John Kemp (abt. 1826 - 1907)

Born about Mar 1826 in Knottingley, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Clarke) Kemp — married 17 Mar 1853 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australian Colonies

Descendants

Died 11 May 1907 at about age 81 in East Mirboo, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

John Kemp was born in Motla, Yorkshire, England.

John Kemp migrated from England to Australia.

John Kemp was involved in events associated with the Eureka Rebellion at Ballarat.

John was born in March 1826 in the Village of Motla, near the Town of Knottingley, which is on the River Aire, near the City of Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England^[1]. He started work driving horses up Saul Canal and from that started a seafaring life. On the 30 December 1844, at the age of 18, John enlisted in the Merchant Service. He was issued the Register Ticket Number of 73673, which was registered on the 30 December 1844 in the Town of Goole, near the City of York, Yorkshire and the Humber Region, Yorkshire West Riding, England. At the time of joining, he was described as being 5 Foot 2½ inches, with a light complexion, brown hair and blue eyes and his left little finger was bent. John is put aboard the 'Man-of-War' "Havana" and is employed as a Cook under the charge of Captain Hoskins.

On the 6 April 1848, John is aboard the "Havana" which departs from the Port of London, on the River Thames, England bound for the Colony of New South Wales, Australia. The ship arrives at the Port of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on the 7 August 1848^[2].

• 1848 'Shipping Intelligence.', The Sentinel (Sydney, NSW : 1845 - 1848), 10 August, p. 2.
• SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. Arrived.......August 7 — H. M. S. Havanna, 22 guns, Capt. J. E. Erskine, from Plymouth the 6th and Lisbon the 30th April, Madeira the 7th May and Cape of Good Hope the 4th July^[3].

John came out to Australia in a British 'Man-of-War' "the 'Adelaide'", 55 tons in 1848 to join the 'Havanna' another man-of-war. Ran away from the 'Havanna' in Hobart Town, Van Dieman's Land (Tasmania) and went aboard a whaler called the 'Wallaby' and went up Bering Strait whaling and left the 'Wallaby' there and found another whaling vessel 'Prince Regent', which was built for Prince George's yacht. In 1850, he returned to Australia to gold digging in and married in 1853. I don't know whether this is all true. Mother used to say he ran away to sea when he was 16 years old^[4].

John married Mary Clarke on the 17 March 1853 at St James' Cathedral, 2 Batman Street, City of Melbourne, Colony of Victoria, Australia. His surname was recorded as 'Genep' possibly because he had a broad Yorkshire accent and the person transcribing the event put his surname down as 'Genep'. They were married by Licence by Theodore (Budd) in front of witnesses William James (Fisher) of Melbourne and Mary (Wisen) of Melbourne^[5]. During their marriage, the couple had the following children:--

1. Joseph Henry Kemp (1854-1915)
2. John "Winterburn" Kemp (1856-1936)
3. William Edward (1858-1933)
4. Sarah Eleanor Kemp (1859-1879)
5. Catherine (Kemp) McDonald (1861-1934)
6. Mary "Henrietta" (Kemp) McLennan 1863-1942)
7. Thomas Matthew Winterburn Kemp (1865-1882)
8. George James Kemp (1867-1892)
9. Margaret "Jamieson Henderson" (Kemp) Morrow (1869-1950)
10. Amelia Meredith (Kemp) Smith (1871-1960)
11. Robert Winterbourne Kemp (1874-1960)
12. Arthur Lane Kemp (1877-1921)

In an Excerpt from a Letter written by D. Morrow to D. Schmidt in 1951, further information is revealed about John's life as follows:--

• Mr. John Kemp arrived later in the year of 1878. He came from Ballarat accompanied by his son William Kemp and was later joined by two other sons, Thomas and George. Mrs. Kemp remained in Ballarat with the younger members of the family of twelve until a house was built at Boolarra. Mr. Kemp's property 3-4 miles out of Boolarra was named "Windsor Park" after Mr. Billy Windsor, an 18 stone, 6 foot giant of a man who used to shoot wild cattle on the Scrubby Forest Station at Yinnar. Later he worked for various families in the Boolarra district.
• When Mr. Kemp first came to his selection, he felled a very large tree of 12 feet in diameter. The ends rested on the ground, but under the middle was a depression in the ground up to three feet deep. A hut was built onto this log and bunks placed in the depression. If any branches or trees fell, the huge log protected the men.
• In 1880 Miss Katie Kemp opened the school at Yinnar. In 1884 Mr. Will Kemp and his brother-in-law Mr. Will Secombe started the first local paper "The Morwell Advertiser"^[6].

When Joseph was born in 1854, John was digging for Gold in the Town of Eureka, east of the City of Ballarat, on the Yarrowee River, Central Highlands, Victoria, Australia. At the time of Arthur's birth in 1877, the Kemp family had moved to Darling Street, Town of Ballarat, Ballarat East, on the Yarrowee River, Central Highlands, Victoria, Australia, where John worked as a Farmer. Then, from 1903 to 1906, he lived with his daughter Amelia Meredith (Kemp) in the Town of Morwell, Shire of Morwell, Morwell Subdivision, Gippsland Division, Latrobe Valley, Gippsland, South-Eastern Victoria, Australia^[7]. On the 11 May 1907, at the home of his married daughter, Amelia (Smith), at East Mirboo, near the Town of Boolara, Boolara District, Shire of Morwell, Buln Buln County, Latrobe Valley, Central Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, John passed away at the age of 82 from Senile Decay (over 1 years)^[8]. His burial took place on the 14 May 1907 at Hazelwood Cemetery, Cemetery Avenue, Hazelwood, Morwell District, Buln Buln County, Gippsland Region, Victoria, Australia. The location of his grave is in the Anglican portion, Location B^[9].

• 1907 'Family Notices', Morwell Advertiser (Morwell, Vic. : 1888 - 1954), 17 May, p. 2.
• DEATH. KEMP. —On the 11th inst., at the residence of his son-in-law, Phillip Smith, East Mirboo, near Boolarra, John Kemp. Aged 83 years. A very old colonist, and resident of the district for many years^[10].

Obituary Notice

• 1907 'OBITUARY.', Morwell Advertiser (Morwell, Vic. : 1888 - 1954), 17 May, p. 2.
• OBITUARY. DEATH OF MR JOHN KEMP. It is with extreme regret that we have to chronicle the death of a very old colonist and a pioneer of the district, in the person of Mr John Kemp, which sad event took place on Saturday last at the residence of his son-in-law (Mr Philip Smith), Mirboo East.
• Deceased arrived in Victoria about sixty years ago. He was present at the Eureka Riot, and prospected on the early gold fields. He came to Gippsland some twenty years ago, and eventually took up land a few miles from Boolarra. The district at that time was simply a dense forest of scrub and huge trees. It was almost impossible to get building material to the place, but that did not discourage the stout heart of Mr Kemp, who utilised the burnt out stump of a huge tree, which was used as a house, and in which he lived for nearly five years. The land, however was good, and by hard work was converted into a smiling farm, on which a comfortable home and outbuildings were in due course erected.
• The property was sold a few years ago, and Mr Kemp removed to Morwell, where he and his youngest daughter resided until Miss Kemp married Mr Smith about eighteen months ago. The other members of the family (which include Mr William Kemp, of Western Australia, who at one time was connected with the Morwell Advertiser, and Mrs M'Donald, state school teacher), being all grown up and out of the district, the deceased made his home with his daughter Mrs Smith.
• He had reached the ripe old age of 83 years, having outlived his wife by several years, and enjoyed splendid health until a few months ago. when he failed greatly, and was mostly confined to his bed. He was most highly respected by all with whom he came in contact, and deep regret is expressed on all sides at his death.
• His remains were interred in the Hazelwood cemetery on Tuesday last, the funeral cortege being a very large one. Mr G. W. Blanchard officiated at the grave, the funeral arrangements being carried out by Mr W. Tulloch^[11].

Sources

1. ↑ Britain, Merchant Seamen, 1835-1857; : The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Kew & FindMyPast; John Kemp; Record Link: https://search.findmypast.com/record?id=TNA%2FMSEA%2FBTOTH%2F4584986%2F00136&parentid=TNA%2FBT113%2F2132676290%2F1); Series: BT113; Piece number: 37; Date range: 1845-1854
2. ↑ Passengers Arriving 1826 - 1900 : State Records Authority of New South Wales; Reference: Shipping Master's Office; Part Colonial Secretary series covering 1845 - 1853, reels 1272 [4/5227] -1280 [4/5244]; Page number: 3
3. ↑ Shipping Notice : TROVE Digitised Newspapers (National Library of Australia, Canberra); Record Link: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226462289
4. ↑ Written Letter : A Grandchild of John Kemp
5. ↑ Family History Search: Marriages : Births, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria; Reference: (Marriage Year-1853); John Genep & Mary Clarke. Marriage Place: Melbourne. Registration Details: 6250 / 1853; Accessed 2 October 2023; Record Link: https://my.rio.bdm.vic.gov.au/efamily-history/651a74f151dd72284e06622f/results?q=efamily
6. ↑ Kemp(e) Family History : Andrew D Kemp; Record Link: https://www.kempfamilyhistory.com/getperson.php?personID=I1334&tree=adkemp
7. ↑ Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 : Australian Electoral Commission, Canberra & Ancestry.com Operations; Division: Gippsland; Subdivision: Morwell; Record Nos. 271 & 272; Page number: 4 (1903); Record Nos. 280 & 281; Page number: 5 (1905); Record Nos. 267 & 268; Page number: 4 (1906)
8. ↑ Family History Search: Deaths : Births, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria; Reference: (Death Year-1907); Jno Kemp. Father: Jno Winterburn Kemp. Mother: Cath. Unknown. Death Place: Boolara. Registration Details: 3747 / 1907; Accessed 30 September 2023; Record Link: https://my.rio.bdm.vic.gov.au/efamily-history/651a74f151dd72284e06622f/results?q=efamily
9. ↑ Hazelwood Cemetery 'G to N' : Australian Cemeteries & Julie N; Reference: (Burial Year-1907); Record Link: http://www.australiancemeteries.com.au//vic/latrobe/hazelwoodgn_data.htm; Image number: h0687
10. ↑ Death Notice : TROVE Digitised Newspapers (National Library of Australia, Canberra); Record Link: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65869840
11. ↑ Obituary Notice : TROVE Digitised Newspapers (National Library of Australia, Canberra); Record Link: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65869838)