Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/547

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
KEMBLE
KEMP
511

publications include “Francis the First,” a drama (London, 1832; New York, 1833); “Journal” (2 vols., London, 1835; Philadelphia and Boston, 1835); “The Star of Seville,” a drama (London and New York, 1837); “Poems” (London and Philadelphia, 1844; Boston, 1859); “A Year of Consolation” (2 vols., London and New York, 1847); “Plays,” translated (London, 1863); “Journal of a Residence on a Georgia Plantation” (London and New York, 1863); “Records of a Girlhood” (3 vols., London, 1878; New York, 1879); “Records of Later Life” (3 vols., 1882); and “Notes on some of Shakespeare's Plays” (London, 1882).


KEMBLE, Gouverneur, manufacturer, b. in New York city, 25 Jan., 1786; d. in Cold Spring, N. Y., 16 Sept., 1875. He was a son of Peter Kemble, of New Jersey, and a nephew of Gen. Gage, of the British army, was graduated at Columbia in 1803, engaged in commerce, and during the administration of President Monroe was appointed consul to Cadiz. He subsequently visited the Mediterranean ports, and transacted business for the U. S. government in connection with the supply of the squadron during the Algerian war in 1815. On his return he established at Cold Spring, N. Y., opposite West Point, the first foundry in the United States where cannon were cast with any approach to perfection. He served in congress in 1837-'41, having been chosen as a Democrat, was a member of the New York state constitutional convention of 1846, and a promoter of the Hudson river and Panama railroads. Mr. Kemble was a lover and patron of art, and made a valuable collection of paintings. He was the life-long friend of Washington Irving and his brother-in-law, James K. Paulding, was the owner of the house near Newark, N. J.. described by those writers in “Salmagundi” as “Cockloft Hall,” and was celebrated for his hospitality at his beautiful bachelor establishment at Cold Spring, designated by Irving as the “Bachelor's Elysium.” Some of the letters preserved by Mr. Irving contain pleasant allusions to the hall, and show how fondly it was remembered. Mr. Kemble writes to Irving in 1842: “I still look forward to the time when you, Paulding, Brevoort, the Doctor [Peter Irving], and myself shall assemble there, recount the stories of our various lives, and have another game at leap-frog.” At their last meeting, shortly before Mr. Irving's death, he said of Mr. Kemble: “That is my friend of early life, always unchanged, always like a brother; one of the noblest beings that ever was created. His heart is pure gold.” Gen. Winfield Scott pronounced the glowing eulogium on Kemble that he was “the most perfect gentleman in the United States.”


KEMEYS, Edward, sculptor, b. in Savannah, Ga., 31 Jan., 1843. He studied in New York, and later in Paris, where he was impressed by the style of Barye, although in no sense an imitator. His works show powerful conception and individuality and a keen perception of animal traits of character. He has made a specialty of the wild animals of the American continent. His “Fight between Buffalo and Wolves” attracted much attention at the Paris salon in 1878. Among his other important works are “Panther and Deer,” and “Coyote and Raven.” A recent work is a colossal head of a buffalo for the façade of the station of the Pacific railroad at St. Louis, which was cast in bronze in New York in August, 1887, and is the largest work of its kind that has been done in this country.


KEMP, James, P. E. bishop, b. in Keith Hall parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1764; d. in Baltimore, Md., 28 Oct., 1827. He was graduated at Marischal college, Aberdeen, in 1786, but continued there a year as resident graduate. He came to the United States in 1787, and became tutor in a family in Dorchester county, Md., where he remained two years. Although brought up a Presbyterian, he was led at that time to examine the doctrines of the Protestant Episcopal church, with which he shortly afterward united. He then studied theology, was ordained priest, 27 Dec, 1789, and in August, 1790, became rector of Great Choptank parish, where he remained for over twenty years. In 1813 he was elected associate rector of St. Paul's, Baltimore. Having been elected by the convention of Maryland, he was consecrated, 1 Sept.. 1814, suffragan bishop with Dr. Thomas J. Claggett. The latter committed to .his charge the churches on the eastern shore, making about one third of all parishes in the diocese. On the death of his superior in 1816 he succeeded to the bishopric. In 1815 he was elected provost of the University of Maryland, which office he held until his death, and in 1802 he received the degree of S. T. D. from Columbia. Dr. Kemp published, in addition to several occasional discourses, "A Tract on Conversion " (1807): "Letters in Vindication of Episcopacy" (1808); "A Sermon on Deathbed Repentance" (1815); and "A Sermon on the Death of Bishop Claggett " (1816).


KEMP, John, educator, b. in Achlossan, Scotland, 10 April, 1763 : d. in New York city, 15 Nov., 1812. He was graduated at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1781, and before he was of age became a member of the Royal society of Edinburgh. He emigrated to the United States in 1783, and, after settling in Virginia, came to New York city, where in 1785 he was appointed teacher, and the next year became professor of mathematics in Columbia. In 1795 he was transferred to the chair of geography, history, and chronology. Prof. Kemp had an important influence in moulding the views of De Witt Clinton on topics of internal improvement and national policy. In 1810 he visited Lake Erie to examine into the feasibility of the projected canal, and in advance of the surveys pronounced it entirely practicable.


KEMP, William Miller, physician, b. in Frederick county, Md., 21 Feb., 1814 ; d. in Baltimore, Md., 6 Sept.. 1886. He was graduated in medicine at the Universitv of Pennsylvania in 1834, and settled in Baltimore in 1839. While he was president of the board of health of Baltimore in 1855, he repeatedly visited Norfolk, Va., where yellow fever was epidemic. A careful study of this disease in that city convinced him that it was non-contagious, and the board of health therefore determined, with the best results, not to quarantine vessels that transported persons from Norfolk to Baltimore. Dr. Kemp was president of the board of health until 1861, in 1859 was a founder and president of the National quarantine and sanitary association, and in 1883 was president of the Baltimore medical and chirurgical faculty. He continued to practise in Baltimore until his death. He published various surgical and medical papers.