Person:William Kempson (4)

William Kempson was baptised on 25th March 1821 at Totternhoe in Bedfordshire, son of Rebecca Kempson, formerly Turnham, and her husband George Kempson, a straw dealer. William's baptism record appears to include his date of birth, but unfortunately the date is illegible. The baptism record also notes that William was the couple's eighth son. In 1833, when William was twelve years old, his mother died.

William was married on 28th February 1845, aged about 24, to Charlotte Stanton. She was originally from Great Bedwyn in Wiltshire, but they married in Southwark, in the southern suburbs of London, where they were both said to be living on Borough Road at the time. William was said to be in the army when he married.

By 1850 William and Charlotte had settled back in Totternhoe, and William had left the army to work as a straw dealer.

Charlotte and William had four children born at Totternhoe between 1850 and 1856, although the first two died as babies. In the 1851 census Charlotte was working as a straw plaiter.

William's father died in 1853. William and Charlotte took over the tenancy of his father's old cottage in Totternhoe, where his father had previously lived for about forty years. They lived there until September 1859, when the landlord gave them notice to quit. Not wishing to completely lose the cottage, William and Charlotte left the cottage, but installed William's brother James in the cottage so as not to give the landlord possession of it. The landlord resorted to throwing James and his things out into the street. Several court cases followed over the next five years, all of which the Kempsons lost. Newspaper articles describe William and James as being "obstinate brothers".

Charlotte died in 1862, aged 39.

The 1871 census finds William and his son (also called William) living in Totternhoe. That census also finds a widow called Rebecca Edmonds (formerly Wright) working as a general servant at the Bull Inn in Totternhoe. William and Rebecca married on 11th October 1871.

William died in 1876, aged 55. Rebecca survived him by over seventeen years, and remarried in 1885.

1. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Parish Church of Totternhoe. Parish registers of Totternhoe, 1559-1812. (Bedford: Bedfordshire County Record Office, 1982).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Totternhoe in the County of Bedford in the Year 1821
   No.116
   When baptized: 1821 March 25th
   Name: William 8th Son of
   Parents: George & Rebecca
   Surname: Kempson born [illegible]
   Abode: Totternhoe
   Occupation: [illegible]

2. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1757; Folio 9; Page 10, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Totternhoe, Bedfordshire
   William Kempson, head, married, male, 29 [1821/2], Straw Dealer, b. Totternhoe, Bedfordshire
   Caroline Kempson, wife, married, female, 26 [1824/5], Straw Plaiter, b. Hungerford, Berkshire

3. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 1010; Folio 5; Page 4, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Stordy Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire
   William Kempson, head, married, male, 41 [1819/20], Straw Dealer, b. Totternhoe, Bedfordshire
   Charlotte Kempson, wife, married, female, 36 [1824/5], b. Great Bedwin, Wiltshire
   Henry Kempson, son, male, 7 [1853/4], Platter, b. Totternhoe, Bedfordshire
   William Kempson, son, male, 4 [1856/7], b. Totternhoe, Bedfordshire

4. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1566; Folio 44; Page 10, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Main Road, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire
   William Kempson, head, widower, male, 48 [1822/3], Straw Dealer, b. Totternhoe, Bedfordshire
   William Kempson, son, male, 15 [1855/6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[oure]r, b. Totternhoe, Bedfordshire

5. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. William KEMPSON, December Quarter 1876, Luton Registration District, Volume 3b, page 262, aged 54 [1821/2]

6.   Luton Times and Advertiser, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 4, 12 May 1860.

   PETTY SESSIONS, MAY 7th, 1860.
   Present:-Rev.H.B. Smyth (chairman) and A. Macnamara, Esq.
   ...CHARGE OF PERJURY.-Benjamin James, Totternhoe, was charged by James Kempson of the same village, with wilful and deliberate perjury, committed at the Luton County Court, on the 28th of February last, before J.H. Koe, Esq., judge. Mr. Simpson, of St. Albans, was the solicitor for the complainant; Mr. Day, of Hemel Hempstead, for the defendant. Mr. Simpson stated the case, calling James Kempson, who after being sworn, stated: I brought an action against Benjamin James, Thomas Turney, and John Turney, in the Luton County Court, which came on for hearing on the 28th Feb. last. The action was for assaulting me and damaging my goods. Benjamin James was the defendant in that action. I recollect him being sworn. He then said his brother gave everything up to him and also possession of the house.-By the Rev. H. Smyth: Mr. James swore that my brother gave up all possession of the property to him.-By Mr. Simpson: I brought an action against him for throwing me into the street. I recollect the judge calling James back a second time, and asked him if my brother gave up the house and premises to him. Mr. Simpson: What did James say to the judge?-Witness: I cannot say the exact words. On the 29th September I was in the cottage. I was put in by my brother; he gave me the key to keep in the house for him. While I was there Benjamin James came to the door with a hammer and chisel, and with them broke open the door. My brother did not tell me to give up possession to James. I was thrust into the street. I still have the key of the house and barn.-By Mr. Day: I have made a claim to the house as my own. I live and Kensworth; it is three or four miles from Totternhoe. I am still living at Kensworth. My brother put me into the house at Totternhoe to take care of it for him. I always saw my brother on a Wednesday. I still consider the house and premises as my property, as well as other cottages. I should like to have them. My brother went into a house previously occupied by John East, early in the morning of the 29th Sept. He left a grate in the house; I do not know whether he left anything else in the house but the grate.-By Rev. H.Smyth: I had moved my own things into the house; those thrown out were not my brother's.-Re-examined by Mr. Simpson: My brother told me to keep possession. He had occupied the premises seven or eight years, and had paid rent for the same. I returned my brother the key; my father had the cottages before my brother, they together holding them for more than fifty years, I consulted Mr. Day as to my right to the cottages, when that gentleman told me they were clearly my property.-William Kempson was then sworn, stating as follows to questions put by Mr. Simpson: I never agreed to give Mr. James possession; he never asked me for the keys; the keys of the house and barn have been in my possession ever since; I had a notice served upon me, ordering me to quit on the 29th Sept.-By Mr. Day: I said I would pay my rent when it became due; I do persist in saying that I gave my brother the key to keep the house for me, and I do still consider myself tenant of that house; I went into East's house after he went into mine, Turney having let my house to East.-By Mr. Simpson: I did not authorize Mr. James to let the house to East.-Charlotte Kempson, wife of William Kempson, was the next witness sworn and examined by Mr. Simpson: we went out of the house on the 29th of Sept; we had lived in it about nine years; my husband locked the doors of the house and barn, and put his brother in possession. I was present when Benjamin James came up, he asked for the rent, and my husband paid it. I was present when James broke open the door; he never asked for the key, nor to have possession given to him.-Mr. Smyth: this is a vey weak case at present.-Mr. Day: if your worships think there is still any doubt, I will call East, and that witness will set the matter in a clearer light.-John East was then called, sworn, and examined by Mr. Day: I now live in a cottage of Mr. James' and others, the same which was occupied by William Kempson previously to 29th Sept. last; I had seen William Kempson about a week before in the barn I was at work in; he asked me if I thought of leaving my house, and I told him I thought I should at Michaelmas; he said if so, he would change with me to get away from the bother; he would see Hill that day, and if he was agreeable we might make an exchange. We each had a grate in our houses, and we agreed to exchange, and also to exchange the things in the garden; my wife saw Mr. James that day. On the 29th Sept. I was present when Kempson and James were together; I saw William Kempson pay Mr. James some money; there was a dispute about the time, as to whether it was new or old Michaelmas when the rent was due; as soon as William Kempson had got his things loaded on the cart, I went to him and told him I had nothing to do with his brother, I had to do with him only; him and I had agreed to change houses. He said "yes, I have done with it." I then took my goods to that house.-Cross-examined by Mr. Simpson: Kempson did not let me the house; I did not ask for the key, I expected the keys were in Mr. James's hands.-Rev. H. Smyth: we (the bench) think this case need not be carried further. The magistrates then retired for a few minutes, and on their return into court the chairman said, they had come to the conclusion to dismiss the case, as there was nothing in the evidence likely to lead to a conviction; the defendant was therefore discharged.

7.   Hertfordshire Express, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 3, 12 May 1860.

   LUTON...
   PETTY SESSIONS.
   MONDAY, May 7.-Before Rev. H.B. Smyth, and A. Macnamara, Esq...
   CHARGE OF PERJURY.
   Benjamin James, was charged by William Kempson, both of Totternhoe, with taking a false oath at the last February County Court, held in Luton, before J.H. Koe, Esq., Judge.
   Mr. Simpson, for Kempson. Mr. Day, for James.
   It appeared from the evidence adduced, that William Kempson rented a cottage at Totternhoe, and James had served him with a notice to quit on the 29th of September last. Kempson left the cottage after paying the rent for the same, but refused to give possession to Benjamin James, putting in a brother of his named James Kempson, in the house the Saturday as William Kempster [sic] went out. Mr. James finding that it would not be given up by the Kempsons, without using force, he (Mr. James) broke open the door, and ejected James Kempsno [sic], putting him and his goods into the street; for that and the assault, and action was brought in the County Court against James, when a verdict was given in favour of James. The Kempson's [sic] not being satisfied with such division, resolved to charge James with perjury for swearing that William Kempson gave Benjamin James possession of the cottage and other premises.
   The magistrates this day deemed the charge unfounded; they therefore acquitted James of the serious charged alleged against him. The obstinate brothers bein [sic] saddled with heavy costs.

8.   Hertford Mercury, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 3, 29 Oct 1864.

   LUTON...
   COUNTY COURT, TUESDAY, OCT. 25.
   (Before J. WRIGHAM, Esq., Judge.)...
   Kempson v. Turvey.-This was a claim of 10l. for injuries inflicted on plaintiff in an assault by defendant. It appears that Kempson imagines he has a right to some cottages in the possession of Turvey, at Totternhoe, and in order to test his right was advised by a man named Muller to serve the tenants with notices to quit. The evidence clearly shewed that the plaintiff had no right to be there, and was fairly warned off, and that only on his threatening to damage the property did the defendant use any force.-Verdict for defendant accordingly with costs.