attaining  that  age.  William  Kempe  of  the  same  place, 
elder  brother  to  the  above  mentioned  Henry  ot  Loughborough,  made  his  will  in  May,  1684,  and 
it  was  proved  the  following  year.  The  testator  was  "sick  and  weak  "  at  the  time  of  signing  this 
document,  and  directed  that  when  his  debts  had  been  paid  the  residue  of  his  estate  was  to  be  held 
in  trust  by  his  wife  Hannah  for  the  benefit  of  their  sons  Thomas  and  Edward  equally,  and  "  to 
their  heirs  for  ever."  Thomas  Adderley,  of  Drayton,  yeoman,  and  William  Bradshaw,  of  Dunstall, 
were  the  executors,  and  George  Wright  one  of  the  witnesses.  The  seal  bears  the  initials  G.  W., 
which  doubtless  refer  to  this  witness,  possibly  the  notary  who  made  the  will.  It  occurs  again  on 
the  will  of  Richard  Kempe,  proved  in  1699-  This  testator  had  /130  due  to  him  from  tenants 
and  others,  and  his  executors  having  renounced,  Thomas  Barker  and  Walter  Toone  proved  the  will. 


P  E  D  I  G  r.     U  b"     Ul  U  } 


{uncle  to  Edward  K.) 


e  K£mpe.=Roben  P-iinie 


=Richard  Kempe,  of  Abboif 
_[  Will  tS4i. 

ip=,  of  Abbotc's  Bromle7,=;on 
^ori_I5203nd2nvcntcry_Lbu, 


of  Stafford. 


Marjnrei  Kempe,       Mane  Kompt 


e.=.\\yi  Viae.        Jchn  Kempe,        Georg-  KeB.pe,  of  Abbou's  BrQm!ey,=Man=  Cjnwnghi 
■aver?)  In 

1 04,  bur.  A.B.  30  Apr^ 

I 

bur.  IS94.  •Jtli';'-  in'anti  bur.  1596-1 


I        I        I        1.1.1 


JoVM  Dcnni3.=Thoraas  Kempe.  Chaea  &.  Dyer  of        Robert  Kempt 

I     W.-mvick  City  (b., It. ^.B.l.  Bailiff  bom  .A,B, 

in  1635,  bur.  «  St.  Mary,  Warwick.  St.  Nichola 

I  =CaU 

Margaret  Kempe,  bom  10  Jan.  1607. I 

Anne  . .  ^Hcilry  Kempe.  of        Ellen  Kempe,        Jolin  Kempe, 
Loughborough         =Wm.  Harvey-  o(  Bagol's 

and  Houghton-  Bromley. 


lice  Kempe.  Parnell_ Kempe.  Ejidiard  Kern pe,= Margaret  ...  of         Rev.  1 


George  Kempe. 


Bndget  Ken.ue, 
b.  loDec.  16IS, 
m.  iNo».  163S. 


=Thomas  Kempe,  Margaret  Kempe,  Eliiabeih  Kem|  ,e,  Thom 

I         of.\bbolts  bap.  1633.  hap.  1645-  bap 

Bromley,  =John  Dimmock.  m.  1676.  ?  ^f  t 


Edward  Kempe,     (bro.-in-law  Thos.  Andrews,     George  Kempe.      iobert  K era pe.= Margaret . . .      Richard  Kempe.=Jan=  Walklake.     Marian  Kempe.     Edith  K^m 

..,;,.  w.ii  .Ad,  n.  z ii- 1  ^--p.is^o^  ofWari^rick.     I     Will  1712.        of  A.B..yeoman,  I       mar,  A.B.  b.A.B.1642,        m.ABi;. 

170  ?  1,6811  Weaver.  VVill  1686 1  Will  tfigg,  t663,  m.  I676.  =Richai 


1636,  bap.  i63S,JA'ilW6a3,  &  Sumuei  Cope) 

Gr^ier=El 


Susannah  K.  Eliiabeih  K. 


bur.  1647,  Ric 


Robert  Kempe  fyeomanj=Anii  |widow|  Bourne  Edith  K.  Anne  K.  Mary  K. 

of  Abbott's  Biomley       I  mar.  A.B.  living  i6gq.        b.  A.B.        b.  A.B.  1671 

Si  B.  Hurst.  Will  1730.  [4  July,  1709.  =Thoi  Smith,         166B.        bur.  A.B.  168' 


p.  A.B.  1673. 
=;ohn'Kirby, 


William  Kempe,=ComeIia  Taylor,  Mary  Ker 


Elizabeth  Kempe, 

of  Abbolfa'"  ■  1  of  Elmes^               =Edwar<i  Acton.      =Wiliiam  Jackson. 

Bromley  and  Co.  Derry,                                                                                           =Christoph. 

Lmford.  m.A.B.  1655.                                                                                         and 


nne  Kempe,  James  Ker 


Wiil  I 


■f  Bekon.        Churc 


Sadler,  of  London, 


Mary  K.:  —  ,  .  Heath. 


..  D.-in-V 


.  Sharpe.=  Mary  K.=.  .  .  Walker.          Frances  Kemp.  Anne  Kemp.  Hamlet  Kempe,  E  liwbeth  K.  Thomas  Kempe,  a  minor  m  1670,  Henry  Kemp,  (oU  Kemp,  of  =loan.  . 

=  HenryWarburton.  =/oseph  Bernard.  ?  of  Weat  ba|  j.  A.B.  [658.  Will  1713,  of  Ibstock,  Leicester.  Uceman,  Newton   Lmford,   I   ;                          m.  A.B.  1 
Indies  1673.  I  ,ur.  1703.  =Eliittbeth  K.  widow.  Will  1747.  of  London.  Husbandman,  (jounger 

,,  Northampton,  f—  \  ^                                    \ 


Thomas  Kempe,  Surgeon,  of  Okei 


VilTiara  K.  House  de  Syst. 


Edward  Ker 


■I  1  I  I  1  .  ,  , 

John  Kemp.  Eliubeth  K-  M.irgaret  K.  Cornelia  Kemp.  Wjlli.im  Kemp,_of  Earl  Shilton&  Hinckley.        ^;     Hannah  K,  Henry  Kemp,  Hester  Kemp,  Ed> 

George  Kempe,  ot  5yt< 
If  Syston.Tateiy  deceased. 


=  ...Lewm.  =ThomaEHuni. 

George  Kempe,  ot  Syton,  Will  1670.  =[sabeile  Ker 


3  (Cutler),  W.ll  . 


Anne  Kempe,  only  c 


r  E!Ua  Ann)=WiUiam  Kemp,  of  Hincklej 


=Edward  Kemp,  of  Eas 


Eliiabeih  Kerap.  Hannah  K,  Marv  K, 

=Wyke5.     =D:inl,  Fishei 


Elizabeth  K. 
ap.B.  .7/4/1704. 


Sani  K.=CewalI 
one  child. 


1  Kemp,  ofBelton,  Co.  Ruth 


Eliaafaeth  Kempe,  only  child. 


Edward  Kemp,  of= 


Mary  K.  Sarah  K.         Susannih  K.       Jane  K. 


=Hill.  =Barbsby.    =Ri 


,   Gent.=Sa: 
M.I.  Bclton,  I     C 

Ob.  I+Dec.1776,  *t67-        bui 


Ch.,  relict  of  E.K.  =Geo.Godf 


Christ  Ch.,  Ldn. 


Sarah  K.,  bap.  B.7/11/179S,      Susannah  K.    John  K.,  bap.  39/1796, 


e  Hill,  b.  17:3,=  Edward   Ker 


h  Godfrey,  b.  1785.  Hannah  K.  Fianci5  K. 


Ele:inor  Easter  K.         Francis  Kemp,  gl  London,         Godfre 


a  K.        Edward  K. 


Uiam  Edviard  Kemp,         B.iptist  Kemp,         EUenor  Kemp 
b.  !34i.d.  1878.  of  Theddingwonh. 


"IXil    ' 

■  iSiS, 

.  .873.     J 

bur.  B.4/i/i793.        b.  lySi/j. 

b..7.=,d.,»si.        b.p._„^:. 

?',7; 

;J„k™p. 

ul 

yK„.p,     I 

1 

=." 

";i89°"' 

t350,=  lsab<lle  Malim,  d.  of  Gee 


Jennup.  of  SpaldingJ 


The  Rev.  Godfrey  George  Kemp,  M.A..— Harriet  Ann  Malin 
at  Belton  16  Aug.  1845.  bap.  :  OcL  1845,  I      bora  Gfantham. 


=Eii2abeth  Hiil 


.  1896.         Robert  Kei 


So;.  Elizabeth  Ker 


=France3  R  Shenton, 


Ann  Kemp,  of  Leii 


=J.  T.  Sprint 


3  K.         Mary_Elizabeth  K. 


Francis  Kemp.  Thotnas  Ker 


rthur  Kemp  of  Leices[er.=Sarah  EUen  Jat 


Agnes  Fanny  K.         Margaret  EUzab 

Helen  Edith  K.=J.  H.  Dai 


Robert  Godfrey  K.  Edith  Margaret  K.         Alan  K. 


George  Henry.       Mat^; 


Edith  Hilda  K.         Irene  K.         Minda  .Vlary  K.         Cynl  Godfrey  K.        Ernest  W.  G.  Kemp. 

39s.         Helen  Kemp.        Sophia  Kemp,  m.  1849,         Chas.  Kemp,        Charles  Godfrey  Kern 

f-   ■"  -     ■       •       e,  b,  &  d.  1825.  b.  iSjt,  d.  1863 

(at  Leicester) 
.pingnam,  educated 

ig.  1349. 

•         John  Kemp^Elt 


Emily  K.=G-M.Fre 


133  [,  d.  1863 
it  Leicester) 
t  Uppingham  Set 


Nottingham,  b.'i83S, 


James  Kemp,  Josjah  Kemp,  Mana  Kemp,  Helen  Kemp,  Fanny  Ken 

'-'-'    -*    ■■*-  b.  1816.  b.  I3i3.  b.  1819.  b.  i8i3,  d.  i£ 

=Jflne  Kirby 


=S3>      ..      -I.   ll. 

I 


rank  K  ■  John  Kirby  K.         EUenor  Mary  K.         Fcandi  William  K.         Jane  M ana  K,  Josiah  K.  Sarah  Ann  K. 


John  Sidney  K.  Fr^ 


=Ruth  Mary  Ward. 


e  Jane  K,         Robt.  Josiah  K.        Donald  Godfrey  K.        Ruth  K. 


rSHIRE. 


Sir  Thomas  Kempe,  ind  co-heir  of  John,=i;Anthony  Kemjie,  of  Slindon,: 

of  Ollantigh.         prd  Conyers,  I         Sussex,  buiied  at  the 

i\    \d  at  the  Savoy.         |  Savoy  1597. 


Thomas  Kempe,  of  Is, 
in  Beauleau,  died  p. 


Mary  Kempe^Humphrey  Walrond, 
of  Sea,  Sussex. 


:Margaret,  d.  of  Sir 

Edward  Gage, 

of  Firle. 


John  Kempe,  of  He3Kempe,^Elizabeth,  d.  of 
Buckleshard  and  Bcn,  Knt.    j         Sir  John 


M.P.  for  Christchurcli626. 
Lymington,  died  16 

1     TJ      ' 

and  other  children. 


Carrell,  Knt. 


George  K.     Elizabeth  K.     Anthony  K.,  of 
Westbury  and 
Ham,  Wilts. 
Will  1648. 


Robert  K.,  of  Ham^Sarah. 
Will  1656. 


Jean. 


Elizabeth. 


Mary  K.       Jane  K.       Margaiet  K.       Bridget  K.       Elizabeth  K. 


of  Sir  Thomas 
ige,  of  Firle, 
1715,  aged  73. 


Martha  K. 


Anne  Browne,  d.  <JCempe=Sir  Henry  Tichbourne,  Bart., 
5th  Viscount  Mo  I  of  Hampshire, 

died  1731  /\  died  1742. 


PEDIGREE    OF    THE    KEMPES    OF    SLINDON,    NEW    FOREST,    AND  WILTSHIRE. 


Sir  William  Kempe,  Knt.,  of^EIleanor,  daughter  and  co-heir  < 
Ollantigh,  Wye,  Kent,       I         Sir  Mathew  Browne,  Knt. 
Sheriff  of  Kent,  of  Bechworth  Castie  Surrey, 

died  1539.  died  1560. 


Edward  Kempe,  of  Conns,=Eli;abeth,  d.  of  (?  John)  Will 
in  the  New  Forest,  j       of  Oxiord  and  Gloucestshir 

died  1605.  I 


Ann,  d.  and  co-heir  of  John,^Anthony  Kemi.e,  of  Slindon,= 
Lord  Conyers,  I         Sussex,  buried  at  the 

buried  at  the  Savoy.         |  Savoy  1597. 


Thomas  Kempe,  of  Ginns,=Marj',  d.  of  Sir  Wm.  Oglander, 

in  Beauleau,  died  1623.     j  of  Nunwell,  Isle  of  Wight, 

I         remarried  Henry  Bromfteld. 


Edward  Kempe, 
of  Hereford, 
died  1615. 


of  Wycombe,  Bucks. 


Robert  Kempe.=:l!)orothy,  d.  of  , 
of  Wycombe,    |    Elliott,  of  Beau 


iVIary  Kempe=:Humphrey  Walrond, 


Robert  Kempe,     . 
of  the  Middle  Temple, 
living  1641. 


Frandis  K.     Elizabeth.     Fr: 


John   Kempe,  of  Heywood, 

Buckleshard  and  Boldre, 
M.P.  for  Christchurch  and 

Lymington,  died  1652/3. 

I        I         I  I  ' 

and  other  children.         Frances  Kempe,=Ralf  Pemberton,  Ann,  d.  of  .  .  .  Yorke,=Henr}'  Kempe,  of 
died  1677.       I        died  1665.  of  Bassetsbury,         I      Inner  Teinple. 

I  Lydiard  Tregoze,  and      Will  proved  1684. 
Sir  Francis  Pemberton.  of  Millford.  Hants.     |      ' 


Francis  Kempe,^Helen 
of  Chipping       I  Gawton. 
Wycombe, 

Will  1649.     I 

Susannah  K. 
Will  proved  16S6. 


Dorothy  K. 
=:Sir  John  Gore, 
of  Giistdn,  Herts. 


Capt.  Thomas  K.         Sir  Garret  Kempe,= 


:EIizabeth,  d.  of       George  K.     Elizabeth  I 
Carrel!,  Knt. 


Anthony  K.,  of 

Westbury  and 

Ham,  Wilts. 

Will  1648. 


Edward  Kempe,  living  1684, 

perhaps  ancestor  of  the  Kempe 

and  Kemp-Welch  families  of 

Poole  and  Christchurch. 


Frances,  d.  of=Philllp  Kempe. 
SirJohnWebb.l     of  Gray'slnn. 
of  OuMstock,  I 
Wilts.         I 


died  an  infant. 


;  K.^Thos.  Eyre, 
of  Hesop, 
Derby. 


mpe,=Mai7,  d.  of  Sir  C 

n       i     Anthony  Briggs, 
I     of  Esse-x,  Knt. 

Mary  K.^George  Heneage, 

of  Hainton, 


Anthony  Kempe,=Mary,  d.  of  Sir  Thomas 
of  Slindon,  I  Gage,  of  Firle, 

died  1715.  died  1715,  aged  73. 


Anne  Browne,  d.  of  H en ry,= Anthony  Kem 

5th  Viscount  Montague,  of  Slindon, 

died  1731.  died  1753. 


.  d.  of  The  Hon.  Charles  Su 

niece  to  Lord  Stounon, 

married  1734. 


PhiUip  Kempe, 

of  Ghent,  Flanders, 

died  1728. 


r  Henry  Tichboui 

of  Hampshir 

died  174;. 


Barbara  Kemp,  :^ J 
d.  and  co-heir,     I 
married  1749. 

Anthony  J; 


;  K.,  died  S.P.  1765,  , 


Bridget  K.       Elizabeth  K. 


Leicestershire  and  Rutland.  7 

In  1686  Robert  Kempe,  of  Warwick,  a  weaver  by  trade,  left  by  his  will  a  house,  in  which 
his  cousin  John  "  Savadge  "  then  lived.  Margaret,  his  wife,  was  empowered  to  sell  this  provided 
she  settled  certain  sums  upon  her  daughters  Susannah  and  Elizabeth  when  they  were  twenty-two 
years  of  age.  No  sons  are  mentioned,  and  the  testator's  cousin,  Mr.  John  Wilson  and  Richard 
Hands  (his  kinsman)  were  appointed  executors.  This  will  bears  a  seal  marked  "  T.K.  "  which, 
doubtless,  belonged  to  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Warwick,  and  which  appears  on  later  wills.  The 
inventory  attached  to  this  shows  that  Robert  Kempe,  the  weaver,  had  some  books  of  value,  and 
that  his  stock  in  trade  included  three  looms,  one  "  weeping  "  {sic)  bar  and  frame,  a  twisting  mill, 
and  other  weaving  plant,  these  items  being  modestly  valued  at  £\o. 

The  will  of  Margaret  Kempe,  of  Warwick,  widow  of  the  above  Robert  Kempe,  the  dyer,  was 
proved  at  Worcester  on  31st  May,  1722;  it  mentions  the  same  properties  he  left  her  which 
devolved  next  upon  her  daughters  Elizabeth  and  Sarah.  The  executors  were  James  Fish,  of  St. 
Mary's,  Warwick,  and  Samuel  Farr,  of  Stratford-on-Avon. 

This  apparently  ended  the  line  of  Kempes  at  Warwick,  but  in  a  previous  generation  it  seems 
that  a  branch  of  the  family  had  been  established  at  or  near  Rowington,  from  which  descends 
Thomas  Kemp,  Esq.,  J. P.,  who  now  resides  at  Warwick,  and  who  has  published  several  most 
interesting  books  on  the  ancient  history  of  that  borough. 

There  are  about  this  period  several  wills  relating  to  Abbott's  Bromley,  the  testators  of  which 
had  become  merchants  in  London.  We  shall  not  introduce  them  here,  but  pass  to  that  of  Richard 
Kemp,  of  Abbott's  Bromley,  dated  and  proved  in  1699.  He  was  residing  at  Bromley  Hurst,  and 
left  his  residence,  a  cottage,  Ashbrooke  Field  and  other  real  estate  to  his  wife  during  her  widow- 
hood, subject  to  the  payment  of  certain  sums  to  their  children  Robert,  Jane,  Edith  and  Elizabeth 
Kempe,  who  were  to  share  the  eventual  residue  equally.  The  personalty  was  valued  at 
^335  19'S'-  6(3^.  In  1730  the  will  of  Robert  Kempe,  of  Bromley  Hurst,  was  proved,  it  made 
"  Edith,  wife  of  his  son-in-law,"  chief  heir,  mentioning  for  small  bequests  Hannah  Willington,  of 
Castle  Hays,  in  the  parish  of  Titbury,  Staffs.,  his  sister,  Edith  Smith,  his  godson  Robert  Kempe 
Bourne,  his  son-in-law  Aaron  Bourne,  Jonathan  Kilby,  of  the  City  of  Litchfield,  and  Thomas 
Smith,  of  Elford. 

The  long  line  of  Kempes  at  Abbott's  Bromley  ended  with  Robert  Kempe,  his  burial  there  in 
1730  being  the  last  entry  of  a  Kemp  found.  This  family,  however,  as  we  have  said,  is  by  no 
means  extinct,  for  in  London  several  branches  are  represented,  while  as  we  shall  see  in  our  next 
chapter,  as  numerous  an  offspring  is  found  in  Rutland  as  that  reviewed  at  Abbott's  Bromley. 


CHoATTETi   III. 

LEICESTERSHIRE    AND    RUTLAND.    ' 

THE  records  of  the  borough  of  Leicestershire  have  just  been  published  covering  the  period 
between  1300  and  1500,  but  the  name  of  Kemp  does  not  appear  therein.  Two  mentions 
of  "  Campes  "  living  about  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century  in  Leicester  occur,  and 
knowing  how  frequently  this  spelling  changed  to  Kempe  during  the  next  century  we  conclude 
that  at  least  some  of  the  Kempes  of  Leicestershire  came  from  that   Campe  stock.     The  wills  now 


8  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

preserved  at  Leicester  commence  in  1495,  but  no  Campe  or  Kempe  has  been  found  before  1538, 
when  the  will  of  "  Sir  "  John  Kempe,  Vicar  of  Hungerton,  was  proved.  We  have  remarked  upon 
the  coincidence  that  the  Kempe  family  very  frequently  sprang  up  around  a  place  in  which  the 
clerical  members  of  the  family  were  beneficed,  and  as  we  find  numerous  Kempes  settled  in 
Leicestershire  from  this  time,  we  are  inclined  to  believe  that  the  first  family  came  as  the  result  of 
John  Kempe  being  appointed  the  vicar  at  Hungerton.  We  must  not,  however,  allow  space  for 
details  concerning  the  family  who  made  Hungerton  their  residence  for  some  100  years,  but  having 
well  studied  the  evidence  of  many  wills  relating  to  them,  we  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
Vicar  Kempe  belonged  to  the  Norfolk  family  of  his  name.  His  will  is  very  interesting,  for  he 
left  a  sum  of  money  to  every  person,  "  man,  woman  or  child  "  in  his  parish,  and  he  bequeathed 
his  own  cloak  to  a  poor  blind  woman  who  was  one  of  his  parishioners.. 

He  speaks  of  "  Ludwick  Kempe,"  his  brother,  and  of  his  nephews  William  and  John,  of 
South  Croxton.  Ludwick  is  but  another  form  of  the  name  Lewis,  and  as  a  Lewis  Kempe,  of 
Gissing — who  had  remainder  entailed  in  the  Norfolk  property — disappeared  from  that  county 
about  this  time  ;  we  suggest  that  it  was  he  who  founded  the  long  line  of  Kempes  of  Croxton. 

We  do  not  know  of  any  will  which  could  be  his,  but  in  1563  the  will  of  John  Kempe,  of 
South  Croxton,  was  proved.  This  clearly  shows  that  the  testator  was  the  nephew  of  the  above 
vicar,  and  it  mentions  John  Ward,  a  name  distinctly  associated  with  the  Kempes  of  Gissing. 

In  1576  John  Kempe,  of  Hungerton,  mentions  in  his  will  "  Lodwick,"  the  son  of  his 
brother,  and  numerous  other  relatives,  and  leaves  charities  to  the  poor  of  Croxton,  Hungerton, 
and  Beeby.  In  1615  the  will  of  Bryan  Kempe,  of  Hungerton,  was  proved,  and  mention  his 
children,  Francis,  Alice  and  William,  Thomas  and  John,  also  his  brother  Henry,  the  sons  (who 
were  minors  at  that  date)  have  been  traced  to  other  localities. 

From  this  family  a  branch  was  founded  at  Harby  before  1580,  for  in  that  year  the  will  of 
Matthew  Kempe,  of  Harby,  was  proved,  it  mentions  his  brothers,  "  Ludwick  "  and  Thomas,  his 
son  "  Ludwick,"  and  other  relatives.  The  will  of  Ludwick  Kempe  of  the  same  place  was  proved 
in  1620,  and  mentions  his  son  and  grandson  both  named  Matthew  Kempe.  We  cannot  give 
details  of  each  generation,  but  it  is  clear  that  the  Kemps  remained  at  Harby  until  the  last  century. 
In  1798  James  Kempe,  of  Harby,  left  by  his  will  his  residence,  situated  in  that  parish,  and 
Stathern  to  his  wife  Olivia  for  her  life,  and  the  reversion  of  this,  with  other  lands,  to  his  son 
James,  or  in  case  of  the  latter's  death  then  to  his  second  son  William,  and  remainder  to  Thomas 
his  youngest  son.  He  also  mentioned  his  daughters,  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  William  Dalby,  Olivia 
Mary,  and  Sarah  Kempe.  In  the  official  return  of  the  Land  Holders  of  Great  Britain  in  1874 
it  is  recorded  that  George  Kempe  was  a  freeholder  then  at  Harby.  In  lesponse  to  our  circulars 
three  independent  descendants  of  this  family  have  sent  in  details  of  their  forefathers  which  con- 
nect them  with  Harby  and  Wooisthorpe,  the  senior  representative  of  this  old  family  appears  to 
be  Henry  Kempe,  now  Postmaster  of  Bradford,  his  father,  Eustace  Compton  Kempe,  was  born  at 
Wooisthorpe  in  1801  and  was  buried  there  in  1868,  his  grandfather,  William  Kempe,  was  born  at 
Harby  in  1774  and  was  buried  at  Wooisthorpe  in  1823,  and  his  great-grandfather  was  William 
Kempe  mentioned  in  the  above  will.  Another  branch  of  this  family  is  represented  by  William 
Kempe,  of  Grantham  ;  Compton  Kempe,  of  Doncaster,  and  John  James  Kemp,  of  Maidstone. 
Miss  Olivia  Kemp,  of  South  Kensington,  is  one  of  the  many  who  owe  their  christian  name  to  the 
Harby  family. 

Returning  to  the  early  Kemp(e)  wills  proved  at  Leicester  we  find,  in  addition  to  those  already 
mentioned,  several  testators  of  the  name  at  Kirby  Frisby,  Saltby  and  Saxby,  some  of  which,  if  not 
all,  appear  to  be  connected  with  the  Kempes  of  Croxton  and  Hungerton.     The  facts  derived  from 


*'■        Leicestershire  and  Rutland.  9 

these  wills,  however,  are  insufficient  to  form  a  pedigree  without  abstracts  from  the  parish  registers, 
and  we  have  had  to  leave  this  matter  undone,  both  the  funds  for  the  research  and  the  space  at  our 
disposal,  preventing  our  including  the  detailed  history  of  these  families. 

We  now  turn  to  the  immigration  of  Kempes  to  this  county  and  Rutland,  which,  as  noticed 
in  our  last  chapter,  occurred  about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Henry  Kempe,  who 
was  third  son  of  William  Kempe,  of  Abbott's  Bromley,  left  his  native  place  to  seek  his  living  "  in 
pastures  new"  ;  why  he  selected  Loughborough  is  not  evident,  but  shortly  before  his  death  he 
moved  to  Houghton-on-Hill,  where  he  died  in  1657-  His  will  proved  by  Anne  Kempe,  his 
widow,  in  1658  (P.C.C,  671  Wotton),  mentions  his  sons  in  order  of  age,  namely,  William,  James, 
John,  Thomas,  Edward  and  George,  and  his  duughters  Mary,  the  wife  of  Edward  Arton  ; 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  William  Jackson,  and  Anne,  wife  of  Christopher  Barker  (she  remarried  Herrick), 
and  he  leaves  legacies  to  his  grandchildren,  who,  however,  he  does  not  mention  by  name.  To 
prove  the  will  the  testator's  son  William  Kempe,  of  Abbott's  Bromley,  swore  to  the  following 
effect  :  That  on  or  about  the  ist  March,  1657,  the  testator  "  doubting  whether  he  might  survive 
his  wife,"  directed  the  deponent  to  add  a  codicil  providing  for  an  income  for  his  wife,  this  being 
done  the  deponent  asked  the  deceased  if  he  would  name  an  executor,  but  the  testator  then  delayed 
saying  he  would  consider  the  matter,  finally  requesting  that  the  codicil  should  be  expunged,  which 
the  deponent  according  did. 

The  widow  Ann  made  her  will  in  November,  1659,  and  it  was  proved  at  Leicester  on  24th 
December,  1660,  it  mentions  the  above  sons  and  daughters,  also  James,  the  son  of  her  son  George, 
and  Henry,  Mary,  Francis,  Ann  and  Elizabeth,  the  children  of  her  son  William.  (The  seal 
attached  to  this  bears  the  initials  "  A.  H."  which,  doubtless,  were  those  of  her  daughter  Ann 
Herrick.)  William  Kempe,  the  eldest  son,  married  Cornelia  Taylor,  of  Elmes,  Derby,  in  1655, 
and  as  we  have  seen  was  at  Abbott's  Bromley  until  after  his  father's  death  ;  he  then  moved  to 
Linford,  Leicestershire,  where  he  made  his  will  in  1670  (P.C.C,  136  Penn).  His  will  mentions 
his  children  as  follows  :  William,  John,  Henry,  Hamlet,  Mary,  Frances  and  Ann  ;  and  his 
properties  in  the  Borough  of  Leicester,  in  Abbott's  and  Bagot's  Bromley,  and  at  Newtown- 
Linford  ;  also  his  wife  Cornelia,  his  sisters  Ann  Herrick,  Elizabeth  Barker  and  cousins  Jackson. 
The  will  was  proved  by  William  Kempe  the  eldest  son.  The  will  of  this  son  was,  as  we  have 
said  in  the  last  chapter,  proved  in  1685  and  mentions  his  sons  Edward  and  Thomas.  The  last 
named  was  a  surgeon  practising  at  Oakham,  he  died  a  bachelor  in  1  7  1  Q,  and  his  will  was  proved 
in  1 72 1  (P.C.C,  149  Buckingham)  ;  it  mentions  his  tenements  and  hereditaments  in  Abbott's  and 
Bagot's  Bromley  and  at  Barrow,  which  he  bequeathed  to  his  brother  Edward  subject  to  his  paying 
^^40  to  his  "  brother  "  Samuel  Green.  The  household  effects  were  left  to  the  surgeon's  servant, 
Mary  Faulkner.  His  brother  Edward  died  without  having  administered  the  estate,  and  adminis- 
tration was  consequently  granted  to  Margaret  Walker,  widow,  their  aunt  and  next-of-kin. 

The  senior  line  from  Henry  Kempe,  of  Loughborough,  thus  became  extinct,  but  by  John 
Kempe,  son  of  William  Kempe,  of  Linford,  the  family  was  continued  in  Leicestershire,  his  will 
(which  was  proved  at  Leicester  in  1719)  describes  him  as  of  Newtown-Linford,  and  mentions 
his  son  John  and  his  daughters  Elizabeth  Kempe,  Margaret  Lewin  and  Cornelia,  the  wife  of 
Thomas  Hunt  ;  and  it  appointed  his  wife  Joan  and  his  brother  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Ibstock, 
executors,  and  his  "brother,"  William  Hunt,  of  Bramstone,  supervisor.  With  regard  to  these 
witnesses  William  Kilsby  and  Joan  Greening,  we  may  notice  that  John  Kilby  married  Jane 
Kempe,  and  that  Mary  Greening  married  a  John  Kempe,  ancestor  of  Thomas  Kempe,  Esq.,  J.P., 
the  historian  of  Warwick.  Thomas  Kempe,  of  Ibstock,  died  in  j  722,  his  will  being  proved  at 
Leicester,   and   that  of    his  wife   Elizabeth,   of  Ibstock,   at   the   same   Probate   Court   in   1747- 


lo  History  of  the  Kemt)  and  Kempe  Families. 

William  Kempe,  the  youngest  brother  of  this  last  couple,  had  several  children.  Joseph  Kempe 
of  Hinckley,  a  needle-maker,  made  his  will  in  1758,  in  which  year  it  was  proved  by  his  sons 
Thomas  Kempe,  of  Hinckley  (wool-comber),  and  Nathaniel  Kempe  (needle-maker),  of  the  same 
place  ;  there  were  also  sons  named  Benjamin  and  William,  and  daughters,  Elizabeth  Kempe, 
Hannah,  who  had  married  in  1755  James  Wikes,  and  Mary,  the  wife  of  Daniel  Fisher.  William 
was  indebted  to  his  father  and  was  consequently  not  to  participate  in  the  distribution  of  this 
estate  ;  he,  however,  had  doubtless  invested  his  loan  in  a  profitable  manner,  and  seems  to  have 
lived  as  a  squire  at  Belton. 

The  last  named  William  Kempe  was  of  Hinckley,  and  formerly  of  Earlshilton,  a  cutler,  and 
by  his  will  dated  and  proved  in  1751  (P.C.C,  147  Busby)  he  bequeathed  to  the  five  children  of 
his  late  son  William,  and  the  one  child  of  his  daughter  Sarah  Dewell,  all  his  estate  equally  divided 
at  the  respective  ages  of  twenty-one,  until  which  age  the  testator's  brother,  Joseph  Kempe,  was  to 
control  the  property  in  their  interest. 

The  Gentleman'' s  Magazine  of  1787  announced  the  death  of  "William  Kempe,  Esq.,  of 
Belton,  Rutland,"  who  died  on  29th  November.  Administration  of  his  estate  was  granted  to 
Elizabeth  Kempe,  spinster,  his  only  child,  on  26th  April,  1788-  The  will  of  the  latter  was 
proved  in  1793  (P.C.C,  322  Dodwell)  by  William  Kempe,  power  being  reserved  for  Frances 
and  George  Godfrey.  The  will  is  a  very  long  one,  providing  for  numerous  eventualities,  and  Ave 
need  but  say  that  an  estate  which  she  held  at  Allexton  was  settled  upon  WiUiam  Ward,  of  East 
Norton^  son  of  William  and  Sarah  Ward,  of  Belton,  and  that  property  at  Ashley,  Northampton, 
was  settled  on  Edward  Kempe,  son  of  Elizabeth  and  Edward  Kempe  of  that  place,  while  her 
residence  at  Belton,  ''  formerly  the  estate  of  Francis  Ward,  deceased,"  then  in  the  occupation  of 
William  Godfrey^  was  settled  upon  George  Godfrey  in  trust  for  the  benefit  of  the  testatrix's 
cousins,  WiUiam  Kempe,  John  Kempe  and  Francis  Kempe,  all  of  Belton.  Legacies  were 
bequeathed  to  William  Hodges,  the  elder,  of  Leicester,  several  other  Hodges,  Mary,  the  wife  of 
John  Nield,  and  her  servants. 

The  will  of  Edward  Kempe,  of  East  Norton  (uncle  to  Elizabeth  Kempe,  of  Belton),  was 
proved  in  1  749-  We  believe  that  his  wife  was  the  daughter  of  William  Ward,  and  that  the 
Wards  and  Kempes  were  thus  relations  by  half-blood,  while  George  Godfrey  was  also  a  relative, 
having  married  Mary,  daughter  of  the  above  Edward  Kempe.  Edward  Kempe,  the  younger, 
of  Ashley,  and  afterwards  of  East  Norton,  had  five  sons  :  William,  who  was  Sheriff  for  the  County 
of  Rutland  in  1801,  John,  who  was  of  Belton,  Francis,  Edward  and  Thomas.  The  eldest  son, 
William  Kemp,  died  in  181 1,  and  by  his  wife  Ann  left  an  only  child,  Mary  Ann  Kemp,  who  died 
in  1870  ;  she  married  in  18 17  John  Eagleton,  of  Christ  Church,  London.  There  is  a  monumental 
inscription  to  her  father  and  mother  in  Belton  Church,  the  latter  died  in  1836.  The  issue  of 
Edward  Kempe,  the  younger,  was  a  son,  Edward,  and  two  daughters,  who  respectively  married 
a  Spencer  and  a  Brown  ;  ithe  iissue  of  Edward,  the  son  who  was  born  in  1  738,  is  not  further 
known,  but  monuments  to  Edward  and  his  wife  are  also  to  be  found  in  Belton  Church.  Thomas 
the  third  son  died  unmarried,  and  was  buried  at  Belton  in  1823,  John  Kempe,  the  youngest  son 
was  also  at  Belton,  and  married  Ann,  who  died  in  1805  aged  forty-eight  ;  they  had  a  son  John,  and 
a  daughter  Sarah,  both  of  whom  died  infants,  also  a  second  daughter  Sarah  who  died  unmarried. 

Francis  Kemp,  the  fourth  son,  consequently  seems  the  only  one  of  these  five  sons  whose 
issue  survives  to  the  present  day,  he  married  Elenor  ...  by  whom  he  had  the  following 
children  :  William,  Edward,  Thomas,  Francis,  Godfrey,  John  and  Robert,  Eleanor  Ester  and 
Hannah.  Francis,  the  father  of  this  family,  was  buried  at  Belton  in  1 826-  His  eldest  son 
William,   married   Mary  Jelly,   of  Tixover,  in    1806,   and   had   by  her  three  children,  William 


Leicestershire  and  Rutland. 


II 


Edward  and  Hannah  ;  both  William  Kempes,  father  and  son,  were  drowned.  The  younger  left 
the  following  children  :  William  Edward,  born  1841,  died  1878  ;  Baptist  Kemp  (who  settled  at 
Theddino-worth)  ;  Eleanor  Kemp  and  Walter  Kemp,  who  lives  at  Lolham  Hall,  near  Stamford. 
Edward  Kemp,  the  second  son  of  Francis  and  Eleanor,  was  born  in  1779  and  died  in  1842,  having 
married  first  (in  1802)  Ann  Hill,  by  whom  he  had  Francis  Kemp,  James  Kemp,  JVIary,  who 
married  William  Baines,  and  Ann  ;  and  secondly  to  Elizabeth  Godfrey,  by  whom  he  had  Edward, 
Robert,  EHzabeth  (who  became  the  second  wife  of  William  Baines),  Henry,  Sophia  (who  married 
J.  T.  Springthorpe,  Sheriff  of  Rutland)  and  Charles  Godfrey  Kemp. 

The  will  of  Edward  Kemp,  who  died  in  1842,  is  dated  at  Uppingham,  30th  May,  1839  ;  it 
bequeaths  legacies  to  his  son  Francis  and 
his  daughter  Mary.     And  he  appoints  as  his 
trustees  and  executors  his  brother,  Godfrey 
Kemp,  his  wife,  Elizabeth  Kemp,  William 
Baines  and  William  Toller,  who  were  direc- 
ted to  carry  on  his  business  and  to  apply 
the  profits  for  the  education,  support  and 
maintenance  of  his  children   during  their 
minority,  during  which  time  his  wife  was  to 
have  the  use  of  his  residence,  and  after  the 
youngest   child    had    attained   the   age   of 
twenty-one  the  whole  of  the  profits  of  the 
business  were  for  the  sole  use  of  his  wife 
subject,  however,  to  ^100  per  annum  (from 
the    testator's    decease)    being    invested    in 
Government    Stocks,    which    was    for   the 
purpose  of  raising  a  fund  out  of  which  the 
trustees   were   empowered    to    advance  the 
sum  of  j^400  to  either  of  his  children  at 
twenty-one;  or  in  the  case  of  the  daughters 
marrying  earlier    their    portions   might   be 
paid   according    to    the    discretion   of    the 
trustees.      Francis    Kemp,    the  eldest  son, 
died  in    1862   leaving  two  children,  Ann, 
born     1832,    who    lives    at    Leicester,    and 
Francis    Kemp,    who    was    born    in    1838. 
The  latter  has  three  children  living,  Eliza- 
beth, Francis  and  Thomas.     James  Kemp,  the  second  son  of  Edward,  of  Uppingham,  was  born  in 
1804  and  died  in  1821  ;  Mary,  the  eldest  daughter,  married  William  Baines,  and  left  three  daughters 
and  a  son,  Frederick  James,  who  was  born  in   1836,  the  latter  being  married  and  having  two 
daughters.    Edward  Kemp,  the  third  son  of  Edward,  of  Uppingham,  born  1815,  married  his  cousin, 
Elizabeth  Hill  ;    he  died  at  Leicester  in  1896  leaving  a  son,  Edward  James  Kemp,  who  for  some 
years  was  a  member  of  the  Leicester  Board  of  Guardians  and  a  Town  Councillor  ;  he  died  without 
issue  in  1899,  and  a  daughter,  Mary  Elizabeth,  who  married  Samuel  Davis,  of  Leicester.     Robert 
Kemp,  the  fourth  son  of  Edward,  of  Uppingham,  born  in  18  [7,  died  in   1891,  having  married 
Sarah  Livens,  who  is  still  living  at  Leicester,  and  left  two  children,  one  son  and  one  daughter. 
The  son,  Arthur  Kemp,  was  born  1856,  and  married  in  1880  Sarah  Ellen  James,  of  Towcester, 


Arthur   Kempe,  Esq.,  of  Leicester. 


12 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


and  has  three  children  living,  namely,  Robert  Godfrey  Kemp,  Edith  Margaret  Kemp  and  Alan 
Kemp.  The  daughter,  Helen  Edith  (born  1859)  married  John  Henry  Davis,  who  is  manager  of 
the  Leicester  Permanent  Building  Society.     They  have  no  family. 

Henry  Kemp,  the  fifth  son  of  Edward,  of  Uppingham,  born  1820,  died  in  1895,  he  married 
Frances  Richards  Shenton,  by  whom  he  had  three  daughters,  two  of  whom  died  unmarried,  and 
the  youngest,  Emily  Sophia  (born  1856)  is  married  to  George  M.  Frean,  and  has  two  children. 
Charles  Godfrey  Kemp,  the  youngest  son,  born  1831,  was  placed  at  Uppingham  School  and 
practised  as  a  dentist  in  Leicester,  but  died  in  1863  without  issue.  Thomas  Kemp,  the  brother 
of  Edward  Kemp,  of  Uppingham  (born  in  1782)  died  in  1853,  and  we  have  not  traced  any 
descendants  ;  his  brother,  Francis  Kemp,  settled  in  London,  where  he  died  in  1865,  we  have  no 
information  as  to  his  marriage,  but  are  inclined  to  think  that  one  Godfrey  George  Kemp,  now 

living  in  Australia,  is  one  of  his  family.  Godfrey  Kemp, 
who  was  executor  to  Edward,  of  Uppingham,  was 
born  in  1T85,  became  Sheriff  of  Rutland  ;  he  died  at 
Belton  in  1850,  having  married  Isabelle,  daughter  of 
George  Malim,  of  Higham  Ferrars  (by  a  daughter  of 
Sarah  Jenneys,  of  Spalding),  by  whom  he  left  only  one 
son,  the  Rev.  Godfrey  George  Kemp.  The  Rev. 
Godfrey  George  Kemp  was  a  Fellow  of  Pembroke 
College,  Cambridge,  from  1870-3,  having  graduated  as 
loth  wrangler  in  1869  and  was  Curate  of  St.  Botolph, 
Cambridge,  from  which  he  was  transferred  in  the  latter 
year  to  the  Rectory  of  Rawreth,  Essex.  The  church  at 
Rawreth  (to  which  his  college  presented  him)  was  in  a 
serious  state  of  dilapidation  and  the  parish  poor  ;  it 
therefore  required  persistent  and  unflagging  interest  to 
raise  the  necessary  sum  for  the  present  church.  Not 
only  has  he  accomplished  the  rebuilding,  but  he  has 
obtained  a  good  organ  in  place  of  the  barrel  instrument 
which  he  found  in  the  parish,  and  he  has  embellished 
the  church  with  oaken  screen,  choir  stalls,  and  all  the 
legal  ornaments.  Two  windows  in  the  choir  were 
erected  (at  his  own  cost)  in  memory  of  two  of  his 
children,  who  lie  buried  in  that  churchyard.  He 
married  Harriet  Ann  Malim,  by  whom  he  has  the 
following  children  living  :  Irene,  Minola  Mary,  and  Ernest  Wentworth  Guy  Kemp. 

Before  leaving  these  Leicestershire  Kemps  we  must  notice  briefly  some  of  their  members  who 
came  to  London.  So  early  as  1588  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  a  John  Kemp,  merchant  tailor 
and  citizen  of  London  was  from  Abbott's  Bromley.  Thomas  Kkmp,  a  clergyman,  was  a  curate  at 
St.  Dunstan's-in-the-West,  and  Ave  believe  him  to  be  the  same  as  the  one  of  his  name  who  was 
beneficed  in  Warwickshire.  In  the  Alumni  Oxonienses  it  is  noted  that  Thomas  Kemp,  of 
Warwick,  a  clergyman's  son,  matriculated  at  University  College  in  1581,  aged  twenty-four.  We 
next  find  that  Edward  Kemp,  son  of  Henry  Kemp,  of  Loughborough,  and  his  brother  James, 
settled  in  London  about  the  time  of  their  father's  death  (1  658)-  James  died  in  1  663,  and  by 
his  will  (P.C.C,  65  Juxon)  he  bequeathed  lands  which  he  bought  at  Westham  to  his  wife  Alice 
for  her  life,  with  remainder  to  his  son  John,  or  if  the  latter  died  without  issue  then  this  property 


Rev.  Godfrey  George   Kemp. 


Leicestershire  and  Rutland. 


13 


was  to  be  shared  equally  by  the  testator's  daughters  Rose  (who  had  married  in  1  659  Henry 
Collins)  and  Alice  (who  had  married  in  1  662  John  Hill).  James  left  a  donation  to  the  poor  of 
St.  Sepulchre's,  Newgate,  in  which  parish  he  probably  lived  ;  he  left  his  friends  John  Hill  (the 
elder),  John  Benton  and  Richard  Low,  rings,  begging  them  to  be  overseers.  His  wife  Alice  dated 
her  will  at  Hamerton,  Middlesex  (Com.  London,  1668),  and  mentions  her  son,  John  Kemp,  and 
her  daughter.  Rose  Collins,  to  which  children  she  left  considerable  silver  plate,  as  well  as  the 
estate  mentioned  by  her  husband  ;  she  also  mentioned  her  "  kinsman  "  John  Bent  (a  mercer),  and 
her  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Edward  Kemp  (a  saddler). 

Edward  Kemp,  the  last  named,  belonged  to  the  Saddlers'  Company,  and  was  a  citizen 
of  London  of  considerable  wealth  and  influence.  He  was  for  many  years  a  churchwarden  of 
St.  Dunstan's-in-the-West,  in  which  capacity  he  was  instrumental  in  collecting  funds  for  a 
new  organ,  which  still  exists.  He  and  his  nephew,  Henry  Kemp  (a  "laceman")  both  resided 
in  the  Ward  of  Farringdon,  and  both  were  impanelled  and  returned  as  jurors,  serving  as 
such  at  the  State  trials  of  Lord  Russell  in  1689  and  of  Rouse  in  1690-  The  will  of  Edward 
Kemp  (P.C.C,  Coker,  1693)  desires  that  he  should  be  buried  in  the  church  of  St.  Dunstan- 
in-the-West,  near  his  late  wife,  and  that  about  100  persons  should  be  invited  to  his  funeral,  each 
of  whom  was  to  be  presented  with  a  ring,  and  that  ;^ioo,  or  "  thereabouts,"  should  be  expended 
on  his  obsequies.  To  his  cousin,  Henry  Kemp,  he  left  £220,  provided  that  he  first  managed  to 
clear  himself  of  debts  by  composition  or  otherwise,  so  that  "he  may  go  quietly  and  without  fear 
of  arrests  or  troubles,  and  betake  himself  to  some  employ  or  business."  Legacies  are  also  left  to 
his  cousins,  Mary  (the  wife  of  Thomas  Sharpe),  Frances,  (the  wife  of  Henry  Warburton),  Ann 
(wife  of  Joseph  Bernard),  Ann  Muston,  Mary  Heath,  Rose  Collins,  Elizabeth  Wingfield,  Elizabeth 
(late  wife  of  William  Jackson),  Anne  Bonyman,  daughter  of  his  late  sister  Ann  Herrick,  and 
William  and  John  Kemp  the  two  youngest  sons  of  his  late  brother  William  Kemp.  Among 
other  items  of  charity  he  bequeathed  ^^20  to  Bridewell  Hospital,  of  which  he  was  governor,  £$  to 
the  Saddlers'  Company,  £$  to  the  poor  of  St.  Dunstans  and  £s  to  the  poor  of  Hungerton,  where 
(he  states)  he  was  born.  We  cannot  give  the  names  of  all  the  influential  friends  mentioned  in  his 
will  ;  suffice  to  say  that  among  them  were  Sir  Peter  Rich,  Sir  Thomas  Kelsey,  the  Rev.  Doctor 
Sherlock,  Doctor  Henry  Dove,  Mr.  Thomas  Fiser  and  George  Ashby,  Esq.,  of  Oueenby  Hall. 
(This  hall  is  an  old  moated  building  long  held  by  the  Ashby  family.) 

We  do  not  know  what  became  of  the  nephew  Henry  Kemp  mentioned  above,  but  possibly 
he  was  the  father  of  the  following  James  Kemp,  of  Benson,  Oxford  and  Isaac  Kemp  of  St. 
Sepulchre  ;  if  not  it  would  at  least  appear  that  he  was  connected  with  them.  Isaac  Kemp,  of 
Upton,  in  Essex,  by  his  will  dated  1  T67  (P.C.C,  425  Alexander)  left  to  his  son,  Anthony  Facer 
Kemp  but  ^50,  for  the  reason  that  he  had  a  few  days  previously  paid  him  his  "  fortune"  ;  he  left 
to  his  second  son,  Samuel  Scattergood  Kemp,  ;^400,  and  to  his  daughter,  Martha  Seccombe,  j^200, 
with  the  residue  of  his  estate  to  his  wife  Martha.  Martha  Kemp,  widow,  of  Well  Street,  Cripple- 
gate,  by  her  will  dated  17S5  (P.C.C,  83  Holman)  left  legacies  to  the  same  three  children,  and  her 
will  was  witnessed  by  Edward  Bernard,  Joseph  Lamb  and  William  Jackson,  of  Mark  Lane. 
Anthony  Facer  Kemp  was  appointed  on  the  committee  of  the  Livery  of  London  appointed  in 
December,  1781,  to  effect  a  "better  popular  representation  in  Parliament."  At  Long  Ditton, 
Surrey,  there  was  a  tomb  on  which  the  following  was  inscribed  :  "  Underneath  lieth  the  body  of 
Mrs.  Susannah  Kemp,  wife  of  Mr.  A.  F.  Kemp,  of  the  City  of  London,  merchant.  She  died 
August  31st,  1792,  aged  fifty-five."  We  are  unable  to  say  for  certain  that  this  refers  to  Anthony 
Facer  Kemp,  but  it  seems  likely  that  he  was  a  merchant  of  London. 

Another  branch  of  the  Leicestershire  Kemps  who  were  much  connected  with  London,  lived 

s 


14  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families, 

sometimes  at  Nottingham,  but  more  often  in  Moorfields.  John  Kemp,  of  Middle  Moorfields,  was 
a  bankrupt  in  1765,  and  it  is  probable  that  he  was  the  father  of  Samuel,  Richard,  Mary,  Joseph, 
Ruth  and  William.  The  last  named  was  of  Coventry  Court,  St.  Martin's-inlhe-Fields,  and  his 
administration,  which  appears  in  1772,  was  granted  to  his  daughter  Mary.  Samuel  was  a 
framework  knitter,  of  Nottingham,  and  his  will  was  proved  in  1  776  (P.C.C,  376  Tyndall)  ;  it 
mentions  his  mother  Ann  Kemp,  his  sisters  Ruth  Kemp  and  Mary  Williams,  his  brother-in-law 
Thomas  James  and  his  brothers  Richard  and  William.  This  Samuel,  we  believe,  married  Ruth, 
and  had  a  daughter  Martha  baptized  at  St.  James',  Clerkenwell,  in  1701-  Richard  Kemp,  of 
Whitecross  Alley,  Moorfields,  was  also  engaged  in  the  knitting  and  weaving  industry,  and  in 
1762  obtained  a  Royal  Patent  in  conjunction  with  Henry  Fisher,  of  New  Bond  Street,  hosier, 
to  make  "  silk  pieces  in  gold  and  silver  figured,"  in  a  stocking  frame  ;  this  was  to  hold  good  for 
fourteen  years.  He  died  in  Moorfields,  September,  1787,  his  death  being  announced  in  The 
Gentleman  s  Magazine.  His  will  proved  that  year  (P.C.C,  417  Major)  mentions  his  sons,  Richard, 
Thomas,  Samuel,  John,  and  William,  also  James  Dewey,  of  Artillery  Lane,  anJ  George  Wolfe,  of 
Wellclose  Square  and  William  Marriott,  of  Hoxton  Square,  the  last  two  being  executors.  He 
mentions  his  property'  at  Poplar  consisting  of  twelve  houses  and  gardens,  and  also  states  that  under 
the  will  of  the  late  Mr.  Home  he  held  a  freehold  estate  in  Kent  in  trust  with  one  John  Duplex  ; 
as  to  this  last  property  we  have  no  definite  information,  and  the  Homes  were  connected  with  so 
many  different  Kemps  that  we  have  been  unable  to  identify  this  testator.  Catherine,  the  widow 
of  this  Richard  Kemp,  was  buried  beside  him  in  the  Old  City  Road  in  1  803,  aged  seventy-nine, 
Richard  Kemp,  the  eldest  son,  was  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Baxter,  Kemp  and  Noble,  of  St. 
Mary's-at-Hill,  and  was  one  of  the  trustees  of  Wesley's  Chapel,  Old  City  Road,  where  he  was 
buried  in  1798,  his  will  being  proved  that  year  (P.C  C,  660  Walpole),  he  describes  himself  as  of 
Camberwell,  and  states  that  his  business  was  that  of  a  wine  merchant.  He  left  legacies  to  his 
partners  in  business,  Richard  Noble  and  Timothy  Baxter,  and  appointed  Peter  French  and  Henry 
Goldfinch,  of  Lombard  Street,  his  executors.  To  his  wife  Harriet  Elizabeth  he  left  an  annuity  of 
_^200  for  life,  also  an  annuity  to  his  brother  Thomas  Kemp,  of  Hoxton,  with  reversion  to 
Sophronica  Kemp,  the  latter's  daughter.  He  also  mentions  his  brothers,  William,  Thomas, 
Samuel  and  John,  and  his  sister  Ann  Church.  John  Kemp,  brother  of  the  last,  appears  in  the 
"  Directory  of  London  "  in  1760  as  "  at  Mr.  Hydes,  Mark  Lane,''  and  later  we  find  that  he  was 
declared  a  bankrupt  ;  this  was  in  1  803,  and  he  was  described  then  as  a  "  wine  merchant,  of  Mark 
Lane."  Probably  it  was  his  wife,  Elizabeth  Ann,  who  was  buried  in  ■'  the  grave  of  Richard 
Kemp,  of  Moorfields,"  in  1820  with  her  son  also,  who  died  in  18 i8,  aged  nineteen.  Thomas 
was  of  Hoxton,  and  was  buried  with  above  in  1  836,  aged  seventy,  and  his  wife  Elizabeth  was 
also  buried  there  in  1  84"4',  aged  seventy-six,  leaving  "a  numerous  family."  William  Kemp,  the 
other  brother,  was  of  Whitechapel,  a  tobacconist,  he  died  aged  thirty-nine  in  1 800,  having 
married  Ann.     His  will  was  proved  the  same  year. 

We  must  draw  attention  to  the  coincidence  that  at  Hoxton  also  another  Kemp  family  were 
living  at  this  time,  who  likewise  were  buried  in  the  Old  City  Road.  "  Mr.  JaiMES  Kemp,  late  an 
inhabitant  of  Hoxton,  a  deacon  of  the  Independent  Church  in  that  place  for  more  than  twenty- 
two  years  in  his  seventy-fourth  year."  This  James  Kemp  is  said,  in  a  biography  of  his  life,  to 
have  been  "  a  native  of  Scotland."  He  married  Mary  Sperry,  with  whom  he  was  the  actual 
founder  of  the  first  Sunday  School,  although  Rakes  has  always  had  the  credit  for  so  doing.  James 
Kemp  on  coming  to  London  about  the  year  1772  came  under  the  influence  of  a  celebrated 
preacher,  the  Rev.  Edward  Hitchin,  of  the  chapel  in  White  Row,  Spitalfields  ;  under  this  ministry 
he  and  his  wife  gathered  together  the  first  school  of  young  people  known  as  the  Hoxton  Academy, 


Leicestershire  and  Rutland. 


15 


and  for  some  forty-five  years  Mrs.  Kemp  laboured  there  ;  she  died  on  the  9th  September,  1837, 
and  was  buried  at  Bunhill  Fields,  where  her  eldest  son,  "  Mr.  John  Kemp,  of  Old  London  Street," 
had  been  buried  in  1830,  aged  fifty-three.  With  them  also  lie  the  bodies  of  the  Jatter's  grand- 
son, Alfred  Pratt  White,  Mrs.  Tabitha  Kemp  and  Mr.  Samuel  Kemp. 

Connected  with  one  of  these  Hoxton  families  we  may  note  that  at  Poplar  Church  there  is  a 
stone  to  Richard  Kemp,  Vestry  Clerk  there  for  many  years,  who  was  buried  in  1831,  aged 
fifty-two,  and  that  at  St.  George's-in-the-East  there  is  a  stone  to  Elizabeth  Kempe,  who  died  in 
1843,  aged  seventy-four.  Near  these  parishes  there  was  a  family  of  Kempes  who  owned  a 
printing  business  early  in  the  last  (nineteenth)  century,  one  of  these  married  a  daughter  of  Henry 
Stone,  and  left  a  son  Richard,  who  emigrated  to  New  South  Wales,  and  a  son  Samuel  Kemp,  who 
was  a  linguist,  and  also  settled  abroad. 

We  have  mentioned  that  a  widow  of 
Edward  Kemp,  of  East  Norton,  married 
WiUiam  Ward  of  that  place,  these  being 
important  ancestors  of  the  chief  living 
representatives  of  the  Abbott's  Bromley 
family,  thus  a  mention  of  the  will  of  a 
Sarah  Ward  of  London  will  not  be  out 
of  place  here.  The  probate  has  been  lent 
to  us  by  a  descendant  of  the  Kempe- 
Ward  alliance,  now  secretary  at  "Shake- 
speare's Birthplace."  It  was  proved  in 
1S19  (P.C.C,  193  EUenbro')  and  a  fresh 
administration  was  granted  in  1830. 
The  testatrix  says  she  was  a  "spinster 
formerly  living  at  King  Street,  Moor- 
fields,"  but  in  18 16  living  at  Old  Street 
Road,  Middlesex.  She  bequeathed  to 
James  Kemp,  the  elder,  of  Hoxton 
Town,  James  Kemp,  his  son,  of  the 
Bank  of  England,  and  John  Prior  Ward, 
of  Godliman  Street,  London,  all  her 
estates  at  Budbrook  and  Pillerton  in 
Warwickshire  in  trust  for  the  benefit  of 
any  persons  who  could  "  prove  consan- 
guinity or  degree  of  kindred  not  beyond  that  of  third  cousin"  on  her  father^  side.  Advertisements 
were  to  be  inserted  in  three  newspapers  in  London  and  one  in  Warwickshire  or  Northampton,  four 
or  more  times  in  order  to  trace  any  who  had  claim  to  such  property  ;  and  should  no  claim  arise 
she  bequeathed  her  estate,  subject  to  several  large  legacies,  to  the  above  trustees  absolutely.  The 
special  bequests  included  i'r,ooo  to  Robert  Wheeler,  of  Stratford-on-Avon,  / 1,000  to  Mr.  Miles 
Birkett,  of  Bunhill  Row,  stockbroker,  and  the  interest  from /i, 000  stock  to  James  Kemp,  the 
elder,  for  life,  reverting  to  his  wife  and  thence  to  their  son,  Mr.  Samuel  Kemp  absolutely.  It 
appears  probable  that  these  James  Kemps  were  those  connected  with  the  Sunday  School  at 
Hoxton,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  founder  of  that  institution  was  said  to  have  been  a 
'•  native  of  Scotland,"  and  a  will  of  Samuel  Kemp,  which  is  in  the  P.C.C.  Calendar  of  1833  and 
1838  is  likely  to  be  that  of  Samuel  who  inherited  under  Miss  Sarah  Ward's  bequest. 

s  2 


James  Kemp,  Deacon  of  the  Independent  Church. 


1 6  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

CHcATTETi^   TV. 

■    ■  KEMPES    OF    THE    WEST    OF    ENGLAND. 

THE  West  of  England  has  never  been  thickly  scattered  with  families  of  Kemp(e)s  like  the 
Eastern  Counties,  but  from  early  times  the  name  is  traceable.  Even  before  the  noted 
Flemish  weaver  made  his  home  at  Kendal,  "John  Kemp"  was  a  name  of  importance  in 
the  County  of  Westmoreland.  Apparently  from  Westmoreland  the  Kempes  spread  to  Cheshire 
and  gradually  southward,  but  several  settlements  of  West  of  England  families  of  the  name  are  of 
southern  origin.  The  chief  of  these  as  measured  by  social  rank  was  founded  by  an  Edward 
Kempe,  who  was  the  son  of  Edward  Kempe,  of  the  New  Forest,  and  grandson  of  Sir  William, 
Kempe,  Knight,  of  Ollanty,  Kent.  This  Edward  appears  to  have  settled  in  the  County  of 
Hereford  owing  to  a  grant  of  land  which  he  obtained  from  his  uncle,  Robert  Benett,  at  the  time 
Bishop  of  Hereford.  The  lands  included  Middleton-on-the-Hill,  Chenson  and  Waterson,  and  a 
lease  of  the  parsonage  and  glebe  of  Almeley,  all  of  which  are  mentioned  in  the  will  of  Edward 
Kempe  which  was  proved  at  London  in  1615  (P.C.C,  82  Rudd).  The  will  mentions  also  his 
uncle  and  aunt  Benett,  and  bequeaths  the  property  to  his  son  Robert,  subject  to  the  life  interest 
of  the  testator's  wife  Elizabeth.  The  mention  also  of  his  "friend,  Sir  Robert  Oxenbridge,  Knight," 
and  many  relatives  distinctly  shows  the  exact  connexion  of  the  testator  to  those  of  Hampshire 
and  Kent.  Further  interesting  evidence  is  furnished  by  several  deeds  now  preserved  at  the  British 
Museum  relating  to  these  lands  and  others  and  bearing  the  signature  and  seal  of  Edward  Kempe 
and  his  relatives. 

Elizabeth,  his  widow,  resided  at  Middleton  on  his  decease,  and  her  will  is  dated  there.  It  was 
proved  in  1631  (P.C.C,  135  St.  John)  and  bequeaths  the  lease  which  she  held  from  the  Bishop 
of  Hereford  of  the  rectory  and  tithes  of  Middleton  to  her  daughter,  Margaret  Bourne,  and  the 
lease  of  the  rectory  and  tithes  of  Docklow  to  her  daughter,  Anne  Jeffries.  To  her  son  Robert 
she  left  her  household  furniture,  and  legacies  to  Edward  Smith,  her  "  nephew  and  grandchild," 
The  will  states  that  to  secure  the  wardship  of  her  son  from  the  Court  of  Wards  she  had  paid  a 
considerable  sum,  part  of  which  she  had  borrowed  from  her  son-in-law,  William  Jeffries,  whom 
she  begged  to  act  as  the  said  son's  guardian. 

At  the  time  the  will  was  proved  it  is  probable  that  Robert  had  attained  manhood,  for  m  1  629 
we  find  that  he  petitioned  the  king  for  pardon,  he  having  been  accused  of  crime  by  "  a  woman  of 
mean  condition  "  named  Mary  Ehzabeth  Cook.  We  have  not  traced  his  will,  but  that  of  his  wife 
Anne,  styling  herself  "relict  of  Robert  Kemp,  of  Shenstone,"  dated  1677,  was  proved  that  year  at 
Hereford.  It  mentions  her  son  Robert  Kemp  and  her  daughters,  Ann  Kemp,  Rachael  Kemp  and 
Elizabeth  Freeby,  also  her  grandson  Thomas  Kemp  and  her  granddaughters  Elizabeth,  Ann  and 
Rachael  Freeby. 

The  daughter  Rachael  mentioned  above  made  her  will  at  Wormbridge,  and  it  was  proved  at 
Hereford  in  1681.  It  mentions  her  brothers  Robert  and  Roger  Kemp  and  her  cousin  Dorothy 
Gurnons,  also  her  sister  Ann  and  the  children  of  her  brother  Robert,  whom  she  said  were  to  be 
paid  legacies  by  her  kinsman  Marshall  Bridges.  From  this  we  get  a  glimpse  of  the  fourth 
generation  of  Herefordshire  Kempes,  but  their  movements  thenceforward  are  shrouded  in  mystery. 
It  would  at  least  appear  evident  that  they  no  longer  retained  considerable  property  in  the  county, 
and  it  is  probable  that  they  left  Herefordshire,  one  branch  going  south  to  Redwick,  in  the  parish 
of  Henbury,  near  Bristol,  and  another  settling  in  the  north  of  Shropshire.  If  this  surmise  is 
correct  it  is  still  necessary  to  retrace  our  steps  and  mention  earlier  Kempes  of  that  adjoining  county. 


David  Kempe,  Pr 

Gloucester,  for 

Harlesdon,  Mx., 


Arthur  Kempe,  of  Hampshire.= 


ey  K.  Richard  K.  Joane  K.  Anne  K. 

560.  living  1560.  b.  1552.  living  1560. 


Sir  Nicholas  Kera 

born  about  I55< 

left  \i 

Ralph  K.  of  LittU 
Salop,  died  16 

Joseph  Kempe,  of 

died  1654,  foi 

"  Beggin  "  / 

Related  to  Sir  N 

Ralph  K.  of  V 


George  Kempe,  Mary  Kempe.=John  Hanmer, 

bur.  at  Selattyn  Bishop  of 

15^8  St.  Asaph. 


George  Kempe,  Mayor  of  Evesham, 
Will  proved  1658. 

Richard  Kempe,  of  Parshore,  Admon.  i676=Alice. 


Penelope  Kempe, 

bur.  at  Selattyn 
1624. 


Arthur  Kempe,  of  Evesham, 
Will  proved  i7l5.=Abigail. 


John  Kempe,  of  Evesham, 
died  i749.=Ann. 


William  K. 
b.  1701. 


Joseph  Kempe=Mary  Archer, 
mar.  I730- 


Benjamin  K. 
b.  1700. 


William  K. 
b.  1702. 


John  K. 


23-5- 


omas  Cotterell, 
Gloucester. 

treet,  1775-7- 


Lydia  K.  widow,  bur.  1773.         Benjamin  Kempe= 

Elizabeth  K.=Richard  Homer,  of  Dudley.  Benjamin  Kempe, 

m    I7QA  born  1753. 

'^^'  bur.atAdderleyl824. 


John  Kemp,  of  Adderley,=Martha  Hayward. 
born  1786,  died  1852.     I 


iph  K.mp,  of  Adderley  and  Longslow,=Elizabeth  Hudson   of  Spoonley  and  Longford, 
born  1817,  bur.  at  Adderley  1858.  I  born  1810,  bur.  at  Adderley  1865- 


Samuel  Bromley  Kemp,  of  Volksrust,=Annie  Louther  Graves,  b.  iJ 
Transvaal,  S.A.     born  18 5 3.         I         mar.  at  Durban  1892. 


lea  IT   B.  K.         Daphne  Patricia  K.         Vera  Alberta  L.  K.         Alexander  Lowther  K. 


l6  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

CHqATTET^   IV. 

■    ■  KEMPES    OF    THE    WEST    OF    ENGLAND. 

THE  West  of  England  has  never  been  thickly  scattered  with  families  of  Kemp(e)s  like  the 
Eastern  Counties,  but  from  early  times  the  name  is  traceable.  Even  before  the  noted 
Flemish  weaver  made  his  home  at  Kendal,  "John  Kemp"  was  a  name  of  importance  in 
the  County  of  Westmoreland.  Apparently  from  Westmoreland  the  Kempes  spread  to  Cheshire 
and  gradually  southward,  but  several  settlements  of  West  of  England  families  of  the  name  are  of 
southern  origin.  The  chief  of  these  as  measured  by  social  rank  was  founded  by  an  Edward 
Kempe,  who  was  the  son  of  Edward  Kempe,  of  the  New  Forest,  and  grandson  of  Sir  William, 
Kempe,  Knight,  of  Ollanty,  Kent.  This  Edward  appears  to  have  settled  in  the  County  of 
Hereford  owing  to  a  grant  of  land  which  he  obtained  from  his  uncle,  Robert  Benett,  at  the  time 
Bishop  of  Hereford.  The  lands  included  Middleton-on-the-Hill,  Chenson  and  Waterson,  and  a 
lease  of  the  parsonage  and  glebe  of  Almeley,  all  of  which  are  mentioned  in  the  will  of  Edward 
Kempe  which  was  proved  at  London  in  1615  (P.CC,  82  Rudd).  The  will  mentions  also  his 
uncle  and  aunt  Benett,  and  bequeaths  the  property  to  his  son  Robert,  subject  to  the  life  interest 
of  the  testator's  wife  Elizabeth.  The  mention  also  of  his  "friend,  Sir  Robert  Oxenbridge,  Knight," 
and  many  relatives  distinctly  shows  the  exact  connexion  of  the  testator  to  those  of  Hampshire 
and  Kent.  Further  interesting  evidence  is  furnished  by  several  deeds  now  preserved  at  the  British 
Museum  relating  to  these  lands  and  others  and  bearing  the  signature  and  seal  of  Edward  Kempe 
and  his  relatives. 

Elizabeth,  his  widow,  resided  at  Middleton  on  his  decease,  and  her  will  is  dated  there.  It  was 
proved  in  1631  (P.C.C,  135  St.  John)  and  bequeaths  the  lease  which  she  held  from  the  Bishop 
of  Hereford  of  the  rectory  and  tithes  of  Middleton  to  her  daughter,  Margaret  Bourne,  and  the 
lease  of  the  rectory  and  tithes  of  Docklow  to  her  daughter,  Anne  Jeffries.  To  her  son  Robert 
she  left  her  household  furniture,  and  legacies  to  Edward  Smith,  her  "  nephew  and  grandchild," 
The  will  states  that  to  secure  the  wardship  of  her  son  from  the  Court  of  Wards  she  had  paid  a 
considerable  sum,  part  of  which  she  had  borrowed  from  her  son-in-law,  William  Jeffries,  whom 
she  begged  to  act  as  the  said  son's  guardian. 

At  the  time  the  will  was  proved  it  is  probable  that  Robert  had  attained  manhood,  for  m  1  629 
we  find  that  he  petitioned  the  king  for  pardon,  he  having  been  accused  of  crime  by  "  a  woman  of 
mean  condition  "  named  Mary  Elizabeth  Cook.  We  have  not  traced  his  will,  but  that  of  his  wife 
Anne,  styling  herself  "relict  of  Robert  Kemp,  of  Shenstone,"  dated  167T,  was  proved  that  year  at 
Hereford.  It  mentions  her  son  Robert  Kemp  and  her  daughters,  Ann  Kemp,  Rachael  Kemp  and 
Elizabeth  Freeby,  also  her  grandson  Thomas  Kemp  and  her  granddaughters  Elizabeth,  Ann  and 
Rachael  Freeby. 

The  daughter  Rachael  mentioned  above  made  her  will  at  Wormbridge,  and  it  was  proved  at 
Hereford  in  168 1.  It  mentions  her  brothers  Robert  and  Roger  Kemp  and  her  cousin  Dorothy 
Gurnons,  also  her  sister  Ann  and  the  children  of  her  brother  Robert,  whom  she  said  were  to  be 
paid  legacies  by  her  kinsman  Marshall  Bridges.  From  this  we  get  a  glimpse  of  the  fourth 
generation  of  Herefordshire  Kempes,  but  their  movements  thenceforward  are  shrouded  in  mystery. 
It  would  at  least  appear  evident  that  they  no  longer  retained  considerable  property  in  the  county, 
and  it  is  probable  that  they  left  Herefordshire,  one  branch  going  south  to  Redwick,  in  the  parish 
ot  Henbury,  near  Bristol,  and  another  settling  in  the  north  of  Shropshire.  If  this  surmise  is 
correct  it  is  still  necessary  to  retrace  our  steps  and  mention  earlier  Kempes  of  that  adjoining  county. 


KEMPES     OF     THE     WEST     OF     ENGLAND. 


(Grandmother)  Smith.= 


Arthur  Kempe,  of  Hampshire,^ 


David  Kempe,  Prebendary  ofc=Catherir 
Gloucester,  formerly  of        I 
Harlesdon,  Mx.,  died  1582.    | 

a  daughter. 

Sir  Nicholas  Kempe.  of  London,  J. P.. 
born  about  1550,  died  Sept.  1624, 

left  lands  to     :> 


Ralph  K.  of  Little  A5h,=Katherin 
Salop,  died  1624. 

Joseph  Kempe,  of  Hitchin,  Herts. 

died  1654,  founder  of  the 

"  Beggin  "  Almshouse. 

Related  to  Sir  Nicholas  K.  and 

Ralph  K  of  Winchcombe. 


Ralph  Kempe,  of  Winchcombe,=Ellen  Jusneli.  mar 

(heir  to  Sir  Nicholas  K.  and     j         West  Smithfield,  London,  by  lioin: 
to  John  K.  above.)  16  August,  1574. 


Edward  K.                      Giles  K. 
b.  I5;o.                      living  1560. 

Roger  K, 
living  .560. 

Thoaias  K.  of  Upton  Magna, 
Administration  1590. 

Robert  K. 
living  1590. 

artiiolomew's, 

Hency  Kempe. 

Ralph  Kempe,  of  Wrnchcombe.=Grace  Grinnell,  mar.  by  licem 
and  of  St.  Margarets,  West-  I  Will  proved  1656. 

minster,  Mk.  Will  proved,l64S. 


i  dau.=:Leonard  Adams, 
I 
Ralph  Adams.  Hving  1656. 


\  dau.=:John  Levenwc 
Ralph  Levenworth. 


.  dau.=Peter  Holland. 
I 
Elizabeth  Holland. 


Mary  Kempc^John  Hanmer 
Bishop  of 
St.  Asaph.  ■ 


Richard  Kempe,  of  Parshore,  Admon.  l676^Alic 


Penelope  Kempe, 
bur.  at  Selattyn 


Margaret,  living  i674.=William  Kempe,  of  Acton  Raynold,  in  the  parish 
I  of  Shawbury,  and  taxed  for  2  hearths  at 

Gt.  Withyford,  1674.     Will  1674. 


,  of  Albrighton-by-Shrewsbiiry. 


Ralph  K. 
(?=Judith  Snow, 
of  London,  1665) 


Henrj'  Kempe.^Martha. 


nhuT  K.                      Sarah.^Thomas  K.=:Hannah.  Joseph  Kempe:=Mary  Archer, 
,r.  1727.                                   I                          1  mar.  1730. 
I                  Henry  Kempe,  1723-5- 


Evesham,  Wil 

Charles  Kempe,  of 
London  &  Chelmsford. 


Lj'dia  K.  widow,  bur.  1773.         Benjamin  Kempi 
Elizabeth  K.=Richard  H 


f  Dudley.  Benjamin  Kempe, 

born  1753. 
bur.  at  Adderley  1824. 


i  Dorothea  11    B.  K.         Daphne  Pai 


Vera  AlBerta  L.  K.        Alexander  Lowther  K. 


Kempes  of  the    West  of  England.  1 7 

Among  the  old  MSS.  of  the  Shrewsbury  Corporation  is  an  undated  deed  recording  the  sale 
and  quit  claim  by  "  Vincint,  son  of  Reginald  Kemp,"  to  Robert,  the  son  of  Roger  de  Cornlegh,  of 
a  rent  of  elevenpence  M'hich  William  le  Knave  used  to  pay  to  the  said  Vincint.  The  deed  would 
appear  to  be  earlier  than  the  sixteenth  century,  otherwise  these  names  certainly  point  to  a  con- 
nexion with  the  Kentish  family,  Reginald  and  Vincent  being  two  of  the  last  male  line  resident 
at  Wye,  Reginald,  however,  died  in  1610.  Among  the  same  collection  of  deeds  and  municipal 
papers  is  a  letter  dated  31st  October,  1593  addressed  from  "  My  house  at  Coton  in  Wemes  parish" 
to  the  bailiffs  of  the  Earl  of  Essex,  by  William  Harrison,  expressing  readiness  to  cease  sueing 
Robert  Kemp  for  a  debt,  "  being  bidden  by  Crist  to  forgive  those  that  trespass."  The  letter 
mentions  a  Mr.  John  Newport,  of  Wellington,  deceased,  to  whom  the  writer  owed  some  rent. 
Perhaps  the  Robert  Kemp  mentioned  belonged  to  the  district  of  Wellington,  for  the  present  head 
of  a  local  family  of  Kempes  has  property  there,  although  the  little  evidence  that  we  have  been 
able  to  gather  points  to  the  extreme  north  of  the  county  as  being  for  generations  the  home  of  his 
ancestors.     This  brings  us  to  another  episcopal  connexion  of  the  Kempes. 

John  Hanmer,  who  had  formerly  been  Prebend  of  Worcester,  was  Bishop  of  St.  Asaph  from 
1624  to  1628,  and  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Arthur  Kempe,  Gent.,  of  the  County  of  Hampshire. 
Doubtless  like  Bishop  Benett,  Hanmer  admitted  some  of  his  Kempe  relatives  to  leasehold  property 
which  he  obtained  in  virtue  of  his  bishopric.  At  Selattyn,  on  the  north-western  border  of  Shrop- 
shire (which  came  under  the  Archdeaconal  Court  of  Asaph),  lived  George  and  Penelope  Kempe. 
Penelope  was  buried  there  on  9th  December,  1624,  the  parish  register  describing  her  as  "  Penelope 
Kempe,  spinster,  sister-in-law  to  the  Lord  Bishop  Hanmer."  George  Kempe,  said  to  have  been 
her  brother,  was  buried  there  on  i8th  December,  1628,  and  is  described  as  a  "Gentleman  "  in  the 
register.  We  have  not  identified  his  will,  nor  that  of  Arthur  Kemp,  of  Hampshire,  and  are  not 
able  to  say  for  certain  that  these  were  a  branch  of  the  Kentish  stock,  but  it  seems  probable  that 
Benett  and  Hanmer  were  friends  and  perhaps  connected  by  marriage.  There  is,  however,  some 
evidence  which  may  lead  us  to  connect  these  Kempes  of  the  north  of  Shropshire  with  a  family 
settled  for  several  generations  at  Winchcombe. 

In  1624  Ralph  Kemp,  of  Ash  Parva,  or  Little  Ash,  Shropshire,  who  was  by  trade  a  weaver^ 
bequeathed  legacies  to  the  children  of  his  brother,  John  Kempe,  of  Mucklestone,  and  to  his  god- 
child, Ann  Hitchin.  He  appointed  his  wife,  Katherine,  executrix  and  residuary  legatee,  and 
Ralph  and  Richard  Jackson,  of  Little  Ash,  "  his  loving  neighbours,"  overseers  to  the  will. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  Ralph  Kempe  was  related  to  Sir  Nicholas  Kempe,  Knight 
and  J. P.  of  London,  who  mentioned  in  his  will  (proved  1624)  "Ralph  Kempe,  of  Winchcombe," 
and  we  have  evidence  that  in  1603  one,  Ralph  Jackson,  probably  the  above,  with  Hugh  Kempe 
and  others  were  suitors  in  the  Queen's  Court  (Pleadings  Ducatus  Lancastriae)  concerning 
boundaries  of  property  at  Chaderton,  Nuthurst  and  Oldham.  As  mentioned  earlier  the  will  of 
James  Chetham,  of  Nuthurst,  dated  1613,  mentions  Hugh  Kempe,  Nicholas  Kemp  and  Isabel  and 
Katherine  Jackson,  thus  linking  Sir  Nicholas  with  Jackson,  and  the  latter  with  Ralph  Kempe,  of 
Little  Ash. 

The  mention  of  Winchcombe  gives  rise  to  the  question,  at  what  date  were  the  Kempes 
established  there  ?  The  answer  comes  from  the  registers  of  the  parish  church,  which  have  kindly 
been  searched  for  us  by  the  Rev.  John  Taylor.  The  parish  books  were  in  accordance  with  the 
law  commenced  in  1539,  but  in  common  with  the  majority  throughout  the  Kingdom  it  is  clear 
that  at  first  the  registration  was  very  irregular.  The  first  entry  of  a  Kempe  occurs  on  7th 
October,  1541,  when  William,  son  of  Robert,  was  baptized  ;  then  follow  other  children  who  were 
baptized  as  here  given  :  John,  1542,  Henry,  1544,  Edward,   1550,  and  Joan,  1552.     In  addition  to 


i8  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

these  children  we  find  from  the  will  of  Robert  Kemp,  of  Winchcombe,  which  was  proved  at 
Gloucester  in  1560,  that  he  had  sons  named  Gyles,  Roger  or  Robert,  Reginald,  Humphrey, 
Richard  and  a  daughter  Anne.  This  will  mentions  "  a  velvet  nightcap,"  "  a  best  doublet,"  "  satin 
shoes,"  and  other  clothes  of  fine  material,  indicating  that  the  man  was  a  gentleman,  or  at  least  a 
well-to-do  yeoman.  He  speaks  also  of  his  silver  cups  and  other  plate  silver  spoons,  which  had 
been  left  by  \\\?,  father-in-law ,  John  Dyson,  to  his  sons,  and  he  left  a  considerable  sum  to  his  wife 
Margaret,  and  to  his  children.  Mention  is  made  of  a  bequest  left  to  John,  the  testator's  son,  by 
his  "  grandmother  Smythe."     The  will  is  witnessed  by  "  Raffe  Kempe  "  and  others. 

Ralph  Kempe,  of  the  City  of  Gloucester,  in  his  will  proved  there  in  1562,  directed  that  he 
should  be  buried  in  the  Church  of  Graceland  in  that  city,  and  bequeathed  his  lands  at  Cheltenham 
to  his  son,  Thomas  Kempe,  subject  to  the  payment  of  legacies  to  his  sisters  Agnes,  Sibel  and 
Mary,  and  he  mentions  a  bowl,  made  of  silver  gilt,  and  other  plate.  This  last  testator  was 
probably  the  son  of  the  former,  and  his  will  helps  us  further  to  identify  him,  as  at  Graceland 
(i.e.^  land  belonging  to  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Grace),  at  Gloucester  died  the  Rev.  David 
Kempe,  who  was  for  a  time  Prebendary  of  that  Cathedral. 

This  same  David  Kempe  was  formerly  Prebendary  of  Harlesden,  and  subsequently  the  Prebend 
of  Willesden  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  London,  and  he  was  also  vicar  of  Rickmansworth,  Middlesex, 
and  Archdeacon  of  St.  Alban's,  with  the  latter  of  which  at  least  Sir  Nicholas  Kempe  was 
identified  ;  thus  we  reason  again  that  between  the  Kempes  of  Winchcombe  and  Shropshire  there 
was  a  close  connexion  at  this  time.  The  will  of  David  Kempe,  dated  in  1581  from  the  Close  of 
Gloucester  Cathedral,  was  proved  in  1582,  and  mentions  his  wife  Catherine  and  his  daughter  and 
her  children.  The  e.xecutor,  Thomas  Kempe,  was  bequeathed  a  "  shamise  purse,  wt.  the  silver 
locke,"  the  relationship  between  David  and  Thomas  Kempe  is  not  stated.  In  1596  the  will  of 
John  Kempe,  of  the  parish  of  "  Our  Blessed  Lady  of  Grace,"  Gloucester,  an  apothecarye,  was 
proved,  leaving  all  his  lands  and  tenements  in  the  City  and  County  of  Gloucester  to  John  Kempe, 
his  son,  one  hundred  marks  each  to  his  son  Edward  Kempe  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  to 
his  daughter  Susan.  The  residue  of  his  estate  being  left  to  his  wife  Elizabeth,  who  was  sole 
executor.     Walter  "  Brommedge  "  and  Richard  Ward,  Gent.^  were  the  overseers. 

Returning  to  the  relatives  of  these  at  Winchcombe  we  find  that  Ralph  Kempe,  described 
as  of  the  parish  of  St.  Margaret's  Westminster,  was  granted  a  license  to  marry  Grace  Grinnell 
on  22nd  June,  1610-  Very  shortly  after  this  date  he  was  at  Winchcombe,  where  he  made  his 
will  in  1644.  It  was  proved  at  Gloucester  the  following  year,  and  bequeaths  to  his  wife  Grace 
certain  lands  lying  at  Winchcombe  called  "  Hitchingsfields  "  for  her  life  with  reversion  to  her 
son,  Thomas  Kempe,  while  to  his  son  Ralph  and  his  heirs  for  ever  he  leaves  his  "  inheritance." 
The  testator  leaves  legacies  to  his  sons-in-law,  Leonard  Addams,  John  Leavenworth  and  Peter 
Holland,  and  his  brother  Henry  and  kinsman  William  Greening  are  also  mentioned. 

It  was  no  doubt  this  Ralph  Kempe,  of  Winchcombe,  who  was  intended  to  benefit  by  the  will 
of  Sir  Nicholas  Kempe.  The  will  of  Grace  Kemp,  Ralph's  wife,  was  proved  in  1656  (P.C.C,  404 
Berkley),  and  directed  that  her  body  should  be  buried  in  the  church  of  Winchcombe.  She 
mentions  her  son  "  Raphe  "  Kempe  and  her  sons-in-law  as  mentioned  above,  also  her  son-in-law 
Edmund  Mutson  and  her  brother-in-law  Henry  Kempe.  We  may  remark  that  "  Raufe  Skinner  " 
was  a  trustee  under  the  will  of  Joseph  Kempe,  of  Hitchin,  in  1654,  and  we  have  no  doubt  that  the 
said  Joseph  was  related  to  the  Winchcombe  Kempes,  his  arms  as  displayed  over  his  tomb  were 
Gules  J  garbs  within  a  bordure  engrailed^  Or,  as  used  by  Sir  Nicholas.  "  Ralph  Kempe,  son  of 
Ralphe  Kempe,  of  Winchcombe,"  matriculated  at  New  Inn  Hall,  Oxford,  in  1672,  aged  seventeen. 
He  must  have  been  the  grandson  of  Grace  Kempe.     The  estate  of  Ralph  Kempe,  late  of  the  ship 


Kempes  of  the    West  of  England.  19 

Faiiconberge,  bachelor,  was  granted  to  his  brother,  Ephraim  Kempe,  in  1696  ;  we  cannot  say, 
however,  if  this  is  the  same  individual.     One,  Ralph  Kempe,  of  St.  James's  Clerkenwell,  married 
before   1675,  for  in  that  year  he  Avas  granted  administration  of  the  estate  of  Susanah,  his  wife. 
Several  Ralph  Kempes  of  a  latter  period  are  known   to  us,  but  here  we  need  only  say  that  the 
Kemp  line  at  Winchcombe  must  have  ceased  before  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and 
that  the  last  will  relating  to  this  place  was  that  of  Thomas  Kempe,  proved  in  1665-     The  testator 
mentions  his  "  mother-in-law  Deborah  Kempe,"  and  his  "  half-brother  Ralph  Kempe,"  and  his 
•'half-sister  Ann  Kemp,"  from  which  we  conclude  that  "mother-in-law"  in  this  case  means  slep- 
mother.     The  will  also  mentions  Ralph  Addams,  the  elder,  and  Elizabeth   Breaks,  widow,  and 
is  witnessed  by  Edward  Slaughter  and  others.     (A  seal  attached  bears  the  impression  of  a  crest,  a 
griffin's  head,  the  facsimile  of  which  occurs  on  a  later  will  and  also  on  some  Middlesex  Kempe  deeds.) 
From  Winchcombe  to  Evesham  and  South  Littleton  is  a  distance  of  some  eight  miles.     It 
would  appear  likely  that  as  Kempes  were  at  both  these  places  at  this  time  (i 590-1665)  these  were 
connected  with  the  above,  but  an  interesting  will  of  a  foreign  Kempe  proved  in  1566  shows  that 
those  at  Beckford  and  Harvington,  close  by,  were  kinsmen  of  his  and  but  recently  settled  in  this 
kingdom.     This  testator  was  named  James  Kempe,  and  the  will  shows  that  he  was  a  weaver  of 
some  wealth  living  at  Beckford.     He  leaves  many  specific  legacies  to  relatives  named  Kempe  and 
sums  of  money  for  his  poor  kinsmen  in  his  "native  country."     Which  country  this  was  is  not 
indicated,  but  is  likely  that  he  was  one  of  the  Hugenots  who  took  refuge  in  this  country  about 
1544.     We  may  however  remark  that  although  some  of  our  subscribers  have  claimed  descent  from 
such,  the  name  of  Kempe  does  not  occur  either  in  any  known  list  of  flugenots  settled  in  England 
nor  in  the  registers   of  the  Hugenot  church,  which  is  still  maintained  at  Canterbury.     James 
Kempe  speaks  of  his  looms  and  other  stock-in-trade,  and  an  inventory  of  his  goods  includes  cattle, 
sheep  and   some  silver   plate.     He  particularly  mentions  as  kinsmen   Henry  Kempe,  of  Siston, 
Thomas  Kempe,  of  Harvington,  and  a  Randall   Kempe.     The  clergy  and  poor  of  Ashton  and 
Dumbleton  were  also  bequeathed  money.     Some  of  these  immigrants  doubtless  returned  to  their 
native  land,  but  the  parish  registers  of  Harvington  show  that  others  of  the  Kempes  remained  in 
that  parish.     In  1595  Magdalen  Kempe  was  there  married  to  Robert  Harwavd,  and  from  that  time 
Kempe  became  a  constantly-used  christian  name  among  the  local  Harwards  and  kindred  families. 
Administration  of  the  estate  of  John  Kempe,  of  Harvington,  was  granted  to  his  daughter,  Judith 
Jarratt,  in    1615-     In    1618  Kempe,   the  son  of  William   Abell,   was  baptized  at  Harvington, 
Kempe   Harwarde   and    Samuel   Demetrius   (of  Priors   Salford)   being  witnesses.      In   1644  an 
inventory  was  made  of  the  goods  of  John  Kempe,  of  Harvington  (a  blacksmith),  and  administra- 
tion was  granted  to  Elizabeth  Kempe,  of  the  Boro'  of  Evesham,  spinster,  and  to  George  Kempe 
of  the  same  place,   Elizabeth   being  the   deceased's  daughter  and  George   Kempe  probably  his 
brother.     The  inventory  was  signed  by  Kempe  Harvard  and   George  Kempe,  who  stated   that 
John  Kempe,  of  Harvington,  had  died  about  fourteen  vears  before,  since  which   his  wife  had  held 
his  property,  which  consisted  of  a  house  "built  of  (?  on)  the  lord's  waste,"  a  little  furniture,  and 
his  tools  as  a  blacksmith.     This  inventory  shows  at  least  that  the  widow  had  lived  on  her  capital 
and  thus  reduced   the  estate,   for   in   his  lifetime  John   Kempe  had  been   the  chief  resident  at 
Harvington,   as   appears   from   the  Subsidy  Roll   of   1601,   his    name  then   headed   the   list   of 
parishioners,  he  being  rated  at  jf  5.     At  Evesham  at  that  time  Richard  Harvard  was  rated  at  _^4, 
and  we  can  surmise  that  it  was  due  to  the  influence  of  that  family  that  George  Kempe  settled 
there.     At  South  Littleton  at  the  same  rating  Agnes  Bussell,  widow,  was  registered,  and  we  think 
this  worthy  a  mention,  as  Kempe  as  a  christian  name  was  adopted  by  subsequent  Bussells.     In 
the  Abell  family  it  continued   until  the  eighteenth  century,  one  Kemp  x\bell,  of  Bidford,   with 


20  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Thomas  Osborne,  of  Broom,  being  at  Stratford-on-Avon  Petty  Sessions  in  1736.  Connected  also 
with  the  foreign  Kempe  of  Beckford  we  have  no  doubt  was  Henry  Kempe,  a  husbandman,  of 
Siddenton^  whose  will  was  proved  at  Gloucester  in  1559  ;  this  testator  mentioned  his  sons  Thomas, 
Robert,  Richard,  James,  John,  Harry  and  Roger  and  a  daughter  Joan,  leaving  his  property  to  his 
wife  Joan  for  her  life  with  reverson  to  the  sons.  He  left  various  amounts  for  charity  at  Stratford- 
on-Avon,  being  included  under  the  bequests  to  poor.  We  cannot  attempt  to  follow  the  issue  of 
this  Henry  of  Siddenton,  but  must  return  to  those  of  Evesham,  which  place  for  some  two  centuries 
was  the  home  of  a  small  family  of  Kempes. 

George  Kempe,  who  as  stated  above,  was  the  appraiser  of  the  small  estate  of  John  Kempe,  of 
Harvington,  was  thrice  elected  Mayor  of  Evesham  in  the  years  1634,  1^43  and  1654.  His  will, 
dated  1650,  was  proved  in  1658  (P.C.C,  20  Wooton),  and  describes  him  as  a  "  Gent.,"  of  Shine- 
hill,  in  South  Littleton.  His  estate  at  Evesham  and  Shinehill  he  bequeathed  to  John  Nicklis, 
and  to  William  Nicklis  he  left  a  piece  of  land,  while  to  Sanmel  and  Jonathan  Nicklis,  both  of 
London,  he  left  some  property  at  Shinehill,  and  his  house  and  demesne  lands  to  his  daughter 
Elizabeth  Kempe,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Bushell  (otherwise  written  Bussell).  The  most  notable 
bequest,  however,  Avas  twenty  bibles,  which  were  directed  to  be  given  to  the  poor  people  of 
Littleton  and  Bengeworth  at  the  discretion  of  his  executors,  and  sums  of  money  to  Mr.  Henry 
Ballard,  Mr.  Hopkins,  Mr.  Dolphin,  of  Honnybourne,  and  Mr.  Matthews,  "  ministers  of  the 
gospel,"  for  that  they  had  "suffered  for  righteousness  sake."  George  Hopkins  was  Vicar  of 
All  Saints',  Evesham,  and  Thomas  Matthews  gave  a  piece  of  ground  at  Evesham — the  profits  from 
which  were  to  be  applied  "  to  apprentice  poor  children  to  some  honest  trade."  The  local  Probate 
Register  Records  are  not  perfect,  and  doubtless  some  wills  of  the  Kempes  have  been  unregistered  ; 
thus  the  ne.xt  of  which  we  have  a  knowledge  is  of  one  Arthur  Kemp,  of  Evesham,  dated  and 
proved  in  1715.  The  testator  is  described  as  a  "'  fellmonger,"  and  bequeathed  to  his  wife  Abigail 
his  house  and  lands  in  the  parish  of  All  Saints',  Evesham,  for  her  life,  and  afterwards  this  property 
was  to  pass  to  their  son  Arthur,  besides  whom  they  had  children  named  Thomas,  Joseph, 
Benjamin,  Joan,  Mary  and  Abagail.  Mary  married  William  Green,  of  Weston-sub-Edge,  Joan 
died  single  in  1749,  John,  another  son,  had  been  buried  in  infancy,  Joseph  died  about  1785, 
Benjamin  married  Lydia,  who  was  buried  a  widow  at  Evesham  in  1773-  Thomas  married  first 
a  Sarah,  by  whom  he  had  a  son  Thomas,  and  secondly  a  Hannah,  by  whom  he  had  a  son  Henry 
baptized  1723  and  buried  1723.  Thomas,  the  younger,  married  Sarah  Russell  in  1776,  and 
Arthur,  the  eldest  son  was  buried  at  All  Saints'  on  20th  December,  1727.  The  registers  show 
also  that  John  and  Ann  Kemp  had  two  sons  named  William  who  were  baptized  in  1701  and  1702  ; 
that  Margaret  Kempe  married  Edward  Cole  in  August,  1719,  and  that  Israel*  Kemp  married 
John  {sic)  Crump  in  1739  ;  Joseph  Kempe,  by  a  wife  named  Catherine  (who  died  in  1728),  had 
children  baptized  named  Joseph  and  Martha  in  1723  and  1727,  Joseph,  the  elder,  marrying  as  his 
second  wife  Mary  Archer  in  1730-  These,  doubtless,  are  only  a  few  of  the  Kempes  who  during 
the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  century  must  have  been  constantly  represented  at  Evesham,  but 
we  have  no  exact  information  as  to  the  parentage  of  the  next  testator  whose  will  relates  to  this 
place.  Before,  however,  passing  on  we  must  note  that  on  the  last  quoted  will  there  is  still  a  seal 
bearing  an  evident  allusion  to  a  crest  of  several  Kempe  families.  It  is  a  bird  with  wings  raised, 
standing  on  an  upright  sheaf,  at  the  foot  of  which  are  a  serpent  and  lion,  while  a  motto  has 
evidently  been  broken  from  the  top  of  the  seal  the  word  "  OVR  "  being  alone  readable.  Many 
Kempes  in  Australia  have  sent  us  impressions  of  seals  bearing  the  bird  on  an  z//rz^/;/ sheaf,  and 

*  Perhaps  Israel  is  a  mistake  for  Isabel,  or  John  a  mistake  for  Joan. 


Gloucester  and  Branches.  '  21 

even  modern  heraldic  artists  when  purporting  to  give  the  arms  of  the  Kemp  Baronets  have 
erroneously  drawn  the  sheaf  thus  instead  of  "  fesswise  "  (i.e.,  horizontally).  In  this  case,  however, 
it  is  clear  that  the  testator  used  the  seal  as  a  badge,  which  would  be  sufficient  to  distinguish  him 
as  a  Kempe  without  encroaching  on  the  rights  of  a  family  to  which  perhaps  he  did  not  belong. 

The  will  of  Charles  Kemp,  of  Evesham,  was  proved  in  1787,  his  death  being  announced  in 
the  Gentleman^ s  Magazine  z.^  occuring  on  14th  September  and  the  register  stating  that  he  was 
buried  at  All  Saints'  on  the  i6th  of  that  month,  1787.  He  is  styled  "Gent.  "  in  his  will,  and 
states  that  he  had  inherited  under  the  will  of  his  father-in-law,  Thomas  Cotterell,  of  Campden, 
Gentleman,  a  freehold  estate  at  that  place,  and  that  he  also  had  property  in  Drury  Lane,  Great 
Queen  Street  and  Hampstead,  all  in  Middlesex,  which,  subject  to  his  widow's  life  interest,  he  left 
to  his  son  Charles,  who  was  bound  to  allow  to  his  sisters  sufficient  annuities  for  their  maintenance. 
The  will  mentions  Mr.  Owen,  bookseller  at  Temple  Bar,  London,  Mr.  John  Brown,  stockbroker, 
and  Mr.  John  King,  of  Chancery  Lane.  These  last  names  and  the  Middlesex  property  casts  a 
doubt  upon  his  connexion  with  the  early  Kempes  of  Evesham,  but  although  the  Kempes  of 
Hendon  also  had  property  at  Hampstead,  Drury  Lane  and  Great  Queen  Street,  we  are  not  able 
to  state  that  he  belonged  to  that  family.  We  find  that  a  Charles  Kemp,  Esquire,  of  Evesham, 
subscribed  for  a  copy  of  "  The  History  and  Antiquities  of  Evesham  "  in  1768,  and  that  a  Charles 
Kemp,  possibly  his  son,  was  an  officer  on  the  Chaser,  and  made  his  will  in  1788  ;  in  this,  the 
testator  names  his  "  good  friends  "  Frederick  and  Hannah  Westerlins,  of  the  parish  of  St.  George's- 
in-the-East,  Middlesex,  as  residuary  legatees,  but  his  estates  are  not  enumerated.  Another 
Charles  Kemp,  formerly  of  the  East  Indian  Maritime  Service,  was  buried  in  Brixton  Church  in 
1840,  aged  forty-six  years,  and  a  will,  which  doubtless  is  his,  was  proved  in  London  that  year. 
Perhaps  this  also  was  a  relation  of  the  Evesham  Kempes,  of  whom  we  find  no  later  trace  locally. 
The  last  entry  of  a  Kemp  in  the  Evesham  registers  is  the  marriage  of  Elizabeth  Kemp  in  1794 
to  Richard  Homer,  of  Dudley.  One  other  entry,  but  earlier,  is  however  curious,  that  of  the 
baptism  in  1775  of  Frances  Stonestreet,  daughter  of  Charles  Kemp  ;  she  was  buried  in  1777- 
It  is  a  singular  coincidence  that  Grace,  daughter  of  Thomas  Stonestreet,  of  Lewes,  married  George 
Kemp,  grandfather  -of  Thomas  Read  Kemp,  the  prospector  of  Kemp  Town,  with  whose  family 
the  name  of  Russell  mentioned  above  as  intermarried  with  Kemps  of  Evesham,  was  also  Hnked. 
[Vide  Sussex.) 


CHqATTE%^  v. 

gloucester  and  branches. 


WE  have  had  occasion  in  the  foregoing  chapters  to  mention  seyeral  early  Kempes  of 
Gloucester,  and  must  here  note  others  whose  wills  we  have  seen  at  the  Gloucester 
Probate  Registry,  namely,  Joan  Kempe,  of  Maisemore,  1599  ;  William  Kempe,  of 
Maisemore,  1566  ;  William  Kempe,  of  Churcham,  1591  ;  Anne  Kvmpe,  of  Churcham,  1672  ; 
Joanna  Kemp,  of  BuUey,  1619,  and  Thomas  Kemp,  of  Bulley,  1660-  These  places  are  near 
Gloucester,  and  from  the  wills  we  judge  that  the  testators  were  connected  with  David  Kempe, 


22  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

Prebendary  of  Gloucester  Cathedral,  mentioned  earlier.  It  is  important  to  add  that  the  William 
of  Maisemore  desired  to  be  buried  near  his  father  and  mother  at  Maisemore  ;  thus  this  settle- 
ment was  evidently  at  least  one  generation  earlier  in  this  parish.  William  was  forty-four  years 
old  when  he  died,  and  he  left  a  son  Richard  and  daughters  Elizabeth,  Agnes  and  Margaret  ;  he 
also  had  a  stepbrother  of  his  name,  the  brother  was  the  testator  of  the  will  of  1 591,  and  left  a  son 
Richard,  whose  widow's  will  appears  in  16 19,  the  son  of  the  latter  probably  was  the  husband  of 
Ann  Kemp,  of  Churcham  proved  in  1670,  the  last  leaving  a  son,  Richard  Kempe,  whose  children 
named  "  Londerence,"  Richard,  Joseph,  Margaret,  Marcy  and  Mary  were  then  living.  This  last 
will  bears  a  seal  bearing  the  impression  of  a  bird  with  wings  raised,  evidently  another  allusion  to 
the  crest  or  badge  of  the  chief  Kemp  families. 

The  mention  of  Master  Skidmore  in  the  will  of  1591  calls  for  the  note  that  a  family  of  this 
name  was  connected  about  this  time  with  Middlesex  Kempes,  with  whom  we  have  previously 
surmised  this  west  country  family  to  be  akin. 

The  Kempes  of  Almondsbury,  in  the  south  of  Gloucester,  who  for  over  100  years  were  small 
landowners  there,  seem  to  have  originated  from  Abbot's  Bromley  ;  one,  William  Kempe,  who 
was  born  at  that  Staffordshire  nest  in  1587,  being  a  clergyman  much  persecuted  during  the 
Commonwealth.  This  William  was  educated  at  Magdalen  Hall,  Oxford,  and  became  Greek 
lecturer  there  ;  he  was  presented  to  the  Rectory  of  Easton  Grey,  from  which  he  was  transferred 
to  Puddimore-Milton,  Wilts.  It  was  during  his  pastorate  there  that  he,  with  his  eleven  children, 
was  driven  from  his  house  into  the  streets  and  all  his  property  plundered  by  the  Parhamentary 
soldiers.  One  account  states  that  his  children  when  turned  out  "  were  naked  to  their  shift  and 
shoses."  Thus  turned  from  his  rectory  he  had  to  get  a  living  by  practising  as  a  doctor  at 
Hawkshead  and  Tachbrook.  After  the  Restoration  he  petitioned  the  King  for  his  late  rectory 
and  was  given  a  prebendal  stall  in  Bristol  Cathedral,  which,  however,  he  did  not  long  enjoy,  his 
death  occurring  in  1663-  He  had  been  present  the  previous  year  at  the  reception  of  the  King 
and  Queen  at  Bristol  when  the  mayor  entertained  the  royal  party  at  the  "  Great  House  "  at 
Bridge  End.  Administration  of  his  estate  was  granted  in  1663-4-  He  left  several  sons,  one 
of  whom  was  the  writer  of  a  remarkable  book  on  the  cure  of  the  Plague,  which  was  well  received 
in  London  during  the  pestilence.  A  copy  of  this  is  at  the  British  Museum,  it  is  entitled,  "  A 
Brief  Treatise  of  the  Nature,  Causes,  Signes,  Preservation  from,  and  Cure  of,  the  Pestilence," 
collected  by  W.  Kemp,  "  Mr.  of  Arts,"  and  printed  and  sold  by  D.  Kemp  at  his  shop  at  the 
Salutation,  near  Hatton  Garden  in  Holborn,  1665-  We  were  very  amused  with  a  perusal  of 
this,  it  contains  a  wonderful  mixture  of  science,  superstition  and  logical  sermonizings  ;  we  gather 
from  internal  evidence  that  the  author  or  editor  was  born  at  Bristol  about  the  beginning  of  the 
seventeenth  century.  The  other  sons  of  the  Prebendary  William  Kempe  were  scattered,  some 
seeking  their  fortunes  in  "foreign  countries."  Of  this  family  the  eldest,  named  William,  seems 
to  have  settled  at  Almondsbury,  from  which  time  the  family  had  representatives  there  ;  William 
seems  to  have  been  a  chaplain  in  the  "  Fleet  " — not  in  the  navy,  but  in  that  horrible  prison  so 
called  for  debtors  in  London.  Doubtless  he  had  become  involved  in  some  financial  difficulty,  and 
was  detained  there  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1687,  his  brother,  Thomas  Kempe,  being 
authorised  to  administer  his  estate  at  Almondsbury  and  elsewhere.  He  had  apparently  married 
Jocosa  Hodges,  for  her  estate  was  granted  to  him  in  1679.  It  does  not  appear  that  this  unfor- 
tunate clergyman  left  children,  and  the  following  are  surmised  to  be  the  issue  of  his  brother 
Thomas.  At  Almondsbury  lie  buried  Thomas  Kemp,  who  died  in  1729,  aged  thirty-eight, 
Thomas  Kemp,  whose  wife  Hester  was  buried  there  in  1763,  aged  thirty-three,  and  Thomas 
Kempe,  who  Hved  for  a  time  previous  to  1776  at  Westbury-on-Trim. 


Gloucester  and  Branches.  23 

Connected  undoubtedly  with  these  were  two  Kempes  named  Lazarus.  The  elder  made  his 
will  in  1664  at  Wotton-under-Edge,  leaving  to  his  eldest  son  William  all  his  land  at  Almonds- 
bury  "  which  William  Kemp,  clerk,  deceased,"  purchased  of  Nicholas  Parnell,  excepting  a  lease 
which  the  testator  left  to  his  son  Lazarus.  Both  these  sons  were  minors  in  1663,  their  mother, 
Mary  Kemp,  being  appointed  their  guardian.  Silver  goblets  and  other  plate,  as  well  as  further 
lands  are  mentioned,  and  the  deceased's  brother  William  Kemp,  clerk,  of  the  City  of  London,  with 
Mr.  Cresswell  Wheatley,  "  preacher  of  God's  word  at  Todmarton,  Oxford,  were  appointed  overseers 
10  the  widow,  who  was  executrix.  The  second  Lazarus  "  Kempp  "  was  licensed  to  issue  tokens, 
and  a  specimen  of  his  coin  is  extant,  one  side  being  marked  "  Lazarus  Kemp  in  "  with  a  fleece 
D.S.S.,  and  the  other  side  bearing  "  Wotton  Undridge,  1667,"  with  the  words  "His  Half-penny 
i  "  across  the  centre.  The  fact  of  the  fleece  being  used  as  his  sign  may  indicate  that  he  was 
engaged  in  the  cloth  manufacture,  which  has  for  centuries  been  largely  carried  on  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Wotton,  but  of  this  we  have  no  actual  proof,  no  will  or  administration  of  his  being 
traced. 

The  mention  of  Oxfordshire  in  the  last  will,  and  the  discontinuance  of  Kempes  at  Wotton- 
under-Edge,  may  point  to  a  migration  thither,  and  we  thus  may  mention  here  one  James  Kempe, 
who  was  entered  on  the  books  of  Oxford  University  as  a  coach  proprietor.  His  will  is  dated  at 
Benson,  and  describes  him  as  an  innholder  ;  he,  however,  bequeathed  his  share  in  the  Cirencester 
Stage  Coach  with  his  horses  and  harness  to  his  grandchildren  equally.  He  mentions  in  his  will 
his  sons  Edward  and  James,  his  daughter-in-law  Susannah  Kemp,  widow,  his  daughter  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  John  Stevens,  and  his  daughter  Jane,  leaving  to  the  last  named  his  house  called  the  "  Red 
Lion,"  in  Benson,  with  coach  house,  stables  and  barn.  This  will  was  dated  1776  and  proved  the 
following  year  (P.C.C,  319  CoUier). 

We  must  now  note  a  Somerset  family,  of  whom  we  have  but  little  detail  ;  Ave  have  already 
said  that  a  very  early  line  in  this  county  Avas  settled  at  and  around  Portishead.  These  spelled 
their  name  chiefly  as  "  K^mpe,"  but  that  slight  difference  was  also  made  by  several  other  West 
of  England  Kempes  occasionally,  and  is  not  distinctive  though  most  common  in  Cornwall.  In 
the  sixteenth  century  relatives  of  both  the  Kent  and  Norfolk  Kempe  families  were  settled  in  this 
country,  and  again  there  seems  to  have  been  a  fresh  colony  connected  with  Ashbrittle,  Brunton 
Regis  and  Tolland  who  held  a  little  property  during  the  first  half  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and 
several  wills  at  Wells  relate  to  Kempes  of  Cloford.  We  cannot  give  details  of  these  but  pass  to 
Shepton  Mallet,  where  for  some  generations  a  yeoman  Kemp  family  lived.  George  Kempe  of 
this  place  in  his  will  of  1687-8  mentioned  three  sons,  George,  Thomas  and  William,  also  a 
nephew  William  Kemp  and  a  sister  Elizabeth  Stout.  His  wife's  name  was  Mary,  and  to  her  he 
bequeathed  his  house  at  "  Bradford's  Lye"  ;  the  inventory  made  of  his  estate  amounts  to  ^"203. 
The  will  of  his  son,  George  Ke.mpe  (who  was  a  minor  at  his  father's  death),  was  proved  in  1751 
(P.C.C,  260  Busley),  and  it  leaves  an  estate  at  North  Bradley,  Wilts,  called  "  Hawkins,"  to  his 
daughter  Mary  Rose,  with  the  "  broad  loom  therin  standing."  To  his  daughter  Ann  Fox  and  her 
son  Stephen  other  lands,  and  to  his  daughter,  Phoebe  White,  he  left  "  White  House  "  at  Great 
Gadston  and  lands  at  Shepton,  with  reversion  to  her  son  George  White.  To  his  grandson  George 
Kempe  he  bequeathed  "  a  great  bedstead  that  was  his  great-grandfather'' s  '"  and  his  tools,  also  a 
garden  at  SouthAvick  and  certain  "  Avater  rights."  Charles  HaAvkins  Avas  a  witness  to  this  Avill,  and 
Ave  may  conjecture  that  the  lands  called  "  HaAvkins  "  had  some  connexion  with  this  witness's 
family.  We  may  also  say  that  Mary  Hawkins  was  a  witness  to  the  will  of  Robert  Kempe,  of 
Ham,  Wilts,  in  1657,  thus  it  seems  likely  that  these  Kemps  of  Shepton  were  from  the  same 
stock  as  those  of  Ham,  namely,  from  the  old   Kentish  one  ;  this  is  the  more  probable  when  we 


24  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Pamilies. 

recall  that  those  of  Ham  were  content  to  style  themselves  "yeomen,"  and  had  ceased  to  use  the 
arms  which  were  their  birthright.  George  Kempe,  the  grandson  mentioned  above,  or  another 
of  his  name  and  line,  made  his  will  in  1781,  this  being  duly  proved  at  Wells  in  1785-  He 
mentions  first  his  cousin,  Robert  White,  of  Wanstrow  (where  his  grandfather  had  lived),  and  left 
the  bulk  of  his  estate  to  his  daughter  Catherine,  the  wife  of  James  Doddrell,  to  whose  children 
^"loo  was  bequeathed.  We  conclude  that  he  left  no  other  issue,  and  the  Kempes  who  later  had 
a  quarry  near  Frome  were  probably  a  collateral  line.  Of  their  family  we  know  little,  except  that 
each  generation  had  a  John  Kemp,  the  last  being  a  builder,  known  chiefly  for  his  intrepidity  in 
climbing  steeples.  After  building  many  churches  in  and  around  Bristol  he  built  Kemp's  Row," 
Chelsea,  which  still  bears  that  name.  The  line  ended  in  a  daughter,  who  married  a  Mr.  Bussell, 
from  whom  is  descended  the  Rev.  Walter  Kemp  Bussell,  of  Spanish  Town,  Jamaica,  who  was 
born  at  Bristol  in  1852  ;  he  lived  for  a  time  at  Saltash,  Cornwall,  leaving  there  for  Jamaica  in 
1883.  He  married  Edith  Wilson,  of  Scottish  family,  the  following  year,  and  had  a  son  in  1885, 
who,  however,  died  an  infant.  Two  daughters  are  still  living  with  their  parents  at  Spanish  Town 
after  a  prolonged  residence  in  England. 

We  may  here  note  that  two  other  Kempes,  of  Jamaica,  have  replied  to  our  circulars,  namely, 
Thomas  Kemp,  J. P.,  of  Constant  Spring,  who  is  of  Scottish  birth,  and  James  Wheeler  Kemp,  who 
was  born  at  Peshawar,  N.W.P.,  India,  in  1851,  his  father  being  James  George  Kemp,  a  descendant 
of  the  Kempes  of  Thanet,  his  grandfather,  Ebenezer  Chapman  Kemp,  having  gone  to  India  in 
the  employ  of  the  Royal  Navy,  while  several  of  the  Thanet  relatives  were  engaged  in  the  merchant 
service  with  India. 

The  foregoing  family  of  Wilts  were  closely  connected  with  Wiltshire,  and  we  must  again 
revert  to  that  county,  where  at  Trowbridge  Johns  were  heads  of  the  Kemp  branch  for  several 
generations.  Indeed,  vfe  believe  that  these  were  a  branch  of  those  near  Frome,  but  the  date  of 
foundation  is  uncertain.  John,  the  first  of  whom  we  have  a  certain  knowledge,  was  born  there 
in  1783,  and  his  son  John  also  was  born  there  in  181 1,  the  third  John  in  1843,  and  John  Henry, 
the  fourth  generation,  in  1881.  In  1874  when  a  return  of  the  "Greater  Land  Holders  of 
England  "  was  made  by  authority,  two  John  Kemps,  of  Trowbridge,  had  freehold  in  the  county. 
These  are  distinguished  as  "senior"  and  "junior,"  and  the  value  of  their  freehold  was  then 
estimated  at  nearly  ;^700  per  annum.  The  present  John  Kemp,  of  Trowbridge,  is  senior  partner 
in  the  firm  of  Kemp  and  Hewitt,  cloth  manufacturers  ;  another  John  Kemp,  of  Wilts,  is  a  farmer 
at  Lower  Studley,  but  we  have  no  particulars  of  his  family  connections.  Miss  Emily  Kemp,  of 
Wotton-under-Edge,  is  a  representative  of  the  Trowbridge  family.  Mr.  Clement  Kemp  and  his 
family,  one  of  whom  is  Mr.  John  Tabor  Kemp,  part  author  of  the  present  work,  resided  at 
Wotton-under-Edge  for  several  years.  Details  of  his  relationship  are  given  under  the  Essex 
section. 


CHqATTE%  ui. 

kemps  of  the  north  of  england— yorkshire. 

WE  have  in  previous  chapters  mentioned  various  early  Kempes  who  are  known  to  have 
existed  in  Northumberland  and  Yorkshire  from  the  time  of  Edward  II.  Some  of 
these  must  certainly  have  been  possessed  of  lands,  but  so  little  trace  of  them  exists 
that  we  cannot  speak  of  these  northern  Kempes  as  families.  The  long  period  during  which 
Archbishop  Kempe  and  his  nephew  held  office  in  the  province  of  York  would  lead  one  to  expect 
that  some  of  their  kinsmen  would  have  settled  in  the  district  over  which  these  worthies  exercised 
so  much  control  in  the  fifteenth  century.  We  have,  however,  but  the  barest  evidence  of  such 
being  the  fact.  Their  kinsman,  Anthony  Kemp,  of  Slindon,  a  century  later  had  property  in  both 
Northumberland  and  Yorkshire,  but  it  is  quite  probable  that  this  was  acquired  by  his  own  personal 
power  at  Court  and  not  in  any  way  as  the  outcome  of  the  Archbishop's  nepotism. 

In  1567  an  Inquisition  Post  Mortem  of  one,  Anne  Kempe,  of  Yorkshire,  is  recorded,  but 
what  her  estate  comprised  we  have  not  ascertained.  The  next  individual  of  the  name  of  some 
position  in  the  county  appears  to  be  the  Rev.  Caleb  Kempe,  Vicar  of  Bradford,  who,  undoubtedly, 
was  the  son  of  the  noted  preacher.  Parson  John  Kempe,  of  Freshwater.  To  him  was  granted 
administration  of  his  widowed  mother's  estate  in  1599,  she  being  then  resident  at  Bradford  with 
this  son.  Caleb  married  in  1602  Phoebe,  daughter  of  Thomas  Lister,  whose  family  were  gentry 
of  Yorkshire,  and  by  her  had  a  son  Caleb,  who  married  Rose  Rippin,  of  Totteridge,  Middlesex. 
On  the  Rev.  Caleb  Kempe's  decease,  which  occurred  before  1638,  his  widow,  Phoebe,  married  one 
named  Cooke,  for  she  is  styled  "  my  mother.  Mistress  Phoebe  Cooke,"  in  her  son's  will,  which  was 
proved  in  London  in  1639  (P.C.C,  22  Harvey).  Possibly  it  was  another  son  of  the  Rev.  Caleb 
who  founded  the  family  at  Hedon  in  Yorkshire,  and  that  it  was  his  descendant  who  afterwards 
became  another  Vicar  of  Bradford. 

Of  the  family  who  resided  at  Haddon  or  Hedon  we  have  but  a  glimpse  ;  the  registers  of 
Oxford  University  record  that  Guy,  the  son  of  Thomas  Kemp,  ^^  Pleb."  of  Hedon,  matriculated  in 
1695,  aged  seventeen.  The  wills  preserved  at  York  are  by  no  means  perfect,  but  from  the 
calendars  of  the  Richmond  Deaneries  it  is  evident  that  there  was  a  fair  number  of  Kempes  in 
Yorkshire  and  Lancashire  from  the  sixteenth  century.  It  is,  however,  unlikely  that  any  of  these 
retained  their  property  for  many  generations,  or  became  possessed  of  much  land  or  influence  until 
the  eighteenth  century,  when  one  family  of  Kempes,  who  intermarried  Avith  the  Wyvell  family, 
enjoyed  much  Royal  patronage.  Edward  Wyvell,  Henry  Kemp  and  Francis  Twisden  were 
witnesses  to  the  will  of  Sir  William  Playter  in  1668,  but  apparently  it  was  later  than  this  that 
"Major  Kemp,"  whose  christian  name  appears  to  have  been  Robert,  married  Priscilla,  daughter  of 
Sir  William  Wyvell,  fourth  Baronet,  of  Constable  Barton  (by  Anne,  daughter  of  James  Brooke). 
Major  Robert  Kemp  with  Margaret  Collingwood  and  others  petitioned  the  Lords  of  the  Treasury 
in  1715  for  certain  arrears  of  pay  which  were  due  to  officers,  widows  and  children  connected  with 
the  Hon.  Col.  Fox's  late  Regiment  of  Foot,  of  which  Colonel  Collingwood  was  formerly  com- 
mandant. There  was  a  Major  Thomas  Kemp  at  this  time  stationed  at  the  Tower  of  London,  and 
as  both  are  frequently  mentioned  in  the  Treasury  and  State  Papers  of  this  period,  often  without 
their  christian  names,  it  is  somewhat  difficult  to  identify  them.  Major  Kemp,  of  the  Tower,  died 
in  1727,  and  apparently  Major  Robert  Kemp  died  two  years  later,  but  we  have  not  traced  his 
will  and  do  not  know  where  he  was  buried.     He  left  five  daughters  and  two  or  more  sons. 


26  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 

Henrietta  Maria,  the  eldest  daughter,  outlived  the  others,  dying  at  Beverley  in  1787  unmarried. 
Frances,  the  second  daughter,  was  governess  to  the  Hesse  Royal  family,  and  died  at  Hesse  Castle, 
Germany,  in  1758,  her  will  being  that  year  proved  in  London  (P.C.C.,  221  Hutton).  It  is  very 
interesting  but  too  long  to  give  here  ;  we  must  be  content  to  mention  one  or  two  of  her  bequests. 
To  His  Serene  Highness  Prince  Charles  of  Hesse  she  left  any  two  of  the  drawings  in  frames  done 
by  Her  Royal  Highness  the  Princess  of  Hesse,  and  two  others  by  the  same  Royal  artist  to  Prince 
Frederick  of  Hesse,  and  others  to  Prince  WiUiam  of  Hesse,  together  with  "  a  small  picture  of 
King  James  I.  in  water  colours  done  by  Her  Royal  Highness,  and  a  portrait  of  Her  Royal 
Highness  by  her  own  hand.  The  testatrix  gave  a  large  silver  tea  kettle  to  her  sister  Priscilla 
Wastale  with  a  portrait  of  her  late  sister  Anne  Kempe.  To  her  sister  Henrietta  Kemp  she  left 
a  silver  writing  stand,  silver  forks,  spoons,  pepper  box,  salts  and  other  articles,  an  ivory  tea  box 
and  X200.  To  her  niece,  Mrs.  Lucretia  Kempe,  she  left  "  a  silver  bowl  for  washing  hands  in,"  a 
looking  glass  in  a  silver  frame  and  a  gold  repeating  watch,  as  well  as  other  jewels  and  diamonds. 
To  her  brother,  John  Purcell  Kempe,  she  left  all  her  books  and  a  watch,  and  with  many  keepsakes 
to  friends  she  left  the  ultimate  residue  of  her  estate  in  trust  for  her  two  nieces,  Lucretia  Kemp, 
daughter  of  this  said  brother,  and  Mary,  daughter  of  her  sister  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Mill. 

"  Sister  Anne  "  mentioned  above  had  died  a  spinster  at  St.  James',  Westminster,  before  1756, 
and  her  will  proved  that  year  (P.C.C.,  20  r  Glazier)  bequeathed  her  father  and  mother's  portraits 
to  her  brother,  William  Kemp,  and  a  seal  bearing  her  arms  to  her  niece,  Lucretia  Kempe.  Other 
legatees  being  Mrs.  Margaret  Purcell,  Mrs.  Ann  Mein,  Miss  Elizabeth  Wyvell,  Miss  Jenny 
Margaret  Twisden,  Mrs.  Honor  Pratt  and  the  testatrix's  sister  Priscilla  Wastell,  Elizabeth  Mills, 
Henrietta  Maria  Kempe,  Frances  Kempe  and  Mary  Eyre.  The  brother,  William  Kempe,  died  in 
1768  at  sea  when  returning  from  Calcutta.  His  estate  was  granted  to  his  sister  Henrietta  Maria 
that  year,  the  grant  of  administration  styling  the  deceased  as  William  Kempe,  Esquire,  late  of 
Calcutta,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Bengal,  a  batchelor,  the  administratrix  being  his  sister  and  next-of- 
kin.  It  would  appear  from  this  grant  that  John  Purcell  Kempe  had  died  before  this  date,  but  we 
have  little  trace  of  him  except  that  he  attained  the  rank  of  major  in  the  army,  and  that  his 
daughter  Lucretia  was  baptized  in  March,  1741,  at  Newport,  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  where  he 
was  then  stationed.  She,  as  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  wills,  was  living  in  1756  a  spinster,  and 
is  again  mentioned  in  the  will  of  her  aunt  Henrietta  Maria.  This  testatrix  made  her  will  at 
Beverley,  Yorks,  in  1785,  and  it  was  proved  by  her  said  niece,  Lucretia  Kempe,  in  1787  at 
London  (P.C.C.,  133  Major).  The  testatrix  mentioned  the  following  :  Mrs.  Mary  Appleton,  of 
Beverley  ;  her  niece,  Mary  Ayres,  of  Stratford  ;  her  niece,  Lucretia  Kempe,  of  Pontefract ;  Dinah 
and  Lucretia  Hodgeson,  Dinah  Hodges  [sic)  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wyvill,  of  Burton  Hall.  This  will 
has  several  codicils  attached  varying  small  specific  bequests  to  her  servants  and  companion,  but 
the  residuary  estate  was  from  the  date  of  the  will  left  to  Lucretia  Kempe,  the  executrix.  It  is 
evident  that  this  lady  died  unmarried,  for  on  2nd  August,  1824,  a  fresh  grant  of  administration 
of  this  property  was  made  to  Lucretia  Hodgeson,  widow,  and  administratrix  of  the  goods  of 
Lucretia  Kempe.  The  last  will  states  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wyvell,  of  Burton  Hall,  paid  into 
Drummond  and  Co.'s  bank  regularly  an  annuity  of  thirty  pounds  for  the  benefit  of  the  testatrix, 
and  it  also  mentions  a  nephew  named  Stephen  Stephen  (sic)  Kempe  as  living  in  1785,  to  whom 
she  left  certain  bank  annuities.  Possibly  this  nephew  was  named  Stephen  Smith  Kempe,  for  there 
is  a  will  of  one  so  styled  recorded  in  the  Principal  Probate  Court  in  1838,  he,  however,  being 
resident  in  Surrey.  We  know  of  no  present  representatives  of  this  interesting  family,  and  shall 
be  glad  to  be  enlightened  as  to  the  connexion  which  entitled  these  ladies  to  arms  which  they 
evidently  used. 


Kemps  of  the  North  of  England — Yorkshire.  27 

The  only  armorial  bearing  recorded  as  pertaining  to  Kempes  of  the  North  of  England  is,  so 
far  as  we  are  aware,  the  shield  as  used  by  Achbishop  Kempe,  which  is  given  also  as  the  right  of 
"  Kempe  of  Alnwick."  Anthony  Kempe,  of  Slindon,  Sussex,  who  held  property  in  the  north, 
was  also  authorised  to  use  the  same,  but  we  cannot  give  any  date  or  details  of  the  family  at 
Alnwick  who  are  said  to  have  used  such.  We  think  that  these  Kempes  must  have  existed  before  the 
fifteenth  century.  There  is,  however,  living  a  clergyman  named  John  Kemp  who  was  connected 
Avith  Alnwick,  and  to  whom  perhaps  the  arms  were  attributable. 

In  the  Treasury  Papers  of  1731  to  1733  are  several  mentions  of  Mrs.  Kempe  and  Mrs. 
Purcell  as  then  being  engaged  in  the  royal  household  at  St.  James's  Palace,  and  apartments,  both 
at  that  palace  and  at  Hampton  Court,  were  luxuriously  furnished  at  the  expense  of  the  Treasury 
for  Mrs.  Kempe's  use.  This  was  presumably  for  Anne  Kemp  (spinsters  then  being  styled  Mrs.), 
but  her  christian  name  does  not  appear,  nor  is  the  capacity  in  which  this  Mrs.  Kemp  served  the 
Princess  Mary  exactly  stated.  In  1734  she  was  in  attendance  on  the  Princess  on  her  wedding  eve, 
from  Avhich  time  perhaps  Anne  Kempe  enjoyed  a  sinecure  position  at  the  palaces  until  her  death. 

A  Captain  Kemp,  of  H.M.  36th  Regiment,  married  Mary,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  G.  T.  Clare, 
Rector  of  Bainton,  Yorks,  at  Ottery  St.  Mary  on  14th  January,  1847.  We  have,  however,  no 
knowledge  of  this  Captain  Kemp's  family  connexions.  A  Joseph  Kemp  was  quartermaster  in 
the  same  regiment  in  18 10.  The  name  is  prominent  in  the  official  return  of  the  Greater  Land- 
owners of  England  made  in  1874,  the  following  then  being  freeholders  in  Yorkshire  :  The  Rev. 
H.  W.  Kemp,  of  Hull,  G.  G.  Kemp,  of  Hornsea,  — .  Kemp,  of  Elvington,  Edward  Kemp,  of 
East  Layton,  R.  Kemp,  of  Wakefield,  and  a  William  Kemp  at  Leeds,  Maltby,  Swinton  Bridge 
and  Tickhill.  Of  these  the  most  worthy  of  note  is  the  first.  He,  however,  was  not  an  actual 
native  of  Yorkshire,  having  been  born  at  St.  Peter's,  Thanet,  on  23rd  June,  1820-  He  was 
educated  at  Beverley  Grammar  School,  proceeding  thence  to  Christ's  College,  Cambridge,  of  which 
he  was  a  scholar.  He  graduated  in  1843  as  nineteenth  wrangler,  also  was  ordained  the  same  year. 
He  became  curate  of  St.  John's,  Hull,  in  1846,  and  vicar  in  the  following  year.  There  he  had 
one  of  the  largest  congregations  in  the  North  of  England.  In  1868  he  became  Master  of  the 
Charier  House,  Hull,  and  held  this  position  until  his  death.  In  1886  the  prebendal  stall  of  Riccal 
in  York  Cathedral  was  conferred  on  him.  He  was  also  President  of  the  Hull  Literary  and 
Philosophical  Society,  and  he  was  the  author  of  popular  sermons  published  in  1854  and  other 
works,  and  died  at  Charterhouse  on  7th  March,  1888-  His  portrait  appeared  in  the  Church 
Portrait  Journal  ol  1881  (II.,  21-4)  with  his  biography.  He  married  at  Rugby  in  1847  Ann 
Maria,  widow  of  the  late  Joseph  Simons,  Esq.,  M.D.,  of  that  place. 

The  above  G.  G.  Kemp,  of  Hornsea,  represented  a  family  long  settled  in  that  parish.  Simon 
Kemp  of  that  place,  who  was  born  in  1810,  and  lived  subsequently  at  Market  Rasen  and 
Bradford,  was  buried  at  Hull  in  1856  leaving  a  son  Robert  Thomas  Kemp,  who  was  born  at 
Hornsea  in  1837,  and  now  carrying  on  business  at  Aldermanbury,  London.  The  Wakefield 
Kemps  are  now  represented  by  the  Rev.  James  Vickerman  Kemp,  of  Escombe  Vicarage,  Bishop 
Auckland,  whose  eldest  son  has  now  settled  at  Byers  Green,  Durham.  The  father  of  this  clergyman, 
named  James  Kemp,  was  buried  at  Chicago  in  1861.  but  left  no  male  issue  to  represent  him  there. 

The  well  known  tenor  Edward  Kemp,  Vicar  Choral  of  Lichfield  Cathedral,  is  the  son  of 
Edward  Kemp,  of  Gawthorpe,  Mr.  Taylor  Kemp,  of  Batley,  being  a  representative  of  the  same 
family.  Many  members  of  this  family  are  known  as  vocalists  and  have  appropriately  been  named 
after  Handel,  Haydn  and  other  celebrated  composers.  Numerous  Kemp  families  of  Yorkshire 
originated  from  Leicestershire,  one  of  whom  is  Postmaster  of  Bradford,  while  others,  particularly 
in  the  south  of  the  county,  come  from  an  old  Lincolnshire  stock. 


28  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

KEMPS   OF    LINCOLN.  -    v. 

It  is  most  noteworthy  that  in  the  years  1555,  1556  and  1557  three  Kempes  represented  places 
in  the  North  of  England  in  Parliament,  these  being  Anthony  Kemp,  "armiger,"  for  Westmore- 
land County,  Robert  Kempe,  "gent.,"  for  Boroughbridge,  Yorks,  and  Francis  Kempe,  "armiger," 
for  Lincoln  City.  These  dates  being  within  the  reign  of  Queen  Mary,  in  whose  confidential 
service  was  Anthony  Kempe,  of  Slindon,  suggests  that  all  three  of  these  were  of  the  then 
influential  Kentish  Kempe  family  and  closely  related  ;  there  is,  however,  no  conclusive  evidence 
of  this,  although  all  three  names  (and  the  fact  of  their  being  styled  armiger)  agree  with  names 
shown  on  the  Kentish  pedigree  as  living  at  this  period.  Neither  retained  his  seat  in  the  first 
Parliament  of  Elizabeth. 

One  of  the  most  important  Kempes  found  connected  with  Lincolnshire  and  the  adjoining 
counties  was  Peter  Kempe,  "  Gent.,"  who  for  some  years  was  steward  to  the  first  Lord  Burleigh, 
and  was  largely  responsible  for  laying  out  the  Burleigh  Park  and  other  possessions  of  the 
Cecil  family.  It  seems  impossible  to  trace  his  e.xact  relationship  to  others  of  his  name,  but 
his  connexion  with  Anthony  Browne,  Esquire,  and  John  Conyers  points  to  his  being 
probably  a  close  relative  of  the  William  Kempe,  Knight,  of  Ollantigh  (Kent)  who  married 
Elinor,  daughter  of  Sir  Matthew  Browne,  whose  son,  Anthony  Kempe,  of  Slindon,  married 
a  daughter  of  Conyers.  We  find  that  with  Sir  WiUiam  Cecil,  Sir  Walter  Mildmay,  Sir 
Anthony  Cooke  and  the  above  Browne  and  Conyers  he  paid  fines  on  the  settlement  of  properties 
in  the  Counties  of  Lincoln,  Rutland,  Northampton,  Hertford,  and  in  the  London  parishes  of  St. 
Clement's  Danes,  St.  Martin's  and  those  of  St.  Pancras,  St.  Margaret's,  Westminster,  Kentish 
Town,  Enfield  and  St.  Gregory's  in  the  year  1564.  Before  this,  namely  in  1561,  Peter  Kempe 
is  mentioned  in  the  state  papers  as  being  then  laying  out  Burleigh  Park  and  building  there  ;  in 
the  following  year  Peter  petitioned  Sir  William  Cecil  to  make  him  bailiff  of  Stamford,  and  this 
request  seems  to  have  been  granted  forthwith,  for  numerous  letters  addressed  from  Stamford  by 
the  petitioner  to  Cecil  exist,  covering  the  years  1564  to  the  date  of  his  death.  His  last  letter, 
which  is  in  possession  of  the  Marquis  of  Salisbury,  who  permitted  us  to  copy  many  of  this 
steward's  letters  now  at  Hatfield,  is  dated  17th  September,  1575,  and  gives  a  quaint  but  pathetic 
picture  of  his  endeavours  to  carry  on  the  building  work  at  Burleigh  with  the  population  in  the 
neighbouring  villages  decreasing  rapidly  from  the  plague.  He  says  "  that  the  people  are  dying  at 
the  rate  of  fifteen  a  day  !  "  We  regret  that  space  does  not  permit  of  our  giving  the  text  of  this 
series  of  letters,  nor  reproducing  some  of  his  architectural  drawings  and  plans.  One  of  the  latter 
is  a  sketch  of  a  simple,  but  original  plan,  for  laying  on  a  water  supply  in  the  house  by  water 
pipes,  which  were  at  the  period  almost,  if  not  entirely,  confined  to  the  outer  walls.  The  drawing 
looks  like  a  present  day  shower  bath. 

The  plague  was  evidently  the  cause  of  the  steward's  death,  which  must  have  occurred  very 
soon  after  the  date  of  this  letter.  His  will  was  proved  in  London  the  following  year  (P.C.C, 
Doughtry  i). 

A  Kempe  family,  ascribed  by  the  Heralds  to  Norfolk  origin,  settled  in  Lincolnshire  in  the 
seventeenth  century,  evidence  points  to  these  also  being  of  the  Kentish  stock,  but  we  have 
sufficiently  mentioned  that  matter  in  the  Middlesex  section  (Sub  Fulham). 

The  oldest  Kempe  family  in  this  county  claims  to  have  held  land  as  tenants  of  Fulney  Abbey, 
which  was  desolved  more  than  350  years  ago.  They  appeared  at  Thimbleby  first  in  the  eighteenth 
century,  then  residing  at  Hallgarth  Manor  House,  and  owned  the  manor  attached  thereto  for 
about  150  years.  The  parish  register  of  Thimbleby  records  as  the  earliest  item  pertaining  to  this 
family   that   Henry   Kemp   and   Eleanor  Panto  were   married  there    in   1723,   they  having  a 


Kemps  of  Lincoln. 


29 


numerous  family  including  Michael,  Thomas  and  Robert  baptized  between  1723  and  1740. 
Thomas  was  married  in  176S  and  his  brother  Robert  in  1766.  Robert  and  Thomas  were  the 
favourite  Christian  names  in  this  family,  which  is  now  represented  by  the  Rev.  Edwin  Richard 
Kemp,  Chaplain  and  Warden  of  St.  Annes  Bede  Houses,  Lincoln,  and  many  other  Kemps  at 
Grimsby,  Horncastle  and  other  places  within  the  county.  The  above  name  of  Michael 
recalls  the  titles  of  two  books  written  by  the  late  Mrs.  Woodroofe  more  than  fifty  years  ago, 
nam.ely,  "  The  History  of  Michael  Kemp,  the  Happy  Farmer's  Lad  "  and  "  Michael  Kemp,  the 
Married  Man,"  which  is  a  sequel  to  the  former.  We  do  not  know  whether  the  hero  was  so  named 
in  real  life,  but  as  the  Michael  Kemps  of 
Lincoln,  as  well  as  their  namesakes  at 
Alphamstone,  in  Essex,  were  farmers,  it  is 
perhaps  possible  that  the  books  actually 
relate  to  one  of  these. 

The  Calendars  of  Wills  proved  at 
Lincoln,  and  the  marriage  licences  of  the 
diocese,  have  been  searched  for  us,  and 
should  information  therefrom  be  of  special 
interest  to  subscribers  of  this  work  M^e 
shall  be  pleased  to  communicate  any  item  ; 
space,  however,  prevents  our  noticing  each 
group  of  yeomen  Kemps  scattered  about 
the  county  from  the  sixteenth  century. 
Boston  was  evidently  the  centre  from  which 
many  Kemps  spread.  One,  John  Kemp 
of  that  place,  having  licence  to  marry  Mary 
Ingram  of  "  Huttoft "  in  1622.  John 
Kemp,  of  Horsleydowne,  in  the  parish  of 
Southwark,  who  was  a  citizen  and  joiner 
of  London,  was  probably  a  son  of  this 
couple,  for  in  his  will  proved  in  the  Arch- 
deaconry Court  of  Surrey,  1672,  he  men- 
tions his  brother  Thomas  Kemp,  of  Boston, 
in  Lincolnshire.  This  John  Kemp,  the 
younger,  has  left  us  a  very  interesting  me- 
mento in  the  shape  of  a  tradesman's  token  which  he  issued  under  licence  in  1666,  it  bears  his  name, 
and  the  arms  of  the  Joiners'  Company,  of  which  he  was  a  member.  (See  illustration  of  tokens 
in  Middlesex  section.)  He  left  a  son  Edward  Kemp,  who  inherited  houses  on  the  south  side  of 
the  old  spinning-ground  at  Southwark,  and  others  which  the  testator  had  built  in  Free  School 
Street  in  the  same  parish.  There  is  in  the  same  Probate  Court  the  will  of  an  earlier  John  Kemp, 
of  Southwark,  proved  in  1634,  but  there  is  no  means  of  identifying  this  as  that  of  the  elder  John 
of  Boston,  or  in  any  way  connected  with  the  joiner. 

At  Crowland,  Lincolnshire,  there  were  Kemps  for  some  generations,  and  it  is  likely  that  the 
Boston  Kempes  came  from  this  place.  Between  these  lies  Fossdyke,  at  which  Jervis  Kemp  was  a 
freeholder  for  many  years,  he  being  succeeded  by  Charles  Kemp,  who  frequently  styled  himself 
Christopher  ;  his  son  was  baptized  Shadrack,  but  prefers  to  be  known  as  Sidney  Kemp,  and  is 
a  master  mariner,  who  sails  chiefly  from  Liverpool. 

T 


Jewels  and  Rings,  heirlooms  of  the  Kemp  Baronets. 


m 
> 

t-H 

H 
<! 
H 

w 

1/2 

w 

Oh 
W 

> 


Geo.  W.  Kemp  ludi: 


Ernest  Courtenay  Kemp,  Warrina,  S.  Australi; 


Edward  Kemp,   Vicar  Choral  of  Lichfield  Cathedral. 


G.  S.  Kemp,  Chief  Assistant  to  Signer  Marconi, 
Inventor  of  Wireless  Telegraphy. 

T  i 


George  Meikle  Kemp,  Architect.. 


Section    VI. 


The   Kemp  and   Kempe 
families  of 

Scotland,  Ireland 

THE 

British  Empire  &  United  States. 


The  Kempes  of  Scotland,  Ireland,  the  British  Empire 
and  the  United  States. 


CHqA'PTE'R    I. 


GENERAL    REVIEW— SOUTHERN 

IT  will  be  convenient  to  begin  the  Scottish  section  of  the  worli  by  setting  down  the  principal 
facts  which  have  been  ascertained  as  to  the  early  occurrence  and  distribution  of  the  name 
Kemp,  which  is  various  in  the  northern  Kingdom.  Of  alternative  forms  of  the  name,  the 
most  frequent  in  the  older  records  is  Kempt.  Indeed,  it  is  doubtful  whether  in  some  districts  of 
Scotland,  particularly  in  Aberdeenshire,  it  is  not  more  common  than  Kemp,  although  very  rarely 
met  with  in  England.  The  two  spellings  often  occur  with  reference  to  a  single  individual. 
Other  variations  of  the  name  will  be  noted,  as  occasions  for  mentioning  them  arise.  When  in 
the  following  account  the  name  Kemp  is  spoken  of  as  being  very  frequent  in  certain  parts,  the 
reader  should  bear  in  mind  that  the  comparison  refers  to  its  general  prevalence  in  Scotland  alone, 
in  which  country  the  name  is  not  nearly  so  common  anywhere  as  in  England  in  many  parts. 
The  number  of  Scottish  Kemps  who  have  attained  some  degrees  of  distinction  make  the 
name  appear  a  more  common  one  than  it  actually  is  in  the  country  of  their  birth.  As  readers 
acquainted  with  Scottish  history  would  expect  to  be  the  case,  the  name  Kemp  is  found  frequently 
in  the  border  country  of  Berwick  and  the  Lothians,  being  the  region  in  which  the  Saxon  element 
in  the  population  assumes  its  highest  proportion.  The  name  is  less  frequent  in  the  central  High- 
lands, while  further  north  it  is  almost  entirely  confined  to  certain  centres,  which  it  is  noteworthy 
are  all  situated  on  or  near  to  the  East  Coast.  The  name  is  very  rare  in  the  "  Southern  Uplands," 
as  Sir  Archibald  Geikes  designates  the  elevated  region  between  the  Lowlands  and  Solway  Firth, 
while  in  the  central  and  northern  Highlands  it  is  scarcely  known. 

In  the  south,  Haddington  has  been  an  important  centre  of  the  Kemps  for  several  centuries  at 
least.  In  1565  we  find  one,  John  Kempt,  concerned  in  lands  belonging  to  the  constabulary  of 
Haddington  and  the  Sheriffdom  of  Edinburgh.  A  notarial  instrument  dated  6th  October  in  that 
year,  relates  that  "  'an  honourable  man,  John  Knight,'  acknowledged  receiving  from  '  an  honour- 
able man,  Patrick  Hepburn,  of  Wanchtown,'  the  sum  of  1,200  merles  Scots,  for  the  redemption 
and  release  of  an  acccount  rent  of  108  merles  Scots,  which  the  said  John  had  yearly  from  the  said 
Patrick's  lands  and  barning  of  Luffness,  situated  as  above  stated  which  had  been  alienated  and 
inpignorated  by  the  said  Patrick  to  the  said  John,  his  heirs  and  assignees,  under  reversion  of  1,200 
merles."  Patrick  having  paid  back  the  sum  for  which  he  pledged  that  part  of  his  estate,  John 
gives  an  instrument  renouncing  all  rights  over  it. 


2  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

The  pages  of  history  have  preserved  the  memory  of  another  Kemp  hving  at  Haddington  a 
httle  before  this  time,  a  person,  probably,  of  less  account  in  the  social  scale  than  the  "honourable 
man  "  mentioned  above,  but  one  who  through  circumstances  of  the  time  was  brought  into 
intimate  contact  with  royalty  itself.  The  infant  destined  to  become  known  as  Mary  Queen  of 
Scots  was  born  in  Edinburgh  Castle  on  7th  December,  1542.  A  nurse  was  required  for  the 
mother  and  child.  This  important  office  was  conferred  on  Janet  Sinclair,  wife  of  one  John 
Kemp,  of  Haddington,  who  had  already  proved  herself  to  be  a  good  nurse  by  attending  on  the 
deceased  Prince  James,  the  Queen  of  Scots'  eldest  brother.  As  a  reward  for  her  services,  which 
were  much  esteemed  by  the  Queen  mother,  some  Crown  grants  were  made  to  her  husband. 

In  1688,  in  the  baptismal  register  of  Haddington,  we  find  the  baptism  of  John  Kemp,  son 
of  John  Kemp  and  Agnes  Sanderson.  In  the  following  year  a  Robert  Kemp,  possibly  John's 
brother,  and  Marion  Wail  had  a  son,  Alexander,  baptized,  who  probably  died  in  infancy,  for  in 
1693  the  same  couple  had  another  son  called  Ale.xander.  From  this  time  upwards  the  name  of 
Kemp  occurs  frequently  in  the  registers  of  Haddington.     [Vide  Chapter  V.) 

The  Haddington  Kemps  are  now  represented  by  Thomas  Kemp,  of  Dalkeith,  who  is 
Avell  known  as  a  Journalist.       He  is  a  member  of  the  Institute   of  Journalists,  included  in  the 

International  Press  Bureau  of  Correspondence,  and  is 
connected  with  the  Press  Association.  He  owns  a  printing 
business  at  Dalkeith  and  is  an  active  member  of  the  Local 
Scientific  Association,  he  is  also  interested  in  paper  mills  and 
other  commercial  concerns.  He  was  born  in  1869  Other 
representatives  of  this  group  of  Haddington  Kemps  are  George 
Kemp,  of  Brockley,  Kent,  and  his  younger  brothers,  Joseph 
Pattinson  Kemp  (Chairman  of  the  London  Lothian's  Association), 
Richard  Watt  Kemp,  now  serving  with  the  Imperial  Yeomanry 
in  South  Africa,  and  Thomas  William  Kemp,  Chamberlain  of 
the  Burgh  of  Haddington  and  of  the  7th  Bat.  Royal  Scotts. 

One  of  the  chief  objects  of  interest  in  Edinburgh  is  asso- 

Thomas  Kemp,  of  Dalkeith.  ciated  with  the  name  of  Kemp,  to  wit,  the  Scott  Monument, 

designed  by  George  Meikle  Kemp.     He  was  not  himself  born 

in  the  city,  but  was  the  offspring  of  one  of  the  Kemp  famihes  scattered  about  the  south  of  Scotland. 

Edinburgh,  however,  claims  as  her  genuine  sons  the  professors  of  chemistry  in  her  University, 

Kenneth  Treasurer  Kemp  and  Alexander  Kemp. 

Another  native  of  Edinburgh  was  David  Kemp,  who  carried  on  a  business  as  a  chemist  at 
Portobello,  he  had  four  daughters,  two  married,  and  their  families  reside  in  Scotland  and  Canada. 
He  had  the  honour  of  being  appointed  an  Examiner  to  the  Pharmaceutical  Society  of  Great 
Britain. 

Sir  James  Kempt,  G.C.B.,  Governor-General  of  Canada,  1828-30,  and  who  distinguished 
himself  on  many  occasions  in  the  Peninsula  War,  sprang  from  one  of  the  Kemp  families  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Edinburgh,  though  himself  born  near  Southampton. 

Lasswade  is  a  parish  a  few  miles  south  of  Edinburgh,  which  seems  to  have  contained  two  or 
more  families  of  Kemps  among  its  population  in  the  eighteenth  century.  Robert  Kemp,  coal- 
hewer,  of  Lasswade,  married  Lilias  Dun  in  1761  or  1762. 

The  earliest  known  occurrence  of  the  name  of  Kemp  in  Scotland  is  in  the  burgh  of  Linlith- 
gow. A  charter  or  deed  is  e.xtant  by  William  Blackbourne,  burgess  of  Inverkeithing,  in  favour  of 
John  Brady,  burgess  of  Stirling,  of  an  annual  rent  of  thirteen  shillings  and  fourpence,  usual  Scot 


General  Review — Southern.  3 

money,  from  a  tenement  of  William  Kemp,  burgess  of  Linlithgow,  situate  at  Linlithgow.  The 
deed  is  witnessed  among  others  by  David  Kemp,  burgess  of  Linlithgow,  and  bears  date  13th 
August,  1422. 

Another  charter  connected  with  Linlithgow  and  dated  sth  August,  1447,  is  attested  by  a 
William  Kemp.  Linlithgow  Palace  being  at  that  period  a  royal  residence  of  great  importance, 
it  is  likely  that  the  Kemps  in  the  royal  household  of  the  sovereigns  were  connected  with  these 
Linlithgow  burgesses. 

King  James  V.  had  a  personal  attendant  named  Henry  Kemp/,  and  described  as  of  Thomas- 
town,  who  had  lands  at  Beridale  and  Auldwick  in  Caithness-shire  conferred  on  him.  It  was 
probably  a  son  of  this  Henry  Kemp  or  Kempt  (or  a  brother  named  Alexander  Kemp,  styled  .Sir 
Alexander  Kemp)  who  James  V.  married  to  the  heiress  of  Dury,  near  Cupa,  and  which  Kemp  had 
to  adopt  the  surname  of  Dury. 

Henry  seems  to  have  been  highly  esteemed  by  his  royal  master,  for  in  1526  we  find  him 
granted  lands  at  Gargettown,  with  lands  at  several  other  places.  In  1529  the  king  granted  him 
the  ward  relief  and  marriage  of  the  heir  of  the  lands  and  pertinents  belonging  to  Andrew 
Oliphant,  of  Beridale,  Caithness,  deceased.  In  1540  a  grant  was  made  to  Henry  Kempt  of  the 
dires  of  the  lands  since  the  decease  of  the  same  Andrew.  This  grant  was  confirmed  two  years 
later.  In  1545  Queen  Mary  granted  the  lands  given  in  1526  to  another  party,  the  document 
stating  that  they  had  been  resigned  by  Henry  Kemp/,  of  Thomastown.  This  Kemp  also  received 
the  Ward  of  Proncy  in  the  Sheriffdom  of  Inverness,  formerly  belonging  to  the  Earl  of  Sutherland. 

Before  leaving  the  region  south  of  the  Forth  we  may  briefly  notice  a  few  miscellaneous 
records  of  Kemps  resident  there  to  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

At  Elphinstone,  in  the  parish  of  Tranent,  Haddingtonshire,  James  Kemp,  described  as 
''servant  to  Mr.  Nicholas,"  married  Agnes  Thompson  in  1779  (or  perhaps  earlier),  who  bore 
him  at  least  nine  children. 

At  Garvald  in  the  same  country  an  individual  described  as  John  Kemp,  in  Baro',  was  husband 
of  Isobelle  Lillico  in  1745.  The  baptism  of  two  children  are  recorded,  among  the  witnesses 
being  Henry  Kemp  and  William  Kemp. 

At  Larkhall,  Lanarkshire,  we  find  a  James  Kemp,  weaver,  in  1790-  Another  weaver, 
named  Alexander  Kemp,  lived  in  Newbigging,  in  Midlothian,  at  the  same  time.  George  Meikle 
Kemp  was  born  in  the  village  of  Monsford,  in  the  extreme  south  of  Midlothian.  His  father  was 
a  shepherd,  but  he  had  uncles  who  were  respectively  a  lawyer  and  a  doctor. 

A  family  of  Kemps  was  long  connected  with  Spott,  a  village  near  Dunbar.  They  were  most 
of  them  weavers,  and  believed  themselves  descendants  of  John  Kemp,  the  weaver,  who  came  from 
Flanders  in  1331  and  settled  at  Kendal.  Mr.  David  Skinner  Kemp  is  a  representative  of  this 
family,  and  it  was  he  who  established  the  firm  of  Kemp  and  Co.,  chemists,  at  Bombay. 

At  Dunny,  in  the  County  of  Stirling,  we  find  a  family  of  Kempts  hving  in  1675,  in  which 
year  a  father  and  son,  both  named  James  Kemp,  of  that  place,  witnessed  an  instrument  of  sasine. 

The  southern  section  will  fitly  conclude  with  a  reference  to  the  town  of  Stirhng  itself  The 
register  contains  the  name  of  Jone  {sic)  Kemp,  described  as  Zwnger  [i.e.  younger),  as  witnessing 
baptisms  in  1589  and  1591- 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 


CHqA'PTE'K   II- 

GENERAL    REVIEW— NORTHERN. 

PASSING  to  region  north  of  the  Forth  we  find  Kemp  famihes  resident  for  several  centuries 
in  certain  locahties,  notably  at  St.  Andrews,  Aberdeen  and  Dingwall.  They  seem  never 
to  have  penetrated  far  into  the  Highlands.  The  facts  concerning  their  distribution  point 
unanimously  to  the  Kemps  as  belonging  to  the  Sa.xon  element  in  the  population  of  Scotland.  In 
the  south  they  are  chiefly  found  in  Berwickshire  and  the  Lothians,  where  the  Saxons  displaced 
the  ancient  Celtic  population.  In  the  uplands  and  the  western  counties  the  name  is  more  rare. 
(There,  though  Anglicized,  the  population  is  essentially  Celtic.  In  the  north  the  Saxons  settled 
in  greater  or  less  numbers  at  various  places  on  the  east  coast,  they  never  ousted  the  ancient 
inhabitants.) 

James  Kemp,  innkeeper,  of  Doune,  in  the  south  of  Perthshire,  gave  evidence  in  connexion 
with  the  rebellion  of  1745.  At  Perth  we  find  in  the  register  under  date  i6th  November,  1561, 
the  marriage  between  George  Conqueror  and  Nanse  Kempt.  It  may  be  added  that  the 
Conquerors  were  an  important  family  at  Perth,  some  of  whom  occupied  public  stations.  We 
therefore  conclude,  in  default  of  evidence  to  the  contrary,  that  that  Kempt  family  were  likewise 
of  good  standing. 

In  St.  Andrew's  the  Kemps  are  an  old  established  stock.  In  1569  an  Andrew  Kempt  was 
among  the  prebendaries  and  choristers  of  the  Collegiate  Church  of  Salvator.  He  was  Master  of 
the  Song  School  there.  A  copy  of  the  Te  Deum  harmonised  by  him  dated  1575  is  among  the 
MSS.  at  the  Bristish  Museum.  The  Register  of  Kirk  Sessions  from  1570  had  many  references 
to  a  certain  Andro  [sic]  Kempt,  who  appears  to  have  been  minister  of  the  church.  He  had 
evidently  committed  some  offence  against  two  members  of  the  church,  viz.,  David  Sympson  and 
his  mother,  for  which  he  is  required  to  crave  pardon  on  his  knees  after  sermon  on  a  certain 
Friday.  In  November,  1573,  he  is  referred  to  as  dead.  His  widow,  Isobel  Adesonn,  described 
as  "relict  of  urquhill  Andro  Kempt,"  being  in  grevious  sickness,  a  collection  was  made  for  her 
which  the  assembly  direct  to  be  paid  to  her  at  the  rate  of  eightpence  a  day  as  long  as  it  lasts.  In 
1587  we  find  "the  minister,  elders  and  deacons"  of  the  congregation  arranging  to  apprentice 
"  Patrick  {sic)  Kempt,  lawful  son  to  urquhill  Andron  [sic)  Kempt,  minister,"  for  five  years  to 
David  Husband,  a  tailor  in  St.  Andrews,  at  a  premium  of  twenty-four  merks,  which  sum  appears 
from  late  entries  to  have  been  paid  by  instalments.     We  shall  hear  of  Patrick  Kempt  again. 

Aberdeen  has  been  for  several  centuries  the  home  of  Kemps  and  Kempts,  many  of  whom 
occupied  honourable  positions  in  connection  with  the  city  or  the  university. 

The  "  Register  of  Burgesses  of  Guild  and  Trade  of  the  Burgh  of  Aberdeen  "  contains  many 
entries  relating  to  the  name  of  Kemp.  The  earliest  is  under  date  23rd  September,  1464,  and 
refers  to  James  Kemp,  goldsmith,  for  seven  years  in  the  service  of  T.  Leman,  goldsmith.  In  the 
sixteenth  and  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  centuries  the  Kempts  evidently  held  a  prominent 
position  in  the  trading  community  of  the  burgh.  Several  were  bakers,  one  was  a  "  flesher," 
another  a  sea  captain,  and  another,  Patrick  Kempt,  a  tailor.  This  last  is  almost  certainly  the 
individual  who  figures  in  the  records  of  St.  Andrews.  He  appears  to  have  settled  in  Aberdeen 
in  1616.  In  1625  we  find  him  receiving  as  apprentice  a  youth  named  Johne  Taileour.  In 
1603  Alexander  Kempt  was  granted  by  Act  of  Council  the  entry  of  a  burgess  in  recognition  of 


General  Review — Northern.  5 

"  his  avancemtis  that  year  in  the  tounis  advis."  In  161T  his  youngest  son  Alexander,  described 
as  "pupil,"  was  admitted  ex  gratia.  Another  Alexander  Kempt,  son  and  heir  of  John  Kempt, 
was  granted  entry  ex  gratia  in  January,  1579-80. 

An  Instrument  of  Sasine  of  1504  mentions  one,  Martin  Kemp,  as  owning  some  land  in 
Green  Street.  In  the  Chartulary  of  St  Nicholas'  Church  we  find  another  mention  of  the  same 
land  in  158T  as  formerly  belonging  to  Martin  Kemp,  but  now  James  CoUisonn's.  The  rent  was 
received  by  the  chaplains  of  the  church.  Another  entry  speaks  of  land  belonging  to  Johne 
Kemppt  baxter  {i.e.,  baker).  He  is  probably  identical  with  the  John  Kempt  mentioned  above 
who  is  described  as  a  baker.  Among  the  witnesses  to  a  deed  dated  9th  January,  1602,  con- 
nected with  the  family  of  Skene,  of  Skene,  burgess  of  Aberdeen,  most  likely  the  same  individual 
referred  to  in  the  other  entries. 

On  30th  November,  1641,  one  James  Smith,  described  as  a  "  wobster,"  with  Alexander 
Kempt,  "  wicht,"  were  convicted  of  burglary  at  the  house  of  Alexander  Sangster,  a  "  wobster," 
"  vnder  clovd  and  silence  of  the  night,  and  braking  up  the  dore  of  the  said  Alexanderis  hous  with 
ane  foir  hamer,  and  entering  the  samen  with  draven  suordis  in  thair  handis."  For  this  they  were 
sentenced  to  be  banished  the  town. 

Various  Kempts  are  recorded  among  the  students  of  King's  College  and  Marichal  College,  but 
they  are  perhaps  more  appropriately  mentioned  in  connexion  with  their  birth  place  or  lives  if 
sufficiently  noted. 

From  the  town  of  Aberdeen  as  a  centre  Kemps  probably  emigrated  to  other  places  in  the 
regions  around.  The  Records  of  Aborfar  in  that  country  mentions  "  Mr.  Thomas  Kemp,  servitor 
to  Mr.  James  Farguharson,  W.S."  The  fact  of  his  being  dignified  with  the  title  "  Mr.  "  indicates 
that  he  was  a  confidential  clerk  preparing,  if  not  actually  prepared,  to  practice  the  law  on  his  own 
account.  John  Kemp,  the  mathematician  and  professor  in  Columbia  College,  was  a  native  of 
Auchlossen,  Aberdeenshire.  James  Kemp,  second  Bishop  of  Maryland,  was  born  at  Keith  Hall 
in  the  same  country. 

The  last  centre  of  the  Kemp  families  which  we  have  to  mention  is  Dingwall.  In  1516 
King  James  V.  is  recorded  to  have  presented  Sir  Thomas  Kemp  to  the  chaplaincy  of  St.  Lawrence 
in  the  Castle  of  Dingwall  when  it  should  be  vacated  by  the  resignation  of  Sir  John  Auchtlek.  In 
1526  Patrick  Kempt  is  mentioned  as  possessing  land  at  the  Gray  Stane,  Dingwall.  He  appears 
to  have  been  the  father  of  Sir  Thomas  Kemp.  An  interesting  tombstone  to  Patrick  and  Thomas 
still  exists  in  Dingwall  Churchyard,  and  measures  about  6  feet  by  4  feet  ;  it  is  much  worn  through 
long  exposure  to  the  weather  and  having  been  walked  upon.  The  illustration  is  from  a  photo- 
graph of  a  rubbing  somewhat  restored,  which  has  been  kindly  prepared  expressly  for  this  work  by 
Dr.  Joass.  He  has  devoted  much  time  and  thought  in  endeavouring  to  correctly  decipher  the 
Latin  inscriptions.  The  legend  round  the  margins  he  translates  thus  : — "  Here  Ue  .  .  .  and 
Patrick  Kemp,  wife  and  son  of  William  Kemp,  founder  of  the  Chapel  of  St.  Clement,  a.d.  1529." 
The  inscription  in  the  lower  right  compartment  reads  :  "  Sir  Thomas  Kemp  caused  me  to  be  made 
A.D.  1531."  In  the  "Origines  Parochiales  Scotise,"  vol.  ii.,  part  2,  p.  484,  it  is  stated  that  "in  1516 
King  James  V.  presented  Sir  Thomas  Kemp,  Chaplain,  to  the  Chaplaincy  of  St.  Lawrence,  in  the 
Castle  of  Dingwell,  when  it  should  be  vacant." 

It  may  be  noted  in  passing  that  the  Christian  name  Patrick  occurs  early  in  two  or  three  of  the 
East  Lothian  families  ;  thus  in  Humbie  in  1654  the  marriage  of  Patrick  Kemp  and  Janet  Young 
is  recorded;  and  again  in  Bolton,  Richard  Kemp  and  Janet  White  had  a  son  Patrick  born  1695. 

Among  the  burgesses  of  Dingwall  in  1563  appears  a  Donald  Kemp.  Ninety  years  later 
another  Donald  Kemp  described  as  "  in  Usie,"  was  called  as  a  witness  before  the  Presbytery  of 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


The  Dingwall  Kemp  Stone  ;  from  a  drawing  by  the  Rev.  J.  M.  Joass,  LL.D.,  Golbpii 


General  Review — Biographies.  7 

Dingwall.  The  records  of  the  presbytery  a  few  years  later,  viz.,  in  t666,  mention  Donald  Kempe, 
"indweller  in  Dingwell,''  as  a  suppliant  for  divorce  against  his  wife.  In  1655  we  find  Agnes 
Kempt  in  Gairloch  protesting  before  the  Presbytery  that  her  marriage  was  forced  against  her  will. 
James  Kempt,  a  burgess  within  the  burgh  of  Dingwell,  appears  as  a  witness  before  the  Presbytery 
in  1653-  No  doubt  members  of  the  family  left  Dingwall  to  settle  in  the  neighbourhood  as  the 
husband  of  Agnes  Kempt  probably  did.  Among  the  Graduates  of  Aberdeen  University,  Hugo 
Kemp,  Rossensis  (i.e.,  a  native  of  Ross-shire),  is  recorded  as  receiving  the  degree  of  Master  of 
Arts  on  29th  March,  1733- 

Bishop  Forbes's  journal  for  1770  mentions  Ciscelie  Kemp,  of  Ord,  as  a  communicant  at 
Ord  Meeting  House,  and  Gillie  Kemp,  of  Ord,  as  a  candidate  for  confirmation.  Several  variants 
of  the  name  remain  to  be  noted.  In  1598  John  Kempie,  maltman,  appears  as  a  burgess  of 
Perth.  Among  those  who  have  complied  with  our  request  for  information  as  to  their  own 
ancestry  is  Mr.  Peter  Kemp,  of  Currency  Creek,  South  Australia,  but  a  native  of  Comrie, 
Perthshire  ;  he  states  that  his  great-grandfather  and  father  were  known  respectively  as  James  and 
Peter  Kemp,  of  Kempy  ;  the  former  was  born  at  Carrevechten,  near  Creief.  This  fact  is  of  great 
interest  in  connexion  with  the  origin  of  the  name.  "  Kempy  ''  is  defined  in  the  "  Historical 
English  Dictionary"  as  "a  kemp  or  champion,  one  given  to  fighting;  a  rough  or  uncouth 
fellow."  The  illustrative  quotations  range  from  1525  upwards.  A  very  similar  variant  is 
Kemptie.  John  Kemptie  is  described  as  "  writer  in  Aberdown."  The  name  of  William  Kemp^^;; 
appears  in  the  records  of  the  "  Edinburgh  Commissariat  "  under  the  year  j  569-  "  Sir  William 
Kemp/o;z,  chaplain  and  notary  public,"  witnessed  a  lease  in  connexion  with  the  names  of  Kirk- 
liston, Linlithgowshire,  in  the  year  |  546- 


CHcATTETi    III. 

GENERAL    REVIEW— BIOGRAPHIES. 
THE    REV.    DAVID    KEMP.  THE  REV.  JOHN  KEMP,  D.D. 

THE  Rev.  David  Kemp,  sometimes  minister  of  the  parish  of  Gask,  studied  at  St.  Leonard's 
College,  taking  the  degree  of  A.M.  in  due  course  at  the  University  of  St.  Andrew's, 
nth  April,  1738.  He  was  examined  and  found  qualified  for  the  school  of  Auchter- 
gaven,  Perthshire,  but  does  not  appear  to  have  retained  the  appointment  long,  vacating  it  for  the 
mastership  of  King  James  VI.'s  Hospital  at  Perth.  In  1761  he  was  licensed  by  the  Presbytery,  and 
in  December,  1765,  was  presented  by  George  III.  to  the  parish  of  Gask,  being  ordained  3rd  April 
in  the  following  year.  In  1795  he  removed  to  Edinburgh,  where  he  died  22nd  February,  1798, 
at  the  residence  of  his  son.  He  wrote  "Account  of  the  Parish  of  Gask,"  published  in  Sinclair's 
"  Statistical  Account  of  Scotland." 

The  Rev.  David  Kemp  married  in  1743  Jane  Stewart,  who  died  7th  March,  1784-     By  her 
he  had  a  son,  the  subject  of  the  following  memoir. 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kemp e  Families. 


John  Kemp,  son  of  David  Kemp  and  Jane  Stewart,  was  born  in  1745-  Like  his  father  he 
studied  at  the  University  of  St.  Andrews.  Having  been  licensed  by  the  Presbytry  he  was 
presented  by  the  Earl  of  Kinnoul  to  Trinity  Gask,  and  ordained  4th  April,  1770.  In  1776  he 
was  translated  to  New  Greyfriars  Church,  Edinburgh.  In  1779  he  accepted  the  Collegiate  or 
Second  Charge  of  the  Tolbooth  Church  in  the  same  city.  Ten  years  later  he  was  appointed 
secretary  of  the  society  in  Scotland  for  Propagating  Christian  Knowledge.  It  is  in  connexion 
with  this  Society  that  he  is  chiefly  remembered.  For  many  years  he  travelled  through  the 
Highlands  visiting  and  reporting  on  the  Society's  schools  and  missions.  In  1793  he  received  the 
degree  of  D.D.  from  Harward  University. 

The  following  stories  are  related  of  Dr.  Kemp.  On  approaching  the  Tolbooth  Church  one 
Sabbath  he  noticed  a  small  knot  of  people  listening  to  the  singing  of  a  blackbird  in  a  cage  which 

was  hanging  outside  one  of  the  small  shops  with 
which  the  church  was  surrounded.  He  was  so 
incensed  that  he  carried  the  bird  in  its  cage  off  to 
the  Tolbooth  Prison. 

An  anecdote  which  reveals  him  in  a  pleas- 
anter  light  is  the  way  in  which  he  captivated  the 
attention  of  the  boys  of  the  Heriot  Hospital 
School  when  preaching  on  Jacob  blessing  the 
sons  of  Joseph.  The  point  of  this  story  appears 
to  be  that  in  those  days  for  a  preacher  to  really 
engage  the  sympathies  of  a  youthful  audience 
was  so  unusual  an  occurrence  that  the  fact 
that  anyone  could  do  so  was  regarded  with  some 
astonishment. 

Dr.  Kemp  was  thrice  married.  His  first 
wift:  was  Beatrice,  daughter  of  Andrew  Simpson, 
merchant,  of  Edinburgh,  whom  he  married  2nd 
October,  1780.  By  her  he  had  a  son,  David,  who 
married  the  eldest  daughter  of  Sir  James 
Calquhoun,  of  Lass,  Bart.,  and  a  daughter  named 
Agnes  Beatrice  Kemp  died  12th  March,  1796.  On 
2nd  June,  1797,  Dr.  Kemp  married  Mary  Anne, 
youngest  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Northesk,  who 
died  10th  August,  1798.  His  third  wife,  whom 
he  married  26th  August,  1779,  was  the  seventh 
daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Hopetoun.  She  died  17th  September,  1801,  aged  thirty-three.  Both  the 
latter  seem  to  have  been  childless. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  Dr.  John  Kemp's  publications  : — (i)  A  sermon  entitled  "  The 
Gospel  adapted  to  the  State  and  Circumstances  of  Man."  This  has  as  an  appendix  "  facts  serving 
to  illustrate  the  character  of  Thomas,  Earl  of  KinnouU."     Edin.  :  8vo,  1788. 

(2)  "  Account  of  the  Society  in  Scotland  for  Propagating  Christian  Knowledge."  Edin.  : 
8vo,  1796. 

(3)  "  The  Character  of  the  Apostle  Paul  in  some  of  its  features  delineated."     Edin. :  8vo,  1802. 
Dr.  Kemp's  death  occurred  on  the  i8th  April,  1805- 


Rev.  Dr.  John  Kemp,  Edinburgh. 


General  Review — Biographies. 


SIR    JAMES    KEMPT,    G.C.B. 

We  have  not  space  in  the  present  volume  to  give  more  than  the  briefest  sketch  of  the  long 
and  varied  career  of  this  eminent  man. 

James  Kempt  was  the 
son  of  Gavin  Kempt,  mer- 
chant, of  Edinburgh,  and 
his  wife  Sarah,  daughter  of 
Alexander  Walker,  brewer, 
of  Edinburgh.  He  appears 
to  have  been  born  at  Botiey 
Hill,  near  Southampton, 
where  his  father  had  a 
residence.  The  year  of  his 
birth  was  1764--  He  was 
gazetted  ensign  in  the 
I  Gist  Foot  in  India  31st 
March,  1783.  This  regi- 
ment of  which  he  was  then 
lieutenant,  was  disbanded 
in  the  spring  of  1785,  and 
Kempt  spent  some  years 
in  retirement  on  half  pay. 
During  this  period  he  is 
said  to  have  been  in  Cox 
and  Co.'s  Bank,  London. 
In  1794  he  returned  to 
active  service  as  captain 
of  the  103rd  Foot,  which 
regiment  he  had  assisted  in 
raising  in  Ireland.  Passing 
over  several  minor  ap- 
pointments, we  find  him 
in  1799  acting  as  aide-de- 
camp to  Sir  Ralph  Aber- 
cromby,  at  that  time  Com- 
mander-in-Chief in  Scot- 
land. He  soon  afterwards 
went  with  him  to  Holland 
where  he  was  present  with 
Sir  Ralph  in  many  en- 
gagements. In  1 80 1  he 
accompanied  Sir  Ralph  to 
Egypt    as     aide-de-camp 

and  military  secretary.  Sir  Ralph  was  mortally  wounded  at  the  battle  oi  Alexandria  on  the  21st 
March  of  that  year.  He  was  succeeded  by  General  John  Hely  Hutchunson,  under  whom  Kempt 
continued  his  former  duties.     His  services  in  the  expedition  were  recognised  by  the  conferment  ot 


Sir  James  Kempt,  G.C.B. 


lO 


History  of  the  Kemt)  and  Kempe  Families. 


the  Turkish  Gold  Medal.  In  1806  Kempt  went  with  the  expedition  to  Sicily,  where  the  light 
brigade  under  his  command  distinguished  itself  at  the  battle  of  Maida,  2nd  July.  From  1807  to 
181 1  Kempt  was  in  North  America  in  the  capacity  of  Quartermaster-General.  At  the  close  of  the 
latter  year  he  was  appointed  to  the  staff  of  the  Peninsular  army  with  local  rank  of  Major-General. 
Wellington  had  formed  a  high  opinion  of  Kempt's  capacity  in  military  affairs  from  reports  of  his 
previous  career  which  events  amply  justified.  He  distinguished  himself  in  the  storming  of  Fort 
Picurnia.  Under  a  horrible  fire  from  the  enemy  Kempt  coolly  and  skilfully  directed  the  attack. 
A  few  days  later  while  heading  an  assault  on  the  Castle  of  Badajoz  Kempt  was  struck  down  and 
severely  wounded.  On  his  return  to  the  Peninsular  after  his  recovery  he  was  present  in  various 
engagements,  including  the  battle  of  Vittoria,  Nivelle,  Nive,  Orthez  and  Toulouse.  At  Nivelle  he 
was  again  wounded  severely,  but  remained  in  the  field  directing  operations.  In  i8i4he  again  went 
to  Canada  in  command  of  a  brigade  sent  to  reinforce  the  army  there.  He  did  not  remain  long  away. 
He  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Ouatre  Bras  and  Waterloo.  In  the  latter  he  took  the  place  of  Sir 
Thomas  Picton,  who,  while  leading  a  charge,  was  instantaneously  killed  by  a  musket  shot. 

Kempt  was  made  K.C.B.  in  January,  18 15,  and  in  June  of  the  same  year  was  advanced  to  the 
honour  of  G.C.B.  In  18 16  the  title  of  G.C.H.  was  conferred  upon  him.  He  was  also  the  recipient  of 
various  foreign  decorations.    For  Maida,  Vittoria,  Nivelle,  Nive,  Orthez  and  Waterloo  he  held  medals. 

For  some  years  Kempt  was  Governor  of  Nova  Scotia.  In  1828  he  accepted  the  office  of 
Governor-General  of  Canada.  The  Duke  of  Wellington  was  then  Prime  Minister,  being  succeeded 
by  Earl  Grey  on  22nd  November,  1830.  Two  days  later  Kempt  gave  up  his  duties  as  Governor- 
General.  His  action  under  difficult  circumstances  was  approved  by  the  Duke  of  Wellington.  On 
8th  December,  1830,  he  Avas  nominated  a  Privy  Councillor. 

Kempt  was  Master-General  of  Ordnance  from  1834  to  1838.  He  was  gazetted  Lieutenant- 
General  in  1825  and  General  in  1841.  He  died  in  London  on  20th  December,  1854,  at  the  age 
of  ninety. 

Arms  were  granted  to  him,  and  he  used  as  his  motto  the  suitable  word  "  promptus." 

GEORGE   MEIKLE    KEMP. 

Although  General  Sir  James  Kempt  rose  to  such  distinction,  the  average  Scot  associates  the 
name  of  George  Meikle  with  the  name  and  forgets  the  hero  of  Badajoz.  To  the  Edinburgh  man 
particularly,  the  artist  and  architect  is  the  greatest  Kemp,  Kempe  or  Kempt  that  ever  lived.  He 
competed  with  all  the  best  designers  of  the  day  for  the  honour  of  designing  the  memorial  to  Sir 
Walter  Scott,  and  although  he  was  then  looked  upon  as  little  more  than  a  working  carpenter,  his 
plans  and  drawings  were  accepted  and  he  secured  the  honour,  as  well  as  the  money,  which  was  by 
no  means  unacceptable  to  the  struggling  young  man.  His  life  is  fully  set  forth  by  his  relative 
Thomas  Bonnar,  F.S.A.,  in  a  well  printed  and  beautifully  illustrated  biography,  published  by 
Blackwood  and  Sons  in  1892,  and  we  do  not  attempt  to  record  here  the  surroundings  of  his  boy- 
hood and  his  setting  forth  to  see  the  great  buildings  of  Europe  with  but  his  skill  to  support  him. 
His  father  was  a  poet  who  never  committed  his  thought  to  paper  ;  his  mother  was  gifted  and 
accomplished,  and  it  was  doubtless  due  to  her  influence  that  the  lad  broke  away  from  the  pastoral 
life  so  dear  to  hii  father  and  made  great  use  of  his  opportunities.  Leaving  his  home  near  Moorfoot 
he  first  became  an  apprentice  to  an  upholsterer  in  Edinburgh  and  spent  all  his  spare  time  studying 
and  drawing,  he  noted  down  every  peculiarity  of  architecture  that  struck  him  and  grasped  the 
various  styles  and  periods,  thus  after  a  prolonged  wandering  he  returned  to  Edinburgh  qualified 
by  study  to  equal  any  architect  there.     He  was  naturall}'  extremely  sensative  and  fearful  lest  a 


General  Review — Biographies. 


II 


want  of  education  should  be  apparent  in  him  when  in  conversation  with  others  ;  this  characteristic 

stood  greatly  in  his  way,  and  it  was  by  the  sheer  excellence  of  his  work  that  he  came  into  notice. 

His  death  was  one  which  was  extremely  pathetic.     While  the  masterful  monument  was  nearing 

completion  he  was  suddenly  cut  off  from  his  family.     The  exact  details  can  never  be  known,  but 

it  seems  evident  that  he  lost  his  way  home  one  evening  when 

a  heavy  mist  was  falling,  and  some  days  later  his  body   was 

found  in  the  river.     His  eldest  son,  a  youth  of  much  promise, 

had  the   pleasure  of  placing  the  topmost  stone  to   the  great 

memorial,  which  is  a  lasting  momento,  not  only  of  the  greatest 

Scottish  novelist,  but  to  the  honour  of  George  Meikle  Kemp. 

He  was  born  in  1795  and  drowned  on  6th  March,  1844. 

One  of  his  uncles  was  a  Provost  and  another  a  doctor.  The 
only  son  to  reach  maturity  now  lives  in  Edinburgh,  and  sad 
to  relate,  although  a  clever  artist,  he  is  forced  to  remain  in- 
active having  lost  the  use  of  his  hands  by  severe  illness.  The 
last  surviving  daughter  died  only  this  year  (1902). 

KENNETH  TREASURER  KEMP. 

The  Kemp  families  of  the  South  of  Scotland  have  pro- 
duced several  chemists  of  distinction.  First  in  order  of  time 
stand  the  brothers  Kenneth  Treasurer  and  Alexander  Kemp, 
both  of  whom  held  the  post  of  lecturer  on  chemistry  at  Edin- 
burgh University.  Their  father,  Ale.xander,  along  with  another 
son,  were  in  business  as  clothiers  and  hatters  in  College  Street, 
Edinburgh,  and  resided  in  the  same  street,  the  one  side  of 
which  is  occupied  by  the  University  buildings.     The  youthful 

Kemps  were  thus  reared  in  an  atmosphere  of  learning,  which  no  doubt  essentially  influenced 
them  to  adopt  professional  careers.  Their  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Kenneth  Treasurer,  a 
merchant  in  Edinburgh. 

Kenneth  Treasurer  Kemp  was  born  in  Edinburgh  on  the  17th  April,  1805-  He  early 
displayed  an  interest  in  the  science  of  chemistry.  His  first  appointment  was  that  of  lecturer  on 
practical  chemistry  in  Surgeon's  Square.  He  proceeded  thence  to  a  similar  position  at  the 
University,  which  he  held  until  his  early  death.  He  seems  to  have  possessed  great  experimental 
skill.  Among  other  subjects  he  investigated  the  laws  of  combustion  and  the  liquefaction  of  gases. 
He  was  the  first  chemist  in  this  country  who  succeeded  in  solidifying  carbonic  acid  gas,  which  he 
appears  to  have  hoped  for  for  equal  success  in  relation  to  every  other  gas.  He  told  his  students 
that  they  might  one  day  see  him  carrying  a  stick  of  solid  hydrogen  !  When  the  recently  formed 
British  Association  met  at  Edinburgh  in  1834  he  read  a  paper  on  the  "Liquefaction  of  Gases," 
only  the  bare  mention  of  it  occurs  in  the  proceedings  of  the  Association  for  that  year.  K.  T.  Kemp 
also  devoted  attention  to  electricity  and  magnetism.  He  introduced  amalgamated  zinc  plates  for 
galvanic  batteries  ;  he  was  the  discoverer  of  various  chemical  compounds. 

Kenneth  Treasurer  Kemp  died  28th  November,  1842,  at  the  age  of  thirty-six,  the  cause  of 
his  death  being  an  aneurysm.  He  was  buried  in  Greyfriars  Churchyard,  Edinburgh,  where  a 
tablet  was  placed  to  his  memory.  He  was  succeeded  in  the  lectureship  at  the  University  by  his 
brother  Alexander. 


Masonic  Chair 
made  by  George  Meikle  Kemp. 


12  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

Alexander  Kemp  was  born  loth  January,  1822,  and  died  30th  April,  1854-  He  was 
author  of  various  scientific  papers  as  well  as  inventor  or  improver  of  many  pieces  of  experimental 
apparatus.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Edinburgh  ;  he  was  buried  in  Greyfriar's 
Churchyard  as  a  tablet  there  records. 

DAVID    KEMP,    Chemist. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  a  native  of  Edinburgh.  After  serving  an  apprenticeship  with 
the  famous  pharmaceutical  chemists,  Messrs.  Duncan,  Flockart  and  Co.,  he  commenced  business  at 
Portobello,  and  resided  there  all  his  life.  He  was  much  more  than  a  dispenser  of  drugs  ;  his 
extended  knowledge  of  their  properties  and  of  the  science  of  chemistry  gained  for  him  the  honour- 
able position  of  an  examiner  to  the  Pharmaceutical  Society  of  Great  Britain.  Although  he  never 
thrust  himself  into  prominence  his  worth  did  not  pass  unnoticed.  He  was  appointed  a  magistrate 
and  also  elected  as  a  member  of  the  schoolboard  for  Portobello  ;  he  was  an  enthusiastic  admirer 
of  Scottish  poetry,  and  was  particularly  fond  of  Jacobite  songs.  In  celebration  of  the  centenary 
of  Burns  in  1859  banquets  were  held  all  over  the  country,  and  at  the  one  in  Portobello  Mr.  Kemp 
acted  as  croupier  and  gave  the  toast,  "  the  Poetry  of  Scotland."  Late  in  life,  having  retired  from 
active  business,  he  accepted  the  honorary  office  of  co-pastor  of  Bristo  Palace  Baptist  Church, 
Edinburgh,  along  with  the  Rev.  William  Grant.  He  was  a  clear,  argumentative  and  evangelical 
preacher  ;  very  calm  and  incisive,  and  he  rarely  used  notes.  As  an  illustration  of  great  coolness 
it  may  be  related  that  on  one  occasion  he  had  not  proceeded  far  with  his  sermon  when  he 
announced  to  his  astonished  and  large  congregation  that  he  had  completely  lost  the  thread  of  the 
discourse,  and  "  would  they  sing  a  song  whilst  he  tried  to  collect  his  thoughts."  He  afterwards 
rose  and  delivered  an  unusually  eloquent  address.  He  died  on  the  15th  July,  1888-  His  services 
as  a  pastor  were  cordially  appreciated,  many  beyond  his  own  family  lamenting  his  decease.  His 
age  was  seventy-two.  Mr.  Kemp  had  four  daughters,  the  two  eldest  were  married  and  had 
families,  Borthwicks  and  Edwards,  the  latter  are  in  Canada. 

BISHOP    JAMES    KEMP. 

James  Kemp,  the  second  Bishop  of  Maryland,  was  born  at  Keith-Hall,  a  parish  of  Aberdeen- 
shire, being  the  son  of  Donald  and  Isabel  Kemp.  He  was  educated  at  Aberdeen  Grammar  School 
and  Marischal  College,  where  he  graduated  in  1786-  After  studying  for  another  year  he  emigrated 
in  the  spring  of  1 787  to  Maryland  in  the  United  States,  where  he  remained  till  his  death.  Having 
forsaken  Presbyterianism,  in  which  he  had  been  brought  up,  he  decided  to  take  orders  in  the 
American  Episcopal  Church.  He  was  ordained  deacon  and  priest  on  26th  and  27th  December, 
1789,  by  Bishop  Claggett,  of  Maryland.  In  August,  1790,  he  was  appointed  Rector  of  Great 
Chopbank  parish  in  the  same  diocese  and  state,  where  he  remained  more  than  twenty  years.  He 
was  afterwards  for  a  short  time  Associate  Rector  of  St.  Paul's,  Baltimore.  The  advanced  age  of 
Bishop  Claggett,  who  still  presided  over  the  diocese,  compelled  him  to  obtain  the  help  of  a 
younger  man.  Kemp  was  chosen  for  the  post  of  suffragan  bishop,  being  consecrated  on  ist 
September,  1814.  Bishop  Claggett  assigned  him  the  eastern  portion  ot  his  diocese,  which  has 
since  been  entirely  severed,  and  now  forms  the  Bishopric  of  Easton.  In  1816  Bishop  Claggett 
died,  Kemp  being  appointed  to  succeed  him,  and  for  about  eleven  years  he  continued  to  preside 
over  the  whole  diocese  of  Maryland.  In  1827  he  went  to  assist  in  the  consecration  of  Bishop 
Ondderdonk,  of  Pennsylvania.  On  the  return  journey  he  met  with  a  coach  accident  in  consequence 
of  which  he  died  on  28th  October  in  that  year  at  the  age  of  63. 


General  Review — Biographies.  13 

Kemp  received  the  degree  of  D.D.  from  Columbia  College,  New  York,  1802.  He  was  the 
author  of  the  following  works:  "Tract  on  Conversion,"  1807;  "Letters  in  Vindication  of 
Episcopacy,"  1808;  "Sermon  on  Deathbed  Repentance,"  1815  ;  "Sermon  on  the  Death  of 
Bishop  Claggett,"  18 16. 

Portraits  of  Bishop  Kemp  are  said  to  give  impression  of  a  stony  Scottish  face,  not  lacking 
kindly  humour.  Bishop  Claggett  greatly  valued  his  aid  both  before  and  after  his  consecration. 
He  is  said  to  be  the  only  bishop  suffragan  ever  appointed  in  the  American  church. 

PROFESSOR   JOHN    KEMP. 

John  Kemp,  who  became  famous  as  professor  of  mathematics  and  other  subjects  in  Columbia 
College,  is  generally  stated  to  have  been  born  at  Auchlossen,  Aberdeenshire.  He  is,  however,  thus 
described  in  the  records  of  Marischal  College  "  Joannes  Kempt,  f.  Joannes  in  Coull."  It  is  quite 
possible  that  his  parents  may  have  removed  from  Auchlossen  and  settled  in  the  neighbouriug 
parish  of  Coull.  He  was  born  on  loth  April,  1763  ;  he  graduated  as  M.A.  at  Marischal  College 
in  1 78 1  ;  his  display  of  intellectual  ability  as  a  young  man  is  evidenced  by  his  election  as  a  Fellow 
of  the  Royal  Society  of  Edinburgh  in  1783.  In  1787  he  received  the  degree  of  LL.D.  from  King^s 
College,  Aberdeen.  He  emigrated  to  America  1783,  settling  first  in  Virginia.  Two  years  later 
he  went  to  New  York,  where,  after  acting  for  a  short  time  as  a  teacher,  he  was  appointed  Professor 
of  Mathematics  in  Columbia  College  in  1786. 

In  179s  he  was  transferred  to  the  chair  of  geography,  history  and  chronology.  He  was  a 
friend  of  De  Witt  Chiston,  Mayor  of  New  York,  and  was  frequently  asked  to  advise  in  reference 
to  municipal  affairs  ;  he  died  at  New  York  15th  November,  1812.  At  what  time  in  his  life  he 
changed  his  name  from  Kemp/ does  nrt  appear.  His  portrait  in  oils  hangs  in  the  library  of 
Columbia  College,  the  compilers  of  this  work  are  securing  a  copy,  but  regret  that  this  is  not  to 
hand  in  time  to  appear  here. 

THE  REV.  HUGH  KEMP. 
The  Rev.  Hugh  Kemp  was  minister  of  the  Church  of  Scotland,  of  Avhom  some  slight  memoirs 
have  been  handed  down,  though  he  does  not  appear  to  have  been  a  man  of  any  special  eminence. 
At  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century  he  was  minister  of  Forgan  in  Fifeshire.  He  was  appointed 
clerk  to  the  Presbytry  of  St.  Andrew's  in  1693-  In  1701  he  was  admitted  minister  of  the  church 
of  Dunfermline.  This  church  was  occupied  jointly  by  the  Episcopalians  and  the  Church  of 
Scotland,  the  Episcopal  minister  officiating  at  one  service  and  the  Presbyterian  at  the  other. 
Hugh  Kemp  does  not  seem  to  have  hked  the  arrangement,  his  ministry  not  being  submitted  to  by 
some  of  the  townspeople.  He  was  therefore  glad  to  accept  a  call  to  Carnbee  in  the  same  county 
in  1704.  He  died  in  1718  leaving  an  only  child  James  by  his  wife,  Margaret  Gowlay,  widow  of 
Thomas  Shens,  of  Lathallan. 


M 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


CHcATTE'K    I'^- 


TRADITION. 


THE  name  of  Kemp  is.  not  unknown  in   Scottish  tradition.     Among  the  ballads  current 
among  the  peasantry  in  the  early  decades   of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  which  were 
collected   and   published    by    William    Motherwell   in   his    "  Minstrelsy  :    Ancient   and 
Modern  "  (1S27),  are  some  verses  entitled  "  Kemp  Owyne,"  which  we  here  quote  : 


Her  mother  died  when  she  was  young, 
Which  gave  her  cause  to  make  great  maun  ; 
Her  father  married  the  worst  woman 
That  ever  lived  in  Christendom. 

She  served  her  with  foot  and  hand 
In  everything  that  she  could  dee, 
Till  once  in  an  unlucky  time 
She  threw  her  in  ower  Craigy's  Sea. 

Says,  "  Lie  you  there,  dove  Isabel, 
"  Till  all  my  sorrows  lie  with  thee, 
"  Till  Kemp  Owyne  come  ower  the  sea 
"  And  borrow  you  with  kisses  three  ; 
"  Let  all  the  warld  do  what  they  will 
"  Oh  !  borrow'd  you  shall  never  be." 

Her  breath  grew  strong,  her  hair  grew  lang, 
And  twisted  thrice  about  the  tree  ; 
And  all  the  people  far  and  near 
Thought  that  a  savage  beast  was  she. 
Their  news  did  come  to  Kemp  Owyne, 
Where  he  lived  far  beyond  the  sea. 

He  hastened  him  to  Craigy's  Sea, 

And  on  the  savage  beast  look'd  he  ; 

Her  breath  was  strong,  her  hair  was  lang, 

And  twisted  was  about  the  tree  ; 

And  with  a  swing  she  came  about, 

"  Come  to  Craigy's  Sea  and  kiss  with  me." 

"  Here  is  a  royal  belt,"  she  cried, 

"  That  I  have  found  in  the  green  sea, 

"  And   while  your  body  it  is  on 

"  Drawn  shall  your  blood  ne'er  be  ; 

"  But  if  you  touch  me  tail  or  fin, 

"  I  vow  my  belt  your  death  shall  be." 


He  stepped  in,  gave  her  a  kiss, 

The  royal  belt  he  brought  him  wi'. 

Her  breath  was  strong,  her  hair  was  lang. 

And  twisted  twice  about  the  tree  ; 

And  with  a  swing  she  came  about, 

"  Come  to  Craigy's  Sea  and  kiss  with  me." 

"  Here  is  a  royal  ring,"  she  said, 

"  That  I  have  found  in  the  green  sea, 

"  While  your  finger  it  is  on 

"  Drawn  shall  your  blood  ne'er  be  ; 

"  But  if  you  touch  me  tail  or  fin, 

"  I  swear  my  ring  your  death  shall  be." 

He  stepped  in,  gave  her  a  kiss, 

The  royal  ring  he  brought  him  wi'  ; 

Her  breath  was  strong,  her  hair  was  lang. 

And  twisted  once  about  the  tree  ; 

.And  with  a  swing  she  came  about, 

"  Come  to  Craigy's  Sea  and  kiss  with  me.' 

"  Here  is  a  royal  brand,"  she  said, 

"  That  I  have  found  in  the  green  sea, 

"  And  while  your  body  it  is  on 

"  Drawn  shall  your  blood  ne'er  be  ; 

"  But  if  you  touch  me  tail  or  fin, 

"  I'll  swear  my  brand  your  death  shall  be.' 

He  stepped  in,  gave  her  a  kiss. 

The  royal  brand  he  brought  him  wi'. 

Her  breath  was  sweet,  her  hair  was  short. 

And  twisted  nane  about  the  tree  ; 

And  smilingly  she  came  about. 

As  fair  a  woman  as  fair  could  be. 


Several  other  versions  of  the  ballad  e.xist  which  we  have  not  space  to  quote  at  length,  though 

some  of  the  chief  points  of  difiFerence  may  be   noted.     Some   of  these  versions  are  considerably 

longer,  having  twenty  verses  or  more   instead  of  eleven.      Of  the  additional   verses  some  are 

addressed  to  the  supposed  listener  to  the  recitation  : 

Come  hither,  come  hither,  you  cannot  choose 
And  lay  your  head  low  on  my  knee. 
The  heaviest  weird  I  will  you  read 
.  That  ever  was  red  to  gay  ladye. 

Other  verses  relate  additional  incidents  or  emphasize  the  terribleness  of  the  lady's  case. 


Tradition.  15 

The  hero  is  called  Kempion  instead  of  Kemp  Owyne,  and  he  is  said  to  be  the  King's  son.* 
The  place  where  the  lady  is  confined  is  Estmere  Grays.  Instead  of  the  hero  having  to  be  called 
from  beyond  the  seas 

Now  word  has  gane  to  Kempion 
That  siccan  a  beast  was  in  his  land. 

Kempion  determines  to  inspect  the  strange  creature  of  which  he  has  heard  so  much  : 

"  Now  by  my  sooth,"  said  Kempion,  Oh,  Segramon,  keep  the  boat  afloat, 

"  This  fiery  beast  I'll  go  and  see."  And  let  her  na  the  land  o'er  near  ; 

"  Now  by  ray  sooth,"  said  Segramon,  For  this  wicked  blast  will  sure  gae  mad 

"  My  al  brother,  I'll  gang  wi'  thee."  And  set  fire  to  all  the  land  and  mair. 

Then  bigged  hae  they  a  bonny  boat.  Syne  has  he  bent  an  arblast  bow,f 

And  they  hae  set  her  to  the  sea,  And  aimed  an  arrow  at  her  head. 

But  a  mile  before  they  reached  the  shore  And  swore  if  she  didna  quit  the  land 

Around  them  she  gar'd  the  red  fire  flee.  Wi'  that  same  shaft  to  shoot  her  dead. 

"  O  out  of  my  stjrthe  J  I  winna  rise, 
(And  it  is  not  for  the  awe  of  thee) 
Till  Kempion,  the  kingis  son. 
Cum  to  the  crag  and  thrice  kiss  me." 

Kempion  leans  over  the  crag  three  times  and  kisses  the  beast. 

He's  louted  him  o'er  the  lofty  crag. 
And  he  has  given  her  kisses  three, 
Awa  she  gaed  and  again  she  cam, 
The  loveliest  ladye  e'er  could  be. 

Here  the  following  stanza  is  found  in  some  versions,  but  not  all  : 

Nae  eluding  had  this  ladye  fair, 
To  keep  her  bodye  frae  the  cold  ; 
But  Kempion  took  his  mantle  off. 
And  around  his  oin  true  love  did  fold. 

The  following  are  the  concluding  stanzas  of  one  version.     Others  have  variants  on  them  : 

"  O  was  it  warwolf  in  the  wood  ?  Than  ever  fell  on  vile  woman. 

Or  was  it  mermaid  in  the  seas  ?  Her  hair  shall  grow  rough,  and  her  teeth  shall  grow  lang. 

Or  was  it  man  or  vile  woman,  And  on  her  four  feet  shall  she  gang." 

My  ain  true  love  that  mishaped  thee  ?  "  "  None  shall  take  pity  her  upon, 

"  It  was-na  warwolf  in  the  wood.  In  wormeswood  she  aye  shall  won  ; 

Nor  was  it  mermaid  in  the  sea.  And  relieved  shall  she  never  be, 

But  was  my  wicked  stepmother.  Till  St.  Mungo  come  over  the  sea. 

And  wae  and  weary  may  she  be."  And  sighing  said  the  weary  wight, 

"  O  a  heavier  weird  shall  light  her  on  "  I  doubt  that  day  I'll  shall  never  see  !  " 

Several  places  in  dilTerent  parts  of  Scotland  are  named  after  Kemps  who  are  not  known  in 
tradition,  but  who  may  nevertheless  have  been  real  persons.  Near  Dollar,  in  Clackmannanshire, 
is  an  ancient  castle  named  Castle  Campbell  and  Castle  of  Gloom.  It  overlooks  a  glen  at  the 
bottom  of  which  is  a  stream.  From  the  castle  a  narrow  passage  concealed  under  the  foliage  of  the 
slope  goes  down  to  the  burn.  Owing  to  the  depth  of  the  cleft  between  the  rocks  and  the  thick- 
ness of  the  overhanging  vegitation  the  passage  is  almost  completely  dark.  It  originally  had  steps, 
but  these  have  long  since  been  concealed  by  fallen  earth.  The  passage  is  called  Kemp's  Score, 
and  is  said  to  have  been  made  by  one  William  Kemp,  a  noted  robber.     The  object  of  the  work 

*  The  Kemp  who  married  the  heiress  of  Dury  was  the  natural  son  of  King  James  V.  by  a  Kempe. 

+  The  reference  to  the  cross-bows  under  the  word  arblast  is  of  great  importance  as  an  indication  of  the  date  of  the  ballad.  This  word 
passed  out  of  popular  use  prior  to  1500.  Although  occasionally  met  with  in  literature  to  the  present  time,  it  became  essentially  an  archaic 
term  by  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century,  and  is  very  unlikely  to  have  been  inserted  in  a  nautical  version  of  a  folk-tale  after  that  period. 

t  Stythe  appears  fo  be  an  antiquated  word.  In  the  third  line  there  is  an  interesting  lective  "  the  king's  own  son."  There  can  be  no 
manner  of  doubt  but  that  "Kingis  son"  was  the  original  reading,  Kingis  or  Kinges  being  the  middle  English  possessive  form  When  it 
ceased  to  be  intelligible  owing  to  the  changes  in  the  language,  the  reading  King's  son  was  substituted  as  the  nearest  metrical  equivalent.  This 
again  is  proof  of  the  antiquity  of  the  ballad. 


i6 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


was  evidently  to  enable  the  residents  at  the  castle  to  obtain  water  from  the  stream  below.  Kemp 
is  said  to  have  beeen  a  man  of  gigantic  stature  and  immense  strength  with  a  resolute  and  fearless 
disposition.  One  day  he  entered  the  royal  palace  at  Dunfermline  and  carried  off  the  King's 
dinner.     A  young  nobleman,  in  disgrace  for  improper  behaviour  to  the  King's  daughter,  having 

heard  of  the  occurrence  pursued  Kemp, 
and  succeeded  in  cutting  off  his  head,  which 
he  brought  back  to  the  palace.  The  King 
was  so  delighted  at  being  rid  of  such  a 
dangerous  outlaw  that  he  pardoned  the 
young  man  and  received  him  into  favour. 
The  date  of  the  occurrence,  and  even  the 
name  of  the  King,  do  not  appear  to  have 
been  handed  down  !  Kemp's  body  is  said 
to  have  been  thrown  into  a  deep  pool  in  the 
River  Devon  known  as  "  Willie's  Pool." 

Kemp's  Hold,  or  the  Soldiers'  Fast- 
ness, is  a  spot  in  the  parish  of  Caputh, 
Perthshire,  near  the  top  of  the  Craig  of 
Stenton,  a  detached  conical  ihill  situated 
about  a  mile  west  of  Caputh  Church.  It 
has  evidently  been  fortified  at  some  time 
or  other.  Kemp  in  the  name  Kemp's 
Hold  may  signify  a  soldier,  not  an  indi- 
vidual called  Kemp. 

On  the  summit  of  Turin  Hill,  in  the 
parish  of  Rescobie,  Forfarshire,  is  another 
fortified  stronghold  known  as  Kemp  Castle 
or  Camp  Castle.  The  place  is  difficult  of 
access  from  any  side ;  in  front  it  has  an  im- 
pregnable rock  resembling  Salisbury  Crags. 
While  speaking  of  fortified  places  concerning  Kemp  as  an  element  of  their  names,  we  may 
mention   an    antiquity  known   as   Kempe  Stones,   near   Dundonald,   County   Down,   as   well  as 

Kempstone,   a    hill  in    Fet- 

teress    parish,    Kincardshire. 

Kempock  Point    is  a  head- 
land of  Renfrewshire  on  the 

west  side    of  Gourock    Bay. 

Kempe  is  a  quandam  moated 

mound    in    Renfrew    parish, 

Renfrewshire.     There  is  also 

Kemplaw,     a      place     with 

vitrified  fort,  in   Dundonald 

parish,  Ayrshire,  and  at  one 

time  there  were  lands  called 

Kemp's  Fields,  in  theCounty 

of     Haddington,     evidently 

from  some  Kemp  owning  or 

leasing  them. 


The  Pass  and  Kemp's  Score. 


Presumed  ancestors  of  General 
Sir  James  Kempt. 


?  Scotch  Kemp  family  originating 
from  England. 


THE    KEMPS    IN    THE    LOTHIANS. 

MID,  East  and  West  Lothians,  or  the  counties  respectively  of  Edinburghshire,  Haddington- 
shire and  Linhthgowshire,  were  for  several  centuries  the  homes  of ,  numerous  groups 
of  Kemps,  but  there  is  no  evidence  that  they  were  all  of  one  common,  and  that  a 
Scottish  stock.  That  there  existed  a  distinctive  Scottish  family  appears  probable,  but  there  were 
undoubtedly  Kemps  of  English  origin  who  settled  on  the  borders,  and  who  may  have  come  with 
the  English  armies.  Tradition  has  it  that  some  who  had  sought  an  asylum  from  the  fierce 
religious  persecution  following  on  the  Reformation  were  of  Flemish  origin,  and  had  settled  in 
various  localities  on  the  eastern  coasts  of  England  and  Scotland.  The  oldest  of  these  groups,  of 
which  we  have  authentic  records,  were  those  in  and  around  the  ancient  and  royal  burgh  of 
Haddington,  which  date  from  the  fourteenth  century.  A  little  further  to  the  east  other  large 
groups  were  located  in  Spott,  Dunbar  and  neighbouring  parishes.  The  Mid  Lothian  groups 
probably  sprang  from  some  of  the  Haddington  families,  which  for  several  generations  centred  in 
Pencaitland,  Temple  and  adjoining  parishes.  In  West  L.othian  the  groups  were  not  so  numerous, 
but  there  were  burgesses  of  the  name  in  Linlithgow  in  the  beginning  of  the  fifteenth  century,  who 
appear  to  have  been  related  to  those  of  Edinburgh  and  Haddington,  many  of  whom  had  official 
positions  in  the  royal  households  during  the  reigns  of  James  V.,  Queen  Mary  and  James  VI. 

Sir  Alexander  Kemp,  a  favourite  of  King  James  V.,  married  the  heiress  of  Thomas  Dury,  of 
that  Ilk,  a  ward  of  the  King's.  Henry  Kemp,  in  that  and  following  reigns,  received  grants  of 
lands  in  various  counties  in  Scotland.  The  wife  of  John  Kemp,  of  Haddington,  was  the  nurse  of 
Prince  James  (who  died),  and  of  his  sister  the  Princess  Mary,  who  subsequently  became  the 
Queen  of  Scots  Many  other  Kemps  are  recorded  as  owning  property  in  the  three  royal  burghs 
referred  to,  but  the  parish  registers  are  not  sufficiently  perfect  to  enable  us  to  show  the  exact  hne 
of  descent  to  the  present  generation. 

About  the  middle  of  last  century  the  families,  numerous  though  they  had  been,  entirely 
disappeared  from  many  of  the  parishes.  This  was  certainly  not  that  they  had  become  extinct, 
but  as  they  were  nearly  all  of  the  landless  class,  mostly  tradesmen,  weavers  and  labourers,  they 
migrated  to  the  towns  north  and  south  ;  and  very  many  emigrated  to  the  Colonies  and  are  now 
scattered  over  the  world — quite  a  Scottish  characteristic. 

Of  one  of  the  older  Mid  and  East  Lothian  families  Daniel  William  Kemp,  J. P.,  is  the  present 
Scottish  representative.  An  early  projenitor,  of  whom  there  is  authentic  record,  settled  m 
Humbie  in  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  had  a  son  Alexander  born  in  1670  ;  he 
married  Janet  Gaat  and  resided  in  Temple,  where  his  large  family  of  four  sons  and  six  daughters 
were  born  ;  several  died  young.  His  son,  Alexander,  married  Agnes  Wadie  in  Temple  in  1731, 
and  there  reared  a  family  of  five  sons  and  one  daughter.  John,  the  youngest,  married  Mary 
Brown  in  1771  and  resided  in  Edinburgh,  Rosewell  and  Pentland,  at  which  places  their  children 
were  born,  six  sons  and  three  daughters.  The  eldest  son,  David,  married  (i)  Janet  Mossman, 
no  issue  ;  (2)  Agnes  Kilpatrick,  widow  of  —  Gairns,  and  had  one  son,  John,  who  emigrated  to 
Melbourne,  Australia.  The  second  son,  Alexander,  settled  in  Westport,  Co.  Mayo,  Ireland,  and 
his  descendants  all  emigrated  to  the  United  States.  Three  sons  are  believed  to  have  died  young. 
John,  the  fifth  son,  born  in  1789,  married  Janet  Davidson,  daughter  of  Daniel  Davidson,  of  Lark- 
hall,  Lanarkshire,  had  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  two  of  whom  died  young. 


i8 


History  of  the,  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


Daniel  Kemp,  the  eldest  son,  born  1810,  married  (Janet  or)  Jessie  Steele,  daughter  of  John 
Steele,  a  burgess  of  Edinburgh.  Her  mother.  Christian  Donaldson,  claimed  to  be  a  direct  descen- 
dant of  Alexander  Selkirk  (or  Selcraig),  the  father  of  Alexander  Selkirk,  the  prototype  of  De 
Foe's  "  Robinson  Crusoe."     Of  his  family  hereafter. 

David  Kemp,  the  second  son,  born  1816,  married  Mary  Gibson,  of  Edinburgh,  had  four 
daughters  ;  his  career  has  already  been  sketched,  page  12. 

William  Kemp,  third  son,  born  1820,  married  Johanna  Stewart,  of  Edinburgh  ;  had  six  sons 
and  two  daughters.  The  family  emigrated  to  the  United  St.\tes.  His  second  eldest  son, -Robert 
Stewart  Kemp,  at  present  resides  in  Brooklyn,  New  York  City. 

Mary  married  Stephen  Cooper,  of  Edinburgh  ;  the  family  emigrated  to  Australia. 

Catherine,    married    Peter   Craigie   Roughead,   of 
i;  Edinburgh,  had  one  son,  Thomas,  and  six  daughters. 

'^  Reverting  to  the  above  Daniel  Kemp,  shortly  after 

his  marriage  in  Edinburgh  and  the  birth  of  two 
daughters  (both  of  whom  died),  he  migrated  to  Chester, 
where  his  daughter  Margaret  Ecking  was  born  (called 
after  an  old  Chester  lady.  Miss  Ecking).  The  family 
removed  to  Wrexham,  Denbighshire,  where  three  sons 
and  one  daughter  were  born,  John  Davies  Kemp  (died 
young),  Daniel  William  Kemp,  David  Robert  Kemp, 
Janet  Kemp.  In  1856  the  family  returned  to  Edinburgh. 
Margaret  Ecking  Kemp  married  in  1875  Andrew 
Ferguson  Bowie  (his  second  wife),  and  had  one  son  and 
two  daughters. 

Janet   married   John   Murray    Duncan,   barrister, 
London,  and  had  several  sons. 

Daniel  Kemp  commenced  life  as  a  confectioner,  but 
eventually  became  connected  with  the  management  of 
the  poor  while  in  Wrexham,  and  this  led  to  the  ap- 
pointment of  Governor  of  the  City  of  Edinburgh  Poor- 
house,  which  important  position  he  held  till  his  death 
in  1887.  Like  his  younger  brother  David  he  took  a 
deep  interest  in  the  Baptist  denomination,  and  was  for 
many  years  a  pastor  (unpaid)  of  the  Bristo  Place  Baptist 
Chapel,  Edinburgh.  On  his  retirement  from  the  pastorate  the  Church  presented  him  with  a 
handsome  cabinet  containing  the  "  Encyclopedia  Britannica,"  a  marble  clock,  fo'c,  with  suitable 
inscriptions.  He  was  spared  to  celebrate  his  golden  wedding,  when  he  and  Mrs.  Kemp  entertained 
a  large  party  of  relatives  and  friends,  five  of  whom  had  been  at  their  wedding  fifty  years  previously. 
The  aged  couple  received  several  valuable  mementoes  of  the  interesting  event. 

Daniel  William  Kemp,  the  second  son  of  Daniel  Kemp  as  stated  above,  was  born  in  Wrexham 
in  1844,  and  Avas  educated  at  the  Grammar  School  of  that  town  and  subsequently  at  Newington 
Academy,  Edinburgh,  his  parents  having  again  come  to  reside  in  the  city.  At  the  early  age  of 
fourteen  he  gave  indications  of  the  bent  of  his  mind  by  writing  an  essay  on  Hydrogen,  which  was 
published  with  illustrations  in  the  school  annual  in  Edinburgh.  That  early  impulse  after  science 
became  intensified,  and  thus  it  is  that  to-day  he  is  such  an  ardent  student.  He  is  a  life  Fellow  of 
the  Royal  Scottish  Society  of  Arts,  and  has  been  awarded  several  medals  by  this  Society  for  papers 


Ninian  Kemp,  of  Galashiels,  representing  the 
Cloth  and  Dyeing  Industries  of  Scotland. 


The  Kemps  in  the  Lothians. 


19 


on  original  subjects.  In  1870  he  suggested  the  formation  of  the  Edinburgh  Association  of  Science 
and  Art,  and  on  that  association  attaining  its  majority  in  i8gi  he  was  presented  with  a  Diploma 
of  Distinction  as  its  founder.  In  the  early  days  of  volunteering  he  threw  himself  into  the  move- 
ment, and  was  largely  instrumental  in  raising  the  5th  Highland  Company  of  the  Queen's  Own 
Rifle  Volunteer  Brigade — which  at  that  period  donned  the  kilt — and  was  its  first  Ensign.  Visiting 
the  far  north  he  formed  a  strong  attachment  to  the  romantic  county  of  the  93rd  and  Reay 
Fencibles.  He  made  himself  intimately  acquainted  with  the  history,  topography  and  antiquities 
of  Sutherland.  He  has  published  a  number  of  works  bearing  on  that  county.  These  include  an 
edition,  with  notes  and  illustrations, 
of  "  Bishop  Pococke's  Tours  in 
Sutherland  "  in  1760,  published 
for  the  first  time  from  the  original 
MSS.  in  the  British  Museum  (1888) ; 
"  Notes  on  Iron  Smelling  in  Suth- 
erland "  (1887)  ;  "The  Democracy 
of  Sutherland  "  (1S90) ;  "An  Eccen- 
tric Sutherland  Dominie"  (1892)  ; 
and  "  Selections  from  the  Suther- 
landshire  Magazine  of  1 826  "  (1 898) ; 
"  The  Taylor  Family  of  Ross, 
Cromarty,  Sutherland  and  Caith- 
ness "  (1895),  ^c.  On  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Scottish  History  Society 
in  1887  he  was  requested  to  under- 
take the  editing  of  its  first  volume 
— a  complete  edition  of  "  Pococke's 
Tours  in  Scotland,  1747-1760." 
This  Society's  publications  now 
number  forty  volumes,  which  are 
highly  valued  by  Scottish  historical 
students. 

He  possesses  probably  the 
largest  and  most  complete  collec- 
tion of  Sutherland  books  extant. 
He  is  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  of 
Sutherland.  The  Royal  Burgh  of 
Dornoch  bestowed  on  him  the 
privilege  of  its  "freedom"  in 
April,  1890,  and  he  has  repre- 
sented this  burgh  for  many  years  at  the  Convention  of  Royal  Burghs.  With  the  political  life 
of  Leith  he  has  long  been  associated,  and  for  twelve  years  he  has  occupied  the  position  of 
President  of  the  Leith  Liberal  Club.  In  commercial  and  mercantile  affairs  he  is  a  member 
of  both  the  Edinburgh  and  Leith  Chamber  of  Commerce.  In  religious  matters  his  sympathies, 
like  his  father's  and  uncle's,  are  with  the  Baptists.  In  1867  he  joined  the  old  established 
firm  of  R.  Anderson  and  Co.,  metal  merchants  and  paint  manufacturers,  Leith,  where  he  still 
resides.     In   1869  he  married  Helen  Primrose  Bell,  fifth  daughter  of  Peter  Bell,  of  Edinburgh, 


Daniel  William  Kemp,  J. P. 


20 


History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 


and  has  one  son,  Charles  Norman  Kemp,  born  1883,  who  is  at  present  a  student  at  the  University 
of  Edinburgh. 

David  Robert  Kemp,  youngest  son  of  Daniel  Kemp,  was,  as  before  stated,  born  in  Wrex- 
ham in  1846  ;  he  was  educated  chiefly  in  Edinburgh  on  the  return  of  his  parents  to  their 
native  city.  On  leaving  school  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Union  Bank  of  Scotland  and  rose 
to  the  position  of  secretary  in  Edinburgh.  The  Banker  s  Magazine  for  April,  1894,  vol.  Ivii., 
PP-  S73"6,  contains  a  sketch  and  portrait  of  him,  the  occasion  being  his  leaving  Edinburgh  to 
enter  on   new  duties  as  manager  of  Dalgety  and  Co.,  Limited,  London,  which  he  still  occupies. 

He  is  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Edin- 
burgh, and  was  connected  with  many 
commercial  and  financial  concerns  in 
that  city.  He  has  visited  Australia 
on  three  occasions,  traveUing  outwards 
by  India  and  homewards  by  United 
States  ;  he  has  travelled  extensively  on 
the  continent.  In  1868  he  married 
Margaret  Anne,  fourth  daughter  of 
Peter  Bell,  of  Edinburgh — thus  the 
two  brother's  wives  are  sisters.  He 
has  one  son,  Edwyn  Arthur,  and  one 
daughter. 

Edwyn  Arthur  Kemp,  born 
1869,  was  for  several  years  with  the 
Union  Bank  of  Scotland  in  Edin- 
burgh, but  is  now  in  London.  He 
early  joined  the  Volunteers  and  de- 
voted all  his  leisure  to  acquiring  an 
extensive  knowledge  of  the  military 
profession  ;  he  attended  camps  and 
cavalry  barracks  and  became  an  expert 
horseman.  In  1887  he  obtained  a 
commission  in  the  5th  V.  B.  the  Royal 
Scots,  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  captain  ; 
for  five  years  he  was  A.D.C.  to 
Brigadier-General  the  Right  Honour- 
able Lord  Kingsbury,  C.B.,  com- 
manding the  North  V.  I.  Brigade, 
and  in  that  capacity  was  at  camps  and  reviews  at  Aldershot.  On  his  father's  removal  to  London 
he  also  removed  thither  to  the  London  office  of  the  Union  Bank  of  Scotland.  Subsequently  he 
went  into  commercial  life,  and  is  at  present  secretary  of  an  Australian  Trading  Company  in 
London.  His  sister,  Ethel  Margaret  Kemp,  born  in  Edinburgh,  1873,  who  married  in  London 
John  Morison  Inches,  brewer,  Edinburgh,  on  29th  June,  1898  ;  has  a  daughter,  Ethel  Vera 
Morison  Inches. 

The  artist  to  whom  the  Kemp  history  is  indebted  for  heraldic  illustrations,  Mr.  Alexander 
Kemp,  of  Edinburgh,  comes  of  a  family  long  settled  at  Spott,  at  which  place  several  monuments 
and  records  of  members  of  his  family  still  exist.     His  first  ancestor,  so  far  as  the  artist  knows, 


David  Robert  Kemp. 


The  Kemps  in  the  Lothians. 


21 


was  a  George  Kemp,  who  appears  to  have  been  near  kin  to  one  of  the  East  Lothian  groups.     He    \ 
was  born  about  1740,  and  resided  latterly  in  Whittingham  parish,  but  during  his  long  life  of 
nineiy-s^x  years  lived  in  various  places  in  the  South  of  Scotland.     He  married  Margaret  Carter, 
from  Earlston,  who  is  said  to  have  been  the  daughter  of  a  Highlander  of  the  Pretender's  army, 

who  settled  either  in  the  Lothians  or  on  the  borderland.     Margaret  died  at  the  advanced  age  of 

ninety.four.     (It  may  be  noted  that  a  William  Carter  married  a  Catherine  Kemp  and  lived  for  a 

time  in  Hilldown,  Spott,  about  1736,  from  which  place  Earlston  is  not  greatly  distant.)     George 

Kemp,  of  Spott,  had  a  daughter  Elsbeth,  who  was  baptized  in  1775  and  died  m  1856  urmiarried, 

and  a  son  Alexander,  who  was  born 

in  1782.    This  son  resided  chiefly  in 

Stentor   parish,    where    he   was    the 

precentor  of  the  church  ;  he  married 

Jean  Goodall  (born   1784)  in   1809, 

and  by  her  had  six  children,  two  of 

whom  died   in   infancy.      Alexander 

died  in    1864    leaving   the   following 

children  :    George,    born    18 10,    who 

died  in  1893  ;  Marian,  born  in  Cock- 

burnspath  parish  in  181 1  ;  Margaret, 

born  in  Stentor  parish  in   18 14,  and 

Ann,  born  in  Whittingham  parish  in 

1817,   who   is  still  living.      The  last 

named    married    a    merchant   named 

William    Knox,   of  Chirnside,  whose 

business  she  continues  to  conduct  ; 
•  she  is  a  member  of  the  Berwickshire 
Liberal  Association,  in  which  she  still 
takes  a  deep  and  active  interest.  The 
eldest  son,  George  Kemp,  in  his  early 
life  travelled  throughout  Scotland  in 
the  interests  of  his  business,  even  in- 
cluding England  and  Ireland  in  his 
rounds.  Eventually  he  settled  down 
in  Edinburgh  where  he  married  in 
1844  Marion  Hall  (born  in  Dirleton 
1 82 1, died  1 891).  Their  son,  Alexander 
Kemp,  the  artist,  was  born  in  1845 
at  Edinburgh  where  he  now  resides.  He  married  in  1 88 1  Margaret  Watt,  of  Edinburgh,  and  has  a 
daughter  ntmed  Maggie  Livingstone  Kemp.  Mrs.  Kemp  died  in  1882,  and  Alexander  married 
as  his  second  wife  Helen  Morrison,  also  of  Edinburgh,  in  1893,  but  by  her  there  has  been  no  issue. 
(We  may  suggest  to  subscribers  to  the  Kempe  and  Kemp  history,  that  those  who  desire  designs 
for  book  plates  or  similar  drawings  cannot  do  better  than  commission  this  artist  to  undertake 
their  work.  Apart  from  his  long  study  of  heraldry  and  his  skill  at  designing,  he  has  a  special 
interest  in  all  that  in  any  way  pertains  to  Kemp(e)s,  and  from  our  own  experience  we  can  say  that 
he  takes  infinite  care  to  carry  out  the  wishes  of  his  clients  with  due  attention  to  heraldic  laws.) 
Francis  Kemp,  the  Deputy  Chairman  of  Williams,  Deacons,  the  Manchester  and  Salford 


Edwyn  Kemp. 


22 


History  of  the  Kemt)  and  Kempe  Families. 


Bank,  was  born  at  Edinburgh  on  13th  August,  1831,  and  entered  business  as  a  clerk  in  the 
Friendly  Insurance  Office  there  in  1844;  subsequently  he  was  on  the  clerical  staff  of  the  British 
Insurance  Office,  Edinburgh,  and  in  1852  he  was  appointed  cashier  in  the  Lancashire  Insurance 
Office-  In  1856  he  was  made  resident  secretary  in  that  company's  London  office,  and  from  this 
position  he  resigned  in  1861  to  enter  the  Manchester  and  Salford  Bank  at  Manchester  ;  in  the 
same  year  he  became  secretary  and  subsequently  sub-manager,  then  manager  and  general  manager 
of  that  bank,  with  which  Williams,  Deacon  and  Co.  was  amalgamated.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Manchester  Reform  Club,  and  of  the  National  Liberal  Club  (London)  and  resides  at  Parkside, 
Altrincham,  Cheshire.     (Of  his  family  we  have  no  details.) 

David  Campbell  Kemp,  shipowner,  of  Belfast,  is  one  of  a  family  of  six,  his  father,  David 
Kemp,  having  been  a  merchant  of  Glasgow.  This  Mr.  David  Kemp  was  first  cousin  to  the  two 
eminent  chemists  Kenneth  and  Alexander  Kemp  mentioned  in  foregoing  chapters.  C.  Kemp  now 
carries  on  the  business  founded  by  his  father  David  at  Glasgow  ;  John  L.  Kemp,  another  son  of 
the  Glasgow  merchant,  was  until  recently  a  brewer  at  Northgate,  Chester.  He  died  during  the 
progress  of  this  work  leaving  a  widow.  David  Kemp,  of  Glasgow,  was  the  son  of  Hugh  Kemp, 
by  Ann  Campbell,  which  Hugh  was  the  son  of  one  Henry  Kemp,  by  a  Margaret  Cameron,  and 
was  closely  related  to  Gavin  Kemp  and  the  worthy  General,  James  Kempt,  of  whom  we  give  a 
portrait.  This  family  claim  arms,  but  except  for  the  direct  descendants  of  Sir  James  Kempt,  the 
right  of  Kemps  now  living,  to  Scottish  arms,  is  at  least  "  not  proven." 


Arms  of  Kemp  of  Haddington  and 
Edinburffh. 


Arms  of  General  Sir  James  Kempt. 


;,    Irish  Kempes. 


23 


KEMPS    OF   ALBANY   AND    NEW   YORK. 


James  K.: 
of  Delhi,  N.Y. 


I.     Joseph  Alexander  K.=Elizabeth  Jillson  (?  of  Albany) 


born  at  Perth,  1777, 
died  21  Aug.  1832. 


David  K.= 
of  Delhi,  i 


Peter  K.: 
of  Delhi. 


died  4  Sep.  182:, 
mar.  20  June,  1805  (circa). 


II.     Joseph  Alexander  K.:=Emma  Biddulph,  from 
born  I  June,  1806,     [         Birmingham, 
died  9  May,  1875.  m.  8  Nov.  1830. 


Robt.  Dunbar  K.       Eliza  K.       Mary  K.       William  K.       Charlotte  K. 


III.     James  Alexander  K.=Marino  Caroline  Anne  Ferman, 
born  14  Aug,  1831,  mar.  3  July,  1852 

only  son. 


IV.  *Jame5  Furman  K.^Kate  Taylor, 

born  New  York,      m.  5  Sep.  1889. 
14  Aug.  1859. 


Emma  K. 
1854-8. 


V.     James  Taylor  Kemp, 
born  7  Aug.  1890. 


Phillip  Kittridge  K. 
born  II  Feb.  189:. 


died  infants. 


Joseph  K. 
born  1856, 
died  1858. 


Katherine  Furman  K. 
born  27  April,  1898. 


CHqA'PTE%    T)I. 


IRISH    KEMPES 


SO  early  as  1293  we  have  a  trace  of  the  name  of  Kemp  in  Ireland,  one  Robert  Kemp  being  a 
witness  to  a  deed  of  Christianna  de  Glascote,  of  Dublin,  on  26th  May  that  year.  In  1338 
Henry  Kemp  was  a  witness  to  a  similar  document  of  Eiyas  Heyford  and  Walter  le  Marshal, 
of  Dublin  ;  it  was  probably  the  same  Henry  Kemp  who  in  1345  witnessed  a  deed  in  the  same 
city,  the  parties  to  which  were  William  de  la  Felde  and  Robert  Fled.  In  November,  1383, 
William  Kemp  and  Nicholas  Walse  (chaplain)  were  acting  as  attorneys  in  Ireland  for  William 
Ponufrayt.  These  items  are  furnished  by  the  Deputy  Keeper  of  Public  Records  in  Ireland  in  his 
Appendix  to  his  Twenty-six  Report,  which  covers  the  period  from  1270,  and  it  is  noteworthy  that 
there  are  no  cases  of  Kemps  witnessing  or  being  party  to  deeds  between  1383  and  147 1,  from 
which  we  may  reason  that  the  Kemps  were  either  few  in  number  and  of  little  property,  or  that 
they  entirely  disappeared  during  the  greater  part  of  this  hiatus.     There  is  another  fact  derived 


'  James  Furman  Kemp  is  Professor  of  Geology  in  Columbia  University. 


24  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kenipe  Families. 

from  these  records  which  is  contrary  to  the  general  rule  in  England,  namely,  that  the  above 
earliest  examples  of  the  name  all  appear  without  the  final  E,  and  that  even  later  the  name  in 
Ireland  is  usually  spelled  "  Kemp."  In  1471  the  will  of  John  Kempe  was  proved  in  Dublin,  but 
the  details  of  this  testament  are  not  available.  Again  from  this  date  we  find  no  mention  of  the 
name  until  the  time  of  Cromwell,  when  both  tradition  and  fact  agree  in  stating  that  certain  Kemp 
soldiers,  both  from  England  and  Scotland,  founded  families  in  Ireland. 

In  1641  Henry  Kemp  and  John  Mathews  petitioned  the  Committee  of  Irish  Affairs,  and 
about  the  same  time  Hannah  Kemp  had  a  license  to  marry  John  Wright.  In  1665  Thomas 
Kempe,  of  St.  Patrick  Street,  Dublin,  an  inn-keeper,  made  his  will  and  died,  and  Elizabeth  Kemp, 
a  widow,  left  a  will  which  was  proved  at  Dublin  in  1730-  In  1738  Robert  Kemp  of  the  same 
place  left  property  by  will  which  was  duly  proved,  and  another  Robert  Kemp,  who  is  described  as 
a  mariner,  of  Dublin,  left  a  will  in  1757-  Three  years  later  Elizabeth  Kemp  was  licensed  to  marry 
Joseph  Malone,  and  a  license  was  issued  in  1776  for  the  marriage  of  Robert  Kemp  to  Margaret 
Hennesy,  and  two  years  later  Mary  Kemp  and  John  Naylor  were  married  at  Dublin.  During  this 
period  Scottish  Kemps  frequently  immigrated  and  settled  in  the  North  of  Ireland,  one  family 
having  a  little  property  at  and  around  Cavan.  Like  so  many  of  the  Irish  families  these  Kempes 
found  farming  unremunerative  and  land  almost  valueless,  and  it  was  in  consequence  of  real 
poverty  that  the  first  of  this  family  migrated  to  New  York  in  search  of  work.  This  young  man's 
father  had  died  at  Cavan  in  1829  leaving  a  large  family  unprovided  for.  Edward  Kemp  found 
hope  in  New  York,  and  soon  returned  to  Cavan  to  convey  his  mother  and  her  children  to  America. 
There  he  was  able  to  make  steady  headway,  and  eventually  he  felt  some  strong  desire  to  look 
again  on  his  native  soil.  Despite  his  mother's  objection  to  the  effect  that  he  would  find  nothing 
of  family  interest  at  Cavan  Edward  went  his  way,  and  on  arrival  in  his  native  place  he  was 
surrounded  with  Kemps  who  were  awe-struck  with  his  liberality  and  apparent  wealth.  After 
benefitting  these  poor  cottagers  he  returned  to  New  York  regretting  that  he  had  been  to  Ireland, 
and  when  in  course  of  a  month  or  two  a  large  colony  of  Kemps  turned  up  in  New  York  claiming 
his  aid  as  a  wealthy  kinsman  he  was  the  more  regretful  ;  however,  we  understand  that  he  did 
assist  them,  and  gave  them  a  chance  of  making  a  fortune  for  themselves.  Edward  Kemp,  of  New 
York,  is  now  seventy-two  years  of  age,  an  immense  man,  but  as  active  as  many  men  half  his  age. 
He  still  conducts  a  merchant's  business,  resides  in  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York,  and  when  frequently 
visiting  England  he  makes  the  Hotel  Metropole  his  headquarters.  He  married  Mary  Augusta  — 
in  New  York,  but  has  had  no  children,  and,  we  believe,  he  has  but  one  relative,  a  niece,  who 
is  now  living  in  England. 

The  Kempes  of  the  South  of  Ireland  have  been  long  settled  at  and  around  Cork,  the 
directories  of  a  hundred  years  ago  give  many  persons  of  the  name,  these  being  engaged  in  various 
trades  more  or  less  connected  with  shipping.  John  Lovekin  Kemp  was  born  there  about  1800, 
and  married  a  Miss  Annie  Leighton,  by  whom  he  had  a  son,  John  Kemp,  born  at  Cork  in  1832, 
who  married  Emily  Bird,  of  Woodchester.  They  have  had  no  children,  the  next  of  kin  to  John 
Kemp,  of  Cork  (now  living  at  Cleveden,  Somerset)  being  three  sisters,  who  are  still  living  in  their 
birth-place. 

Another  Kemp  family  of  Cork  is  now  represented  by  the  Rev.  Richard  Lavers  Kemp,  of 
St.  Paul's  Vicarage,  Blackpool,  Lancashire,  whose  father,  Joshua  Joseph  Kemp,  was  born  in  Cork 
in  1839,  the  latter's  father  being  a  William  Kemp,  of  Cork.  The  Rev.  R.  L.  Kemp  married  at 
Newcastleon-Tyne  Miss  Emily  Maud  Woodhouse  (formerley  of  Farnley,  Leeds),  by  whom  he  has 
three  children,  Mona,  Norman  and  Bryan  Charles  Lavers  Kemp,  the  eldest  son  being  now  seven 
years  of  age. 


CHqA'PTE%_  VII. 

SUNDRY   KEMPES    OF   THE    EMPIRE— INDIA. 

A  S  might  be  expected  Kempes  and  Kemps  of  India  are  chiefly  connected  from  the  first  with 

/\        the  Army  and  the  Government.     Before  the  disestablishment  of  the  East  India  Com- 

X      V     pany  many  Kemps  were  frequently  in  India  as  merchants  and  seamen,  but  these  left  no 

family  so  far  as  we  can  gather  until   a  century  ago,  when  a  representative  of  a  Kentish  Kemp 

family,  formerly  a  sailor,  settled  at  Calcutta. 

Of  his  ancestors  we  have  a  mass  of  interesting  details  from  the  wills  proved  at  Canterbury. 
It  seems  highly  probable  that  the  tradition  current  in  the  family  which  claims  connexion  with  the 
Kemps  of  Wye  is  correct,  for  certainly  thai  illustrious  family  had  property  in  the  fifteenth  century 
in  Thanet,  since  which  time  the  Kempes  were  settled  around  St.  Lawrence  and  participated  in  the 
important  continental  shipping  business  for  many  generations.  A  branch  of  these  Thanet  Kemps 
settled  as  merchants  and  glass  makers  in  London,  and  it  was  due  to  their  looking-glasses  being  so 
esteemed  by  Indian  natives  that  led  to  the  establishment  of  the  sailor  Kemp  at  Calcutta.  His 
success  led  to  a  cousin  going  out,  but  the  second  Kemp  left  a  young  wife  at  home,  and  being  a 
devoted  husband  and  father  he  returned  after  a  voyage  or  two,  and  his  descendants  have  made 
England  their  home,  although  several  members  of  the  family  have  held  important  positions  in 
India.  For  instance,  Alexander  Davidson  Kemp  (who  was  the  third  or  fourth  of  that  double 
Christian  name)  was  for  many  years  a  prominent  administrator  of  the  law  in  India,  and  on  return 
to  England  he  continued  to  practice  as  a  solicitor.  He  had  residences  at  Kensington,  Bath  and 
Chigwell,  in  Essex,  and  married  Ann,  the  only  daughter  of  Major  Webster,  of  Lansdown,  by 
whom  he  had  three  sons,  namely,  Alexander  Davidson  Kemp,  the  Rev.  William  Edelman 
Kemp,  of  Chiswick,  and  F.  F.  Kemp,  of  Kensington.  A.  D.  Kemp,  the  father,  was  born  at 
Calcutta  in  1827  and  died  at  Chalcomb,  Bath,  in  1901  ;  his  eldest  son  married  Harriet  Edith 
Frary,  of  Norwich,  in  1895,  and  has  two  sons  and  a  daughter.  It  is  interesting  to  mention  that 
the  gallant  General  French,  who  has  taken  so  prominent  a  part  in  the  South  African  campaign,  is 
a  second  cousin  to  Alexander  D.  Kemp,  both  being  descended  from  Colonel  Thomas  Webster,  of 
the  Indian  Army,  by  Selina  French.  We  have  before  us  over  100  letters  written  by  members  of 
Alexander  Kemp's  family  from  India  and  Africa  one  hundred  years  ago,  one  dated  at  Cape  Town 
6th  March,  1803,  has  the  following  interesting  clause  : — 

"  I  have  without  the  smallest  recommendation  got  forward  and  have  done  so  well  as  could  have  been  expected,  and, 
indeed,  I'm  not  a  litfle  disappointed  at  the  simplicity  of  our  Government  in  giving  up  the  key  to  India,  which  I  doubt  not 
they  will  be  sorry  for  hereafter.  ...  We  are  now  under  the  Dutch  flag,  and  Cape  Town— which  was  a  few  weeks  past 
flourishing,  fine  place— is  now  as  desolate  as  a  village.  So  great  is  the  change  as  almost  impossible  to  conceive.  I  think 
with  good  reason  the  inhabitants  are  very  sorry  for  the  change." 

The  writer  of  this  letter  found  business  did  not  flourish  at  the  Cape  under  the  new  government, 
and  soon  after  this  letter  went  to  India  whence  he  wrote  more  hopefully  of  his  business  prospects. 

Another  family,  who  were  for  some  long  period  connected  with  India,  was  that  of  the  Kemps 
of  Kemp  Town.  Owen  Lomer,  Esq.,  of  the  21st  Bengal  Infantry,  having  married  Elizabeth, 
youngest  sister  of  Colonel  Kemp,  of  the  Polygon,  Brighton,  on  8th  September,  1828.  Colonel 
George  Rees  Kemp  was  living  at  the  Polygon  in  1827,  in  which  year  the  birth  of  a  daughter  was 
announced  ;  in  that  notice  the  Colonel  is  described  as  "  Commandant  of  the  15th  Foot,  B.  N.  I." 
He  died  at  Spring  Lodge,  East  Hoathly,  Sussex,  aged  eighty-one,  on  i6th  September,  1861,  being 
then  Colonel  of  the  22nd  Regiment,  B.  N.  I. 


26  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

General  George  Rees  Kemp  had  a  brother,  William  Kemp,  who  was  of  tlie  Seventh  Light 
Cavalry,  and  subsequently  in  the  Public  Works  Department,  Trichinopoly.  His  son,  William 
Kemp,  who  died  at  Trichinopoly,  had  eight  sons,  out  of  which  family  but  two  survive,  namely, 
Alexander  Kemp,  who  now  resides  at  Chudderghat,  Hyderbad  (aged  eighty),  and  Alaric 
Garnett  Kemp,  now  of  Naini  Tal.,  N.W.P.  The  last  named  was  born  at  Trichinopoly  in  1835 
and  married  in  1S5S  Miss  Georgiana  Macqueen,  by  whom  he  has  one  daughter,  Nina  Rose 
Georgiana. 

Another  Indian  branch  of  the  Sussex  Kemp's  was  founded  about  1840  by  a  Thomas  Kemp  ; 
he,  however,  was  not  related  to  the  last  named,  being  connected  with  the  Quaker  family  of 
Brighton,  who,  as  we  have  said,  are  traceable  to  Kent.  He  went  to  India  as  a  soldier  and  Avas  lost 
sight  of  by  his  English  relatives,  and  his  descendants  are  not  in  a  position  to  absolutely  prove  their 
identity,  although  it  was  desirable  some  time  since  for  them  to  put  forward  their  claim  to  certain 
estates— freehold  in  Sussex  and  Kent.  Connected  with  this  branch  there  are  now  living  two 
Avidows,  both  being  known  as  Mrs.  John  Mainwaring  Kemp.  The  Rev.  Johm  Kemp,  of 
Haughley,  Suffolk,  belongs  to  this  family,  being  son  of  Major  John  Kemp,  of  ^  t  K.B.  Guards, 
late  of  Loose  Court,  Maidstone.  John  Willfred  Kemp,  now  of  the  North  W  .  Province  Police 
Force,  Allahabad,  is  the  son  of  the  Rev.  John  Kemp,  and  was  born  at  Sa--  .K  (Borneo),  on  9th 
June,  1871.  He  went  to  India  in  1888,  and  is  now  one  of  the  special  (secret^  police.  G.  C.  Kemp, 
late  of  the  R.E.,  Forozpur,  also  belongs  to  this  group. 

Another  British  Kemp  family  in  India  Avas  established  by  E.  C.  Kemp,  Esq.,  late  of  Calcutta, 
whose  widow  died  in  1850  leaving  a  daughter,  who  married  the  Rev.  S.  J.  Lyon,  M.A.  (for  some 
time  Incumbent  of  Moorfields,  ShefReld),  in  1845.  James  Lyon  Kemp,  son  of  Henry  Kemp,  Esq., 
formerly  of  the  East  India  Company's  service,  was  drowned  at  Bunbury,  Western  Australia,  in 
1847  by  the  upsetting  of  a  boat.     His  age  was  twenty-two. 

The  Cornish  Kempe  family  were  also  represented  in  India,  Peter  Kempe,  being  a  Captain  in 
the  H.E.T.C.S.  His  daughter,  Ann  Eliza  Kempe,  married  in  1846  at  Whitechurch,  Devon, 
Benjamin  Sampson,  Esq.,  of  Tullimaer. 

The  Norfolk  Kemps  are  represented  in  India  by  G.  W  Kemp,  Esq.,  late  of  the  Alliance  Bank 
of  Simla.  (His  ancestors  lived  for  generations  beside  the  Kemp  Baronets,  but  the  actual  connec- 
tion between  the  tAvo  families  has  not  been  proved.) 

The  Scottish  Kemp's  were  represented  in  India  100  years  ago,  and  have  continued  to  send  out 
fresh  branches,  two  of  the  most  prominent  being  David  Skinner  Kemp,  who  established  Kemp 
and  Co.,  Limited,  chemists,  at  Bombay,  and  his  brother,  James  Kemp,  Avho  Avas  formerly  editor  of 
the  China  Mail,  and  eventually  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  India  Mail,  Avrote  considerably  on 
Oriental  life,  including  "  Voices  from  the  Verandah."  D.  S.  Kemp  has  a  son,  David  Claude 
Kemp,  who  is  now  a  lieutenant  in  the  Indian  Medical  Service,  and  another  son,  Norman  Wright 
Kemp,  a  barrister-at-laAv,  Bombay.  A  character  sketch  and  portrait  of  Mr.  David  Skinner  Kemp 
appeared  in  the  British  and  Colonial  Druggist  of  5th  February,  1887.  A  niece  of  his.  Miss  Nora 
Kemp,  is  a  doctor  (M.B.  and  CM.)  at  the  "  Retreat,"  York. 

AUSTRALASIA. 

We  attempted  to  get  access  to  the  list  of  passengers  carried  to  Australia  in  the  early  days  of 
colonisation,  but  this  proved  impossible,  and  our  information  as  to  any  early  settlement  of  Kemp 
families  there  is  very  meagre.  It  Avould  seem  probable  that  many  of  those  of  the  name  at 
Melbourne  and   Adelaide  are  the  third   or  fourth  generation  of  their  respected  families  in   the 


Sundry  Keinpi     of  the  Empire. 


27 


Antipodes.     Those  of  more  certain  origin  are  as  follows  :  Stewart  Kempe,  of  Carandale,  Mintaro, 
South  Austraha,  whose  pedigree  is  given  in  our  Cornish  (South  of  England)  section. 

Peter  Kemp,  of  Currency  Creek,  who  is  of  a  Perthshire  family  {vide  Scottish  section. 
Chapter  II.),  and  Walter  Kemp  of  the  Titles  Office,  Melbourne,  whose  family  were  from  Mid- 
dlesex, England.  The  last  named  uses  as  his  crest  a  vulture  on  a  wheatsheaf  fesswise  with  wings 
endorsed,  similar  to  that  used  by  the  Hitchin-Kemps  and  Kemps  of  Norfolk,  but  avoiding  the 
mottoes  of  these  families  he  uses  "  Sit  Copia  Campis," — a  neat  allusion  to  the  early  spelling  of 
the  name  of  Kemp,  which  from  this  root  is  fittingly  signified  by  the  three  golden  sheaves  on  a 
blood  red  field.  These  sheaves,  and  a  similar  bird  on  a  sheaf  (upright),  are  claimed  as  the  arms  of 
Dr.  William  George  Kemp,  M.D.,  late  of  Australia  and  Wellington  (N.Z.),  who  has  two  old 
seals  cut  with  these  heraldic  devices. 
The  last  named  is  of  the  Indian  branch 
of  the  Sussex  and  Kent  family  mentioned 
above,  and  is  now  resident  in  England. 

New  Zealand  had  a  very  prominent 
Kemp,  whose  figure  was  borne  on  a  flag 
as  a  tribal  ensign.  He  wrote  a  Maori 
grammar  and  dictionary  which  have 
proved  valuable  books. 

Many  Kemps  from  the  Lowlands  of 
Scotland,  the  Midlands,  the  South  of 
England  and  Cornwall  have  been  men- 
tioned in  other  sections  of  this  work  as 
having  settled  in  Australasia  and  need 
not  be  reviewed  here. 


SOUTH    AFRICA.      , 

During  the  present  war  (which  is 
just  concluded  by  the  declaration  of  Peace 
as  this  section  of  the  History  goes  to  the 
press),  Kemps  have  been  prominent  on 
both  sides.  General  Kemp  was  second 
in  command  of  Delarey's  force,  and  Lord 
M liner  has  had  on  his  staff  Herbert 
Henry  Kemp,  who  is  the  son  of  William 
Kemp,  of  Norton  Fitzwaren,  Taunton, 
Somerset.      He  was  born  at  Minehead,  •   ■ 

Somerset,  in  1877,  but  belongs  by  descent  to  a  Devonshire  branch  of  the  Kempes. 

George  Kemp,  M.P.  for  South  Lancashire,  has  been  twice  to  South  Africa.  On  his  first 
expedition  he  served  for  over  a  year,  and  was  under  fire  on  several  occasions  ;  he  arrived  out  in 
command  of  Lancashire  Yeomanry  shortly  before  the  close  of  the  campaign. 

Colonel  Sir  Kenneth  H.  Kemp,  Bart.,  was  second  in  command  of  a  Norfolkshire  battalion, 
and  his  son  "  Robin  "  Kemp  has  also  been  out  on  active  service,  while  numerous  Kempes  from 
London,  Leicestershire  and  Kent  have  gone  as  Yeomanry  troopers,  and  William  Rous  Kemp  is 
serving  in  the  Array  Medical  Corp  at  one  or  more  of  the  field  hospitals.     As  it  is  probable  that  he 

X 


Samuel  Bromley  Kemp,  V'olksrust   South  Africa. 


28  History  of  the  Kemp  and  Kempe  Families. 

may  become  a  Colonist,  we  may  here  record  that  his  father,  George  Lucas  Kemp,  was  a  native 
of  Norwich  and  son  of  William  Rous  Kemp,  of  Stourton,  Warwickshire  by  Jane  Meadows,  of 
Idbury  Hall. 

Samuel  Bromley  Kkmp,  of  Volksrust,  who  has  suffered  in  business  from  the  prolonged  war, 
is  a  native  of  Shropshire,  and  some  account  of  his  family  will  be  found  in  our  West  of  England 
section. 

Many  other  Colonists  of  the  name  of  Kemp  have  already  been  mentioned  under  previous 
headings. 

CANADA. 

We  issued  circulars  to  a  large  number  of  Kemps  whose  names  appear  in  Canadian  Direc- 
tories, but  the  return  of  details  on  the  forms  supplied  has  been  very  small.  A.  E.  Kkmp,  of  the 
"  Kemp  Manufacturing  Co.,"  Toronto,  appears  to  be  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  his  name  in  the 
Dominion.  Of  his  family  connexions,  however,  we  have  no  evidence.  Another  correspondent 
states  that  he  (D.  K.  Goodfellow,  of  Beauharnois,  Quebec)  is  descended  from  the  Kempe  family  of 
Ontario,  which  family  he  gives  us  to  understand  settled  at  Ontario  at  the  close  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,  members  serving  the  Crown  in  1812-4  and  during  the  Upper  Canadian  Rebellion  of 
1837.  Mr.  Alfred  Edward  Kemp,  of  Melita,  Manitoba,  is  a  native  of  Tunbridge  Wells,  Kent 
(England),  being  the  son  of  John  Kemp,  a  farmer,  of  Adisham.  The  latter  married  twice,  first  to 
a  Miss  Pack  and  secondly  to  Miss  Harriet  Potter.  His  brother  George  was  a  soldier  and  served 
in  India.  Two  Kemps  of  Canada  owe  their  origin  to  Scottish  parents,  one  of  these  has  taken 
considerable  trouble  to  compile  a  list  of  Kemps  now  living  in  Canada,  which,  however,  we  do  not 
find  space  to  include  here. 

WEST    INDIES. 

Major  Robert  Kemp  died  at  St.  Christopher's,  Middle  Island,  in  1732,  and  his  will  was 
proved  in  England  in  that  year  by  Peter  Lamotte,  attorney  to  Nathan  Crossley  the  executor.  A 
mural  tablet  to  Nathan  Crossley  appears  in  the  Church  of  St.  Leonard's,  Shoreditch,  and  wills  of 
Kemps  connected  with  the  parish  suggest  that  he  was  related  to  the  Kemps  of  Shoreditch.  The 
will  is  very  interesting  as  mentioning  "trooping  accoutrament,"  saddles,  pistols,  carbine, 
"  Buccaneer  Gunns,"'  silver-hilted  sword  and  negroes^  which  formed  part  of  this  major's  estate. 
His  property  was  left  in  trust  for  the  deceased's  Avife,  Martha  Kemp,  during  her  life,  and  the 
reversion  was  to  be  divided  between  the  testator's  brother  and  sister,  Nathan  Crossley,  senior,  and 
Jane  Crossley.     Apparently  Robert  Kemp  left  no  issue. 

We  have  already  mentioned  {vide  Cornwall  chapter)  the  Kempes  of  Bermuda  who  came  from 
Cornwall.  Besides  these  there  are  two  other  Kemp  families  in  the  West  Indies.  James 
Wheeler  Kemp,  of  Jamaica,  was  born  at  Peshawar,  N.W.P.,  in  1851,  his  father  being  James 
George  Kemp  and  his  mother  Harriet  Wheeler  (of  Simla),  and  his  grandfather  Ebenezer  Chapman 
Kemp,  who  commanded  vessels  to  and  from  India,  Avas  a  brother  to  the  Alexander  Davidson 
Kemp,  who  as  we  have  stated  above  was  of  East  Kent  origin  and  connected  with  a  London  firm 
of  glass  silverers.     He  was  born  about  1770,  and  for  a  while  was  in  the  Royal  Navy. 

The  Rev.  W.  Kemp  Bussel,  of  Kingstone,  Jamaica,  is  the  representative  of  an  old  family  of 
Kemps  long  settled  in  Somersetshire,  and  yet  another  James  Kemp,  of  the  West  Indies,  hails 
direct  from  Scotland. 


Sundry  Kempes  of  the  Empire.  29 


UNITED    STATES. 

Although  the  States  now  form  no  part  of  the  British  Empire  we  have  had  frequent  occasion 
to  mention  various  Kemps  who  have  held  important  posts  in  the  States.  Two  were  State 
Attorneys  of  Philadelphia  and  Province  of  New  York  during  the  eighteenth  century,  and  at  the 
present  time  the  Professor  of  Geology  in  the  Columbia  University,  New  York,  is  a  Scottish  Kemp. 
We  have  numerous  short  pedigrees  of  Kemps,  of  New  York  and  the  States,  and  shall  be  glad  to 
correspond  with  representatives  of  the  name  in  the  U.S. A,  but  we  cannot  include  here  more  than 
the  passing  mention  of  the  fact  that  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  Kemps  in  New  York  are  not 
of  British  descent,  the  name  being  widely  spread  on  the  European  Continent  as  well  as  throughout 
the  late  Transvaal  Republic. 

NEWFOUNDLAND. 

As  mentioned  in  the  South  of  England  section,  a  family  connected  with  the  Kemp-Welches 
settled  in  Newfoundland,  and  this  George  Kemp  died  there,  aged  eighty-nine,  in  1845,  leaving  a 
large  family.  In  his  obituary  notice  in  the  Gentleman' s  Magazine  he  is  stated  to  have  been  one 
of  the  principal  Newfoundland  merchants. 


LEEWARD   ISLANDS. 

Captain  Kempt  was  agent  for  provisions  of  war  at  the  Leeward  Islands  in  1804  and  agent  of 
transports  at  Barbadoes  in  1805,  in  which  year  he  was  promoted  to  Post-Captain  and  placed  in 
command  of  the  Egyptienne  prison-ship.  In  18 13  he  was  made  agent  for  transports  on  the  lakes 
of  North  America. 


SUGGESTED   SUPPLEMENT   TO 
THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  KEMP  FAMILIES. 


In  view  of  the  number  of  genealogical  forms  which  are  still  coming  in  pertaining 
to  living  representatives  of  the  various  Kempe,  Kempt  and  Kemp  families,  the 
compiler  of  this  history  believes  that  it  will  be  found  desirable  to  publish  a  suppli- 
mentary  book  giving  the  recent  generations  of  many  descendants  from  the  old 
British  families.  He  will  be  glad  to  receive  any  additions  and  corrections  to  be 
included  in  this  supplement,  and  suggestions  as  to  better  arrangement  of  facts. 
Meanwhile  he  is  at  work  on  a  similar 

HISTORY    OF    THE    VARIOUS    FAMILIES 

NAMED 

BROOKE,  BROOK,  BROOKES  and  BROOKS, 

and  will  be  indebted  to  any  readers  who  will  make  the  prospective  work  known 
to  those  interested  ;  and  he  takes  this  opportunity  of  thanking  the  large  number 
of  genealogists  and  others  who  have  assisted  in  the  "  History  of  the  Kemp(e)s." 


Fred.  Hitchin-Kemp. 


6,  Beechfield  Road,  Catford, 
London,  S.E. 


C O  im^I G  E U^T>  Qj 


Section  I. 
Page  20,  line  16  :  For  "  High  Ferrars  "  read  "  Higliani  Ferrers." 
„     30,    „      8  :  Foi'  "  Middlesex  "  7-ead  "  Hertfordshire." 
„     38,    „    26  :  For  "  Chetham  "  read  "  Chatham." 
„     42,    „      8  :  For  "  Southwich  "  read  "  Southwick." 
„     47,     „     15:   For  "Loue"  read  '^  Loue^ 
n     55)    ti       5:   ^0^  "insticiam"  read  "  iusticiam." 

Section  H. 
Page  33,  line    7  :  For  "  Smallbridge  "  read  "  Smallborough." 
„     44,    „     14  from  bottom  :  i^or  "Laybourne"  7-£;«a^  "  Layham." 
»     47,    „      4  „  :  ^or  "  Essex  "  read  "  Suffolk." 

Section  HI. 
Page  2,  line  2  :  For  "  Bury  "  r^a^  "  Burgh." 

Section  IV. 
Page  18,  line  22  :  For  "  Preb.  Bonell  White"  read  ''  the  late  Judge  Meadows  White." 
„     21,    „      5  from  bottom  :  For  "  Warham  "  read  "  Warnham." 
,.     26,    „    IS  „  :  For '"Essex"  read  "Sussex:' 

Section  VI. 
Page    I,  line    3  :  For  "  which  is  various  "  y-ead  "  with  its  variations." 
„  „      7  from  bottom  :  jFor  "  Knight  "  7-5^^  "Kempt." 

:  For  "  Wanchtown  "  read  "  Wauchtoun." 
:  For  "  merles  "  read  ''  merks  " 
:  For  "account"  read  "annual." 
:  For  "  barning  "  i-ead  "  barony." 
Wail  "  read  "  Wait." 
1 1  :  For  "  who  "  7-ead  "  whom."     For  "  Cupa  "  read  "  Cupar." 
14:  For  "  Gargettown  "  read  "  Gargestoun." 
17  :  For  "dires  "  7-ead  "  dues." 

II  from  bottom  :  For  "  Monsford  "  read  "  Moorfoot." 
9  „  :  For  "  They  were  most  of  them  weavers  "  read 

"  Some  of  them  were  weavers." 
5  „  :  For  "  Dunny  "  read  "  Denny." 


6 

6 

5 

4 

2, 

12  : 

For 

3, 

II  : 

Fo7 

CO'KTilGE^Ixyi. 

Page   4,  line    7  :  Aftei-  "  north  "  acid  "  though." 

„  „     12  and  14:  For  "Kempt"  7-ead  "Kemps." 

„  ,,1^  from  bottom  :  For  "  Adesonn  "  read  "  Adesoun." 

„  „     17             „           :  .For  "  urquhill  "  r^^iif  "  umquhill  "  (and  in  line  14). 

„     14  „  :  /^o/-  "  Patrick  "  ;-^«^/ "  Patrik." 

,,  5,    „      6  :  For  "  Collisonn  "  read  "  Collisoun." 

„  ,,     10  :  After  "  Skene  of  Skene  "  add  "  is  Johne  Kempt." 

,;  „     13  :  For  "  wicht"  read  "  vvricht." 

„  „     21  :  For  "  Aborfar  "  read  "  Aboyne." 

„  7,     „     10:  For  "Gillie"'  r^^a^  "  Gillies." 

,,  „     15  :  For  "  of  Kempy  "  read  "or  Kempy.     For  "  Creief  ;'^a^  "  Crieff." 

,,  n    21  :  For  "  Kempton  "  ;'i?^a^  "  Kempyon.     For  "names"  r^^i/  "mains. 

,,  8,    „      9  :  For  "  Harward  "  read  "  Harvard." 

,,  9,    „      2  from  bottom  :  For  "  Hutchunson  read  "  Hutchinson." 

,,  10,    ,,4             ,,           :  For  "  upholsterer  "  read  "  carpenter." 

,,  II,     ,,     II  :  For  "river"  read  "canal." 

„  1,11  from  bottom  :  For  "  which  "  read  "  while." 

„  12,     „     15:  For  "Palace"  read  "Place." 

,,  ))     II  from  bottom  :  For  "  Chopbank  "  read  "  Choptank." 

,,  13,     „       5:  For  "stony"  reat/  "  strong." 

,,  ,,19:   P'or  "  Chiston  "  read  "Clinton." 

,,  ,,      2  from  bottom  :  For  "  Gowlay  "  read  "  Gourlay." 

„  15,    ,,       I  :  Delete  footnote,  the  ballad  being  of  much  earlier  date  than  the 

incident  referred  to. 

,,  ))      2  :  For  "  Crays  "  read  "  Crags." 

,,  verse  i,  line  4  :  For  "  al "  read  "  ain." 

,,  ,,      7,     ,,    4:  For  "  oin  "  read  "ain. 

,,  last  verse,  line  4  :  Delete  "  shall." 

,,  line  8  from  bottom  :  For  "  not  "  read  "  only." 

,,  Note  t,  line  i  :  For  "  lective  "  read  "  lection." 

,,  ,,           ,,     3  •  -^or  "  King's  son  "   read  "  King's  own  son." 

,,  19,  line  2  from  bottom  :  Delete  "  where  he  still  resides." 

„  21,    „      8:  For  "  Elsbeth  "  r^,3a^  "  Elspeth." 

,,  nil:  -^or  "  Stentor  "  read  "  Stenton  "  (and  in  line  20). 


IU^T>EX    OF    "PETiSOU^S. 


Numerals  in  brackets  thus  (2)  after  a  name  denote  different  individuals  bearing  the  same  name.      For  examples, 

see  "  Adams  "  and  "  Andrews." 


Abbott,  Sir   Maurice,  i.  35  ;    William, 

iii.   6  ;    Ambrose,    iii.  6  ;    Archb., 

iii.  6, 65  ;  John,  iii.  6  ;  family,  iii.  6  ; 

George,  iii.  41 
Abell,  family,  v.  19  ;    Kempe,   v.   19  ; 

William,  v.  19 
Abercromby,  Sir  Ralph,  vi.  9 
Abergavenny,   Earls  of,  i.    14 ;    Lord, 

i.   14 
Adams,  Simon,  ii.  51  ;  William,  iii.  62  ; 

Robert,  iii.  62  ;  Robert  (2),  iii.  62  ; 

Elizabeth,  iii.  62 
Adcock,  Thomas,  ii,  56  ;  Sarah,  ii.  56 
Addams,  Ralph,  v.  19 
Adderley,  Thomas,  v.  6 
Adesonn,  Isobel,  vi.  4 
Adye,  Thomas,  i.  38 
Ainsworth,  Robert,  iii.  18 
Albon  (?  Allen),  John,  ii.  27 
Alee,  Robert,  i.  26 
Aldon,  Sir  Thomas,  i.  15 
Alexander,  Jane,  ii.  46 
Alford,  Lady,  ii.  29 
Allan,  Lord  of  Galloway,  i.  17 
AUeyn,  Anne,  ii.  24  ;  John,  ii.  24 
Alnard,  Thomas,  ii.  15 
Alverd,  Margaret,  ii.  16 
Andrews,  Thomas,  ii.  31  ;  Thomas  (2) 

v.  6 
Annesley,  Henrjr,  iii.  32 
Appleton,  Mary,  v.  26 
Appleyard,  Elizabeth,  ii.  20,  21 
Apulderfield,   Ann,    iii.    2  ;    Margaret, 

iii.  12 
Argall  (see  Argyll),  i.  38  ;  John,  i.  39 
Argyll,  Mary,  i.  27,  38  ;   Richard,  i.  38 
Arragon,    King  of,  i.   43  ;    Catherine, 

i.  43 
Arrow,  Ann,  iv.  16  ;  James,  iv.  16 
Arrowsmith  (?),  Sarah,  iii.  48 
Arthur,  Prince,  i.  20 
Arton,  Edward,  v.  9 
Arundel,     Philip,     Earl     of,     i.      29  ; 

Countess,  i.  29  ;  Elizabeth,  i.  29  ; 

Thomas,  i.  42 
Arundell,  Elizabeth,  iv.  22  ;    Thomas, 

iv.  22 
Ashby,  George,  v.  13 


Ashe,  William,  iii.  26 

Atkins,  James,  v.  5 

Atkinson,  William,  iii.  45 

Atley,  William,  iii.  42  ;  Elizabeth,  iii. 

42,  43  ;  Jane,  iii.  42 
Auchtlek,  Sir  John,  vi.  5 
Audley,  Francis,  iii.  59,  60 
Awborne,  Robert,  ii.  65 
Ayljfffe,  Mary,  iii.  5 
Ayres  (^see  Eyres),  Mary,  v.  26 


B 

Bacon,  Sir  Nicholas,  i.  27  ;  ii.  21  ;  Sir 
Richard,  ii.  21,  22  ;  Sir  Francis, 
ii.  21,  37  ;  Robert,  ii.  22  ;  Sir 
Edmund,  ii.  48  ;  Nathaniel,  ii.  62  ; 
Theodor,  iii.  5  ;  Thomas,  iii.  5  ; 
James,  iii.  6 

Baggerley,  William,  iv.  2 

Bagott,  Walter,  v.  6 

Baines,  William,  v.  II 

Bainspath  (^see  Barstaple) 

Baker,  Thomas,  ii.  16 

Balford,  — ,  i.   39 

Ballard,  Robert,  i.  54  ;  Henry,  v.  20 

Balliol,  Hugh,  John,  William  (C.  Scott) 

Banff,  Earl  of,  iii.  41^  ;  Lady  Mary,  iii. 

44.  45,  46 
Banks,  Thomas,  iv.  34 
Barber,  Rebecca,  iii.  7 
Bardolph,  Barbara,  i.  16 
Baring,  Sir  Francis,  iv.  27 
Barker,   Samuel,   iii.  46  ;    Christopher, 

V.   9  ;    Thomas,  v.  6  ;    Elizabeth, 

v.  9 
Barnard,   Mrs.    Cisley,    i.  26  ;    James, 

ii.    58  ;    Martha    Maria,    ii.    58 

Mary,  iii  17  ;  — ,  i.  33 
Bamby,  John,  iii.  5 
Barnstaple  (dau.),  (see  Barstaple) 
Barnwell,  Bartholomew 
Barstaple,  — ,  ii.  8  ;  iv.  4 
Bartlett,  Mary,  iii.  62 
Barton,  John,  i.  23 
Baxter,  Timothy,  v.  14 
Bayle,  Margaret,  iii.  35 
Baywood,  John,  iv.  33 


Beadle,  Mary,  iii.  20 
Beale,  — ,  iv.  22 

Beauchamp  (see  Bello  Campo) 
Beaufitz,  Agnes,  i.  17 
Beaufort,  Cardinal,  i.  48 
Beckington,  Dr.  Thomas,  i.  47 
Bedford,    Duke    of,    i.    44-5  ;    Jasper, 

i.  61  ;  Countess,  iii.  31 
Beenlie,  Robert,  ii.  16 
Bell,  Winifred,  iii.  7  ;  Helen  Primrose, 

vi.    19  ;    Peter,  vi.  19  ;  Margaret 

Ann,  vi.  20 
Bello   Campo,  William   de,   i.    14  ;    iii. 

61  ;  Thomas   de,   i.  14;   family,  i. 

14,  29  ;   iv.  3  ;    Earls  of  Warwick, 

ii.  I  ;  iv.  3 
Bendlowe,  William,  iii.  10 
Benett,  "  Aunt,"  v.  16  ;   Robert  (Bishop 

of  Hereford),  v.  16,  17 
Bennet,  Harry,  i.  23  ;  Elizabeth,  iv.  16 

Captain,  iv.  16 
Bent,  John,  iv.  20  ;  v.  13 
Benton,  John,  iv.  20  ;  v.  13 
Benyon,  Thomas,  ii.  29  ;   Frances,  ii.  29 
Bergmeny,  Lord,  i.  14 
Berk,  Robert,  ii.  53 
Berkeley,  Sir  William,  ii.  61 
Berkley,  Edmund,  ii.  62 
Bernard,  Mary,  iii.    16  ;    — ,    iii.    i5  ; 

Ann,    V.     13  ;      Joseph,     v.     13  ; 

Edward,  v.  13 
Berr}',  Jeremiah,  ii.  65  ;   Edward,  iii.  ig 
Besfor,  Sarah,  ii.  65 
Bessley,  — ,  i.  27 
Best,  Thomas  Fairfax,  i.  30 
Bethant,  John,  iii.  32 
Biddulph,  Emma,  vi.  23 
Bigg,  James,  iii.  62 
Bignell  (or  Bignall),  Thomas,  iv.  ro 
Bigot,  Roger,  ii.  34  ;  Amphillis,  ii.  34 
Bing,  Henry,  ii.  36  ;  Sarah,  iv.  29 
Binns,  Mary,  iv.  30 
Birch,  Thomas,  ii.  53 
Bird,  Emily,  vi.  24 
Birkett,  Miles,  v.  15 
Bishop,   Louisa,  iii.  49  ;    John,  iii.  49, 

50  ;  Matthew,  iii.  50 
Bishopp,  Patience,  iv.  8 
Blackbourne,  William  vi.,  2 

y 


Index  of  T^ersons. 


Blackwell,    Martha,    ii.   48  ;    William, 

ii.  48 
Bladwell,  Jevan,  ii.  2 
Blake,  Aquila,  iv.  g  ;  John,  iv.  g 
Blaverhauset       (or       Blavershauseth), 

Robert,  ii.  21  ;  iii.  33  ;  iv.  g  ;  Jane, 

iii.  33  {see  Bleverhausett) 
Blaye  (^see  Bloye) 
Blaynerhauset  (^see  Bleverhausett) 
Blenerhasseth  (^see  Bleverhausett) 
Blenerhausett  (^see  Bleverhausett)  John, 

ii.  25  ;  Elizabeth  ii.  25 
Bleverhausett,  John,  ii.  21  ;  Sir  Thomas, 

ii.   21,  22  ;    Margaret,  ii.   21,   22  ; 

John,   ii.  21  ;    Margaret  (Prioress 

of  Kemsey),   ii.  21  ;    Edmund,  ii. 

22  ;  Jane,  ii.  22 
Blewe,  Henry,  i.  33 
Blois,    Charles,    ii.  43,  48  ;    Nicholas, 

ii.   48  ;    William,  ii.  48  ;    family, 

ii.  48  ;  Amy,  ii.  53  ;  Mary,  ii.  53 
Blomfield  (Historian),  ii.  23 
Bloye,  John,  iv.  7  ;  J  one,  iv.  7  ;  James, 

iv.  7 
Bodleigh,  John,  iv.  6  ; 
Bolingbroke  (Roger  Onley),  i.  48 
Bompstead,  Henry,  iii.  29 
Bonnar,  Thomas,  vi.  10 
Bonner,  James,  ii.  61 
Bonyman,  Anne,  v.  13 
Borroughs,  John,  ii.  48  ;  Amy,  ii.  48 
Borthwick,  family,  vi.  12 
Boscawen,  Grace,  iv.  5  ;  John,  iv.  5 
Botiller,  John,  iii.  29 
Boughton,  Sir  Nicholas,  i.  25,  33  ;   Sir 

Edward,  i.  25,  33  ;   Mary,  i.  26 
Boundis,  William,  ii.  15 
Bourne,  Aaron,  v.  7  ;   Margaret,  v.  16 
Boveton,  {see  Boughton),  i.  33 
Bowie,  Ferguson,  vi.  18 
Bowington,  William,  iii.  39 
Bowles,  Lady,  i.  38 
Bowman,   Sir  William,   iv.   18  ;  Mary, 

iv.  18 
Bowth,  William,  i.  28 
Bowyh,  William,  i.  26 
Bradford,  Elizabeth,  ii.  65 
Bradley,  John,  iii.  39  ;   Mr.,  ii.  40. 
Bradshaw,  William,  v.  6 
Braint  (see  Brent) 
Brampton   (Duke    of),   Robert,    i.  49  ; 

Alice,  i.  49 
Brand,  Mr.,  ii.  51 
Bray,  Ann   Eliza,  iv.   17  ;  Rev.  E.  A., 

iv.  17 
Brayfford,  Nicholas,  iii.  39 
Breaks,  Elizabeth,  v.  19 
Brent,  Mrs.,  i.  26  ;  John,  iii.  42,  43  ; 
George,  iii.  43,  43  ;  Andrew,  iii. 
43  ;  Mary,  iii.  43 
Brewer,  Thomas,  ii.  13 
Bridgeman,  Jacob,  i.  38 


Bridges,  Marshall,  iii.  62  ;  v.  16  ;  Mary, 

iii.  62  ;    Rev.    Marshall,    iii.   62  ; 

Kemp  (3),  iii.  62 
Briggs,  Sir  Anthony,  iv.  22 
Bridgewater,  John,  ii.  16 
Brinkley,  Jehan,  i.  45 
Briscoe,  Thomas,  iii.  16  ;  Anne,  iii.  16 
Bristowe,  Ada  Sophia,  iv.  19 
Brooklyn,  vi.  18 
Bromfield,   Arthur,   iv.   32  ;     Frances, 

iv.  32  3  ;  Henry,  iv.  32-3  ;  Mary, 

iv.  33  ;  William,  iv.  33 
Broke,  Sir  Lawrence,  i.  24 
Brook,  Armynell,  iii.  55  ;  John,  iii.  55 
Brooke,   John,    ii.    24  ;    Armynell,   ii. 

24;       Sir      Robert,      iii.     15-6; 

Thomasine,    iii.    15-6;    Anne,   v. 

25  ;  James,  v.  25 
Brookes,  George,  iii.  50-1  ;   Charlotte, 

iii.   50-1,   53  ;     Henry,  iii.   50-1  ; 

Mrs.     Henry,    iii.    50 ;     George 

(sen.),  iii.   50-1  ;    John,   iii.   50  ; 

James,    iii.    50-1  ;    Frederick,  iii. 

51  ;  Daniel  Bowden,  iii.  51 
Broramedge,  Walter,  v.  18 
Bronde,  Henrie,  i.  27 
Broughton,   Anthonie,   i.   27  ;    Marie, 

i.  27 
Brown,    Sir    Thomas,    i.    9 ;     Henry, 

iii.    22  ;    Edward    Keer,    iii.    22  ; 

William,  iii   22  ;  Alice  Louisa,  iii. 

23  ;  Susan  Stonnard,  iii.  23  ;  Ellen 

Kemp,   iii.   23  ;    Daniel,   iii.   43  ; 

— ,  V.  10  ;   John,  v.  21 
Browne,     Sir     Robert,     i.    24  ;     Lady 

Elenor,  i.  34,  25,  28  ;  ii.  37  ;  v.  28  ; 

Dr.  Thomas,  ii.  34  ;  Sir  Matthew, 

ii.     37  ;    iv.    34  ;     Jane,    ii.    37  ; 

family,  ii.  39;   Anthony,  iii.  30; 

V.   38  ;    Ellenor   (2),    iv.    33  ;    Sir 

Thomas,  iv.  32  ;   Nicholas,  v.  5 
Buchard,  family,  iii.  30 
Budder,    Henry,    iii.     36,    43  ;     Rose, 

iii.  36 
Bulgin,  Lydia  Harris,  iii.  5;  ;   Robert 

Cadby,  iii.  55 
Bulilot,  Ralph  de,  ii.  3  ;  Geoffrey,  ii.  3 
Bullen,  Mary  Elizabeth,  iv.  13 
Burgh,   John    (elder),   iii.    36  ;    John, 

(junior), 
Burgoyn,  John,  iii.  g  ;   Margaret,  iii.  g 
Burgoyne,  John,   iii.  7  ;   Robert,  iii.  7 

Jane,  iii.  7 
Burke,  — ,  iv.  1-2  ;     Sir  Edmund,  iv.  5 
Burleigh,  Lord,  iii.  30 
Burton,     Katherine,     iii.     28  ;     John, 

iii,  28 
Bush,  John,  ii.  6r 
Bussell,    Mr.,   v.   24;    Walter    Kemp, 

v.  24 
Bushell  (or  Bussell),  Thomas,  v.  20 
Butler,  (?)  Richard,  ii.  25 


Buttevilleyn,  William,  ii.  12-3  ;  Robert 
ii.  12  ;  family,  ii.  12  ;  Elizabeth, 
ii.  12 

Button,  Amy,  iv.  33  ;  John,  iv.  33 

Buxton,  John,  ii.  25,  32  ;  — ,  ii.  33  ; 
William,  iii.  29 

Bygott,  Jennys,  ii.  2; 

Bysshe,  Edward,  iv.  24 


Cade,  Jack,  i.  32,  41,  49  ;  iv.  20 

Cady,  ii.  65 

Cain,  Thomas,  ii.  34 

Calquhoun,  Sir  James,  vi.  8 

Calthorpe,   Richard,   ii.    II  ;    Ann,   ii. 

II  ;  Ann  (2),  ii.  II,  36  ;  Philip,  ii. 

22  ;   Robert,  ii.  26 
Campbell,  Ann,  vi.  22 
Cambridge,  Duke  of,  ii.  18,  68 
Cane,  William,  ii.  17 
Canham,    Anthony,    ii.     58  ;      Mary 

Louisa,  ii.  58 
Carew,   Eleanor,  i.  27  ;  ii.  25  ;  Henry 

i.  27  ;  Wymond,  i.  27,  28  ;  ii.  25  ; 

— ,  Lieut. -Colonel,  i.  28 
Carey,  George,  iv.  34 
Carrell,   Elizabeth,   iv.    21  ;    John,  iv. 

21-2 
Carter,  William,  i.  27  ;  Jeremy,  iii.  60  ; 

Margaret,   vi.    21  ;    William    (2), 

vi.  21 
Cartwright,   Dennis,  v.   5  ;   family,  v. 

6  ;  William,  v.  5 
Castle,  Mary,  iii.  60  ;  F" ranees,  iii.  60 
Cater,  Catherine  Caroline,  iii.  24 
Catesby,    Katherine,    i.    22  ;    ii.    25  ; 

William,  ii.  25 
Catherine,  Queen,  ii.  20 
Cattline,  John,  iii.  19 
Cavendish,   Margaret,  iii.  5  ;  George, 

iii.  5 
Cecil,  Sir  William,  iii.  30  ;  v.  28  ;  Sir 

Robert,  iv.  21 
Chacey,  Henry,  iii.  20 
Chandler,  Mr.,  ii.  56 
Chaney,  Sir  Thomas,  K.G.,  i.  28,  29  ; 

Katherine,  i.   28-9  ;    Margaret,   i. 

29  ;  Henry,  Lord,  i.  35 
Chaplin,    Mary,  iii.    16  ;    Edward,   iii. 

16  ;  Jernaghan,  iii  16 
Chaplyn,  Mary,  iii.  10 
Chapman,  Robert,  ii.  16  ;  John,  ii.  23 
Charles  L,  i.  3,  35 
Charles  of  Valois,  i.  47 
Charnworth,  Marie,  i.  38 
Chauncey,  John,  i.  61 
Chetham,  James,  v.  4,  17 


Index  of  T'ersons. 


Chiche,   Eraelyn,  i.   20-3  ;    Sir  Valan- 
tyne,  i.  20  ;  Phillippa,  i.  20,  36  ; 
Richard,  ii.  15 
Chichele      (^see      Chichley),      Henry 

(Archb.),  i.  20,  43,  48  ;  iv.  34 
Chicheley,    family,    i.    20  ;     Thomas, 

i.  20 
Chichley,  Phillippa,  i.  20,  36  ;  Robert, 
i.    20  ;    Sir    Robert,    i.    20  ;    Sir 
Valentine,   i.     36 ;    Sir   Thomas, 
i.    37 ;     Dorothy,    i.    37  ;     Lady 
Dorothy,  i.  37  ;  Sir  Henry,  ii.  62 
Chitting,  Thomas,  ii.  29 
Choate,  Robert,  iii.  9 
Chowte  [see  Hawte) 
Church,  Elizabeth,  ii.  65  ;  Ann,  v.  14 
Chute  {see  Shute) 
Clar,  John  ii.  16 
Clare,  Rev.  G.  T.,  v.  27 
Clarence,  Duke  of,  ii.  12 
Clagg-ett,  Bishop,  vi.  12-3 
Clarke,  Josias,  i.  38  ;  Walter,  iii.  39  ; 

Edward,  iii.  49 
Clerk,  Robert  le,  ii.  S  ;  Aullina,  ii.  5  ; 

William,  ii.  44 
Clerke,  Humphrey,  iv.  36  ;  Joane,  iv. 

36  ;  William,  iv.  36 
Clifford,    John,   i.    20  ;    Anne,   i.   20  ; 
ii.  21,  23  ;   iii.  55  ;  Alexander,  i. 
62  ;  John,  ii.  21  ;   Richard,  ii.  21  ; 
Thomas,  iii.  27 
Clinton,  De  Witt,  vi.  13 
Clopton,    Thomas,   iii.    17  ;     Hannah, 

iii.  17 
Cobham,  Alenor   (or  Elenor),   i.  48  ; 

Reginald,  i.  48 
Cock    (or     Cocke),    Terras,    i.     27  ; 
Thomas,  i.   27  ;    William,  ii.   27  ; 
"     John,  iii.  63  ;  Ann,  iii.  63 
Cockerham,    Alice,    ii.    30-1,   34;    iii. 
38  ;     Phillip,    ii.    30  ;     iii.    38  ; 
family,  iv.  4  ;  Admiral  Qsee  Dun- 
donald),  iv.  12 
Cockram,     Joyce     (jee     Cockerham), 

iii.  38 
Cockrode,    Matthew,   iii.    16  ;    Agnes, 

iii.  16 
Cocks,     Barbara,    iii.     56  ;     Leonard, 

iii.  56 
Colby,  Mary,  ii.  28  ;   Dr.,  ii.  28 
Colfer,    Edward,    iii.     7,    9  ;     Isabele, 

iii.  7,  9 
Cole,  Edward,  v.  20 
Collier,  John.  i.  38 
Collins,  Henry,  v.  13  ;   Rose,  v.  13 
CoUingwood,  Colonel,  v.  25  ;  Margaret, 

v.  25 
Coline,  John,  iv.  20 
CoUinsoun,  James,  vi.  5 
Colt,   Mary  Elizabeth   Brand,   ii.  48  ; 
John,  ii.  50;  Mary,  ii.  51  ;  family, 
ii.  51  ;  Thomas,  iii.  5  ;  Joan,  iii.  5 


Combes,  Thomas,  i.  60 
Conyers,  John,   Lord,   iv.    21  ;    John, 
V.  28 

Conqueror,  George,  vi.  4  ;  Nanse,  vi.  4 

Cook,  Captain,  i.  3  ;  iv.  13  ;  John, 
ii.  54  ;  Mary  Elizabeth,  v.  16 

Cooke,  Richard,  i.  27  ;  Robert,  ii.  9 
Sarah,  ii.  57  ;  John,  ii.  63  ;  George, 
ii.  63  ;  Barbary,  ii.  63  ;  Sir 
Anthony,  iii.  30  ;  v.  28  ;  Phoebe, 
iii.  36  ;  v.  6,  25  ;  — ,  iii.  36  ; 
William,  iii.  59 

Cooper,  Rebecca,  iii.  16 

Coper,  John,  iii.  29  ;  William,  iii.  29 

Corbet,  Sir  Thomas,  ii.  28  ;  Katherine, 
ii.  29  ;  John,  iii.  14  ;   Mary,  iii.  13 

Cordall,  Sir  William,  iii.  £ 

Cornlegh,  Roger  de,  v.  16 

Cornwallis,  Sir  John,  ii.  22 

Corte,  Henry,  iii.  35 

Cotterell,  Thomas,  v.  21 

Cotton,  Margaret,  ii.  32  ;  Daniel,  ii. 
32  ;  Thomas,  iii.  58,  64  ;  Cathe- 
rine, iii.  58 

Cottum,  Thomas,  i.  27 

Courtney,  Catherine,  iv.  5 

Cowper,  John,  iii.  26,  29  ;  Williarc, 
iii.  29 

Cox,  Abigail,  iii.  60 

Creighton,  Dr.,  ii.  51  ;  Robert,  iii.  62  ; 
Biihop,  iii.  62  ;  Frances,  iii.  62 

Crichlowe,  Dr.,  iii.  19 

Crocker,  Jane,  iv.  36 

Crofton,  John,  iii.  29 

Croker,  Francis,  iv.  9 

Cromwell,  Oliver,  vi.  24 

Croote,  Francis,  iv.  22  ;   Mary,  iv.  22 

Cross,  Ann,  i.  26 

Crosse,  John,  iii.  39 

Crossley,  Nathan,  iii.  58 

Crowley,  Robert,  iii.  5 

Crump,  John,  v.  20 

Cudden,  John,  ii.  27 

Cuddon,  Robert,  ii.  26  ;  Anne,  ii.  26 

Cully,  Thomas,  ii.  27 

Curzon,  Edilh,  ii.  16  ;  Thomas,  ii.  16  ; 
Margaret,  ii.  16,  18,  19,  20  ; 
William,  ii.  16,  19  ;  iii.  31  ; 
Elizabeth,  iii.  31 

Cutting,  Rev.  ii.  51 

Cutts,  Sir  John,  i.  37 


D 
Dade,   Dr.    John,   ii.    43-4  ;    William, 

ii.  46  ;  Mary,  ii.  46  ;  Jane,  ii.  46 
Dalby,  William,  v.  8 
Dalgety  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  vi.  20 
Dalie,  Rosamond,  ii.  16 


Dairy,  ii.  19,  22  '- 

Dane,  Sir  William,  ii.   19,  21  ;  iii.  31, 
32  ;  Margaret,  ii.   19,  27  ;  iii.  31, 
32,  37 
Dare,  Charles,  iv.  29  ;   Elizabeth,  iv.  29 
David,  King  of  Scotland,  i.  16,  17 
Davidson,  Daniel,  vi.  17  ;  Janet,  vi.  17 
Davis,  Ruth,  ii.  63  ;    Thomas,  iii.  46  ; 
John  Henry,  V.  12  ;  Samuel,  v.  11 
Davy,  Eleaza,  ii.  51 
Dawe,  Joan,  iv.  8  ;  — ,  iv.  8 
Dawson,  Eleanor,  iii.  62 
Day,  James,  iv.  5  ;  Ann,  iv.  £ 
Debenham,  Gilbeit,  ii.  14;  John,  ii.  15 
De  Foe,  Daniel,  vi.  18 
Demetrius,  Samuel,  v.  19 
Denny,  Sir  William,  i.  39 
Derwell  {see  Durival) 
Devonshire,  Earl  of,  iv.  20 
Dewell,  Sarah,  v.  10 
Dewey,  James,  v.  i^ 
Digges,    Sir    Dudley,   i.    35,   38,    39  ; 

Thomas,  i.  35  ;  Leonard,  i.  35 
Dillingham,  Robert,  iv.  32-3 
Dingle,  John,  iv.  9  ;   Honor,  iv.  9 
Dixon,  Mrs.,  iv.  16 
Dobbys,  Thomas,  iii.  40 
Dod,  John,  ii.  13,  15 
Doddrell,    Catherine,    v.    24 ;     James, 

V.  24 
Dolphin,  Mr.,  v.  20 
Donaldson,  Christian,  vi.  18 
Donne,  Michael,  v.  5 
Dorche  (see  Newman) 
Dornagieen,  of  Galloway,  i.  16 
Doughtie,  Frances,  iii.  9 
Dove,  Doctor  Henry,  v.  13 
Dowdeswell,  Thomas,  iii.  48 
D'Oyley,  Sir  William,  ii.  38-9,  41,  44  ; 

family,  ii.  39 
Draper,  Anne,  ii.  64  ;  Thomas,  iii.  41  ; 

Robert  iii.  59 
Drew,  Eleanor,  iii.  14 ;  iv.  4 ;  — ,  iii.  14 
Drewe,  Miss,  i.  27  ; 
Drewes  Thomas,  ii.  14 
Drewry,  John,  ii.  16  ;  Thomas,  ii.  16  ; 

Margaret,  ii.  19  ;  — ,  ii.  19 
Driver  Abraham,  iv.  26 
Drury,  Anthony,   ii.   25,   32  ;  Ann,  ii. 
'25  ;    — ,  ii.   32  ;   William,  iii.   7  ; 
Frances,  iii.  7 
Duke,   Alice,    ii.    9,    11,    15,    16,    tS ; 

Robert,  ii.  11  ;  Agnes,  ii.  14 
Dun,  Lilias,  vi.  2 
Duncan,  John  Murray,  vi.   18  ;   Janet, 

vi.  18 
Dcndonald,  Lord,  iv.  11 
Duplex,  John,  v.  14 
Dury,  Thomas,  vi.  3,  15,  17 
Dupuy,   Isaac,  iii.  44,  45  ;    Elizabeth, 

iii.  44 
Durben,  ii.  65 

Y  2 


Index  of  T^ersons. 


Durival  (Durivel,  Durieval,  Dervvell), 

John,  iii.  20 
Durrell  (j«  Durival) 
Durwell  (i«  Durival) 
Dyer,  Edward,  ii.  26  ;   Sir  Swinnerton, 

iii.  17 
Dyson,  John,  v.  18 


Eade,  Willam,  iii.  I 

Eades,  Mr.,  iv.  34 

Eagleton,  John,  v.  10 

Earner,  John,  iv.  28 

Earle,   Dr.,   iii.    44  ;    William,  iv.   25  ; 

— ,  iv.  34  ; 
Earnet,  Edward,  i.  27 
East,  John,  iii.  36  ;  (son),  iii.  36 
Ecliing,  Margaret,  vi.  18 
Edmunds,  Thomas,  iv.  29 
Edward  I.,  i.  14  ;  ii.  5  ;  iii.  2  ;  iv.  3,  20 
Edward  II.,  ii.    ;  ;    Edward   III., 
i.  14  ;  ii.  4 
Edwards,  Florence,  iii.  23  ;  Dr.  iii.  23, 

family,  vi.  12 
Egerton,  Lady  Beatrice  Mary,  iii.  23 
Eldridge,  William,  iii.   16  ;  Ambrose, 

iii.  63 
Elizabeth,  Queen,  i.  3,  32 
Elizabeth  of  York,  i.  3 
Ellesmere  (jee  Egerton) 
Ellet,  Edward,  iii.  39 
Elliot,  Mrs.,  ii.  51  ;  Richard,  iv.  20 
Elliott,  Joan,  iii.   35  ;   Henry,   iii.    35  ; 

Dorothy  iii.  61 
Ellis,  Hugh,  iii.  29 
Elmes,  ii.  17 
Elmy,  ii.  65 

Ernestsettle,  John,  iv.  8 
Essex,  Earl  of,  v.  17 
Evans,  (?),  i.  27 
Evelyn,  Richard,  iv.  26 
Eyre,   family,   iv.    22  ;    Catherine,   iv. 
22  ;  Thomas,  iv.  22  ;   Mary,  v.  26 


Fader,  le,  William,  iii.  26 

Fairweather  (see  P'aweather) 

Faith,  Mrs.,  iv.  8 

Farmer,   Joan,   i.   31  ;    Mary,   iii.  60; 

— ,  iii.  60 
Farquharson,  James,  vi.  5 
Farr,  Samuel,  v.  7 
Faulkner,  Mary,  v.  9 
Faweather,  Josias,  ii.  28 
Ferman,  Marnio,  C.A.,  vi.  23 
Fert,  John,  ii.  16 
ffinch,  Walter,  iii.  64 


John, 


ffoulis.  Captain,  iii.  45 

ffyshlie,  William,  ii.  15 

Filmer,  Sir  Robert,  i-  38 

Finch,  Lawrence,  i.  ;  Sir  Thomas, 
i.,  29  ;  Moyle,  i.  29  ;  Thomas, 
i.  29  ;  Henry,  i.  29  ;  George, 
i.  39;  Windsor,  iii.  15  ;  Katherine, 
iii.  15  ;  Walter,  iii.  64 

Fineaux,  John,  i.  33 

Fiser,  Thomas,  v.  13 

Fish,  Sarah,  ii.  57  ;   Richard,  ii.  57 

Fisher,  Daniel,  v.  10  ;   Henry,  v.  14 

Fitton,  Anne,  iii.  37 

Fleming,  Richard,  i.  46 

Fletcher,  Percy,  ii.  68 

Floris,  Mr.,  iv.  18  ;  Mrs.,  iv.  18 

Flower,  Ellen,  iii.  45  ;  Elizabeth,  iii. 
45  ;  Ann,  iii.  45 

Fogg,  Thomas,  i.  24  ;  Sir  George,  i. 
25  ;  Ezecias,  i.  25  [see  Fogge) 

Fogge,  — ,  i.  26  ;  Ezechias,  i.  26,  27 
Richard,  i.  27  ;  William,  i.  27 
Alice,  i.  31  ;  Thomas,  i.  31 
Anne,  i.  31 

Ford,    Elizabeth,    iv.    3: 

32-3 
Forde,  John,  atte,  iii.  64 
Fortescue,  Judge,  i.  54 
Foster,  Ingham,  ii.  53 
Fox,  family,  iii.  30 
Foxe,  John,  i.  23 
Framsham,  ii.  65 
Franklin,  William,  iii.  3 

47 
Frankiyn,  William,  iii.  36 
Frankys,  family,  iii.  30 
Frary,  Harriet  Edith,  vi.  25 
Eraser,  Catherine,  iii.  56 
Frean,  George,  M,,  v.  12 
Fredel,  Rev.  Arthur,  iv.  26 
Freeby,    Elizabeth,    v.    16  ; 

v.  16 
Freeman,  — ,  ii.  34  ;   Edward,  ii.  40 
French,  Peter,  v.  14  ;  General,  vi.  25 
Friend,  Samuel,  iv.  25 
Frowick,  Sir  Thomas,  i.  28  ;    Frides- 

wide,  i.  28 
Fudge,  Robert,  iv.  7  ;  Philippa,  iv.  10 
Fulburne,  Walter,  ii.  14 
Furneaux,  family,  iv.  8  ;   John,  iv.  8  ; 

Emma,  iv.  8 
Fynche  (or  Herbert),  Isabel 


Gage,  Humphrey,  i.  24  ;  John,  i.  27  ; 
Ann,  iii.  16  ;  — ,  iii.  16  ;  Sir 
Edward,  iv.  21  ;  Margaret,  iv.  21 ; 
Mary,  iv.  22  ;  Sir  Thomas,  iv.  22 

Gairnes,  widow,  vi.  17 

Gardener,  Thomas,  ii.  18 


Mary,  iii. 


Rachael, 


Gardiner,  Stephen,    i.    23  ;    Thomas, 

ii.  12  ;  Joan,  ii.  12  ;  Sir  Thomas, 

iii.  10  ;   Elizabeth,  iv.  6 
Garraway,  John,  iii.  31. 
Gawton,  — ,  iii.  62  ;  Helen,  iii.  62 
Gay,  James,  ii.  54 
Gaynor,  Thomas,  iv.  8 
Gedding,  William,  ii.  24  ;    Constance, 

ii.  24 
Gerrard,    Sir     Gilbert,    iii.     9  ;      Sir 

Thomas,  ii.  44  ;  v.  4 
Gibbes,   Leonard,  i.   33  ;    Mrs.  i.   33  ; 

—  i.  34 
Gibson,  Martha,  iii.  45  ;   Mary,  vi.  18 
Gilbert,  Miss  Hope,  iii.  18  ;  Thomas, 

iii.  38 
Giles,  Alfred,  ii.  58  ;   Ellen,  ii.  58 
Gissing,  Adam  de,  ii.  2,  9,  23 
Glaisyer,  John,  iv.  30 
Glascote,  Christianna  de,  vi.  23 
Gloucester,  Duke  of,  i.  45  ;   Humphrey, 

ii.  7 
Goat,  Janet,  vi.  17 
God,  Thomas,  iii.  34 
Godfrey,    George,    v.    9  ;    Elizabeth, 

V.   II 

Godshull,  William  Mann,  ii.  51 

Goldfinch,  Henry,  v.  14 

Golding,   Anthony,    iii.    17  ;    George, 

iii.  17 
Goldsmyth,  Lucas,  i.  33 
Goodall,  Jean,  vi.  21 
Goodrich,    Benjamin,   iii.    16  ;    Mary, 

iii.  16 
Goodwin,  Charles,  iii.  50  ;   Mar)'  Ann, 

iii.  50  ;  Samuel  Charles,  iii.  50 
Goodwyn,  Thomas,  ii.  16 
Goodyer,  James,  iv.  29  ;  Sarah,  iv.  29 
Gordon,  Georgina  M.B.,  iv.  34 
Gore,  Sir  John,  iii.  59,  62 
Gosling,  John,  ii.  25 
Gostling,  Elizabeth,  ii.  29 
Gourlay,  Margaret,  vi.  13 
Grant,  Rev.  William,  vi,  12 
Green,  Walter,   iii.  35  ;  John,  iv.   37  ; 

Samuel,  v.  9  ;  William  v.  20 
Greene,    Robert,    iii.    13  ;    Theodora, 

iii.  13 
Greening,  Joan,  v.  9  ;  Mary,  v.  9 
Gresham,  Edmund,  ii.  26  ;  Sir  Tl-omas, 

ii.   27  ;  Mildred,  ii.  27  ;   Edward, 

ii.    27  ;    Richard,  ii.    27  ;   iii.   31  ; 

Sir  John,  ii.  27  ;  iii.  31  ;  William, 

ii.  27  ;  iii.  31  ;  Sir  Richard  (i), 

ii.   27  ;    Sir   Richard   (2),  ii.  26  ; 

iii.    31  ;    family,    iii.    27  ;    Mary, 

ii.  26 
Grey,  Sir  Henry,  ii.  22  ;   Edmund  de, 

ii.    25;     Elizabeth,    ii.    25,    30; 

Margaret,  ii.  25  ;  Thomas  de,  ii. 

25  ;  Charles  le,  ii.  25 
Grice,  William,  ii.  26 


Index  of  T'ersons. 


Grinnell,  Grace,  v.  i8 
Groat,  Mary,  ii.  56  ;  — ,  ii.  56 
Grover,  John,  iv.  29 
Grudgfield,  William,  ii.  27 
Guildford,  Sir  Richard,  i.  23  ;  iVlary, 

i.  22 
Gunter,  Alice,  iii.  2  ;   Francis,  iii.  S 
Gurnons,  Dorothy,  v.  16 
Guy,  Joan,  iv.  36 
Gwilt,   Robert,  ii.    58  ;    Ida    Dorothy, 

ii.  58 


H 
Hagar,  Admiral,  ii.  58  ;   Rev.   George, 

ii.  58  ;  Mary,  ii.  58 
Hainault,  Earl,  of,  v.  2 
Hales,  John,  i.  24  ;  Christopher,  i.  24  ; 

Sir  James,  i.  29 
Hall    (or    Haull),    Thomas,    i.    27  ; 

Henry,  i.  33  ;  — ,  i.  34  ;  William, 

ii.  26  ;   family,  iii.  30  ;  John,  iii. 

35  ;  Marion,  vi.  21 
Hamer,  Richard,  iv.  37 
Hamilton,    Henrietta    Mary    Eva,    ii. 

58  ;   Henry,  ii.  58 
Hancocke,  Giles,  ii.  53 
Hands,  Richard,  v.  7 
Hankes,  John,  i.  23 
Hanmer,  John  (Bishop  of  St.  Asaph), 

V.  17 
Hannon,  John,  iii.  ig 
Harbourne,  ii.  32 

Harding,  William,  i.  15  ;  (2),  iii.  26 
Hardwick,  Mr.,  iii.  21 
Hardy,  Thomas,  iii.  32 
Harell,  John,  iv.  3 
Harley,  Lord,  iii.  18,  19 
Harrington  Ann,  iii.  2 
Harris,   Arthur,   ii.    33  ;    Dorothy,   ii, 

33-4  ;     Sir      William,      ii.      33  ; 

family,  iv.  II  ;  James  John,  iv.  1 8 
Harrison,  William,  v.  17 
Harryett,  Isabel,  iii.  40 
Harsnet,  Samuel,  ii.  30 
Hart  John,  iv.  5 

Harte,  Sir  Eustace,  iv.  6  ;  Henry,  iv.  6 
Harvey,  Stephen,  v.  4  ;  William,  v.  5  ; 

Nicholas,  V.  5 
Harward  (or  Harvard)  family,  v.   19; 

Magdalen,  v.  19  ;  Robert,  v.  19  ; 

Kempe,  v.  19  ;   Richard,  v.  19 
Hastings,  Lord  Henry,  i.   17  ;  Adam 

de,  ;     Isabelle,    ii.    12 ;     Sir 

Philip,  ii.  9.  22  ;  Phillipa,  ii.   23  ; 

Nicholas,  ii.  2,  23  ;  Ann,  ii.   11  ; 

Sir    Edward,    ii.    9,    23  ;    family, 

ii.  2  ;  Sir  Edmund,  ii.  11  ;   Ralph, 

ii.  12  ;  John,  ii.  25 
Hattor   John,  i.  50 


Haut  (or  Hawte),  Sir  William,  i.  22  ; 
Mary,  i.  22  ;  De  la  Hawte,  ii.  8  ; 

William,  ii.  22 
Hawif,  Samuel,  iv.  5 
Hawke,  Ann,  iv.  lo 
Hawker,    Robert,   ii.    13  ;     Kalherine, 

ii.  13 
Hawkins,    Edith,   iv.  36  ;    Charles,   v. 

23  ;  Mary,  v.  23 
Heath,  Mary,  ii.  65  ;  (2),  v.  13 
Hele,  Sir  John,  iv.  8  ;  Mary,  iv.  8 
Hemings,  Peter,  iii.  36 
Hemming,  Rose,  iii.  37  ;  goodwife.v.  5 
Henage,  George,  iv.  22  ;   Mary,  iv.  22 
Henley,  Philip,  de,  ii.  8 
Hennesy,  Margaret,  vi.  24 
Henry   III.,   ii.  23  ;   Henry  V.,  i.  43  ; 

ii.  12  ;  Henry  VI.,  i.  32,  44,  47, 

48  ;  ii.  5  ;   Henry  VIL,   i.   3,   20, 

32  ;  Henry  VIH.,  i.  3,  19,  32,  55  ; 

ii.  23 
Hepburn,  Patrick,  vi.  I 
Herbert,     Sir     William,      iii.     35-6  ; 

Lady    Grace,    ii.    36  ;     iii.     36  ; 

Grissel,  ii.  36 
Herbert  (or  Fynche),  Isabel,  i.  17 
Herrick,  Anne,  v.  9,  13 
Herteshorne,  Thomas,   ii.    12  ;    Eliza- 
beth, ii.  12 
Heryng,  Richard,  iii.  2g 
Hesketh-Fleetwood,  Sir  P.,  iii.  23 
Hesse,   Royal   Family,  v.  25  ;  Prince 

Charles,  v.  26  ;    Prince  William, 

V.  26  ;  Princess,  v.  26 
Hevenyngham,  Sir  Anthony,  ii.  12 
Heydon,  John,  ii.  14 
Hey  ford,  Elyas,  vi.  23 
Higham,  Jane,  ii.  21  ;  Thomas,  ii.  21 
Hill,  Joan,  i.  23  ;    Francis,  i.   27  ;    — , 

i.   27  ;  Ann,  v.   11  ;  John,  v.   13  ; 

John  (Elder),  v.  13 
Hilles,  Mary,  iv.  33 
Hills,  Thomas,  iv.  33 
Hispania  de  Richard,  iii.  2  ;   Margaret, 

iii.  2  ;  Hervey,  iii.  2 
Hitchcock,  Francis,  i,  26 
Hitchin,  Frederick  William,  iii.  53-4; 

William,  iii.  53-4  ;   Rev.  Thomas, 

iii.  53-4  ;  Thomas,  iii.  53  ;  Joseph, 

iii.    54 ;     Rev.    Edward,    v.     14  ; 

Ann,  V.  17 
Hobart,  Thomas,  ii.  28  ;  Jane,  ii.  28 
Hobbs,     Nathaniel,     iii.     60  ;     Susan, 

iv.  TO 
Hodges,  William,  and  others,   v.    10  ; 

Jocosa,  V.  22;  Dinah,  v.  26  ;  Phillis, 

iii.  49 
Hodgeson,    Lucretia,    v.    26  ;    Dinah, 

V.  26 
Holbrough,  Elizabeth,  iii.  17 
Holden,   Priscilla,  ii.  51  ;  Thomas,   ii. 

51  ;  John,  iii.  29 


Holding,  John,  iv.  37 

Holmes,    Shephard,    ii.   57  ;     Elinora, 

ii-  57 
Homer,  Richard,  v.  21 
Honkin,  John,  iv.  9 
Hopetoun,  Earl  of,  vi.  8 
Hopkins,   Henry,  iv.  33  ;    Mr.  v.  20  ; 

George,  v.  20 
Hore,  William,  iii.  i 
Home,  John,  ii.  29  ;  Elizabeth,  iv.  29  ; 

Robert,    iv.    29  ;     Mary,    iv.    29  ; 

Robert    (2),    iv.    30  ;    Susannah, 

iv.  30  ;  Mr.,  v.  14 
Horrenden,  John,  iv.  10 
Horseman,  Henry,  ii.  32 
Howsley  (t^?  Lewsley) 
Howard,  Annis,  iii.  37  ;  John,  iii.  37 
Huddle,  William,  iii.  35 
Huddv,  Christopher,  iv.    10 ;    Honor, 

iv.  10 
Hughes,  Jane,  ii.  53 
Humphrey,  Duke  of  Gloucester,  i.  31, 

48,58 
Humphreys,  James,  iv.  16  ;  Elizabeth, 

iv.  1 5 
Hungerford,  Richard,   ii.   22  ;    iv.    9  ; 

Sir  E.,  iv.  9 
Hunt,  Thomas,  v.  9 
Flunter,      William      (Lord      Mayor, 

London,   1852),  iii.  21,  24;   Mr., 

iv.  16 
Huntingdon,  Henry,  Earl  of  (Prince 

of     Scotland),      i.      17  ;      David, 

Magaret,  Ada,  Richard,  ii.  44 
Hurst,  Henry,  i.  33 
Hutchinson,  General  John  Hely,  vi.  9 
Hyke,  John,  iv.  3 
Hyngham,  Thomas,  iii.  32 


I 

Inches,  John  Morison,  vi.  20 

Ingowe,  John,  iv  7 

Ingram,  Mary,  v.  29 

Isabelle    of    Scotland,    i.    17  ;     Isabel 

Herbert  or  Fynche,  i.  17 
Ismay,  Anna,  iii.  45 
Ives,  Mary,  ii.  56 


Jackman,  Dorothy,  ii.  34,41  ;  William, 
ii-  34 

Jackson,  — ,  i.  27  ;  Francis,  iii.  43  ; 
Hugh,  Isabelle,  v.  4  ;  Katherine, 
V.  4,  17  ;  John,  v.  5  ;  William, 
V.  9,  13  ;  Elizabeth,  v.  13  ; 
Richard,  v.  17  ;  Ralph,  v.  4,  17 


Index  of  T^ersons. 


Jacob,  Robert,  ii.  17 

Jacomb,  Robert,  iii.  23 
Jacomb-Hood,  Susan  ;  iii.  23  ;  Percy, 

iii.  23  ;   Mr.,  iii.  23 
Jago,  Elizabeth,  iv.  7 
James  I.,  i.  35  ;  ii.  37  ;  James,  V.,  ii.  S  ; 

■V'-  3.  £.  17  ;  James  VI.,  vi.  7,  17 
James,  Roger,  i.  33.  ;  iii.  5,  41  ;  Sarah, 

iii.  41 
James,  Sarah    Ellen,  v.    11  ;    Thomas, 

V.  14 
Jansen,  Cornelius,  i.  33 
Jay  Frammingham,  ii.  64 
Jeffries,  Anne,  v.  16  ;  William,  v.  16 
Jekell,  Robert,  iii.   2  ;   Margaret,  iii.   2 
Jelly,  Mary,  v.  10 

Jenkins,  Moses,  iii.  36  ;  Mary,  iii.  36 
Jenney  {see  Jenny),  William,  ii.  14 
Jenneys,  Sarah,  v.  12 
Jennings,    Adjutant-General,     ii.    62  ; 
Richard,  iii.  36  ;  Parnell,  iii.   36  ; 
Thomas,  v.  3 
Jenny,  William,  ii.  13-4 
Jerins,  Gamaliel,  i.  27  ;   Richard,  i.  27 
Jermy    (see  Jenny)  ;    Robert,    ii.    26  ; 

William,  ii.  26-7 
Jermyn,  Christopher,  ii.  22  ;    Robert, 

iii.  6  ;  William,  iii.  6  ; 
Jerneghan,  Elizabeth,  iii.  i6 
Jernygan,  Thomas,  ii.  20 
Jesson,  Thomas,  iv.  28  ;  Anne  Frances, 

iv.  28 
Jillson,  Elizabeth,  vi.  23 
John,  King-,  i.  13 

Johnson,  Corneles  or  Coinilis,  i.  33  ; 
Mr.,  i.  33  ;  Christopher,  i.  33  ; 
Alls,  i.  12,  ;  Peter,  i.  33  ;  Garrett, 
i-  33  ;  Egbart,  i.  33  ;  Jasper,  i.  33  ; 
(son),  i.  33;  (mother),  i.  33; 
— ,  i.  34  ;  Robert,  iii.  ig 
Jones,  Katherine,  iii.  44 
Joneson,  Nicholas,  v.  5 


K 

Kelsall,  Frederick,  iii.  23 
Kelsey,  Sir  Thomas,  v.  13 
Kemp-Welch  (family),  iv.  22,  29 
Kene,  Thomas,  ii.  15  ;  Robert,  ii.  22 
Kerridge,    Thomas,    ii.    41,   44,    46; 

Mary,  ii.  41,  44,  46  ;    Samuel,  ii. 

44  ;  Susan,  ii.  46 
Kerrott,  Susan,  iii.  39 
Kester,  Cisily,  iii.  41 
Kilby,    Jonathan,    v.  7  ;    John,   v.   9  ; 

Jane,  v.  9 
Kilpatrick,  Agnes,  vi.  17 
Kilsby,  William,  v.  g 
King,  John,  v.  21 


King,  Robert,  ii.  47  ;  iii.   10  ;   Letitia, 

ii.  47  ;  iii.  10 
Kingsburgh,  Lord,  C.B,  vi.  20 
Kinnoul,  Earl  of,  vi.  8 
Kirkham,  John,  iv.  30 
Kitchingman,   Mary,  iii.  7,   10  ;  John, 

iii.  10 
Kitt  (or  Kyttes),  William,  i.  26 
Knave,  William  le,  v.  17 
Knight,  Thomas,  i.  13 
Knox,  Ann,  vi.  21  ;  William,  vi.  21 
Koikrom,  Alice  (!<•«  Cockerhara),  ii.  31 
Kyng,  John,  iv.  3 
Kynnaird,  Lord,  iv.  23 
Kyrknor  {sfe  Lewknor),  i.  33 


Lacye,  John,  ii.  16 

Ladness,  John  de,  ii.  4  ;  Thomas,  ii.  4 

Lamb,  Joseph,  v.  13 

Lane,  — ,  iv.  29 

Langley,  Mrs.,  v.  3 

Lansdell,  Chrysostom,  iii.  45  ;    John, 

iii.  45 
Lany  (or  Lang),  Ann,  ii.  32 
Larbeck,  James,  iv.   12;  John  Kemp, 

iv.  12  ;  William  Kemp,  iv.  12 
Large,  Margaret,  iii.  12 
Latham,  William,  i.  25  ;  Cecily,  i.  26 
Lawrence,  — ,  ii.  27 
Layton,  John,  ii.  28 
Lee,  John,  i.  60 
Leeth,  Judith,  ii    53  ;  Rev.  William, 

ii-  53 
Leigh,  William,  iii.  10 
Leighton,  Annie,  vi.  24 
Leman,  T.,  vi.  4 

Lennox  (Lord),  Henry  Gordon,  iv.  18 
Lepere,  — ,  iv.  17 
Lewknor,  Beatrice,  i.  6  ;  Roger,  i.  6  ; 

Sybilla,  i.  7,  33  ;  Sir  Thomas,  i.  16, 
33  ;  Erasmus,  i.  33 
Lewsley  (Howsley),  Henry,  iii.  19 
Leyland,  Christopher,  iii.  31 
Lichfield,  Richard,  i.  60 
Lillico,  Isobelle,  vi.  3 
Lilsey,  Edward,  iii.  5 
Lincoln  de,  John,  iii.  2 
Lister,  Family,  v.  25  ;   Phoebe,  v.  25  ; 

Thomas,  v.  25 
Livens,  Sarah,  v.  II 
Lodge,  John,  iii.  48 
Lomer,  Owen,  vi.  25 
London,  "Widow,"  ii.  18 
Loone,  Thomas,  i.  34 
Low,  Richard,  v.  13 
Lower,    Nicholas,    iv.    5  ;    Elizabeth, 

iv.  5 
Lullgrave,  Duddlee,  i.  27 


Luraas,  Elizabeth,  iii.  56 
Lunsford,  Catherine,  ii.  62 
Luxford,  Elizabeth,  iv.   25 

iv.  25 
Lynde,  John,  iv.  2 
Lynicke,  Margaret,  i.  23 
Lyon,  Rev.  S.  J.,  vi.  26 


M 


Thomas, 


Mabuse,  Ian,  i.  51 

Mackett,  Samuel,  ii.  27 

Maclean,  Sir  John,  ii.  20  ;  iv.  2,  3,  4 

Macqueen,  Georgiana,  vi   26 

Madden,  John,  iii.  19 

Mai  re,  John,  iv.  23 

Majorwaring,  Simon  de  la,  ii.  2 

Maldred,  Robert  Fitz,  i.  14 

Malim,   George,  v.    12  ;  Harriet  Ann, 

V.  12 
Mallum,  Anne,  ii.  51 
Mann,     Elizabeth,     ii.    50  ;     Thomas, 

ii.  50  ;   Hannah,  iii.  45 
Mansell,  Thomas,  iii,  32 
March,  Mary,  iii.  20 
Marchinoff,  John,  i.  38 
Margaret  of  Anjon,  i.  51 
Marlow,  Anne  (see  Mallum),  ii.  51 
Marriott,  William,  v.  14 
Marsh,  Alice,  i.  27  ;   Rose,  iii.  35,  42  ; 
Thomas,    iii.    35,    42  ;    William, 
iii.  42 
Marshal,  Walter  le,  vi.  23 
Marshall  Family,  iii.  20 
Marshant,  Letitia,  iii.  46 
Marshe,  William,  iv.  7 
Martin,   Elizabeth,   iii.   63;    Thomas, 
iii.  63  ;  Ann,  iv.  9  ;  John,  iv.  36  ; 
Luce,  Lucy,   iv.   36  ;   Rhoda,   iv. 
36  ;   Ursula,  iv.  36 
Martyn,  John  Ley,  iv.  26 
Mary,  Queen,  i.  3,  32  ;  ii.  23  ;  iv.  20  ; 

Queen  of  Scots,  vi.  2,  17 
Master,  John,  iii.  32  ;  F'amily,  iv.  4 
Mathew,  Sibell,  iii.  39 
Mathews,  John,  vi.  24 
Matthews,  Mr.,  v.  20  ;  Thomas,  v.  20 
Maxey,  Peele,  ii.  65 
May,  James,  ii.  17  ;  Margaret,  ii.  17  ; 

Mary,  ii.  17  ;  Robert,  ii.  17 
Mayall  (or  Neal  or  Nayior),  Francis, 

i.  25 
Meadows,  Jane,  vi.  28 
Mein,  Ann,  v.  26 
Melone,  Joseph,  vi.  24 
Melton  (see  Moulton)  ;  Cicely,  ii.  20  ; 

iii.  31 
Melvill,  Sir  James,  i.  g 
Mercer-Drew,  Edward,  iii.  55 


Index  of  T'ersons. 


Merry,    Anthony,    ii.    40  ;    Priscilla, 

ii-  53 
Mery,  Agnes,  iii.  32 
Meschines,  Maude  de,  i.  17 
Michael,  Geoffrey,  iii.  I 
Middleton,  Henry,  iii.  5 
Mild  (or  Miles),  Alice,  iii.  2 
Mildmay,  Sir  Walter,  iii.  30  ;  v.  28 
Mill  (or  Mills),  Elizabeth,  v.  26 
Miller,     Elizabeth,    iii.    8  ;    Nicholas, 

iii.  8  ;  Henry,  iii.  43 
Milner,  Lord,  vi.  27 
Mingay,  Henry,  iii.  7  ;   Isabella,  iii.  7  ; 
John,  ii.  63  ;  iii.  7  ;  Frances,  ii.  63 
Minors,     Elizabeth,    iii.    16  ;     Ralph, 

iii.  16  ;   William,  iii.  16 
Mitchell,  Ann,  iii.  63 
Mitris,  Hans,  i.  33 
Moile,  Thomas,  i.  27 
Molum,  Reginald,  iv.  10 
Montague,  Henry  (Viscount),  iv.  23 
Moore,  Ann,  ii.  28  ;  John,  ii.  28 
Mordant,  Elizabeth,  i.  31  I  Lord,  i.  31  ; 

Family,  iii.  34  ;  — ,  iii.  34 
Morehouse,  Mrs.,  i.  27 
Mores,  John,  iii.  29 
Morland,  Jane,  iv.  30 
Morrell,  Robert,  v.  S  ;  Elizabeth,  v.  6 
Morrison,  Helen,  vi.  21 
Mortimer,  Richard,  iii.  10 

Morton,  Bishop,  i.  43 

Mossman,  Janet,  vi.  17 

Moste,  Roger,  i.  27 

MoultoD  (or  Melton),  John,  ii.  20 

Mounsey  (or  Munsie),  iii.  18 

Mowbray,   John   (Duke    of   Norfolk), 
i.  49 

Moyle,  Amy,  i.  29,  34  ;  Thomas,  Sir, 
i.  29,  30,  38  ;  Family,  iv.  21 

Munden,  Richard,  iii.  43-4,  50 

Mundy,  Mr.,  iii.  21 

Munsie  (or  Mounsey),  John,  iii.  18 

Murton,  Family,  iv.  16 

Mushet,  Mr  ,  iv.  16 

Muston,  Ann,  v.  13 

Mutson,  Edmund,  v.  18 

Mylles,  John,  i.  33 

Myter,  Hans,  i.  33 


N 
Nashe,  Robert,  iii.  37 
Naylor,  John,  vi.  24  {see  Mayall) 
Neal,  Charles,  ii.  64  ;  Thomas,  ii.  64 

(^see  Mayall) 
Neave,  John,  ii.  27  ;  George,  iv.  29 
Neeton,  Edward,  iii.  48 
Nelson,  Lord,  ii.  41,  62,  63  ;  Edmund, 

ii,  63  ;  Family,  ii.  63 


Neville,  Family, i.  13  ;  Edward,  Knight, 
i.   14  ;  Geoffrey  de,  i.  14  ;  Isabel 
de,  i.  14  ;   George,  i.  29 
Newburgh,  Earl  of,  iv.  23 
Newhouse,  Hugh,  ii.  40 
Newland,  William,  iii.  32 
Newman,    Thomas,    ii.   64 ;    Mathew, 

iii.  34  ;  George,  iii.  35 
Newport,  John,  v.  17 
Nichol,  George,  iii.  ^-J  ;   Mary,  iii.  47  ; 

Randell,  iii.  47 
Nicholles,  Richard,  ii.  31 
Nicholls,  — ,  i.  27  ;    Frances,  iii.   17  ; 

William,  iii.  17 
Nicklis,    Jonathan,    v.    20  ;     William, 

V.  20 
Nicoll,  Anihonie,  iii.  39  ;  John,  iii.  42 
Nield,  John,  v.  10 
Noble,  Samuel,  iii.  19  ;  Mary,  iii.  43  ; 

Richard,  v.  14 
Norfolk,  Duke  of  (sef  Bello  Campo), 
i.    47  ;    ii.    5  ;     Duke    of    (John 
Mowbray),  i.  49 
Norres,  Henry,  iii.  29 
Norreys,  Robert,  i.  50 
Norris,  Mr.,  ii.  12-3 
Norroy,  Segar,  ii.  33 
Northbrook,  Lord,  iv.  18 
Northesk,  Earl  of,  vi.  8 
Northumberland,  Maud  of,  i.  16-7 
Norton,  Dorothy,  ii.  25,  32 
Norwych,  Robert,  iii.  29 
Notle,  Jane,  iv.  7  ;  John,  iv.  7 
Notley,  Jane,  iv.  7 


O 
Ogilvie,    Capt.,    iii.    44  ;    Alexander, 

iii.  4S  ;  Archibald,  iii.  45  ;  Mary 

Ann,  iii.  45 
Oglander,  George,  iv.  32  ;  Mary,  iv.  32  ; 

Sir  John,  iv.  32,  35  ;  Sir  William, 

iv.  32,  35  ;  William,  iv.  33 
Oldcastle,  Sir  John   (Lord   Cobham), 

i.  42-3 
Oliphant,  Andrew,  vi   3 
Onions,  Henry,  iii.  10 
Onley,  Roger  (Bolingbroke),  i.  48 
Onslow,  Edward;  iv.  4 
Orrery,  Earl  of,  John,  iii.  58 
Orwell,  Jane,  ii.  36 
Osborn,  Bernal,  iv.  18 
Osborne,  Richard,  ii.  16  ;  Jean,  iv.  22  ; 

Thomas,  iv.  22 
Osbourne,    Thomas,    i.    38  ;    iii.    17  ; 

Nicolas,    iii.    8  ;    Alice,    iii.    17  ; 

Thomas,  v.  20 
Outlaw  (Utlaw),  Elizabeth,  iii.   7,  9  ; 

Ralph,  iii.  7,  9 
Ovedale,  Peter  de,  ii.  4 


Owen,  Mr.,  v.  21 

Oxenbridge,  Sir  Robert,  i.  26,  33  ;  Sir 

Robert,  Knight,  v.  16 
Oxford,  Earl  of,  iii.  17-S 


Packingham,  Dr.,  i.  54 

Paget,  Admiral  Lord  Clarence,  iv.  18 

Pain,  John,  iv.  26 

Palgrave,    Clement,    ii.    26  ;     Robert, 

ii.  26 
Palmer,  Thomas,  ii.  25 
Pamen,  Clement,  iii.  7  ;   Henry,  iii.  10 
Panto,  Eleanor,  v.  28 
Panwed,  Thomas,  ii.  16 
Parker,  Colonel,  iii.  50  ;  Mary,  iii.  63  ; 

William,  iii.  63 
Parkhurst,  Sir  William,  ii.  36 
Parne,  Andrew,  iii.  16  ;   Mary,  iii.  16 
Parsons,  Christopher,  iii.  18,  19 
Pascowe,  John,  iv.  9 
Paton,  — ,  iii.  46 
Patterson,  William,  iii.  19 
Pawle,    Dorothy,    iii.    32  ;     Elizabeth, 

iii.  32 
Payne,   John,  i.    15  ;    iii.  26  ;   Roger, 
ii.  32,  36 

Pearce,  Helen,  iii.  7  ;  William,  iii.  7 

Peche,  Nicholas,  iii.  2 

Pecock,  Edward,  iii.  34 

Peirce,  William,  iii.  7 

Pemberton,  Ralph,  iii.  56  ;  Sir  Francis, 
iv.  36 

Pembroke,  Earl  of,  iii.  35 

Penkiville  (or  Penkivell),  Philip,  iv.  5  ; 
Winifred,  iv.  5,  10 

Pennant,  Mr.,  iv.  7 

Penny,    Mary,    iii.    49  ;     Benjamina, 
iv.  29,  30  ;  Richard,  iv.  29 

Penrose,  Jane,  iv.  8 

Penwarne,  Katherine,  iv.  5 

Perry,  Mr.,  iii.  46 

Persons  (jee  Parsons) 

Peter  (of  Claydon),  ii.  15 

Peters,  Elizabeth,  ii.  28 

Peyton,  Christopher,   iv.  6  ;   Frances, 
iv.  6  ;  Thomas,  iv.  6 

Phillips,  Richard,  ii.  48,  49,  53  ;  Amy, 
ii.  48,  54  ;  Ann,  ii.  53 

Picton,  Sir  Thomas,  vi.  10 

Pigot,  Mrs.  T.  W.,  i.  3 

Pigott,  Mr,  T.  W.,  iii.  23  ;  Mrs.  T.  W., 
iii.  23  ;  Wellesley,  iii.  23 

Pike,  Mr.,  iii.  51 

Pinnell,  Rev.  Peter,  ii.  53 

Pitt,  Thomas,  iii.  48 

Playter,  Sir  William,  v.  25 

Plunket,  Jane,  iv.  22  ;  Patrick,  iv.  22 

Pogge,  John,  iv.  2 


Index  of  T'ersons. 


Pole,   John,    i.    33  ;    Margery,    i.    33  ; 

William  de  la,  ii.  13 
Foley,  Edmund,  ii.  32  ;  Alice,  ii.  36 
Pollard,  — ,  i.  26 
Polton,  Thomas,  i.  43 
Ponufrayt,  William,  vi.  23 
Poole,  Geoffrey,  iv.  20 
Porter,  — ,  ii.  34 

Poste,  Major,  iii.  23  ;  T.  W.  B.,  iii.  23 
Pothe  (^see  Potle),  John,  iii.  29 
Potie  (jee  Pothe) 
Powell,  Agnes,  i.  33  ;  — ,  i.  34  ;  "'•  3i  ; 

Anne,  iii.  31  ;  James,  iii.  39 
Powis,  Edward,  ii.  36  ;  Lord,  iii.  35,  36 
Powie,  Anne,  i.  20  ;  iii.  31  ;  — ,  i.  34  ; 

iii.  31 
Poynes,  Florence,  iii.  29  ;  John  iii.  29 
Pratt,  Honor,  v.  26 
Presswell,  Hugh,  iii.  35 
Pretyman,  Jane,  ii.  58  ;   Robert,  ii.  58 
Prior,  J.,  iv.  17  ;  Mary,  iv.  17 
Prue,  John,  iii.  39 
Prylle,  John,  ii.  15 
Puckering,  Sir  Henry,  i.  34 
Pumpe,  Robert,  iii.  32 
Purcell,  Margaret,  v.  26 
Purdie,  William,  iii.  5 
Pyke,  Henry,  iii.  39 
Pympe,  Anne,  i.  17 


Q 

Quintain,  Frances,  iii.  16 


R 

Rakes,  Robert,  v.  14 

Radcliffe,  Barbara,  iv.  23  ;  Hon.  James 

Bartholomew,  iv.  23 
Ramond,  iii.  2 
Randall,    Ebenezer,   ii.   57  ;    Clarissa, 

ii.  57;  Richard,  iii.  16;   Elizabeth, 

iii.  16  ;  Mary,  iii.  16 
Rawe,  Symon,  iv.  8  ;  Rose,  iv.  8 
Rawlings,  Phillip,  i.      ;  Richard,  ii.  25 
Raynes,   Robert,  ii.    11  ;   William,    ii. 

28  ;  Anne,  ii.  28 
Read  (or  Reede),  John,  i.  60  ;  Anne, 

iv.  26  ;  Henry,  iv.  26 
Rede,  family,   iv.  4  ;    Rose,  iv.  4,  8  ; 

Stephen,    iv.    8  ;     Robert,  iv.   8  ; 

Richard,  iv.  8  ;  John,  iv.  8 
Redisham,  Alice  de,  ii.  4 
Reigner,  John,  ii.  16 
Remington,  William,  iii.  19 
Reppes,  Sir  John  de,  ii.  4 
Reynold,  William,  iii.  26 
Rich,  Sir  Peter,  v.  13 
Richardson,  Mr.,  iii.  21  ;   Rev.  Henry 

Kemp,  iii.  21 


Rickman,  Benjamina,  iv.  29  ;  Joseph, 

iv.  29,  30  ;  Caleb,  iv.   30  ;  Mary, 

iv.  30 
Rigby,  Anthony,  iii.  41  ;  — ,  iii.  44  ; 

Elizabeth,  iii.  44,  45 
Rippin,    Rose,  iii.   36  ;    v.  25  ;    John, 

iii.  36,  48  ;  Ann,  iii.  42  ;  — ,  iii.  64 
Rivoult,  — ,  iv.  17 
Roadley,  George,    iii.  46  ;  Sarah,  iii. 

46  ;  A.,  iii.  46 
Rogers,  Elizabeth,  iii.   l6  ;    — ,  iii.  16 

family,  iv.  22 
Rogerson,  Roger,  i.  33 
Rokewood,  Nicholas,  iii.  31  ;  Robert, 

iii.  32  ;   Bridget,  iii.  32 
Roos,  John,  i.  24  ;  Baron  John  de,  v.  2 
Roper,   Ralph,  i.   l6  ;   Isabelle,  i.  16  ; 

John,  i.  24,  33,  61  William,  i.  26  ; 

Richard,  i.  32  ;  iv.  20 
Rose,  Mary,  v.  23 
Roswood,  Henry,  ii.  32 
Roughead,   Catherine,  vi.    18  ;    Peter 

Craigie,  vi.  18 
Rous,   Reginald,  ii.   13-4;   Edward,  ii. 

24;    Thomas,  ii.  25,  34;  family, 

v.  2 
Rouse,  Prudence,  ii.   36  :   Edward,  ii. 

36  ;  — ,  v.  13 
Rowe,    Simon,    iv.   8  ;    Rose,    iv.    8  ; 

Abraham,  iv.  9 
Rowse  [see  Rous)  ;  — ,  ii.  27  ;   Edward, 

ii-  32 
Ruggles-Brise,  family,  iii.  3-12 
Russell,  Lord,  iv.  20  ;  y.  13  ;   Richard, 

iv.  25  ;  Mary,  iv.   25-6  ;  William, 

iv.  26  ;  Sarah,  v.  20 
Rust,  Elizabeth,  iii.  20  ;  Mary,  iii.  20 
Rye,  Walter,  ii.  5,  12,  19 


Sage,  Joseph,  iii.  45 

St.  Asaph,  Bishop  of  (see  Hanmer) 

St.  Aubin,  Thomas,  iv.  5  ;  Alice  iv.  5 

St.  Ledger,  Sir  Warren,  i.  35 

Salisbury,  Marquis  of,  v.  28 

Sampson,  Ann  Eliza,  vi.  26  ;  Benjamin, 
vi.  26 

Sandford,  Sir  Daniel  Keyte,  ii.  66  ; 
Julia  Lane  Grace,  ii.  66 

Sangster,  Alexander,  vi.  5 

Sanderson,  Agnes,  vi.  2 

Saunders,  Charles,  ii.  56  ;  Mary,  ii.  56 

Savage  ("  Savadge  "),  John,  v.  7 

Srhalar,  Alic  de,  ii.  6 

Scott,  John,  i.  15,  17  ;  Sir  Reginald, 
i.  16,  25,  30-1  ;  William,  i.  17,  31  ; 
Michael,  i.  17,  ;  Robert,  i.  17, 
19;  Alice,  i.  17,  19,  24;  Emma 
(wife  of  Michael),  i.  17  ;  Matilda 


(wife    of    William),    i.    17  ;     Sir 

Thomas,    i.   30 ;    Sir  William,  i. 

30.  31.   33  ;    Edward,   i.   31  ;    Sir 

John,  i.  31  ;  Joan,  i.  33  ;  Thomas, 

i.  39  ;  Sir  Walter,  vi.  10 
Seagar,  Edith,  iv.  36 
Seaton,  Dorothy,  ii.  60-2 
Seccombe,  Martha,  v.  13 
Selkirk  (or  Selcraig),  Ale.xander,  vi.  18 
Sell,  John,  iii.  60 
Sergeant,  William,  iii.  10 
Shalcrosse,  Humphrey,  iii.  56  ;  Eliza- 
beth, iii.  56 
Shallcross  (or  Shardelow),  Henry,  ii. 

54  ;   Elizabeth,  ii.  54 
Shardelow  {see  Shallcross) 
Sharpe,  Rev.  John,  ii.   58  ;    Edgar,  ii. 

58  ;  Dr.  ii.  59  ;  Barbara,  iii.  64 
Sharpe,  Mary,  v.  13  ;  Thomas,  v.  13 
Shelton,   Maurice,  ii.  40,  41,  44,  62  ; 

Sarah,  ii.  62  ;  Elizabeth  ii.  62 
Shens,  Thomas,  vi.  13 
Shenton,  Frances,  Richard,  v.  12 
Shelton,  Sir  John,  ii.  22 
Sherlock,  Rev.  Dr.,  v.  13 
Sherrington,    Margaret,    ii.    15  ;     — , 

ii.  15 
Sherwood,  — ,  ii.  32  ;  family,  iii.  30 
Shirley,  Sir  Thomas,  i.  29  ;  iv.  4,  21  ; 

Elizabeth,  iv.  4 
Sholling,  Sir  Thomas,  iv.  21 
Shoobridge,     Fanny    Pym,    iii.     54  ; 

Thomas,  iii.  54 
Shooler,  Susannah,  iv.  28 
Short,    Martha,    ii.    16,    49,    51,    53; 

Darell,  ii.  49,  51  ;  John,  iii.  44  ; 

Edward,  iii.  44-5  ;  Catherine,  iii. 

45-7  ;  Ellen,  iii.  44-5 
Short,  family,  iii.  20 
Shute,  John,  iii.  32 
Siddens,  Maria,  iii.  53 
Silverside,  Susan,  ii.  17 
Simons,  Joseph,  v.  27 
Simpson,  Andrew,  vi.  8 
Sinclair,  Janet,  vi.  2 
Singleton,  Edward,  ii.  40 
Skeat,  Prof.,  i.  i 
Skene,  family,  vi.  5 
Skidmore,  Master,  v.  22 
Skinner,    Ralph,    iii.    59  ;    "  Raufe," 

V.  18 
Skipworth,  Sir  Henry,  i.  37  ;  William, 

i,  37  ;   Elizabeth,  i.  37  ;   Sir  Grey, 

ii.     61-2  ;     Anne,     ii.     61  ;      Sir 

William,  ii.  62 
Smith,  William,  ii.   16  ;    Thomas,  iii. 

19  ;  Robert,  iv.  5 
Slaughter,  Edward,  v.  19 
Smith,    — ,    iv.    34  ;      Edith,    v.    7 ; 

Thomas,  v.    7  ;    Edward,   v.   16  ; 

James,  vi.  5 
Smithwine  {see  Smythwin) 


Index  of  Tersons. 


Smythe,  Edmond,  iii.  6;  "Grand- 
mother," V.  i8 

Smythwime,  Elizabeth,  ii.  30 

Smyihwyn,  John,  ii.  25  ;  Edmund,  ii. 
25  ;   Elizabeth,  ii.  25-6 

Snow,  Judith,  iii.  £8 

Snoxall,  Susan,  iii.  47  ;  William, 
iii.  47 

Somerset,  Duke  of,  ii.  S 

Sone,  John,   ii.  41,  45  ;   Mary,  ii.  41, 

45-54 
Southby,    Anthony,    iii.     56  ;      Ann, 

iii.  56  ;  Anne,  iv.  36 
Spencer,  — ,  v.  10 
Sperry,  Mary,  v.  14 
Springham,   Elizabeth,  ii.  63  ;   (3),  iii. 

16  ;  John,  iii.  16 
Springthorpe,  J.  T.,  v.  II 
Spylsbury,  John   i.  23  ;  Sara,  i.  23 
Stafford,  Arch.  Canterbury,  i.  48,  49 
Stanard,  Thomas,  iii.  29 
Stanton  {see  Staunton) 
Starkley,  William  (jun.),  ii.  41 
Staunton,  Ann,  ii.  30  ;  William,  ii.  30  ; 

John,  iii.  58  ;   Elizabeth,  iii.  58 
Steele,  Jessie,  vi.  18  ;  John,  vi.  18 
Stell,  John,  ii.  40 
Stephens,  Richard,  i.  33 
Stephenson,  Elizabeth,  ii.  65 
Stevens,  Honor,  iv.   12,  13;  John,  iv. 

13  ;  John  (2\  V.  23 
Steward,    Thomas,  iii.   8,  9,    11,    48  ; 

Elizabeth,  iii.  g,  ii,  48 
Stewart,  Thomas,  iii.    10;    Sarah,  iii. 

10  ;    Jane,    vi.    7,    8  ;    Johanna, 

vi.  18 
Stone,  Sarah,  iii.  46 
Stonestreet,   Grace,  iv.   26  ;    Thomas, 

iv.  26 
Stone,  Thomas,  iii.  23  ;  Henry,  v.  15 
Stonard,  Susan,  iii.  22 
Stothard,  Charles,  iv.  16,  17 
Stourton,     Hon.     Charles,     iv.     23  ; 

William,   iv.    23  ;    Lord,   iv.    23 

Jane,  iv.  23 
Stout,  Elizabeth,  v.  23 
Stowe,  Robert,  ii.  16 
Strangeraan,  William,  i.  25 
Stratford  William,  v.  5,  6 
Strelley,  Sir  Robert,  i.  16,  60 
Strickland,  Walter,  v.  2 
Stub,  Thomas,  ii.  16 
Style,  John,  i.  20  ;  Bridget,  i.  20  ;  ii. 

21  ;   iii.   31  ;    Sir    Humphrey,  i. 

20;    iii.    31,    32  ;    Lady,    ii.    21  ; 

Elizabeth,  iii.  31  ;  family,  iii.  32 
Suckling,   Robert,  ii.  62  ;    Catherine, 

ii.  63 
Sudlow,  John,  iii.  45 
Suffolk,  Earl  of,  i.  51  ;  Marquis,  ii.  13 
Sumner,  Martha,  iii.  20;  Thomas,  iii. 


Sute  (see  Shute) 

Sutherland,  Earl  of,  vi.  3 

Sutton,  John,  iii.  42  ;    — ,  iii.  42,  47  ; 

Christopher,  iii.  42  ;  Alice,  iii.  42, 

43,  47  ;   Lord,  iv.  2 
Swathing,    Mathew    de,    ii.  4  ;    Pley- 

sinica,  ii.  4 
Swinsford,  EUena,  iii.  18 
Symonds,  family,  iii.  30 
Sympson,  David,  vi.  4 


Tabor,   John    English,   iii.    22  ;    Eliza- 
beth, iii.  22,  23  ;  John,  iii.  24 
Taileour,  Johne,  vi.  4 
Tailor,  John,  iii.  39 
Talk,  Alice,  iv.  35  ;  John,  iv.  35 
Tapenden,  Susan,  iii.  60 
Tanner,  William,  iii.  19 
Taunton,  Joseph,  iv.  5 
Taylor,   — ,    iii.     14  ;     Mrs.,    iii.    16  ; 

EUenor,  iii.  43  ;  Ann,  iii    51,  63  ; 

William,  iii.  63  ;    Cornelia,  v.  9  ; 

Rev.  John,  v.  17  ;  Kate,  vi.  23 
Thompson   (or  Tomson),  Dorothy,  i. 

34,  37  ;  John,  i.  34  ;  William,  ii. 

17  ;  Sarah,  iii.  45  ;  Agnes,  vi.  3 
Thomas,    Elizabeth,    ii.    61;     Robert, 

iv.  2  ;  John,  iv.  2 
Thorne,  John,  iii.  39 
Thorpe,  -Benjamin,    iii.   46;     Sarah, 

iii.  46 
Throckmorton,      Anthony,      ii.     25  ; 

Lyonell     (or    Lionel),      ii.     25  ; 

Elizabeth,    ii.   25 
Throgmorton      (^see     Throckmorton), 

Elizabeth,  ii.  25 
Thurston,  Thomas,  ii.  41 
Tichborne,  Sir   Henry,  iv.  22  ;   Mary, 

iv.  22 
Tisdalle,  Moyses,  iii.  39 
Titherington,  Charlotte,  iii.  23 
Tittenden,  John,  i.  27 
Todd,  Maria,  iv.  29 
Toke,  John,  i.  21,  25 
Tolbot,  Clere,  ii.  36  ;  Dorothy,  ii.  36  ; 

Martin,  ii.  65  ;  Elizabeth,  ii.  65 
Toller,  William,  v.  11 
Tollesbury  Margaret,  iv.  33 
Tomline,  Bishop,  ii.  58 
Toone,  Walter,  v.  6 
Toser  Juliana,  iv.  5 
Tremayne,   — ,   iv.    5  ;    John,   iv.   5  ; 

Jane,  iv.  5 
Trimlestown,   Lady  Elizabeth,  ii.  51  ; 

Lord,  ii.  51 
Tuberville,  John,  J. P.,  iii.  62 
Tudenham,  Sir  Thomas,  ii.  13 
Take,  Maurice,  i.  38  ;  Dorothy,  i.  38 


Turner,  Ann,  iii.  4  ;  Edward,  iii.  50  ; 

James,  iii.  60 
Twisden,  Francis,  v.  25  ;  Jenny,  v.  26 
Tyler,  Wat,  i.  32  ;  William,  iii.  29 
Tylney,  Sir  Philip,  ii.  22 
Tymperley,  John,   ii.    15  ;    Margaret, 

ii-  15 
Tyndall,  Thomas,  ii.  21  ;  Jane,  ii.  21 


U 

Udall,  Nicholas,  i.  23 
Underhill,  William,  iii.  27 
Upton,  William,  i.  60 
Utber  (or  Utberd)  Bernard,  ii.  40 


V 
Vanes,  William,  v.  5 
Vanwanary,  Leonard,  i.  33 
Vernon,  Mrs.,  ii.  65  ;  Sarah,  ii.  65 
Viggas,  Julian,  i.  23 
Vine,  — ,  iv.  29 
Virler,  Humphrey,  iv.  8 
Vosper,  John,  iv.  7 


Wa(iie,  Agnes,  vi.  17 

Wait,  Marion,  vi.  2 

Wakefield,  "  Father,"  v.  6  ;  Nicholas, 

v.  6 
Wakelyn,  Thomas,  v.  S 
Waldegrave,   William,    ii.    30  ;    Tho- 

mazine,   ii.   30  ;    Sir  William,  ii. 

33  ;    Dorothy,   ii.  33  ;    Lady,    ii. 

34  ;  Thomas,  ii.  41  ;  Jane,  ii.  41 
Walker,  William,  iii.    17,   19;   Kathe- 

rine,  iii.  44  ;   Robert,  iv.  10 
Walker,   Margaret,  v.   9  ;    Ale.xander, 

vi.  9  ;  Sarah,  vi.  9 
Walkfar,  Richard,  iii.  10 
Wall,  William,  v.  5 
Waller,  Henry,  ii.  64 
Wallrond,   Humphrey,  iv.   21;   Mary, 

iv.  21 
Walmesley,  — ,  iv.  21 
Walse,  Nicholas,  vi.  23 
Walsingham,  Sir  Francis,  iv.  34 
Walter,  William,  ii.  40 
Wanley,  Humphrey,  iii.  19 
Warburton,   Frances,   v.    13  ;    Henry, 

v.  13 
Ward,   Thomas,    ii.    13.    IS  ;    Robert, 

ii.  15  ;  John,  V.  8  ;  Francis,  v.  10  ; 

William,  v.   10,  15  ;    Sarah,  v.   15 

John  Prior,  v.  15  ;  Richard,  v.  18 
Ware,  Joan,  iii.  37 


Index  of  T^ersons. 


Warner,    family,    iii.    30 ;      Richard, 

ii.  40 
Wastale,  Priscilla,  v.  26 
Watt,  Margaret,  vi.  21 
Watts,   Peter,   iii.    10  ;    Elizabeth,  iv. 

37  ;   Isaac,  iv.  37 
Webb,  William,  iii.  6  ;  John,  iii.   18  ; 

iv.  9  ;  Frances,  iv.  2:  ;  Sir  John, 

iv.  22 
Webber,  Rebeica,  iv.  10 
Webster,  Selina,  vi.  25  ;  Col.  Thomas, 

vi.  25 
Welch,    family,     iv.     35-7  ;      George, 

iv.  37  ;  Welch,  Robert,  iv.  36 
Weld,  Roger,  iii.  37,  38  ;   Mrs  ,  iii.  38 
Wellington,  Duke  of,  i.  3  ;  vi.  9 
Wells,    Henry   Hunt,   iii.   24  ;     Edith 

Emily,   iii.  24  ;    Mary  Sarah,  iii. 

60  ;   Elizabeth,  iii.  60 
Wendy,   Sir   Thomas,  ii.   48  ;    Susan, 

ii.  48 
Wengfield,  Richard,  ii.  16 
Wenlworth,  Philip,  ii.  14 
Westerfield,  Robert,  iii.  39 
Westerlins,  Frederick,  v.  21  ;  Hannah, 

V.  21 
Westmoreland,  Earls  of,  i.  14 
Whaites,  Mary,  ii.  65 
Wheatley,  Cressvvell,  v.  23 
Wheeler,    Thomas,    i.    28  ;     Harriet, 

vi.  28  ;  Robert,  v.  15 
White,  Mary,  ii.  13  ;  Bartholomew,  ii. 
13  ;  William,  ii.  13  ;   Mr.,  iii.  21  ; 


Elizabeth,  iii.  32  ;  Alice  Ida 
Meadows,  iv.  18  ;  Borrett,  Preb., 
iv.  18  ;  Alfred  Pratt,  v.  15  ; 
Phoebe,  v.  23  ;  Robert,  v.  24  ; 
Janet,  vi.  5 
Whitfield,  Edward  Riddlesdale,  M.A., 

iii-  SS 
Whitnell,  Ralph,  iii.  63 
Whitton,  — ,  ii.  29 
Whittinghara,  Gawaynt,  iii.  6  ;  Anne, 

iii.  6 
Wikes,  James,  v.  10 
Williams,  Mary,  v.  14 
Willington,  Ralph  de,  i.  6  ;  Will.,  i. 

22  ;     ii.     25  ;     Catherine,  ii.   25  ; 

Hannah,  v,  7 
Wilmot,  John,  iv.  32  ;  Rose,  iv.  32 
Wilson,  Lestock,   iv.  26  ;    John,  v.  7  ; 

Edith,  v.  24 
Wingfield,  Elizabeth,  v.  13 
Winter,  Sir  John,  iii.   15  ;   Mary,  iii. 

15.  16 
Withers,    Melissa,    ii.    57 ;     Captain 

Thomas,  ii.  £7 
Wolf,  Stephen,  i.  15 
Wolfe,  George,  v.  14 
Worabe,  Alan,  iii.  26 
Woodall,  Sir  Philip,  ii.  21 
Woode,  John,  i.  33 
Woodhouse,   Sir    Roger,   ii.    29  ;     iii. 

14;  Lady  Mary,    iii.  12,  13,  if; 

Thomas,  iii.    14  ;    May,   iii.    16  ; 

Emily  Mary,  vi.  24 


Woodrow,   Francis,  ii.    57  ;    Lucretia, 

ii.  57 
Woolfe,  John,  iii.  16 
Wormley,  Christopher,  ii.  61 
Worth,  John,  iv.  10 
Wotton,  Sir  Thomas,  i.  47 
Wrench,  Harry,  iii.  39;   iVIary,  iii.  53 
Wright,  Nicholas,  i.  61  ;    Anne,  iii.  S  ; 

Rev.    Joseph,    iii.    46  ;     Edmund 

Nelson,    iii.    46  ;    Elizabeth,    iii. 

46  ;  George,  v.  6 
Wylieghby,  Robert,  ii.  14 
Wymash,  Ellis,  iii.  32 
Wyngfield,  Robert,  iii.  30 
Wyngefield,  Robert,  ii.  14 
Wynnesherst,   John,  iii.  5 
Wyseman,  Edward,  ii.  31 
Wyvell,   family,  v.  25  ;  Anne,  v.   25  ; 

Edward,  v.  25  ;    Sir  William,  v. 

25  ;    Priscilla,  v.  25  ;    Elizabeth, 

V.  26  ;  Rev.  Mr.,  v.  26 


Yardley,  Andrew,  iii.  19 

Yarford,    Sir   James,    iii.    27 ;     Lady, 

iii.  31-2 
Yardford   (jee    Yarford),    Sir    James 

iii.  31 
Young,  Sarah,  ii.  53  ;  Andrew,  iii.  5 

Margery,  iii.  5  ;   William,  iii.  6 

Stephen,  iii.  26  ;   Matilda,  iii.  26 

Janet,  vi.  5 


lOXfDEX    OF    TLcACES. 


Roman  numerals  denote  the  sections  of  the  work,  while  the  pages  of  each  section  are  indicated  by  Arabic  figures. 

References  in  heavy  type  contain  the  principal  information  relating  to  the  places  concerned. 

The  letter /immediately  after  a  page  number  indicates  that  a  further  reference  is  contained  in  the  following  page. 
Where^is  added  the  references  extend  through  three  or  more  successive  pages. 

The  letter  u  or  and  n  attached  to  a  page  number  directs  attention  to  a  footnote. 

Where  the  name  of  a  place  is  followed  by  an  entry  in  square  brackets,  the  former  represents  the  usual  modern  spelling, 
while  the  bracketed  form  is  that  used  in  the  text  in  one  or  more  places.  Some  of  forms  in  brackets  are  genuine  antique 
spellings,  while  others  are  mere  writer's  or  printer's  errors  which  escaped  notice  till  too  late  for  correction. 


A 
Abbot's  Bromley,  v.  Ij^,  g,   12,  22 
Aberdeen,  vi.  4,   5'   7 
Aberdeenshire,  vi.   12,   13 
Abingdon,  iii.  61 
Aboyne,  vi.   5 

Acton,  i.  20,  34,  44  ;  ii.  36  ;  iii.  30/  37 
Adisham,  vi.  28 
Akeley  (Bucks),  iii.  63 
Albany  (U.S.A.),  vi.  23 
Albourne  [Aldb.]  (Sussex),  iv.  20,  24/ 
Alby,  ii.  29 
Aldershot,  vi.  20 
Alderton  (Suff.),  ii.   14 
Aldgate  (London),  iii.  25/ 
Alexandria,  vi.  9 
Alexton  [All.],  v.   10 
Allahabad,  vi.  26  ' 

Almeley,  v.  16 
Almondsbury,  v.  22 
Alnwick,  v.  27 
Aloes  Bridge  (Kent),  i.  35 
Alphamstone,  v.  29 
Altarnon  (Corn.),  iv.  7 
Altrincham,  vi.  22 
America,  vi.  24 
Anthony  (Corn.),  i.  28  ;  ii.  25 
Antingham,    ii.    4,    n,    25^;^;    28,    32, 

34,  38,  40/  43,  54,   56,  58 
Appleby  (Westmoreland),  v.  4 
Appledram  (Sussex),  iv.  20 
Arminghall,  ii.  63 
Arreton,  iv.  36 
Arundel,  iv.  24,  28^ 
Ash  Parva,  v.  17 
Ashbrittle,  v.   33 
Ashfield,  ii.  6 
Ashley  (Northants),  v.  10 
Ashmersfield,  i.  61 
Ashton  (Gloster),  v.  19 
Ashwell  (Herts),  i.  44 
Atherstone  (Warw.),  iii.  53 
Atwell  Brownwelley,  iv.   5 
Auchlossen,  vi.  13 


Auchtergaven,  vi.  7 
Auldwick,  vi.  3 
Australia,  vi.    17,   18,    26,   27 
Austray  [Austeley],  v.  I 
Ayrshire,  vi.   16 


B 

Backwell  (Som.),  iv.  2 

Badajoz,  vi.   lo 

Badley,  ii.  32 

Bagots  Bromley,  v.  9 

Bainton  (Yorks),  v.  27 

Baltimore,  vi.   12 

Banningham,  ii.  27 

Banstead  (Surrey),  iii.  64 

Bardon  (Leices.),  iii.  23 

Barham  (Kent),  i.   35 

Barking  (Essex),  ii.  7,  20  ;  iii.   19,  56 

Barlandew  (Corn.),  iv.  4 

Barnaby,  ii.  S,   13 

Barnet  (Herts),  iii.  60 

Barningham  (Norf.),  ii.  26,   62 

Barrow  (Rutland),  v.  9 

Barton  Mills  (Suff.),  ii.  48  ;  iii.  9/ 

Bartons,  iv.  25 

Basinghall    [Bass.],    St.    Michael's 

(London),  ii.   37  ;  iv.  28_f 
Basingstoke,  iii.  61  ;  iv.  31 
Bath,  iii.  60  ;  vi.  25 
Batley,  v.  27 

Battle  Abbey,  i.  14,  24  ;  ii.  7 
Bawdsey,  ii.  14 
Bayswater,  iv.  14 
Beauharnois,  vi.  28 
Beaulieu  [or  Bewley],  iv.  32/  35 
Beccles,  ii.  25,  28,  32,  63 
Beckenham,  i.  20 
Beckford,  v.   19/ 
Beddington,  iv.  27 
Bedfont,  iii.  27^  33 
Beeby,  v.  8 


Beeston  (Noif.),  ii.  4 

Beighton  (Norf.),  ii.  65 

Bekesbourne  [Beak],  iv.   28/ 

Belfast,  vi.  22 

Belstead,  Magna  ii.  3,   13/ 

Belton  (Rutland),  v.  10,    12 

Benfieet  South  (Essex),  iii.  4 

Bengeworth,  v.  20 

Benson  v.   13,  23 

Bentley,  iv.  21 

Beridale,  vi.  3  .         ', 

Bermondse}',  iv.  2g/ 

Bermuda,  iv.   12/;  vi.  28 

Berwickshire,  vi.  21 

Besthorpe,  ii.  32 

Betchworth    (Surrey),    i.    24 ;    ii.    37 ; 

iii.  64  ;  iv.  34 
Beverley,  v.  26 
Bicton  (Devon),  iv.  14 
Bidford,  v.   19 
Bildeston,  ii.  44 
Biking  ai  Bileting,  i.   14 
Birchington,  ii.  27 
Bircholt  Hundred  (Kent),  i.   19 
Billing  (Kent),  i.  15 
Birhngham    [Burl.]     (Norf.),    i.    14; 

ii.  65 
Birmingham,  iv.  14  ;  vi.  23 
Bishopstoke,  iv.  31 
Bispham  (Lanes.),  iii.  23 
Blackfriars,  ii.  22;  iv.  21 
Blackheath,  iii.  63 
Blackpool  (Lane),  vi.  24 
Blakenham,  ii.  15 
Blengate  Hundred  (Kent),  i.  18 
Bletchingley    [Blechinglee]   (Surrey), 

iii.  32 
Blisland  (Corn.),  i.  7  ;  iv.   l_f 
Bloomsbury,  iii.  45 
Blyford,  ii.  6 
Blythburg,  ii.  2/5/8 
Bocking  (Esse.x),  iii.  22,  24 
Bodnell  South  (Corn.),  iv.  3 
Boldre  (Hants),  i.  3  ;  iv.  32/ 


Index  of  T^ laces. 


40,  44> 


35 


Bolton,  vi.  5 

Bolton-le-Sands,   v.  3 

Bolton  Percy  (Yorks),  i.  47,  58 

Bombay,  vi.  3 

Borneo,  vi.  26 

Boroughbridge,  v.  28 

Botley  Hill,  vi.  9 

Boston   (England),  v.  29 

Boughton    Aluph   (Norf.),    i.    6,    23/ 

3S,  40,  61 
Bourn  (Carab.),  ii.   58  ' 

Bowte-Walle,  i.   14 
Bo.xford  (Sussex),  iii.  50. 
Boxley,  (Kent),  i.   15 
Boxmoor  (Berksi,  iii.  60 
Boxworth  (Berks),  iii.  60 
Brabourne    (Kent),    i.   15,  30;    ii.  8; 

iii.  26 
Braconash,  ii.   13,   16,   20, 

53,  59 
Bradfield  (Essex),  iii.  6 
Bradfield  (Norf.),  ii.  26 
Bradford  (Yorks),  iii.  36 

6,  8,  25,  27 
Brading,  iv.  34^ 
Bradley,  North,  v.  23 
Braintree  (Essex),  iii.  4 
Brandiston  (Norf.),  ii.  65 
Branstone   [Bram.]   (Leic),  v.  9 
Breage  (Corn.),  iv.   14 
Brexford,  iv.  36 
Bricett  Parva,  ii.   25,  28_^  44 
Bridgend  (Glam.),  iv.   13 
Brighton,  iv.  20,  29/';  vi.  25 
Bristol,  i.  4,   II  ;    iii.  60  ;  iv.    2,  37  ; 

V.  22,  24 
Briston,  ii.  56 
Brixton  (Surrey),  v.   21 
Brockley  (Kent),  vi.  2 
Brockley  (Suff.),  ii.  49 
Brome,  ii.  2  2 
Bromley-at-Bow,  iii.  5 
Bromley  Hurst,  v.  7 
Brompton   Regis   [Brunton],  v.  23 
Brookland,  iv.  26 
Broom  (Wore),  v.  20 
Buckenham,  Old  (Norf.),  ii.  36  ;  iii.  7 
Buckenham,  New,  ii.  49,   53  ;  iii.  7 
Buckinghamshire,  iii.   25,  %\ff 
Bucklesham,  ii.   14 
Budbrooke,  v.  15 
Budleigh  (Devon),  iv.  2 
Bulchamp,  ii.  2 
Bulley,  V.   21 

Bunbury  (.Australia),  vi.  26 
Bungay,  ii.  25,   51  ;  iii.   10 
Bunwell  (Norf.),  ii.  19,  66 
Burgh   [Bury]   (Norf.),  iii.  2 
Buriingham     [Bir.]     (Norf.),     i.     14 ; 

ii.  65 
Burnham  (Bucks),  iii.  34,  61 
Burnham  Thorpe,  ii  63 


Burstead,  Great,  iii.  4 
Burston,  ii.  22,  40 
Bury-St.-Edmunds,    ii.    2/    iff,    24, 

32/;   iii.   5  ;  iv.  6 
Butley,  ii.  16 


C 
Caithness-shire,  vi.  3 
Calbourne,  iv.  36 
Calcutta,  vi.  25 
Camberwell,  ii.  56  ;  iii.  45 
Cambridge,  ii.  24/  30,   32 
Canada,  vi.  2,   10,   12,  28 
Canewdon,  (Essex),  iii.  4 
Cantield   [Camf.],  ii.  22 
Cannock,  v.   5 
Canterbury,  i.   3,    7,    40,   49^;  ii.    3, 

6,   19,   21  ;  iv.  29  ;  vi.  25 
Cape  Town,  vi.  25 
Caputh,  vi.    16 
Carandale,  vi.  26 
Carleton  Rode,  ii.  19,  66 
Carlisle,  i.  2 

Carlton  Colville,  ii.  5,   13 
Carnbee,  vi.  13 
Carrevechten,  vi.  7 
Castle  Campbell,  vi.  15 
Castle  Hedingham,  iii.  4 
Catfield,  ii.  66 
Cavan,  vi.   24 
Cavendish,  ii.  63  ;  iii.   14^' 
Chaderton,  v.  4,   17 
Chalcomb,  vi.  25 
Chalfont-St.-Giles,  iii.  61 
Charlecote,  ii.  22 
Charlton  (Kent),  iii.  33/ 
Chart,  Great,  i.  21 
Chatham  [Chetham],  i.  29,  38 
Chattisham  [Chatsham],   ii.  3,   \if 
Cheam,  iii.  44 

Chelsea,  iii.  55^;  iv.  157^  29 
Cheltenham,  iii.  22/";  v.   18 
Chelworth,  Manor  of  (Som.),  i.  28 
Chertsey,  ii.  8  ;  iii.  64 
Chester,  v.  4  ;  vi.  18,  22 
Chichester,  i.  43  ;  ii.  30  ;  iv.  30 
Chigwell,  i.  59  ;  ii.  58  ;  vi.  25 
Childerley  (Camb.),  i.  38 
Chilham,  i.  25/  35/  39 
Chirnside,  vi.  21 
Chiswick,  vi.  25 
Christchurch    (Hants),    iv.    22,    31^ 

35/ 
Chudderghat,  vi.  26 
Churcham,  v.  21  f 
Clackmannanshire,  vi.   15 
Clacton,  iii.   16 
Clanfield  (Hants),  iv.  34 
Claydon  (Suff.),  ii.  15,   18 


Clerkenwell,    ii.    26  ;    iii.  58/";    iv.  5, 

21/;  v.   14,   19 
Clevedon,  vi.  24 
Clitterhouse,  Manor    of,    iii.    35/38, 

42^  VI ff,  S3 
Cloford  v.  23 
Clopton,  ii.   16   18 
Clowance  (Corn.),  iv.  5 
Cobham   (Surrey),  iii.  64  ;  iv.  29 
Cockburnspath,  vi.  21 
Coddenham,  ii.  4 
Colan  (Corn.),  iv.  5 
Colby,  ii.  26 
Colchester,  i.  39 
Coin  St.  Denis,  ii.  53 
Columbia  College,  vi.   13,  23 
Comrie,  vi.  7 
Cork,  vi.  24 
Cornard  (Suff.),  iii.  6 
Cornwall,  i.    20,   31  ;    ii.    20,    26  ;  iii. 

27,   31,  46,  63  ;  iv.  \ff 
Cottesloe,  iii.  61 
Coull,  vi.   13 
Cove,  ii.  20 
Cowfold,  iv.  25 
Cowling  (Kent),  i.  34 
Cranworth,   ii.   15 
Cratfield,  ii.   19 
Creed  [Crede],  (Corn.),  iv.  8 
Greeting,  ii.  44 
Crieff,  vi.  7 
Cretingham,  ii.  16 
Cricklewood,  iii.  42^  47 
Cricksea  (Essex),  ii.  33/;  iii.  9 
Cromer,  ii.  26,  40 
Crowland,  v.  29 
Croxton,  ii.  21  ;  V.  8 
Croydon,   ii.   24  ;    iii.  34,   59,  64  ;    iv. 

I4>  30 
Crugsillick   (Corn.),  iv.   10,   13  /" 
Crundale  (Kent),  i.  23,  39,  60 
Cupar,  vi.  3 
Currency  Creek,  vi.  7,  27 


D 
Dagenham,  iii.  4 
Dallinghoe,  ii.  i"] f 
DaUings,  Manor  of,  ii.   17/  23,  31 
Dalkeith,  vi.   2 
Danbury  (Essex),  iii.  4 
Darcham,  ii.  3,  6 
Dartford  (Kent),  i.  29/  38 
Deal,  i.  29 
Debach,  ii.  17 
Delhi  (N.Y.),  vi.  23 
Denbighshire,  vi.  18 
Deptford,  i.  34 
Derby,  v.  9  . 


Index  of  T^ laces. 


Devon,  i.  6 ;  vi.  26,   27 

Dickleburgh,  ii.  40 

Digswell  (Herts),  iii.  56 

Dilham,  ii.  58 

Dingwall,  vi.  5,  7 

Dirleton,  vi.  21 

Diss,  ii.  40,  48 

Diss,   Hundred  of,  ii.  23  and  n 

Docklow,  V.   16 

Dollar,  vi.  15  '    - 

Doncaster,  i.  46  ;  v.  8 

Dorking,  iii.  64 

Dornoch,  vi.   ig 

Dover,  i.   30  ;  ii.   34 

Doune,  vi.  4 

Dowgate,  iv.   29 

Down  vi.  16 

Drayton  (Middlese.x),   i.  44 

Dublin,  vi.  23,   24 

DuUingham  (Camb.),  iii.   I 

Dumbleton,  v.   19 

Dunbar,  vi.  3,   17 

Dundonald,  vi.   16 

Dunfermline,  vi.   13,   16 

Dunstall,  v.  6 

Dunston  (Line),  i.   ri 

Dunwich,  ii.  44 

Durham,  i.  43 

Dury,  vi.  3 


Ealing  i.  44 

Earlston  (N.B.),  vi.  21 

Eastchurch  i.  2g 

Eastwell  (Kent),  i.  27,    29,  38 

East  Hoathley,  vi.  25 

East  Lothians,  vi.   17 

Easton  (U.S.A.),  vi.  12 

Edinburgh,   i.    3/;    ii.  8.  ;    vi.    1/   7, 

11/  <8^ 
Edinburghshire,  vi.   17 
Edmonton  iii.  40 
Edwardstone,  ii.  48 
Egerton  [Egg.]  (Kent),  i.  39 
Elford,  V.  7 
Ellough,  ii.  6,   13 
Elmham,  South,  ii.  25 
Eltham  (Kent),  i.  26 
Elvington,  v.  27 
Ely,  ii.  29 
Enfield,  iii.  25,  30 
Erpingham,  ii.  4,   58 
Escombe,  v.  27 
Estmere  Crags,  vi.  15 
Evesham,  v.  i^ff 
Ewell  (Surrey),  iii.  64 
Exeter,  iv.  14 
Eye,  ii.  36,  58 


Falmouth,  iv.  \Qff 

Farnley,  vi.  24 

Farringdon  (Hants),  iii.  61 

Peering,  i.  44 

Feli.xstowe,  ii.  18 

Felmingham,  ii.   26 

Felstead,  iii.  i 

Feltham,  iii.  28  1,:  .  ., 

Fetterness,  vi.  16 

Fifeshire,  vi.  13 

Finchingfield,  i.  7  ;  ii.  39,  41  ;   iii.  \ff 

Finchley,  iii.  34  ;  Z%ff 

Firle,  iv.  21  ■     ,    ^        r.     .  , 

Flanders,  vi.  3  ■.,  v 

Fleetwood,  iii.  23  .  .   ' 

Flitcham   [Fletcham],  ii.  4  .■.,.     : 

Flixton  (Suff.),  ii.  25 

Florden,    ii.    12/   i;,    22^   27,    31/ 

34/  40,  43/  £0/  56 
Folkestone,  i.  31,  35 
Fordham  (Camb.),  ii.  58  ■■•'■■' 

Forfarshire,  vi.   16  ,,      ,       ,      ., 

Forgan,  vi.   13 
Forncett,  ii.  23  ;/  ;   iii.   10 
Fort   Picurina,  vi.   lo 
Forth,  vi.  4 
Fosdyke,  v.  29 

Fowey,  iv.   14  1  ,; . 

Foxearth,  iii.   15  1  i 

Frenze,  ii.  21,   50 

Freshwater,   iii.   36,  64  ;  iv.  33  ;  v.  25 
Frisby,  v.  8 
Fritton  ii.  27 

Fulham,  ii.  24,   27  ;  iii.  41,  55 j^ 
Fundenhall,  ii.  19 


Gairloch,  vi.  7 

Garboldisham,  ii.   5/48 

Gargestoun,  vi.  3  ,  .,•,, 

Garvald,  vi.  3  .  ,  , 

Gask,  vi.  7/ 

Gasthorpe,  ii.   2,   5 

Gatcombe,  iv.  34 

Gawthorpe,  v.  27 

Gerrans,  iv.  XQff 

Ghent,  i.  32 

Gilston,  iii.  34,  40,   59,  62 

Gislingham,  ii.   14 

Gissing,  i.  13,  20,  28,  34  ;  ii.  2,  7/ 
9,  12,  14/;  \%ff,  23/,  29,  ZQff 
36/  43/  46^  50/  53/  56, 
57,  58/  61/;  iii.  6,  9,  26,  31, 
33,  38,  40,  5S>  59  ;  iv.  i,  9.  32, 
35;  V.  8 

Glascote,  vi.  23 

Glasgow,  vi.  22 

Gloucester,  iii.  59  ;  iv.  22  ;  v.  18 


Godmanchester,  iii.  60 

Godmersham,  i.  60/ 

Godstone,  iii.  64  ;  iv.  34 

Goodwood,  iv.  22 

Goodyers,  iii.  47/  53  •■ 

Grandisons,  Manor  of,  i.  29 

Grantham,  v.  8 

Graylingham,  iii.   56 

Greenford,  i.  44 

Greenwich,  i.  32/ 

Greyfriars,  vi.   11/ 

Grimsby,  v.  29 

Griston,  ii.  6,    13 

Guildford,  iii.  41,  63,  65  ;  iv.   28/ 

Gunthorpe,  ii.  26 

Gunton,  ii.  26 


H 

Hackney,  iii.  27 

Hadham,   Little,  i.  44  ;  ii.  24;  iii.  35, 

55,  59 
Haddington,  vi.   1/ 
Haddingtonshire,  vi.   16/  22 
Hadleigh  [Hadley]  (Essex),  i.  25 
Hadlow  (Kent),  i.  34,  6r 
Hainton,  iv.   2  2 
Halesworth,  ii.  28 
Ham  (Essex),  i.   34  ;  ii.  44 
Ham  (Wilts),  iv.  22  ;  v.  23/ 
Hamerton,  v.   13 
Hampstead,    i.    23  ;    ii.    22,    30/   34, 

44  ;   iii.    2iff,  30,    33,    38/;  46  ; 

iv.  32  ;  V.  21 
Hampton    (Middlesex),    iii.    30 ;    iv. 

31/ 
Hamsey,  iv.  24/ 
Hanwell  (Middlesex),  i.  44 
Harby,  v.  8 
Harking  (Suff.),  iii.   16 
Harlesden,  v.   18 
Harleston  (Norf.),  ii.  21 
Harleston,  Prebend  of,  iii.  59 
Harlow,  iii.  26 
Harmondsworth,  iii.  26 
Harrogate,  ii.  65 
Hartfield,  iv.  25 
Harvard   University,  vi.  8 
Harvington,  v.   19 
Haslingfield,  ii.  4S 
Hassop,  iv.  2  2 
Hastings,  ii.  31 
Haughley,  vi.  26 
Havant,  iv.  34/ 
Hawkshead,  v.  22 
Hawkwell,  iv.   19 
Heane,  Hundred  of  (Kent),  i.  19 
Hedon,  v.  25 
Henbury,  v.   16  '        ' 


Index  of  T'laces. 


Hendon,  ii.  24,  31,  36;  iii.  25,  30, 
32,  iZff,  3S_f,  42J^,  64 ;  iv.  9, 
15,   17  ;  V.  6,  21 

Henley  (Suff.),  ii.  14,   18 

Hereford,  iii.  24  ;  v.   16 

Heston,  iii.   29 

Hevennigham,  ii.  3 

Heversham,  v.  3 

He\'ycroft  (Corn.),  iv.  4 

Hej'bridge,  iii.   19 

Heydon  (Norf.),  ii.  3°,  38/  63/ 
iii.  6/ 

Higham  Ferrars,  i.  13,  20,  37  ;  v.   12 

Highgate,  iv.  6 

Hildenborough,  ii,  33 

Hillingdon,  iii.  26 

Hinckley,  v.   10 

Hingham,  ii.  4 

Hinxhill,  i.   19 

Hitcham,  ii.   30 

Hitchin,  iii.   59 

Hitchin's  Beach  (New  Zealand),  iii.  54 

Holborn  ii.  41 

Holland,  vi.  9 

Holmdale,  i.  20 

Holvestone,  ii.  65 

Honbergh,  ii.  5i   13 

Horkesley,  Little,  iii.   2 

Horncastle,  v.     2g 

Horningham   [Hunningham},   ii.  6; 

Hornsea,  v.  27 

Hornsey,  i.  44 

Horsham,  iv.  20 

Horsleydown,  v.  29 

Horwood,  Great,  iii.  63 

Houghton-on-the-Hill,  v.  6,  9 

Houndslovv,  iii.  28 

Hoxne,  ii.  22,  48 

Hoxton,  i.   19  ;  iii.  27  ;  iv.  30  ;  v.  14/ 

Huish,  iv.   14 

Hull,  V.  2/  27 

Humbie,  vi.   5,   17 

Hungarton,  ii.   21  ;  v.  8 

Hungerford,  iii.  61 

Hunstanton,   ii.   30 

Huntingfield,  ii.  6 

Hurstmonceaux,  iv.  27 
Hurstpierpoint,  iv,  25 
Huttoft,  V.  29 
Hutton   (Essex),  iii.  4 
Hyderabad,  vi.  26 
Hythe,  i.   19 


I 

Ibstock,  V.  9 
India,  vi.  9,  20,   3; 
Inverkeithing,  vi.  2 
Inverness  vi.  3 

Ipswich,  ii.  3/  6,   14/;  17/;  28,   31/ 
36,  44,  46,  48/  68  ;  iii.  38. 


Ireland,  vi.  9,   17,  23/ 
Isleworth,  iii.  29 
Islington,  iii.   27,  41,  54 
Iver,  iii.  63 


J 
Jamaica,  v.  24  ;  vi. 


Keith  Hall,  vi.  5 

Kelvedon,  i.  44 

Kemeys,  i.  10  ;  v.   I 

Kemp  Castle,  vi.   16 

Kempe,  vi.  16 

Kempe  Stones,  vi.   16 

Kempes  Court,  iii.  58 

Kempe's  Garden,  iii.   58 

Kempeshete  a/  Kempeshote,  iv.  31 

Kempe's  Manor,  ii.  2,   ^f,  8,   23 

Kempe's  Tenement,  i.  32 

Kemplaw,  vi.  16 

Kempoch  Point,  vi.   16 

Kempsey,  ii.  21  ;  v.   I 

Kemp's  Field  (London),  iii.  58 

Kemp's  Fields  (Haddingtonshire),  vi.  16 

Kemp's  Hill,  v.  4 

Kemp's  Hold,  vi.   16 

Kemp's  Row,  iii.  58  ;  v.  24 

Kemp's  Score,  vi.  15/ 

Kempstone,  vi.  16 

Kemp's  Wood,  iii.  48 

Kemp  Town,  iv.  20,  24,  27  ;  vi.  25 

Kemyeshouse  (Corn.),  iv.  4 

Kendal,  v.  2/,   16  ;  vi.   3 

Kensington,  ii.  53  ;  iii.  30,  45  ;  vi.  25 

Kent,  vi.  2,  27,  28 

Kentish  Town,  i.   19  ;  iii.  27,  30/ 

Kincardineshire,  vi.   16 

Kingston-juxta-Lewes,  iv.  28 

Kingston-on-Thames,  iii.  29,  64  ;  v.   3 

Kingstone  (Staff.),  v.  6 

King's  Weston,  i.  29 

Kintliury  [Kentbury],  iii.  60 

Kirby,  (Leic),  v.  8 

Kirkliston,  vi.  7 

Knockseale  (Kent),  i.  27 


Laindon,  i.  44 

Lamarsh,  iii.  57  n 

Lanarkshire,  vi.   17 

Lancashire,  i.  25  ;  iii.  22  ;  vi.  24,  27 

Langley  (Bucks),  iii.  63 

Lapworth,  ii.  25 

Larkhall,  vi.   17 

Lasswade,  vi.   2 


Lathallan,  vi.   13 

Lavethan  [or  Levethan],  i.  20  ;  ii.  20 

IV.  I,   3,  4# 
Laxfield,  ii.  6 
Layer  Mamey,  i.  38 
Layham   [Laybourne]   (Suff.)  ii.  44 
Lee  (Kent),  iv.  27 
Leeds  (Yorks),  ii.  66  ;  v.  27  ;  vi.  24 
Leek,  v.  4 

Leeward  Islands,  vi.  29 
Leicester,  v.  7,  '^ff 
Leicestershire,  vi.  27 
Leith,  vi.   19 
Letheringham,  ii.   16 
Letheringset,  i.  27 
Lewes,  iv.  24^  31  ;  v.  21. 
Lewisham,  i.  31,  32^ 
Lichfield,  v.  6/' 
Lincoln,  v.  28/ 
Lindfield,  iv.  2 
Linkinhorne,  iv.   I4 
Linlithgow,  vi.  if,  7 
Linsted  [Lynsted]   (Kent),  i.  26 
Liskeard,  i.  7  ;  iv.  3,  Iff 
Littleton,  South,  v.   19/ 
Liverpool,  iv.  2  ;  v.  4,  29 
Lolworth,  i.  38 
London,  vi.   lo 
Long  Ditton,  v.   13 
Lothians,   Mid,  East,  West,  vi.  17 
Lottsham  (Som.),  i.  29 
Loughborough,  v.  6,  9,    12 
Loughton  (Bucks),  iii.  61 
Luffness,  vi.   i 
Lydd,   I.  35 

Lydiard  Tregoze,  iv.   35 
Lyme  Regis,  iv.  31,  35- 
Lymington,  iv.  3:,   35/ 
Lyng  (Norf.),  ii.  30,  64/ 
Lynn  (Norf;,  i.  3  ;  ii-  63,  65  ;  iii.   14 


M 
Maida,   vi.   10 

Maidstone,  i.   I3,  60  ;  v.  8  ;  vi.  26 
Maisemore,  i.   II  ;  v.  21/ 
Maldon  (Essex),  iii.   ig 
Mailing  (Kent),  i.  34 
Mailing,  South,  iii.  44  «  ;  iv.  20,  24/" 
Manchester,  ii.  19,  66 
Mappiscombe,  ii.  34 
Marichal  College,  vi.  5,   13 
Marie  Court,   Manor  of,  i.   26 
Mark,  iv.  2 

Marlesford  [Mowlesford],  ii.   16,   18 
Marston  Magna,  iii.  49 
Marwell,  iv.  8 

Maryland  (U.S.A),  i.  3  ;  vi.  5,  12 
Marylebone,  ii.    22  ;    iii.    27,    3°.    33, 
39;  iv.  32 


Index  of  Tlaces. 


Marytavy,  iv.  8 

Mawnan,  iv.   3 

Majrfield  (Sussex),  ii.  27 

Mayo,  vi.   17 

Melbourne,  vi.   17,  27 

Melita,  vi.  28 

Melton  (Suff.),  ii.  68 

Meon,  East,  ii.  58 

Mergate  Hall,  ii.  56,  59/ 

Merton  (Devon),  iv.   14 

Merton   (Norf.),  ii.  25 

Michigan  (U.S.A.),  iv.  37 

Middleton  (Lanes.),  iii.  23/ 

Middleton-on-the-Hill  (Heref.),  v.  16 

Middlewick,  iii.  53 

Midlothian,  vi.  3 

Milford  (Hants),  iv.  3; 

MImms,  South,  i.  29 

Minster  (Kent),  i.  29 

Mintaro,  vi.  27 

Missenden,  Great,  iii.  63 

Mitcham,  i.  27 

Molash,  i.  27 

Mongeham   [Monham],  i.  29 

Monks  Eleigh,  ii.  6 

Moorfields  (London   14),  v. 

Moorfoot,  vi.  3 

Morley  (Norf.),  i.  14 

MoiTis  Court.  Manor  of,  i.   26 

Mortlake,  ii.  48 

Moulsey,  iii.  64 

Moulton  (Norf.),  ii.  25 

Mucking,  iii.  4 

Mucklestone,  v.   17 

Mundefield  (Sussex),  i.  32  ;  iv.   30 

Murston,  i.  26 

Mutford,  ii.   5,   13 


N 
Nailboro  (Corn.),  iv.   5 
Naini  Tal,  N.W.P.,  vi.  26 
Nan  Kemp's  Grave,  iv.  28. 
Narborough,  ii.  4 
Natland,  v.  3 
Nazing,  i.  7  ;  iii.  4 
Netley,  iii.  63  ;  iv.  31 
Nettlecombe,  iv.  36 
Nettlestead  [Netsted]   (Kent),  i.  25 
Newbigging,  vi.  3 
Newbourn,  ii.   14 
Newbury,  iii.  6r 
Newcastle-on-Tyne,  i.   13,  vi.  2\ 
Newchurch  (Kent),  i.   22,  24 
Newenden,  i.  6 

New  Forest,  i.  25  ;  iv.  32/;  v.   16 
Newfoundland,  vi.  29 
Newgate,  v.   13 
Newhaven,  iv.  26 
Newington  Academy,  vi.  18 


Newington  Butts,  iv.  29 

Newmarket  iii.   I 

Newport  (Isle  of  Wight),  iv.  36  ;    v. 

26 
Newport  Pagnell,  iii.  34 
Newton  Heath,  v.  4 
Newtown  Linford,  v.  9 
New  York,  vi.   13,   18,    24 
New  Zealand,  i.  4  ;  iv   13  ;  vi.  27. 
Nivelle,  vi.  10 
Norley,  v.   4 
North  America,  vi.  10 
Northaw,  i.  30  ;  iii.  40 
Norton,  East,  v.   10,   15 
Norton,   Fitzwarren,  vi.  27 
Norwich,  i.  6/  60  ;  ii.  zff,  6,  14,  16, 

28^    34,    38,    40,    44,    58,    65/; 

iii.  9.  37  ;  vi.  25 
Nottingham,  v.   14 
Nova  Scotia,  vi.   10 
Nuthurst,  iv.  20  ;  v.  4/   17 


o 

Oakham,  v.  9 

Oakington,  ii.  25 

Oakley  Parva  (Esse.x),  iii.  29 

Oldham,  v.  4,   17 

Oldstock  (Wilts),  iv.  22 

Ollantigh  al  Ollanty,  i.  14,  Ibff,  55, 
57  ;  ii.  9,  62  ;  iii.  31,  61  ;  iv.  I, 
4,   20/  24,   29,  31/  34  ;  V.  16,  28 

Ollanty  (Chigwell),  ii.  58 

Ondderdonk,  vi.    12 

Ontario,  vi.  28 

Ord,  vi.   7 

Orford,  ii.   16,   50 

Orset,  i.   19 

Overstrand,  ii.  28 

Oxford,  iv.  32 

Oxnead   [Oxhead]   (Norf.),  iii.  49 


Paddington,  i.  44  ;   iii.  25,  30,  Ziff,   39 

Parham,  ii.   18 

Parson's  Green,  iii.   56/" 

Pencaitland,  vi.   17 

Pennsylvania,  vi.   12 

Penryn  (Corn.),   iv.   5,   \Qff 

Pentlow,  ii.  29/  63/;  iii.  VZff;  iv.  22 

Perth,  i.   12  ;   vi.  4,   23 

Perthshire,  vi.  4,  7,   16 

Peshawar  (N.W.P.),  vi.  28 

Pettistree,  ii.   15,   17 

Pillerton,  v.  15 

Plumstead  (Kent),  i.   25,   27,   31,   33/ 

iv.   21 
Plymouth,  iii.  38,  44;  iv.  4,  8,   15 


Podymore  Milton  [Puddimore],  v.  22 

Polsted,  ii.  44 

Pontefract,  v.  26 

Poole,  iv.  29,  35^ 

Poplar,  i.  34  ;  v.   14/ 

Portishead,  iv.  2 

Portobello,  vi.  2,   13, 

Preston   (Kent),  i.  29 

Preston  (Sussex),  iv.  20,   24/  28 

Princethorpe,  ii.  21 

Prittlewell,  iii.  4,  19,  22,  58 

Purleigh  (Essex),  iii.   17 

Putney,  iii.  57/ 


Quantoxhead,  West,  iii.  62 
Ouebec,  vi.  28 


Raby,  i.  13/ 
Rame,  iv.  3  / 

Ramsgate,  ii.  46?;,  49 

Ramsholt,  ii.   14 

Rawreth,  v.   12 

Reading,  iii.  61 

Reculver,  i.  58 

Redenhall,  ii.   13 

Redisham,  ii.   3/   5,  31 

Redmersham,   Manor  of,  i.   26 

Reydon,  ii.  44 

Richmond  (Surrey),  iv.  36 

(Yorks.),  i.  58 
Rickraansworth,  i.  44  ;  iii.  59,  61  ;  v.  18 
Ridge,  ii.  22 

Ringshall  [Ringsale],  ii.  44 
Ringslow,  Hundred  of  (Kent),  i.   18/ 
Ripple  (Kent),  i.  29 
Roath,  iv.   13 
Rochdale,  iii.  23 
Rochester,  i.   14,  43  ;  ii.   53 
Rockland,  ii.  65 
Romney,  i.   19,  30,   35 
Romsey,  iii.  24 
Roscobie,  vi.   16 
Rosewell  (N.B.),  vi.  17 
Ross  Crowe  (Corn.),  iv.  5 
Ross-shire,  vi.  7 
Rosteage,  iv.   10,   13/ 
Rotherhithe,  iii.  64 
Rottingdean,  iv.   26,  28 
Rowington,  v.  7. 

Ruckinge  [Roking],  i.  22,  24,  29 
Rugeley,  v.  5 
Rugnor,  iv.  25 
Rushmere,  ii.  3,   5,   13 
Rushmere-ju.xta-Ipswich,  ii.  14 
Ryde,  iv.  34 


Index  of  Tlaces. 


Saffron  Walden,  iii.   i6 

St.  Albans,  iii.  40,  59  ;  v.   iS 

St.  Andrews,  i.  4  ;  vi.  8 

St.  Anthony,  iv.  9 

St.  Asaph,  V.   17 

St.   Brevvard,  iv.  5 

St.  Christophers,  vi.  28 

St.  Dunstan-in-the-West,  i.  31  ;  ii.  24  : 

iv.  22,  36  ;  V.   12/ 
St.  Germans,  iv.  7 

St.  Mabyn,  iv.   14 

St.   Mawes,  iv.   10 

St.   Minver  [Miniver],  iv.   llff 

St.  Osyth,  iii.  4 

St.   Pancras,  iii.  30 

St.  Tudy,  iv.  4 

St.  Urney  [Erney],  iv.  8 

Salehurst,  iv.  20 

Salford,  vi.  21 

Saltash,  iv.   10  ;  v.  24 

Saltby,  V.  8 

Sampford   Magna,  iii.   i 

Sandon  (Herts.),  ii.  24 

Sarawak,  vi.  26 

Savoy,  The,  v.  6 

Sawbridgeworth,  iii.  60 

Sa.\by,  V.  8 

Saxthorpe,  ii.   14 

Scotshall,  i.  24 

Scray,  Lathe  of,  i.   18 
Scribbell  Slokesley,  iv.  5 

Selattyn,  v.   17 
Sevenoaks,  ii.   16  ;  iii.   23 
Shaftesbury,   iv.  31,   35 
Shalfleet,  iv.   33 
Sheffield,  vi.   26 
Shelfhanger,  ii.  23;/ 
Shelford  (Cambs.),   i.  38 
Shelley  (Suff.),  ii.   17,  41,  44 
Shelton,  ii.  23^ 
Shelwood  (Sussex),  iv.  22 
Shenley  (Bucks.),  iii.  58 
Shenstone,  iii.  62  ;  v.   16 
Shepton   Mallet,  iv.  21  ;  v.   23 
Sheringham,  ii.  4 
Shimpling,  ii.  24  and  n 
Shipley  (Sussex),  iv.  30 
Shipway,  Lathe  of,  i.   19 
Shone,  ii.  24 

Shoreditch,  i.  19  ;  iii.  58  ;  iv.  29  ;  vi.  28 
Shoreham,  New,  iv.   14,   20,   31 
Shottisham,  ii.   18/ 
Shrewsbury,  iii.  46;  v.   17 
Shrivenham,  iii.  61 
Shropshire,  vi.   28 

Siddington   [Siddenton]   (Glos.),  v.  20 
Simla,  vi.  26 
Skene,  vi.  5 

Slapton  (Bucks.),  i.  42  :  iii.  6i 
Slindon,  1.   25,   34,  40  ;  iii.  30  ;  jy.  20 
V.  25,   27/ 


Smithfield,  iii.  25 
Snave,  i.  22,  24 
Somerset,  vi.  24 
South  Africa,  vi.  2 
Southampton,  iv.  33  ;  vi.  2,  9 
South  Australia,  vi.  7 
Southchurch,  iii.  18 
Southport,  iii.   22 

Southwark,  iii.  37,  41  ;  iv.  29  ;  v.  29 
Southwell,  i.  47 
Southwick  (Sussex),  i.  42 
(Wilts),  V.  23 
Spain's  Hall,  ii.  32,  38/  47,  51,  61^; 

iii.   1/  3# 
Spott,  vi.  3,   17,   20/ 
Stafford,  V.  4 
Stalham,  i.  66 
Stambridge,  Great,  iii.   22 
Stamford,  v.   1 1 
Standon  (Herts.),  iii.  4 
Stanford-le-Hope,  iii.  4 
Stanton  (Suff.),  ii.  6 
Staplehurst,  i.  61 
Starston,  ii.  23« 
Stenton,  i.   15 
Stentor,  vi.   16,   21 
Stepney,  i.   19  ;  iii.  27,   59 
Stevenage,  i.  44 
Stirling,  vi.  2,  3 
Stockwell,  iv.  29 
Stoke  Climsland,  iv.  7 
Stoke  Damerel,  iv.  3y^  8 
Stortford,  i.  44 
Stotfold,  iv.  28 
Stourton,  vi.   28 
Stowting,  i.  38,   39,  61 
Stratford  -  on  -  Avon      ["  Shakspeare's 

Birthplace  "],  v.  7,    15,   20 
Stratton,   Long,  ii.   57 
Stubbing,  ii.  3 
Stuston,  ii.   20 
Stutton,  ii.   18 
Suffield,   ii.  26 
Suffolk,  vi.  26 
Sullington,  iv.  20 
Surlingham,  ii.  65 
Sussex,  vi.  25 
Sutton  (Norf.),  ii.   14 
Sutton-at-Hone,  i.  29,  38 
Sutton,  East,  i.   38 
Sutton  Valance,  i.  38,  61 
Swanbourne,  iii.  63 
Swansea,  ii.  66 
Swavesey,  i.  37,  38 
Swilly  (Corn.),  iv.  8 
Sydenham,  iii.  34 


Tacolneston,  iii.   10 

Tannington  [Tammington],  ii.  44 


Taunton,  vi.  27 

Teddington,  i.  32  ;  iii.  29,  64 

Temple  (N.B.),  vi.  17 

Tenterden,  ii.  49 

Thanet,  ii.  58  ;  v.  24 

Theddingivorth,  v.   II 

Theobalds  (Herts.),  ii.  37 

Thetford,  ii.  24  ;  iii.  23 

Thimbleby,  v.  28 

Thomastoun,  vi.  3 

Thornham  (Suff.),  ii.   14 

Thorpe  Market,  ii.  26 

Thurlston  (Suff.),  ii.   15 

Thwaite  [Thweyt]  (Norf.),  ii.  22,  25, 

Tibenham,   ii.  25,  60 

Tichborne,  iv.  22 

Tintagel,  iv.  4 

Tivetshall,  ii.   22,  32 

Tixover,  v.   10 

Todenhara  [Todd.],  ii.  20 

Tolbooth  Church,  vi.  8 

Tolland,  v.  23 

Tong  (Kent),  i.  26 

Tooting,  ii.  50/" 

Toronto,  ^'i.  28 

Tottenham,  ii.  63;  iii.  6,   13,   27 

Totteridge,  iii.  36,  64  ;  v.  25 

Towcester,  v.   11 

Tranent,  vi.  3 

Transvaal,  vi.   29 

Tredington  (Worces.),  i.  22  ;  ii.  25 

Tregoneck,  iv.   5 

Tregony,  iv.  5 

Tremworlh,  i.  39 

Tresineck,  iv.  7 

Trevanion,  iv.   14 

Trevelver,  i.  20  ;  iv.  3,  5 

Trichinopoly,  vi.  26 

Trigg  Minor,  i.   20;  iv.   17 

Trimley,  ii.  44 

Trowbridge,   iv.  22,   24 

Tuddenham,  ii.   18 

Tullimaer,  vi,  26 

Tunbridge,  i.  61 

Tunbridge  Wells,  vi.   28 

Tutbury  [Titbuiy],  v.  7 

Twickenham,  iii.  28,  33,  55,   59,    64  ■ 

•v.  35 
Tyburn   [Tiburn],  ii.   22  ;  iii.  2lff.  33 


U 
Ubbeston,  ii.  6,  41,  43/  46,  48/  50/ 

^  53/  63 
United  States,  vi.   12,   17,   18 
Uppingham,  v.   \if 
Upton  (Essex),  v.  13 

„      (Norf.),  ii.  65 
Usie,  vi.  5 
Uxbridge,  iii.  26,  33 


\ 


Index  of  T^laces. 


V 
Veryan,  iv.  5,  13/ 
Virginia  (U.S.A.),  ii-    34,    46,    60/"; 

iii.  39;  vi.  13 
Volksrust,  vi.  27/ 


W 
Wadhurst,  ii.  49 
Wadling,   Manor  of,  i.  29 
Wakefield,  v.  27 
Wakering,  Great,  iii.   19 
Wakering,   Little,  iii.   19  ■ 
Waldyslands,  Manor  of,  i.  29 
Walham,  i.  60 
Wallmore,  (Glos.),  iv.  2lff 
Waltner,  i.  29,  31 
"  Waloughby,"  ii.  16 
Walpole  (Norf.),  iii.  16 
Walsham,  North,  ii.  26/  40,  54 
Walsingham,  ii.  37,  41,  46 
Walsoken,  iii.  16 
Waltharastow,   iii.    13,   24  45 
Walton  (Suff.),  ii.  44 
Walton,  East,  ii.  4 
Walton,  West,  i.  63  ;  iii.   16' 
Wandsworth,  iii.  5g 
Wanstrow,  v.  24 
Wapping,  iv.   28/ 
Warehorne,  i.  2  2,   24 
Warwick,  iii.  2  ;  v.  ^ff 
Warwickshire,  vi.  28 
Washbrook,  ii.   31/;  iv.  24 
VVauchtoun,  vi.   I 
Waterloo,  vi.   10 


Welford  (Berks),  iii.  60 
Wellingham,  ii.  6,   13 
Wellington  (Salop),  v.  17 
Wellington  (N.Z.),  vi.  27 
Wells  (Som.),  iii.  51,  62  ;  iv.  2 
Wenham  Parva,  ii.  3,   14 
Westbury-on-Trym  v.  22 
Westerfield,  ii.  18 
Westerham,  i.  33/ 
West  Halimot,  i.  58 
West  Ham,  v.   12 
West  Indies,  vi.  28 
West  Lothian,  vi.   17 
Weston  (Suff.),  i.  20  ;  ii.  Sff,  9,   11  ff, 
15,  18/;  23,  26,   32  ;  iii.  31 

Weston,  Coney,  ii.  5 

Weston,   Market,  ii.   5 

Westport,  (Ireland),  vi.  17 

Westwick,  ii.  4 

Wethersfield,  i.  38 

Wexham,  iii.  63  ;  iv.   18 

Whatlington,  iv.  20 

Whippingham,  iv.  33 

Whissonsett,  ii.  68 

Whitechapel,  v.   14 

Whitchurch,  vi.  26 

Whitstable,  i.  58 

Whitstile  (Corn.),  iv.   5 

Whittingham,  vi.  21 

Whitton  (Suff.),  ii.   15 

Wickham  (Esse.x),   i.  44 

Wickhambreux,  iv.  28 

Wickham  Market,  ii.  18 

Wilby,  ii.  29 

Willesden,  i.  34  ;  iii.  26/  30,  33/ 
39,  4-',  44,   55  ;  V.  18 

Williton  [Willington]  (Som.),  iii.  32 


Wimpole,  i.  37 

Winch,  West,  ii.  4  ;  iii.  2 

Winchcombe,  ii.  20  ;  iii.  40,  60  ;  iv.  3  ; 

V.  17/ 
Windsor,  iii.  43,  45 
Wiston  (Sussex),  i.  29 
Witchingham,  ii.  30 
Woodbridge,  ii.  13,  14/  18  ;  v.  2 
Woodchester,  vi.  24 
Wooddalling,  ii.  30,  63/;  iii.  7,   15 
Woodham  Mortimer,  ii.   33 

Woolsthorpe,  v.  8 
Woolwich,  i.  33/ 
Wooton  (Norf.),  ii.  63 
Worcester,  ii.  21  ;  iv.  22 

Worlingham,   [Wyrlyngham],  ii.   13 

Worlington  (Suff.),  iii.  2 

Wormbridge,  v.   16 

Worsted,  ii.  5,  27 

Wotton-under-Edge,  v.  23/" 

Wrentham,  ii.  30 

Wrexham,  vi.   18 

Wrotham,  iii.   19 

Wycombe  (Bucks),  iii.  61/;  iv.  29,  36 

Wye  i.  3,  6,  13/  15/  18/  24/ 
29/  34/  51  55/  60;  ii.  7,  9; 
iii.  28,  34,  40;  iv.  2,  20,  28,  32  ; 
v.   17  ;  vi.  25 

Wythys,   Manor  of,  (Som.),  i.   29 


Yarmouth,  Great,  i.  6  ;  ii.  68  ;  iii.   23 
Yelverton,  ii.  65 
York,  i.  45^  58 


LIST    OF    SUBSCRIBERS. 


Kemp,  Sir  Kenneth  Hagar,  Bart., 

Margate  Hall,  Braconash,  near  Norwich,  and 
Gissing  Hall,  Norfolk. 

Kemp,  George,  m.p., 

71,    Portland    Place,   W.,"   and    Beechwood, 
Rochdale. 

Kemp,  Mrs.  John  Mainwaring, 

Claughton,  Beulah  Hill,  Norwood. 

Kemp,  the  Rev.  Godfrey  Geo.,  m.a., 
Rawreth  Rectory,  Battlesbridge,  Esse.x. 

Kemp,  the  Rev.  John,  m.a., 
Haughley  Vicarage,  SuflFolk. 

Kemp,  Wm.  Geo.,  m.d., 

(late  of  Wellington,  N.Z.),  Tarana,  Avenue 
Road,  St.  Peter's  Park,  St.  Albans. 

Kemp,  Alexander, 

227,  Dalkeith  Road,  Edinburgh. 

Kemp,  John  T.,  m.a., 

Devon  Villa,  4,  Cotham  Grove,  Bristol. 

Kemp,  Clement,  J. p., 

Devon  Villa,  4,  Cotham  Grove,  Bristol. 

Kemp,  Arthur  Henry, 

144,  Stockport  Road,  Manchester. 

Kemp,  John, 

The  Laurels,  Trowbridge. 

Kemp,  Professor  James  F., 

Columbia  University,  New  York  City. 

Kemp,  John, 

Fairholme,  Park  Road,  Blackpool. 


Kemp,  Richard, 

Hamilton,  Bermuda. 

Kemp,  Henry  Charles  Edward,  b.a., 
Suffield  Park  School,  Cromer. 

Kemp,  Edward, 

135,  Water  Street,  New  York,  U.S.A. 

Kemp,  John  Frederick,  "   ' 

I,  Theobald  Road,  Cardiff. 

Kemp,  F.  W., 

Chasewood,  100,  Melton  Road,  Leicester. 

Kemp,  Edward, 

(Vicar  Choral),  19,  Sturgeon's  Hill,  Lichfield. 

Kemp,  Geo.  Watts  Hill, 

Southampton,  East  Bermuda.  ' 

Kemp,  D.  S., 

52,  Coverdale  Road,  Uxbridge  Road,  W. 

Kemp,  Sydney  Faithful, 

33,  Elmfield  Mansions,  Upper  Tooting,  S.W. 

Kemp,  Compton, 

61,  Broxholme  Avenue,  Doncaster. 

Kemp,  R., 

Cobden  Villa,  4,  Shaftesbury  Street, 
Nottingham. 

Kemp,  Miss  Olivia  M., 

33,  Trevor  Square,  Brompton,  S.W. 

Kemp,  John  Oddie,  ' 

3,  Wavene}'  Terrace,  Bungay,  Suffolk. 

Kemp,  Alfred, 

Fairmeadside,  Loughton. 


List  of  Subscribers. 


Kemp,  Arthur, 

Littlecote,  Stoneygate  Avenue,  Leicester. 

Kemp,  Wm.  H. 

27,  Sidney  Road,  Richmond. 

Kemp,  Captain  W.,  j.p. 

Lyminster  House,  Arundel. 

Kemp,  Caleb  Rickman,  j.p. 

Bedford  Lodge,  Lewes. 

Kemp,  James, 

70,  Waterloo  Rd.,  Freemantle,  Southampton. 

Kemp,  Wilkinson, 

2,  Richmond  Terrace,  Manchester. 

Kemp,  William, 

Victoria  Terrace,  240,  Dewsbury  Rd.,  Leeds. 

Kemp,  Daniel  W.,  j.p., 

Ivy  Lodge,  Trinity,  Edinburgh,  and  Temple, 
N.B. 

Kemp,  F.  E. 

Supt.  Bengal  Police,  Faridpur,  Bengal,  India. 

Kemp,  Mrs.  David  C, 

Clanbrassil,  Cultra,  Belfast. 

Kemp,  Miss  Janet, 

II,  Hailes  Street,  Edinburgh. 

Kemp,  the  Rev.  Robert,  m.a., 

The  Manse,  Blairgowrie,  Scotland. 

Kemp,  the  Rev.  Arnold  Low,  m.a., 
255,  Rosemount  Place,  Aberdeen. 

Kemp,  Herbert  Henry, 

Office  of  His  Excellency  the  High  Commis- 
sioner for  South  Africa,  Johannesburg, 

Kemp,  the  Rev.  W., 

Clergy  House,  Stockport. 

Kemp,  Albert  Edward, 
Melita,  Man,  Canada. 


Kemp,  J.  Hayward, 

Walton,  Wellington,  Salop. 

Kemp,  Wm.  D., 

Academy  Street,  Inverness. 

Kemp,  the  Rev.  Robt.  Sangster,  m.a.,  b,d., 
Manse  of  Deer,  Mintlaw,  Aberdeenshire. 

Kemp,  Thos.,  m.j.i., 

EUonville,  Dalkeith,  N.B. 

Kemp,  Miss, 

12,  St.  Fillans  Terrace,  Morningside,  Edin- 
burgh (deceased). 

Kemp,  Samuel  Bromley, 
Volksrust,  South  Africa. 

Kemp,  Amos,  m.j.i. 

2,  Gloucester  Street,  Warwick  Square,  S.W. 

Kemp,  Syd.  S., 

137,  High  Park  St.,  Princes  Park,  Liverpool. 

Kemp,  C.  T., 

7,  Eign  Street,  Hereford. 

Kemp,  H. 

43,  Curzon  Road,  Bradford,  Yorks. 

Kemp,  Geo.  Lucas, 

Umballa,  Punjab,  India. 

Kemp-Bussell,  W., 

Clifton  Villa,  Spanish  Town,  Jamaica. 

Kemp-Paris,  Charles, 

Becton  House,  New  Milton,  Hants, 

Kemp,  Robert, 

Halstead,  Essex. 

Kemp,  H.  C, 

(Life  Fellow  I.  Inst.),  7-8,  Thavies  Inn,  E.G. 

Kemp,  Jesse, 

Albion  Villa,  338,  Liverpool  Rd.,  Highbury. 

Kemp,  Thomas,  j.?., 

Constant  Spring,  Kingston,  Jamaica. 


List  of  Subscribers. 


Kemp,  Peter, 

Glen  Royston,   Currency  Creek,   South 
Australia. 

Kemp,  F.  W.  J., 

The  Treasury,  Whitehall. 

Kemp,  Wm.  Rous,  b.a.,  Camb.,  f.s.a., 
172,  Blomfield  Terrace,  Paddington. 

Kemp,  A.  N.  B., 

Stoke-under-Ham. 

Kemp,  James  Wheeler, 

Pennants,  Charleton,  Jamaica. 

Kemp,  Miss  Agnes, 

54,  Frederick  Street,  Edinburgh. 

Kemp,  John,  a.m.i.c.e., 

Leitrim  Lodge,  Hampton-on-Thames. 

Kemp,  Herbert  E., 

37,  Arcade  Chambers,  Manchester. 

Kemp,  H., 

Lulworth,  Rodney  Road,  New  Maiden, 
Surrey. 

Kemp,  F., 

Linthwaite,  Windermere. 

Kemp,  the  Rev.  W.  Edelman, 
Ridgmount  Gardens,  W.C. 

Kemp,  John  H., 

Denial  Bay,  South  Australia. 

Kemp,  Miss, 

Bispham  Lodge,  Poulton-Ie-Fylde. 

Kemp,  Mrs.  E,  L., 

Beechwood,  Rochdale,  Lanes. 

Kemp,  Geo.  Stephen, 

"  Ferndale,"  Upper  Cedar  Road,  Bevois 
Mount,  Southampton. 

Kemp,  Thomas, 

10,  Jury  Street,  Warwick. 


Kemp,  David  Robert, 

109,  Eaton  Place,  London,  S.W. 

Kemp,  Edwyn,  A., 

61,  Belsize  Park  Gardens,  N.W. 

Kempe,  Arthur  Wightman,  m.b.,  m.r.c.5 

M.R.C.P., 
Exeter. 

Kempe,  the  Rev.  Preb.  John  Edward, 
14,  Montague  place,  W. 

Kempe,  Charles  N., 

126,  Piccadilly,  W. 

Kempe,  Alfred  Bray,  f.r.s.,  k.c, 
10,  Rochdale  Square,  W 

Kempe,  James, 

2485,  Broadway,  New  York  City,  U.S.A. 

Kempe  James  Fletcher, 

41,  Lawton  Road,  Waterloo,  Liverpool. 

Kempe,  A.  A., 

61,  Gordon  Road,  Ealing. 

Kempe,  Ernest  Courtney,  j.p. 
Warrina,  South  Australia. 

Kempe,  G.  S., 

Carandale,  Mintaro,  South  Australia. 

Kempe,  Chas.  G.B.,  m.r.c.s.,  l.s.a., 
17,  Endless  Street,  Salisbury. 

Kempe,  John  Arrow,  c.b., 
14,  Montague  Place,  W. 

Kempe,  C.  M.,  m.r.c.s.. 

Chantry  House,  Shoreham,  Sussex. 

Kempe,  H.  R., 

Brockham,  Betchworth,  Surrey. 

Kempe,  R.  B., 

Junior  Athenaeum  Club,  W. 


List  of  Subscribers. 


Kempt,  Irvine, 

Forest  Hill,  Kelvinside,  Glasgow. 

Kemp-Welch,  Henry, 

Parkstone,  Weybridge. 

Kemp-Welch,  Miss  Lucy, 
Kingsley,  Bushey,  Herts. 

Kemp-W^elch,  John, 

Sopley,  Christchurch. 

Kemp-Welch,  James, 

Parkstone,  Weybridge. 

Ashton-Gwatkin,  the  Rev.  W.    H. 
Trelawney,  m.a., 
The  Vicarage,  Margate. 

Bulgin,  Mrs.  Robert  C, 
Willesden. 

BuUen,  the  Rev.  R.  Ashington, 

Pyrford  Vicarage,  Woking,  Surrey. 

Davies,  Mrs.  Percy, 

Crichowell,'  Breconshire. 

Fletcher,  Percy  E., 

25,  Union  Road,  Clapham,  S.W. 

Hazlewood,  the  Rev.  F.  G.,  ll.d.,  d.c.l., 

Chislet  Vicarage,  near  Canterbury. 

Hayman,  Howard, 

157,  White  Ladies  Road,  Bristol. 

Hitchin-Kemp,  F.  W., 

Addington  House,  Margate. 

Hitchman,  John, 

51,  Cherry  Street,  Birmingham. 


Hovenden,  Robert,  f.s.a., 

Heathcote,  Park  Hill  Road,  Croydon. 

Jacomb-Hood,  S., 

3,  Aubrey  Road,  Campden  Hill,  W. 

Jesson,  Thomas, 

6,  Duke's  Avenue,  Chiswick. 

Johnston,  Geo.  P., 

33,  George  Street,  Edinburgh. 

Langley,  Mrs.  J., 

Croftlands,  Bolton-le-Sands,  Carnforth,  Lanes. 

Machell,  Mrs.  Isabella, 

Aynsome,  Cartmel,  near  Ulverstone. 

Mercer,  W.  John, 

12,  Marine  Terrace,  Margate. 

Price,  Arthur, 

26,  Old  Burlington  Street,  W. 

Stewart,  Mrs.  E., 

Glendevon,  Sutton,  Surrey. 

Tuer,  Mrs.  A.  W., 

18,  Campden  Hill  Square,  W. 

Waters,  Mrs., 

Millo,  Gorleston,  Great  Yarmouth. 

Williamson,  Mrs.  Isabel  A., 
The  Warrens,  Camelford. 

Williamson,  Mrs.  R.  H., 

The  Warrens,  Camelford,  Cornwall. 

Wolterbeek,    Mrs.   Louisa    (nee  Jacomb- 
Hood), 
Zeestraat,  71A,  The  Hague,  Holland. 


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