Extracts From Hitchin-Kemp's History of the Kemp and Kempe Families

Author: Frederick Hitchin-Kemp et al.
Title: A General History of the Kemp and Kempe Families of Great Britain and Her Colonies.London The Leadenhall Press Ltd. 1902. 372 Pages

Chapter V

The Kemps Of Dorset

"We 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 who represented Shaftesbury in 1584. But so far as we can trace the kemps of poole were not connected directly with either of these . Their ancestors the Welches had long been settled at Beaulieu Lymington and Chirstchurch but it is not know 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 as a or any other Kemp so named we suggest that it is probable that the name of Martin as a 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 County Somersct" a widow who made her will in 1660 and died in 1663 leaveing her daughter "Ursula Martin als Kemp" exxutrix and principal legatce she mentions also her son Baldwin her daughter Dorothy and her grandhcildren Joane and William Clerkc. Susannah Kemp of Richmond in her will dated 1684 (P.C.C.32 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 the 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 testarix as a member of the Buckingham branch of the New Forest Kemps aand thus near kin to John Kemp 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 kin 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 1665 Edith Kemp a widow was buried there in 1715 Edward kemp baptised at Poole in 1666 (evidently the eldest son of this couple) married Joan Guy there in 1690 and a son Edward was baptised there in that or the following year. In 1709 Edward Kemp a malster of Poole married Joan Crocker a widow and in 1772 Benjamin the son of Edward and Rachell Kemp was baptised there. Beside these we have the following apparently collateral line. Benjamin the son of the first named Edward was baptised there in 1668. Administration of his estate was granted to Edith Seagar in 1707 and Nicholas the son of Nicholas and Mary Kemp was baptised there in 1716.

The Kemp-Welch family held property in thge Isle of Wight but there are no wills at Winchester recording such property indedd it is astonishing that all the Kemps 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 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 administrators of of the estate of Elizabeth Kemp their mother formerly of Newton who died about 1740 she being widow of Richard Kemp of Calbourne whose will wasproved in London in 1732. Arreton Registers also included a few Kemps between 1694 and 1704 and thoseof Newport contain Kemp entries between 1680 to 1813. In the last case at least more than one family of the name is represented for Lucretia daughter of John Purcell Kemp who was baptised there in 1741 was certainly of a Yorkshire family her baptism being performed ere owing only to her father being temporarily stationed with his regimenmt 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 papes and treasury papers of the epriod. It is not impossible that they are related to the Kemps of Poole but we do not think this at allpossible.

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 the 16th April 1755 Mary the daughter of Robert Welch of Lymington. Both were buried at the Congregational Chruch at Poole he in 1772 and she in 1805. His 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 its the eldest child George could manage it. The business proved well founded and under its new management prospered exceedingly. "