William Kemp, Southbridge

[lindynz]

I'm hoping someone might be able to help me find out about the life (and death) of my great great grandfather, William Kemp, who lived in Southbridge. He was from Cornwall, and was married to Elizabeth Bryant. I'm reasonably sure they were the Kemp(e) family that arrived on the Rangitiki in 1877. I have seen William listed as a labourer in Southbridge the 1882-4 directories, but I have found no other definite mentions of him, and Elizabeth is listed by herself in the 1894-5 directory. Ellesmere cemetery, where she is buried, lists her as a widow when she died in 1908, but it doesn't appear that William is buried with her. I used the information on her death certificate to trace both her and William's families in Cornwall, and I'm fairly sure they were both born around 1845, she in Lelant, he in Probus, married in 1874 St Erme.

If Elizabeth was a widow, then it would appear William died between 1883 (when last child was born) and 1908, but probably before 1894. The only William Kemp I could find to match that time-frame was one who died in 1886 in Christchurch. Age (40) and place of birth (England), and time in NZ (13 years) would roughly match my William, but parents and wife are different (he married Ellen Gallagher in 1883 age 37). I found another William buried in 1926 in Ashburton age 76 - the dates are even rougher than the first one, and no wife or children are listed on his death certificate, BUT the place of birth (Cornwall), and the parents names, match with my previous research. So - I have two deaths, both of which partially match what I know, but also contain things that seem wrong, which means (a) my Cornwall research was wrong, (b)William left his family (and possibly re-married), or (c) there is another William Kemp death I have missed. I don't want to get any more certificates unless I can be reasonably sure I'm on the right track. Can anybody find any further information about William Kemp of Southbridge, that might shed light on what happened to him?

[minniehaha]

Hello,

There is a William Kemp aged 65 who died in 1895 and another who died in 1880 aged 45.

Perhaps another Rootschatter may be able to provide a place of burial for these two deaths, to eliminate them or otherwise?

Minniehaha.

[Lucy2]

Hi

Firstly, on the passenger list ("Rangitiki" to Lyttelton - 1877), I see the ages of William and Elizabeth KEMPE are given as (both) aged 30 ... so born (maybe) about 1847.
I say "maybe" because often ages can be inaccurate on these immigrant lists (amongst other things, it was a fairly common ploy for (especially) male emigrants, to tweak their actual ages in order to qualify for an assisted passage.)   

And I noticed too that the NZ Death index shows Elizabeth KEMP - d. 1908 was aged 60 - giving a birth year of circa 1848 ?   (But of course death cert. information, being as it is, supplied by a third party, can't always be relied upon either.) 

So that brings me back to the death cert. you have for the William KEMP - aged 76 [bc 1850 ] - who appears to be a likely candidate.   

It seems from looking at the Ashburton Cemetery record, that this man's burial was in a "free" plot (i.e. a plot allocated to someone unable to pay cost of same - e.g. a pauper or someone with no immediate family around.)   So your theory about William having left his family, may well stack up.
The question though, is just when did he leave ?     I have some electoral roll (and other) info to follow ... (see next).

  ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

1880-81 - Canterbury - Selwyn electorate

KEMP - William - Southbridge - Labourer - Freehold section - Town Section 48

1885-86 - same listing as above

1890 - Ellesmere

KEMP - William - Southbridge - Labourer - Freehold Sect. 48 Southbridge

I can't see him in Canterbury in 1900 ?

1905-06 - Ellesmere

KEMP - Elizabeth - married
[and the daughters --]  KEMP - Emma Catherine / Hannah Ellen / Charlotte Wilmot -- spinsters
KEMP - William* - farm labourer
    .. all residing at Southbridge (no street address given).

* Who is this William ?     
Could it be the son (b. 1868) who travelled with family to NZ ?
Do you have further information for William junior ... an occupation / a marriage ?  (Just so we can more easily rule him out on electoral rolls.)

  ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

Hi

*  Do you happen to know the actual street address the KEMPs lived at in Southbridge ?

Of interest (perhaps) is the following advertisement at PapersPast.

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz

"Ellesmere Guardian" - 9 June 1897 - page 2 / column 3  (at foot of column)

AUCTION - on account of Mr W. KEMP - 1/2 acre of land and a 4-roomed house situated at Great Sarsfield Street, Southbridge.

[Lucy2]

And this - although it is in 1916 ??

"Ellesmere Guardian" - 19 January 1916 - page 2

... Mr W. KEMP on the staff at the Southbridge Railway station for several months, has received notice of his transfer to Ashburton.

 

[Lucy2]

Hi again

*  Do you happen to have the marriage certificate for William KEMPE - 1874 ?

I noticed this was registered at Truro - JUNE - 1874 (bride on same page Elizabeth BRYANT.)

But there is also a marriage - DEC - 1873 (Reg. at Truro) again with a William KEMPE (and bride on same page - Elizabeth BRYANT) 

[lindynz]

Thanks Lucy, I'd missed a few of those bits of information. It sounds like he may have been alive after Elizabeth's death, or at least later than I thought.

I don't know too much about the son, William, so I can't be sure if he is the one appearing on the electoral rolls. I believe he was William's son from his first marriage - his mother died in 1870.

Elizabeth's death certificate, which suggests a birth year of 1848 was signed by her daughter, who probably wasn't sure of her age (I'm reasonably convinced 1845 is the correct year); and the Rangitiki arrival is certainly the most closely matching arrival I have found so far.

Regarding the marriage of William and Elizabeth - through some other researchers I have reasonably established (though I'm not 100% convinced) that they married on 4 April 1874 at St Erme. His father was William, farm labourer, and hers was Robert, miner (this is backed up by Elizabeth's death certificate). Their daughter, Emma Catherine's, birth certificate says her parents married in 1873 Truro, but everything else points to the 1874 marriage being the correct one. From this, it appears that William was born in 1845 to parents William Kemp and Ann Harris, who married at Probus in 1841.

The Ashburton 1926 William Kemp death certificate says he was born in Truro, and his parents were William Kemp and Ann HARRY. This, and the roughly coinciding timeframe, is what makes me lean towards it being the correct William, despite the year of death, and the lack of other family information to match. The Ellesmere Guardian piece that said a Mr W Kemp went from Southbridge to Ashburton suggests our William could well have been in Ashburton when he died, but why would Elizabeth have been a "widow" when she died? Might she have called herself that rather than admit she was separated or divorced?

[Lucy2]

Hi lindynz

It sounds to me like you have the right man - William KEMP d. 1926.
I wouldn't be too concerned about the "age stated at death".   
And if he was estranged from his family, that probably explains the lack of info re: wife/living issue, on his death cert.

The term "Widow" for a wife who had been deserted / or lived apart from her husband, was in fairly common use.      [Divorce back then was a frightfully expensive option - and few couples opted for "legal" separation. ]

I'm guessing you didn't have any actual "addresses"  for the KEMPS ?  (It's annoying with electoral rolls when only the name of the town is given.   Grrr !) 

   ~  Lu