402
NOTES AND QUERIES. [n s. x. NOV. 21. m*.
Guide ' for 1836 I find that the then incum-
bents of Preston, near Cirencester, and
Prescon-on-Stour had held their livings since
1817 and 1808 respective^*, while the institu-
tion at Preston, Ledbury, is dated 1820, the
year of Kempthorne's resignation. This
last, though now a rectory, in 1836 was a
vicarage, and until that year the deaneries
of N. and S. Forest were in the archdeaconry
of Hereford. In 1816 Kempthorne was also
appointed Chaplain to the Infirmary at
Gloucester.
Northleach Vicarage was badly dilapi- dated, and, though repaired and enlarged at a cost to himself of 343?., was too small for his large family (most of whom were born at Claybrooke, and some buried there), and to meet the requirements of the pupils whom he took in order to add to his income ; he therefore asked for and received permis- sion, " approved in the licences of two suc- cessive bishops," to reside near to or in Gloucester. In 1818 he was living at Maisemore, a village on the Severn about two miles from Gloucester, and two years later had taken up residence in the city, where he apparently lived until his death. In 1820 he became curate of St. Nicholas's and examining chaplain to the Bishop of Gloucester. From 1822 to 1826 he was curate of St. Aldate's, Gloucester, which he resigned in 1826 on receiving the living of St. Michael's, to which he was instituted on 12 December of that year. Kempthorne received the prebend of Ufton Decani in the diocese of Lichfield in 1825, and at this time continued his duties as chaplain to Ryder, now Bishop of Lichfield. Together with Northleach and the chaplaincy of Gloucester Infirmary he thus held St. Michael's, Glouces- ter, and his prebend at Lichfield. This gave rise to an attack upon him, his name being included in a ' List of Pluralists ' printed in The Times of 19 June, 1832. Against his name were included Preston vicarage and the curacy of St. Mary (de Grace), Gloucester the first of which he had resigned, and the second never held. This was answered by an interesting letter to The Times of 14 Aug., 1832, defending his position, and clearing himself from any suspicion of making undue profit from the Church. The biographical particulars given in this letter make it worth reprinting in a more accessible form :
To the Editor of ' The Times.'
SIR, In your paper of the 19th of June, in your list of pluralists (from " Clericus "), you have mentioned my name in the following manner : " Kempthorne, Prebendary of Lichfield, Glocester,
St. Michael Rectory, and St. Mary de Grace
curacy, Xorthlcach vicarage, Preston vicarage,
Wedmore vicarage."
This has been copied elsewhere, and accom- panied with no small measure of gratuitous abuse.
I was ordained in 1802, continued a hard- working curate till 1816 ; in that year became vicar of Northleach ; found the vicarage-house scarcely fit for a labouring man to live in ; re- paired, and sufficiently, but not more than sufficiently, enlarged it, sinking 343J. out of my own pocket ; and since 1830, when the debt on the building was entirely liquidated, by large annual deductions from my income, have received from this benefice, after paying my curate 1201. per annum (besides other usual deductions), about 130Z. per annum.
In 1816 I was also appointed chaplain, at a salary of 40Z. per annum (this you omit, erring by defect as well as by excess), to the General In- firmary at Glpcester ; in which office, as well as in a curacy in that city, I may say, without arrogance, that I was still a hard-working clergy- man. I also took pupils to support a family of 9 and ere long 10 children ; and the vicarage house at Northleach, when finished in 1819, being too small for this purpose, I continued on that account, and in consequence of the inadequacy of my income, without pupils, for my large family, and for other reasons, approved in the licences of two successive bishops, to reside near to or in Glocester.
The Vicarage of Preston, Glocestershire, very small in population and value, my average net receipts for the three years, for which time only I held it, having been 4SZ. per annum, with no residence for the incumbent. Finding I could not accomplish my plan of officiating there per- sonally, I resigned spontaneously twelve years ago.
The Prebend of Uffton, ex parte Decani, in the Cathedral of Lichfield, produces me on an average Ql. per annum, just enough to cover the ex- pense of my journey to Lichfield, where it is my office to preach one sermon annually in the Cathedral. I have no probable prospect of any other emolument from this source.
To the rectory of St. Michael's Glocester, distant 19 miles from Northleach, I was presented in 1826, and have been constantly resident on it. After I have paid my curate here, who is also my assistant at the Infirmary, 80Z. per annum, it has produced me about 140?. per annum, subject, however, to other usual deductions ; and both my curate and myself are bona fide labourers in thia sphere.
Of St. Mary de Grace I am not curate ; have nothing to do with it either by presentation, or collation, or any other form of appointment. It is a very small contiguous parish, merely attached to St. Michael's so far as to provide for its in- habitants the rites of burial, baptism, &c. ; and only produces me annually three guineas for pew-rents, besides some very few surplice fees ; which items are included in the 140Z. from St. Michael's.
Wedmore Vicarage, Somersetshire, I never held. It belongs to my eldest son, John Kempthorne, jun., whom also I may reckon a laborious pastor, and who, in fact, is now suffering from over- exertion.
