| ![Show Contents]() Kempe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Kempe is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a champion at jousting or wrestling. In medieval England, the joust was used to train feudal knights for battle. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Middle English word kempe, which is a derivative of the Old English word cempa, which means warrior or champion. 1 Early Origins of the Kempe familyThe surname Kempe was first found in Wiltshire, where one of the first records of the name was Eadulf Cempa in 902. Years later, Edmund Kempe was listed in Norfolk c. 1100 and Ralph le Kemp was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1296 in Sussex. 1 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Alan Kempe in Suffolk and William Kempe in Oxfordshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Ricardus Kempe and Johannes Kempe. 2 The parish of Slindon in Sussex was of great significance to the family. "Slindon House, the seat of the Countess Dowager of Newburgh, was originally built by one of the archbishops of Canterbury, and was for some time the residence of the celebrated Archbishop Langton, who died here in the reign of Henry III.; the present mansion, erected by Sir George Kemp in the reign of Elizabeth, is a handsome structure, on a bold eminence." 3 The parish of Wye in Kent was another ancient family seat. "The church was rebuilt by John Kemp, a native of the parish, who was first preferred to the bishopric of Rochester, and, having successively presided over several other sees, was lastly translated to the archbishopric of Canterbury and made cardinal. In 1447, he founded a college here for a master, or provost, and Secular canons, dedicated to St. Gregory and St. Martin. Olantigh, in the parish, was formerly the seat of the family of Kemp, and is supposed to have been the birthplace of Archbishop Kemp, and also of his nephew, Thomas Kemp, Bishop of London." 3 In the far south in the parish of St. Ewe in Cornwall, another branch of the family was found. "What now remains of Trevithick is turned into a farm house, and is the property of Arthur Kempe, Esq. admiral of the blue." 4 Early History of the Kempe familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kempe research. Another 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1373, 1380, 1438, 1450, 1454, 1594, 1599, 1780 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kempe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Kempe Spelling VariationsA multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Kemp, Kempe and others. Early Notables of the Kempe familyMore information is included under the topic Early Kempe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Kempe family to Ireland
Some of the Kempe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Kempe migration to the United States | + |
Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Kempe or a variant listed above:
Kempe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- John Kempe, who landed in Virginia in 1639 5
- Edward Kempe, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 5
- George Kempe, who landed in Virginia in 1653 5
- Kath Kempe, who landed in Virginia in 1653 5
- Jone Kempe, who arrived in Maryland in 1670 5
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Kempe Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Matthias Kempe, who arrived in America in 1764
Kempe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Nicholas Kempe, who arrived in New York in 1825 5
- William Kempe, who arrived in New York in 1825 5
- Raphael Kempe, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 5
- Rike Kempe, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 5
- Wilhelm Kempe, who landed in Texas in 1860 5
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Kempe migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Kempe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Francis Kempe, aged 36, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1860 aboard the ship "Ramillies" 6
- Elizabeth Ann Kempe, aged 14, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1860 aboard the ship "Ramillies" 6
| Kempe migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Kempe Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. Thomas Kempe, (b. 1854), aged 21, Cornish farm labourer departing on 31st October 1875 aboard the ship "Otaki" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 8th February 1876 7
- Mr. William Kempe, (b. 1847), aged 30, Cornish farm labourer departing on 12th August 1877 aboard the ship "Rangitiki" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 9th November 1877 7
- Mr. William Kempe, (b. 1868), aged 9, Cornish settler departing on 12th August 1877 aboard the ship "Rangitiki" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 9th November 1877 7
- Mrs. Elizabeth Kempe, (b. 1847), aged 30, Cornish settler departing on 12th August 1877 aboard the ship "Rangitiki" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 9th November 1877 7
- Miss Elizabeth Kempe, (b. 1874), aged 3, Cornish settler departing on 12th August 1877 aboard the ship "Rangitiki" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 9th November 1877 7
| Contemporary Notables of the name Kempe (post 1700) | + |
- Charles Eamer Kempe (1837-1907), English stained glass designer
- Alfred Bray Kempe (1849-1922), English mathematician
- Rudolf Kempe (1910-1976), prominent German conductor
- Carl Kempe (1884-1967), Swedish paper producer
- Will Kempe (b. 1963), Bermudan actor
- Frieder Kempe, German scientist and inventor
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Lucem spero
Motto Translation: I hope for light.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- South Australian Register Tuesday 11 January 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAMILLIES 1860. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/ramillies1860.shtml
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
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Kempe migration to the United States 
Kempe migration to Australia 
Kempe migration to New Zealand 
England
Germany
Ireland
