Person:Ernest Kempson (1)

Ernest Kempson was born in 1877 at Luton in Bedfordshire, son of a straw hat sewer named Sarah Ann Kempson, formerly Smith, and her husband James Kempson, a plait bleacher and bricklayer. The 1881 census finds Ernest living with his parents and siblings at Park Place in the centre of Luton.

The 1891 census find Ernest living with his mother and siblings at Chobham Street, to the south of Luton town centre. His father was not at home on census night, being in St Albans Gaol. James Kempson was convicted many times of poaching and related offences. Ernest seems to have followed his father's footsteps in this regard. Later in 1891, aged about 14, he had his first brush with the law, being convicted with two other lads of using dogs to take game at Stopsley. In 1896 he was one of a group of eleven people caught at 1.45 in the morning stealing cultivated mushrooms at Kimpton. In 1898 he was fined for causing wilful damage to woodlands on the Luton Hoo estate.

Ernest had a violent nature. In 1899 he was found guilty on two counts of assault on a group of men who had been waiting for a train on the platform at the Great Northern railway station in Dunstable. He was sent to St Albans Gaol for twelve weeks for these offences. He did not reform his ways; just before Christmas 1900 he was found maliciously damaging holly trees at Hyde and Chiltern Green.

The 1901 census finds Ernest living with his parents and two siblings at Essex Street in Luton, and describes him as a general labourer. A couple of months later, Ernest and his father and two other men were prosecuted together for poaching 15 pheasant eggs. All were found guilty and Ernest was fined 40 shillings plus costs, or if he could not pay a month's imprisonment. When asked whether they were going to pay, the men replied insolently, one saying "I should not pay if it were only three ha'pence," to which James Kempson added "Nor if it was tuppence." As the men were being taken to the cells, Ernest called out that he hoped the authorities would provide a bus to remove them to the railway station, "because we shan't walk."

On 21st April 1902, the night of the Luton Fair, Ernest committed a much more serious crime. He and some other men went to the house of a Jane Underwood, who lived apart from her husband, between about 11 and 12 o'clock at night. They loudly knocked on the door until she came down to open the door, when the men burst in, and Ernest raped her, aided and abetted by the other men. Mrs Underwood fled as soon as she could, running into the street shouting "police," and "murder!" Ernest and two other men were caught. Charges against one of the other two men were dropped as there was some doubt over who all the other men had been, but Ernest and one accomplice, Henry Thorogood, were tried at the Bedfordshire Assizes in June 1902. Ernest pleaded not guilty, but the jury did not believe him. He was sentenced to five years penal servitude, whilst Thorogood was sentenced to three years.

Following Ernest's release from jail, he returned to Luton. Some time around 1908 he started a relationship with Clara Lizzie Hockley, formerly Ward, who was known as Lizzie. She was a similar age to Ernest, but had had a couple of difficult relationships already. She had married in 1893, when she was sixteen, to William Hockley, with whom she had two children, although the first died as a baby. She and William separated acrimoniously in the late 1890s, with their fighting reported in local newspapers. Lizzie appears to have lost custody of her surviving son, who was adopted by William's sister. Lizzie then had a relationship with a Harry Burgess, with whom she had a son in 1900, but they separated some time between 1901 and about 1908.

The 1911 census finds Ernest living with Lizzie and her younger son at 87 New Town Street in Luton, with Ernest working as a hawker. The following year, Ernest was back in court, this time charged with assaulting Lizzie Hockley, who was described as having been kicked about like a football in the assault. He was sentenced to a month's hard labour. He returned to live with Lizzie after his release.

In March 1915, Ernest's father James died. In May 1915, Lizzie's elder son was killed in action in France in the First World War. Later that year, Ernest was again convicted of assaulting Lizzie. She was asked why she continued to live with him. She said she had left him several times, but whenever she went he found out where she was lodging and kicked up a row so that people dare not have her there. The magistrates suggested that maybe she should leave Luton altogether.

In 1916 Ernest was in trouble yet again; a couple of gamekeepers from the Luton Hoo estate happened to enter the Bull public house in Luton where Ernest was drinking with some of his associates. They tried to prevent the gamekeepers from leaving the building and assaulted them. Ernest tried to dispute the gamekeepers' story, wanting to call the landlord of the Bull as a witness, but was told he would have to go through the procedure of getting a witness summons. Presumably this cost £2, as Ernest replied "Have I got to be hung for £2?" He was found guilty, sentenced to a month's hard labour, and in sentencing the magistrate remarked "If you don't alter your ways I don't know what you will come to. You will perhaps come to the gallows."

Ernest's mother died in January 1919, just a few weeks after the armistice at the end of the First World War.

A parade and celebrations for the peace were held in Luton on 19th July 1919. There was much resentment in the town against the Mayor and Council both over the management of food supplies during the war and in the arrangements for the peace celebrations afterwards, with returning servicemen excluded from decisions. When the Mayor tried to address the parade the crowds turned against him and the event became a riot, which culminated in the Town Hall being destroyed by fire.^[10]

Afterwards, 28 people were tried for various offences committed during the riots. Ernest was one of them. He was charged with rioting. He pleaded not guilty, and claimed he had only gone to hear the Mayor's speech. He did admit to being a bit excitable, and to wanting people to know what he thought of the Chief Constable. Nine of the 28 people tried were found not guilty, but Ernest was not one of them. He was sentenced to 6 months' hard labour.

From at least 1918 to 1935 (presumably excluding the 6 months in jail in late 1919), electoral rolls show that Ernest lived at 4 Taylor's Yard off New Town Street to the south of Luton town centre. From 1920 to 1929 there was also a Lizzie Kempson listed at that address. Quite possibly this was Lizzie Hockley, pretending to be married to Ernest. Lizzie is not listed at that address after 1929, but there is no obvious sign of a death for Clara or Elizabeth or Lizzie Ward or Hockley or Kempson in the Luton area. Perhaps Lizzie finally took the advice she was given by the magistrates in 1915 and moved to a different town altogether.

Ernest died on 5th March 1939 at 124 Wellington Street in Luton, which was his sister Clara's house. He was 61 years old.

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

   b. Ernest KEMPSTER, December Quarter 1877, Luton Registration District, Volume 3b, page 446, mother's maiden name Smith

2. ↑ England. 1881 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 RG11; Piece 1651; Folio 4; Page 2, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Park Place, Luton, Bedfordshire
   James Kempson, head, married, male, 32 [1848/9], Bleacher Plait, b. Chalk Hill, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Kempson, wife, married, female, 33 [1847/8], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Frederick Kempson, son, unmarried, male, 10 [1870/1], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth Kempson, daughter, female, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Clara Kempson, daughter, female, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ernest Kempson, son, male, 4 [1876/7], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Agnes Kempson, daughter, female, 1 [1879/80], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

3. ↑ England. 1891 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 RG12; Piece 1273; Folio 69; Page 13, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 48 Chobham Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   Sarah Kempson, head, married, female, 42 [1848/9], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Fred Kempson, son, single, male, 19 [1871/2], Straw Hat Packer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth Kempson, sister, single, female, 17 [1873/4], Straw Hat Sewer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Clara Kempson, daughter, female, 15 [1875/6], Straw Hat Finisher, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Earnest Kempson, son, male, 14 [1876/7], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Agnes Kempson, daughter, female, 11 [1879/80], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Bertie Kempson, son, male, 9 [1881/2], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Minnie Kempson, daughter, female, 7 [1883/4], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Maud Kempson, daughter, female, 2 [1888/9], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

4. ↑ England. England. 1901 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 RG13; Piece 1516; Folio 128; Page 21, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 36 Essex St, Luton, Bedfordshire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   James Kempson, head, married, male, 59 [1841/2], General Labourer, worker, b. Totternhoe, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Kempson, wife, married, female, 58 [1842/3], Straw Hat Sewer, worker - at home, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ernest Kempson, son, single, male, 23 [1877/8], Gen Labourer, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Bertie Kempson, son, single, male, 19 [1881/2], Straw Hat Blocker, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Maud Kempson, daughter, single, female, 12 [1888/9], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

5. ↑ England. 1911 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 RG14; Piece 8995; Schedule 313, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 87 New Town Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Four rooms occupied
   Lizzie Hockley, head, female, 33 [1877/8], married 16 years, three children born, one died, Straw Hat Machinist, worker - at home, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Bertie Ward Hockley, son, male, 10 [1900/1], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ernest Kempson, boarder, male, 34 [1876/7], single, General Hawker, own a/c, b. Luton, Bedfordshire

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

   d. Ernest KEMPSON, March Quarter 1939, Luton Registration District, Volume 3b, page 563, aged 61 [1877/8]

7. ↑ Luton News and Bedfordshire Chronicle
   Page 3, 9 Mar 1939.

   DEATHS.
   KEMPSON.-March 5, at 124, Wellington-street, Luton, Ernest Kempson, aged 61.

8.   Bedfordshire, England. Electoral Registers 1832-1986 (Ancestry).

   Ernest is listed at 4 Taylor’s Yard, New Town Street, Luton in each year from 1918 to 1935. A Lizzie Kempson is also listed at that address each year from 1920 to 1929. For 1918, 1919 and each year from 1930 to 1935, Ernest is the only voter listed at that address.

9.   United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive.

   Date	Publication	Article	Summary
   14 Nov 1891	Herts Advertiser	Luton Divisonal Sessions: Stopsley - Taking Game	Pleaded guilty with two other lads to using dogs for the purpose of taking game. Fined 5 shillings, or in default imprisonment for seven days.
   11 Sep 1896	Herts and Cambs Reporter and Royston Crow	Petty Sessions	One of eleven people caught stealing cultivated mushrooms at Kimpton at 1.45 in the morning. Fined 2 shillings and 6 pence.
   23 Sep 1898	Luton Times and Advertiser	Luton Divisional Sessions: Amateur Law on Trespass	Prosecuted with another man for wilful damage to underwood belonging to Madame de Falbe at East Hyde. Fined 5 shillings plus costs.
   11 Apr 1899	Leighton Buzzard Observer and Linslade Gazette	Straws from Luton and Dunstable	Found guilty on two counts of assault on a group of men waiting on the platform of the Great Northern railway station in Dunstable on Easter Monday. Others were involved, but Ernest was the only one caught. Described as "some of the less reputable of the visitors from Luton". Sent to St Albans Gaol for twelve weeks.
   12 Jan 1901	Herts Advertiser	Luton Police Court: Expensive Holly	Ernest and another man pleaded not guilty on two counts of maliciously damaging holly trees at Hyde and Chiltern Green on 20 Dec 1900. Found guilty and fined 25 shillings per offence, or in default sent to jail for 28 days.
   31 May 1901	Luton Times and Advertiser	Luton Divisonal Sessions: What Were the Eggs? Some Old Offenders at the Game	Prosecuted with three other men, one of whom was his father James, for poaching 15 pheasant eggs. When stopped and searched by a police constable at Nether Crawley, the men tried to smash the eggs. Found guilty, and 11 previous convictions noted for Ernest. Fined 40 shillings plus costs or a month imprisonment. "The Clerk: Are you going to pay? Brown: I should not pay if it were only three ha'pence. James Kempson: Nor if it was tuppence. As the prisoners were being taken to the cells, Ernest Kempson expressed the hope that the authorities would provide them with a bus to remove them to the railway station, "because," he added, "we shan't walk."
   29 Apr 1902	Leighton Buzzard Observer and Linslade Gazette	Criminal Charges	Charged with the rape of Mrs Jane Underwood at her home at 12 Chequer Street, Luton, aided and abetted by two other men. Remanded pending trial.
   2 May 1902	Luton Times and Advertiser	Serious Charges at Luton	Charged with "committing a criminal offence upon a married and elderly woman [she was actually 45] named Jane Underwood, at Luton, on April 21st." Witnesses reported finding Mrs Underwood in the street shouting 'police' and 'murder', lightly attired and with no shoes on. Ernest and one of the other men sent for trial at the Bedfordshire Assizes.
   20 Jun 1902	Luton Times and Advertiser	Bedfordshire Summer Assizes: Heavy Sentences for the Luton Men: Serious Offences at Luton	Pleaded not guilty to the rape of Jane Hovel Underwood on 21 Apr 1902 between 11 and 12 at night. She lived apart from her husband and was woken by a loud knocking at her door. She went down thinking her house might be on fire. When she opened the door "several men rushed in, and she was assaulted by the prisoner Kempson". Found guilty and sentenced to penal servitude for five years.
   20 Jun 1902	Northampton Mercury	Bedfordshire Assizes: A Shocking Outrage	Similar reporting to above, although adds that the offence took place on the night of the Luton Fair.
   31 May 1912	Luton Times and Advertiser	Luton Borough Sessions: Alleged Serious Assault	Charged with assaulting and beating Lizzie Hockley, who said she had been living with him for about four years.
   7 Jun 1912	Luton Times and Advertiser	Luton Man's Brutality: Woman Kicked About "Like a Football": "I Can't Stand it any Longer."	Trial for the above assault: sentenced to a month's hard labour.
   8 Oct 1915	Luton Times and Advertiser	A Disreputable Fellow	Remanded in custody on a charge of assaulting Lizzie Hockley "a woman with whom he lives". "The defendant's conduct and language in Court was most unseemly."
   15 Oct 1915	Luton Times and Advertister	A Sordid Story	Trial for the above assault. Pleaded not guilty. "Asked why she continued to live with Kempson, complainant said she had left him several times, but wherever she went he found out where she was lodging and came and kicked up a row, so the people dare not have her there." Bound over to keep the peace.
   11 Feb 1916	Luton Times and Advertiser	Serious Unprovoked Assaults: Old Luton Offender Sent to Gaol	Convicted for assaulting one of the Luton Hoo gamekeepers who came into the Bull public house in Park Street, Luton, where Ernest and some of his associates were drinking at the time. Sentenced to a month's imprisonment with hard labour. Had tried to call the landlord of the Bull as a witness, but was told he would have to go through the procedure of getting a witness summons, which presumably cost £2, as he replied "Have I got to be hung for £2?" In sentencing, the Chairman remarked "If you don't alter your ways I don't know what you will come to. You will perhaps come to the gallows."
   23 Oct 1919	Luton News and Bedfordshire Advertiser	Luton Riot Cases: Prisoners at the Assizes: Full Story of Nightmare Scenes	Start of trial of 28 people charged with various offences in connection with the rioting which took place in Luton after what was supposed to be a parade and celebration to mark the peace at the end of the First World War. The events were mishandled by the Mayor and Council, and the day ended with an angry crowd burning the Town Hall down. Ernest pleaded not guilty to rioting. He admitted that he was present and a bit excitable and wanted people to know what he thought of the Chief Constable.
   30 Oct 1919	Luton News and Bedfordshire Advertiser	Luton Rioters Punished	Conclusion of the above trial. Ernest found guilty of rioting and sentenced to 6 months' hard labour. Of the 28 people charged, 9 were found not guilty. The others had punishments ranging from 3 years' penal servitude down to being bound over.

10. ↑ Luton Peace Riots, Bedfordshire Archives and Records Service, accessed 28 Nov 2017.