William Buten Kemp

Biographical Sketch of

William Kemp

from LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Vol. 2

William Buten Kemp

A veteran Elder in the Church and for many years a resident of St. George, Washington County, Utah, was born in England. He joined the Church in England and labored seven years as a local missionary; emigrated to Utah in 1863, crossing the Atlantic in the ship “William Tapscott”, which sailed from England, May 14, 1862, and arrived at New York after a seven-weeks voyage. He crossed the plains in Capt. Horton D. Haight’s company and arrived in Salt Lake City, 19 October, 1862.

After residing a short time in the Eleventh ward, Salt Lake City, he went to St. George in 1864, where he resided until the time of his death which occurred at St. George in 1876. For many years Brother Kemp was chorister in the St. George ward and died as a High Priest and a faithful member of the Church. Elder Kemp learned the trade of a weaver at Carlton, England and married there quite young.

One evening while he and his wife were out hunting employment, an Elder came to their house, and being hungry and tired, asked for something to eat. The children who were alone at home replied that they had nothing in the house to eat and had been without food all day.

The Elder remarked, “You shouldn’t be hungry with bread lying all around.”

Securing a light, the Elder and the children began to search the house, and to their great surprise they soon found four loaves of bread upon the loom. The children ate their bread and went to bed rejoicing.