Kempe family information.
This page last updated: 1/4/2001
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Message From: CaColvin@aol.com
Carole Colvine, submitter.
Date: Mon, May 3, 1999
Subject:KEMPE
I will be more than happy to share any
info I have on any of these people. Most
of it came from Family Tree during the
"grace" period.
KEMP FAMILY:
Abstracts from Despositions in Lower
Norfolk Co., Virginia
In 1640, George Kempe is 28 years of
age.
________________________________________
Ann Kempe was the wife of Sir Thomas
Sherley, the elder. Her brother, Sir
Thomas Kempe was the father of Mary
Kempe who married Edward Digges, son of
Sir Dudley Digges. Edward and Mary went
to VA. Another daughter, Dorothy Kempe
married Sir Thomas Chickley. Their son,
Sir Henry Chickley, married Agatha
Eltonhead (widow of Ralph Wormely of
Middlesex Co., VA) Another daughter, Ann
Kempe married Sir Henry Skipwith. Their
son was Sir Grey Skipwith sho also went
to Virginia. He was living next to
William Shirley in New Kent Co., VA in
1676.
From Cavaliers and Pioneers by Nugent
Vol II page 229..."Mr Richards, 1676
acres, New Kent Co., St. Stephens
Parish, April 20, 1682. Beginning at
Bestland, nigh head of Robin's branch
along Edmond Binns; Mr. William Shirley,
and Sir Grey Skipwith; up the Draggon,
Sev., to Col. Claibourne 900 acres
granted to Greg Morris...etc. (Sir Grey
Skipwith's sister, Diana Skipwith,
married Major Edward Dale and lived
Lancaster Co., VA.
(Note: a William Shirley is overseerer
for a Mrs. Claiborne in King William
Co., VA in the 1820 census)
The father of Ann Kempe, wife of Sir
Thomas Sherley, the elder, had a sister
Emmaline Kempe who married a Mr. Scott.
Their daughter Eliz. Scott married Sir
Richard Smith, brother of Sir Thomas
Smith, the first treasurer of the
Virginia Company. Richard and Thomas
Smith had a sister, Alice, who married
Wm. Harris. Their granddaughter, Dorothy
Harris married Robert Kempe and their
son, Richard Kempe, was Governor of
Virginia and Secretary of State. Thomas,
Richard and Alice Smith were first
cousins with Mary Golding who married
Bartholomew Gosnold, founder of
Jamestown Virginia in 1606.
________________________________________
A John and George Kempe appraised Rev.
Josias Mackis estate in 1718 in Princess
Anne Co., John Shirley, Sr. is
mentioned.
________________________________________
In the Parish records of Christ Church,
Middlesex Co., VA, Mr. Richard Kempe and
wife Ellianor were having children in
1694-98. At the same time Richard
Shirley and his wife, Ann, widow of
George Duff, are having children in the
same Parish.
________________________________________
1742 Thomas Price, consent of Mary Kempe
to her daughters marriage
1758 Thomas Kempe and Mary Smith
1784 Peter Kempe and Hannah Kempe,
consent of her mother, Mary Kempe
________________________________________
The following info from Brian Swan.
RICHARD KEMPE OF GISSING ENGLAND AND
VIRGINIA
Richard Kempe was the 3rd son of Robert
Kempe of Gissing and Flordon in Norfolk.
Robert Kempe was baptised at Hampstead,
Middlesex, on 28 December 1567; and was
buried at Gissing in 1612. His father,
Richard Kempe, the elder, had married
Alice Cockeram of Hampstead at that
parish church on 22 January 1566/7.
Richard Kempe moved to Ipswich, where he
was appointed Councillor of the Law. He
lived at Washbrook, some three miles
south-west of the town. He probably
lived there until his own father, Robert
Kempe of Gissing and Flordon, died in
1594, aged 80, and he succeded to his
estates.
Thus the baptism of the younger children
of Richard and Alice Kempe are probably
to be found in the Parish Registers of
Ipswich sometime around 1570 onwards.
Richard Kempe, the elder , died not long
after his father, and was buried at
Gissing on 5 April, 1600 (Will 44 Force
and Old Wills, 26; proved at Norwich
Cosistory Court by his son and his wife
on 7 May 1600.) His family included:
Margaret Kempe, wife of Daniel Cotton;
Anne Kempe, the wife of Anthony Drury of
Besthope, Norfolk (marriage recorded on
26 May 1567 at Gissing); John Kempe, his
brother at Antingam who died in 1610
(Will dated 30 Sept 1610 and proved 5
Dec 1610). He married Anne Calthorpe,
widow of Robert Jermy of Antingham, and
left a son and heir, Robert Kempe ; who
gave his estates in 1626 to his cousin,
Sir Robert Kempe of Gissing. Also
meantioned were his nephew and niece
Harborne; Thomas Kempe of Beccles; his
niece, Dorothy Norton, his cousin,
Robert Kempe of Bury St. Edmunds; his
nephews Thomas Kempe, then a scholar at
Cambridge, and edward Rowse (Rous).
Robert and John Kempe, sons of his
eldest son, Robert Kempe, were to have a
sum of money when they went to Grays Inn
to study the Law.
Richard Kempe owned the Manors of
Hasting in Gissing and Flordon in
Norfolk, and Burnells, Dallings and
Redisham in Suffolk. He added to the
family estate by purchasing the Manor,
afterwards known as Gissing Hall in
Roydon. The Manor of Redisham is
mentioned in a deed of 1311 as belonging
to the Kempe family of Weston (BM Stowe
Mss, 250). This is some evidence to
surrport the descent of the Norfolk
family from this Suffolk root. His
widow, Alice Kempe, remarried, her
second husband being Edmund Poley,
Gent., of Badley near stowmarket,
Suffolk, on 17 Sept 1601 at Gissing
church. Edmund Poley died on 31 Oct
1613, aged 69, and there is an
inscription to him and other Poley
family members in the church in Badley.
The eldest son, Richard Kempe, the
elder, was also called Robert Kempe; and
was described as of Gissing, Flordon and
Antingham in Norfolk. He was entered as
a student at Grays Inn, London, on 9
May, 1682. He married, around 1596, to
Dorothy, daughter of Arthur Harris of
Cricksea and Woodham Mortimer, Essex by
Dorothy, daughter of Sir William
Waldegrave of Smallbridge, Suffolk and
sister of Sir William Harris of
Cricksea. Arthur Harris was the son of
William Harris of Woodham Ferrers and
Alice Smythe. Alice Smythe was the
daugher of Sir John Smythe of
Ostenhanger, Kent; whose brother, Sir
Thomas Smythe (1558-1626) helped found
the Virginia Company.
As the first two children of Robert
Kempe are not baptised at Gissing, he
probably lived elsewhere until he
succeeded to the Manor. Richard Kempe,
the third son and future Secretary of
Virginia, was baptised at Gissing in
1600; and the fourth son, Arthur Kempe,
was also baptised there in 1601. Robert
Kempe died on 23 Oct 1612, aged 47, and
was buried at Gissing, At the time of
his death none of his children had
reached manhood, although he had eight
sone and three daughters, of whom seven
sons and two daughters survived him; as
well as his wife. His will was dated 30
Nov 1612 and proved on 5 May 1613 by his
widow, Dorothy Kempe. Dorothy Kempe
lived on at the Manor House at Florodn,
until she died at Flordon in 1626 and
was buried alonside her husband at
Gissing. She left a will proved in the
same year.(dated 30 March 1626 and
proved 29 Nov 1626). She memtions she
hold a lease of a house in finsbury,
Middlesex, from Sir William Parkhurst,
Knight. This might represent a London
residence, perhaps the same as mentioned
in the will of her son, Arthur Kempe, as
his Chamber in London.
Arthur Kempe was at Pembroke College,
Cambridge, from 1620-1623. From
1631-1635 he was Rector of Mapiscombe in
Kent. He was destined to become Rector
of Cricksea, and later of St.
Michael-at-Thorn, Norwich, where he died
in 1645, leaving a will but no issue. He
left bequests to the poor of Antingham,
Flordon, St. Michael-at-Thorn and the
City of Norwich.
Carole
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