William Herbert Kemp (April 1881 – 17 January 1957) was a British chemist and a Liberal Party politician who was Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent.
Background
Kemp was born in Market Harborough, Leicestershire in April 1881.[1] He was educated at Market Harborough Grammar School and Caterham College in Surrey.[2] In 1911 he married Emma Johnson of Hanley, Staffordshire. They had one daughter, Ruth Vincent Kemp.[3]
Professional career
Kemp was a chemist who first went into business in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire in 1910 where he remained until retirement.[4] He was the first Chairman of the Stoke-on-Trent branch of the Pharmaceutical Society and the last President of the North Staffordshire Chemists Association.[5]
Political career
In 1921 Kemp was elected to Stoke-on-Trent City Council. In 1927 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace. In 1939 he was appointed an Alderman of the Council. From 1944-45 he served as the Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent.[6] He was Chairman of the Juvenile Panel of the City. His wife was Deputy Organiser of Stoke Women's Voluntary Service. He was Chairman of North Staffordshire Liberal Federation. He took a particular interest in education in the North Staffordshire area and in 1949 was one of the founders of Keele University. He was Liberal candidate for the new Stoke-on-Trent South division of Staffordshire at the 1950 General Election.[7]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Ellis Smith | 34,339 | 64.4 | ||
| Conservative | L Orridge | 14,637 | 27.5 | ||
| Liberal | William Herbert Kemp | 4,307 | 8.1 | ||
| Majority | 19,702 | 37.0 | |||
| Turnout | 85.3 | ||||
| Labour win | |||||
He did not stand for parliament again.[8]