Kempe Manuscripts

This collection of papers and correspondence of Sir Alfred Bray Kempe (1849-1922) reflects the many aspects of his career. On leaving Trinity College, Cambridge, he became a barrister on the Western Circuit. In 1881 he was appointed Secretary to the Royal Commission on Ecclesiastical Courts, an event which brought him into contact with leading churchmen and led to his appointment to the Chancellorships of the Dioceses of London, Southwell, St. Albans, Peterborough, Chichester and Chelmsford. Also in 1881, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. The study of mathematics was Kempe's chief pleasure and relaxation. This collection contains some of his correspondence with other mathematicians and scientists, and material relating to his work as Treasurer and Vice President of the Royal Society (1899-1919). His other recreation - music - is also reflected in his letters.

Much of the correspondence, particularly in the earlier years, is with members of his family. Kempe was the third son of the Rev. J.E. Kempe, Rector of St. James's, Piccadilly. His three brothers all had distinguished careers, Sir John Arrow Kempe in the Civil Service, the Rev. Edward Wood Kempe in the Church, and Harry Robert Kempe as an electrical engineer. The family correspondence also includes letters from Kempe's great-aunt Anna Eliza Bray (DNB), some relating to the publication of a new edition of her novels. A few letters are addressed to Kempe's wives - Mary, daughter of Sir William Bowman, FRS, who died in 1893, and Ida, daughter of Judge Meadows White, whom he married in 1897.

The collection contains a large number of bundles of scientific journals, offprints, etc., which have not been listed in detail. A few of these bundles contain letters to Kempe, and these have been noted in this List.

Abbreviations

ABK : Sir Alfred Bray Kempe

DNB : Dictionary of National Biography

The correspondence was found arranged in roughly chronological bundles. This arrangement was kept in order to avoid breaking up bundles where the year corresponded with one subject, for example letters received by Kempe as Secretary to the Ecclesiastical Courts Commission (15-17).

The letters have been arranged alphabetically by correspondent under each year. Correspondence relating to the Royal Society was found in several separate bundles (each covering several years) and these have been kept apart from the main series of correspondence. However it should be noted that many letters in the main series also relate to the Royal Society.

Kempe clearly weeded his correspondence and only selected letters and papers were kept; but for the last three years of his life, it seems that nothing was weeded. All his papers for these years were arranged chronologically under months and labelled "Acta". This enormous mass of material has been split; the personal letters have been added to the main series of correspondence, the letters addressed to Kempe as Chancellor of various dioceses have been grouped together (62-66); the remainder consists of bills, receipts, appeals for donations, subscriptions, etc. (91-92).

• <persname>Kempe, Alfred, Bray, 1849-1922, barrister</persname>
• <persname>Bray Kempe, Alfred, 1849-1922, barrister</persname>