11 S. X. Nov. 28, 1914.1
NOTES AND QUERIES.
423:
Kempthorne's death and funeral are
recorded in the Gloucester Journal and
Gloucestershire Chronicle of 10 and 17 Nov.,
1838, though there is nothing of a bio-
graphical nature in either. There is a short
obituarv in The Gentleman's Magazine
(1838, X.S., x. 667), which also (vol. cii.
pt. ii. p. 92) records the deaths of Eleanor
Sandys Kempthorne, his fourth daughter,
on 2 July, 1832 ; of his third son, Thomas W.
Kempthorne, on 21 Dec., 1842 (N.S., xvii.
227) ; and of his youngest son, Henry
Martyn Kempthorne, 1 March, 1839 (N.S.,
xi. 444). He married, not long before his
death, a second time. His widow received
an appointment in the Royal Household,
for The Gentleman's Magazine (1841, N.S.,
xv. 86) states that
" Mi-s. Kempthorne, the widow of the late Rector of St." Michael's, Gloucester, has been appointed, by Her Majesty's direction, Super- intendent of the Royal Nursery."
Mrs. Kempthorne retired to Winchester, where she died about the year 1861.
Kempthorne's will was proved at Glouces- ter on 16 May, 1839. There is a silhouette portrait of him at St. Michael's, Gloucester. In this he is represented with clean-cut features, deep forehead, and spare frame.
He enjoyed some reputation as a hymn- writer, and published in 1810 a collection of hymns under the title of ' Select Portions of Psalms,' a second edition appearing in 1813, a fourth in 1823, and the sixth in 1832. Controversy has arisen from time to time as to the authorship of the hymn " Praise the Lord ! ye heavens, adore Him," usually ascribed to Kempthorne, though Julian and others dissent from this. (See 'Dictionary of Hymnology,' 1907, pp. 616 and 903-4; also Duffield's 'English Hymns,' 1886, pp. 457-8.) Though clear evidence as to the authorship of the hymn is wanting, the present family tradition is that it was written by Kempthorne. This is borne out by the Rev. P. H. Kempthorne, Rector of Wyck Rissington, Glos., grandson of John Kempthorne, whose kindness in giving me valuable information relating to jrandfather I wish to acknowledge. it her, the Rev. Richard Kempthorne, Rector of Elton, Hunts, stated in The f-'nanllan of 10 Dec., 1879, that the hymn was not by John Kempthorne ; and this was accepted by Julian for his ' Dictionary,' but not so by the Rev. P. H. Kempthorne on account of his father's failing memory at this period of his life. The evidence for authorship is based on the fact that in the 1813 edition of the hvmn-book ' Praise the
Lord ' is included with those for which the-
editor was " responsible." I have not been
able to see any of the earlier editions, but
this reference to certain hymns is omitted
from the fourth and sixth editions. In these
the Preface states that " considerable altera-
tions have been made in the Psalms and
Hymns, so that for many of them the Editor
is almost solely responsible. But in general
this work is a compilation." Julian points
out certain alterations in the text of the
hymn as printed in Kempthorne's collection.
In addition to the hymn - book, Kemp- thorne published the following :
" The Pastor's Parting Appeal, Exhortations,, and Benedictions : A Farewell Sermon, preached In the Parish Church of Claybrook, Leicestershire, On Sunday, June 10, 1810 ; By the Rev. John Kempthorne, B.D. Late Curate of Claybrook. Gloucester : Printed by Walker and Sons. 1810." 8vo, pp. 19.
" Proceedings of the Prayer-Book and Homily Society during its 13th year (1824-1825) Con- taining...^ Sermon, preached before the Society, at Christ Church, < Newgate Street, on Wednesday, May 4, 1825 ; * by the Rev. John Kempthorne, B.D. Vicar of Northleach, and Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of Lichneld and Coventry." Pp. 29.
" An address to the Inhabitants of the Parish of St. Aldate, in the City of Gloucester, on resign- ing the curacy of that Parish. Gloucester : D. Walker, at the Office of the Gloucester Journal. 1826." Pp. 15.
" A Warning against attendance at the Theatre, the Fair, and the Race-Course, Being the sub- stance of a Sermon preached last year in the Parish Church of St. Michael, in the City of Gloucester, previous to the annual recurrence of revelry in or near that City; And now Pub- lished in an enlarged form . . . .Gloucester: Printed and Sold by W. Verrinder, 159, Westgate Street. 1831." 8vo, pp. 35.
" Comprehension without Compromise. 1832." Pp. 96.
" The Church's Self-Regulating Privilege, a national safeguard in respect of real Church- reform. 1835." Pp. 203.
The Rev. John Kempthorne, eldest son of John Kempthorne, was instituted Vicar of Wedmore, in Somerset, 16 April, 1827, and held the living until his death in 1876. He has been confused with his father in Julian's ' Dictionary,' and in tho Cata- logue of the British Museum, though the official copies of the latter have now been corrected. His son, the Rev. John Kemp- thorne, was a Fellow of Trinity, Principal of Blackheath Proprietary School, and Vicar- of Trumpington. John Augustine Kemp- thoine, the great-grandson of John Kemp- thorne of Gloucester, was appointed Bishop Suffragan of Hull in 1910, and Bishop of, Lichneld in 1913. ROLAND AUSTIN.
Gloucester.
