Edward Kemp, tailor of Great Harwood

Edward Kemp, 1752, had a large family and six generations of Kemps lived and worked in Great Harwood. The family lived in Hindle Fold, Great Harwood from 1750, and possibly before, until 1960.

Many of the earlier Kemps were tailors and farmers but from 1820 began weaving, many living and working in weavers' cottages at Cliffe. Joseph Kemp born 1820 was a weaver then a warper before advancing to a mill manager in Read. His sons and grandsons all went into the cotton industry owning and managing mills in Blackburn and Great Harwood. My Great Grandfather James Kemp was born at Cliffe then moved his family to Read and was part of the Kemp family who ran mills there and was the proprietor of a number of houses in Church Street and Cattle Street. He later moved to Spring Villa. This house was being built by David Mercer of Albion Mill at the time of his bankruptcy in1866, caused by the Cotton Famine, and was sold to Robert Smith, Church Street Mill and Wellington Mill. James Kemp was a cotton manufacturer and his son, Joseph, also a cotton manufacturer, lived in Spring Villa until his death in 1903. Joseph's wife Sarah Jane (Chew) widow of a jeweller in Queen Street, Great Harwood lived in Spring Villa until her death in 1935.

James and his brother David, J & D Kemp, leased Wellington Mill, owned by Robert Smith, from about 1874 but built Prospect Mill, Curate Street in 1880-81. The mill was taken over by Thomas Kemp, son of David, in 1903.

Linda would be more than pleased to hear from anyone with a connection to her family.

GREAT HARWOOD

Edward Kemp Family