John Kempthorne (bishop)

John Augustine Kempthorne (26 May 1864, London – 24 February 1946, Trumpington, Cambridgeshire) was an Anglican Bishop in the first half of the twentieth century.[1]

J.A. Kempthorne

John Augustine Kempthorne was the son of the Rev. John Kempthorne (1835–1880), Vicar of Trumpington. He was educated at Haileybury and Trinity College, Cambridge.[2] His first post after ordination was as a curate at St Aidan’s, Gateshead. He then held incumbencies at Rochdale, Sunderland, Liverpool[3] and Hessle[4] before elevation to the Episcopate in March 1910 as Bishop of Hull, a Suffragan to the Archbishop of York.[5][6] He was appointed Bishop of Lichfield in May 1913,[7] and retired in 1937.

A Christian pacifist, Kempthorne believed war was inconsistent with Christianity. The weekend before the start of the First World War he had attended a conference in Kinstanz, Germany, as part of a world alliance for promoting friendship through churches. Whilst he was prepared to work for peace, his pacifism did not extend to rejection of the war, given the UK's obligations to Belgium. He did, however, preach several times about the need to avoid reprisals.[8]

He died on 24 February 1946.[9]

References

1. “Who was Who” 1897-1990 London, A & C Black, 1991 ISBN 0-7136-3457-X
2. "Kempthorne, John Augustine (KMTN881JA)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
3. British History on-line
4. 1910–13 Photo Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
5. Hull Times
6. New Bishop-Suffragan Of Hull. (News) The Times Saturday, 12 Mar 1910; pg. 9; Issue 39218; col C
7. New Bishop Of Lichfield. Appointment Of The Bishop Of Hull. (Official Appointments and Notices) The Times Friday, 2 May 1913; pg. 6; Issue 40201; col F
8. Who Does Want to Kill Anyone? Gerry Barton and John Babb, BBBNStaffs Publishing, 2018, pages 69 - 70
9. Right Rev. Dr. J. A. Kempthorne (Obituaries) The Times Monday, 25 Feb 1946; pg. 6; Issue 50385; col E