The William Kemp Collection
Epsilon’s William Kemp Collection comprises 80 letters (1840-1861) from the scientific and Scottish Borders community to William Kemp (1788-1864). Kemp was an engineer and businessman, manager of the Galashiels Gas Company, and a prominent local geologist. The collection includes a series of letters from Charles Darwin and Robert Chambers.
The letters were collated and bound into a single volume, and taken to Australia by John Kemp, a water engineer and son of William Kemp, when immigrating on SS Great Britain to Victoria in 1868. A full transcription of the collection was drafted in the 1980s in Australia by Ruth Cramond, a family connection. The collection was donated to Cambridge University Library in 2018 and has now been fully conserved and digitised.
Transcriptions, edited to Darwin Correspondence Project principles and practices, and images of the correspondence between Kemp and Darwin, together with a more detailed biography of William Kemp are available from the Darwin Correspondence Project website.
Images of all letters in the collection, including images of the original bound volume, are available from the Cambridge University Digital Library website.
Thanks for the re-measurements. RC has found more interesting geology in Northumberland and County Durham.
Has received measurements of alluvial terraces at Crawford.
Surprised to receive WK’s measurements from Teviotdale.
When AS visited WK forgot to show him an interestingly marked specimen.
RC’s rebuttal of claims that he had passed over WK’s part in the researches (Athenaeum, 23 September 1848, pp. 958–9).
A second attempt by RC to defend his conduct.
WK hopes the subject is now closed.
AS has come to Great Yarmouth to recuperate. If WK’s idea of the formation of the stone is correct he may find other examples.
The Prize Committee of the RSSA would like a few more facts about WK’s method of economising on fuel for gas works.
WK explains that although he has effected improvements he cannot ask GM for a certificate because there has not been enough time to demonstrate them.
Apologises for late acknowledgment of a specimen and two letters received in October. The fragments are now in the Museum.
Sorry to hear that WK is unable to visit.
Discusses Roderick Impey Murchison’s paper on the Silurian in the south of Scotland.
Describes his Highland tour.
His plans to marry.
He has been very busy since the sudden death of his employer shortly before his own marriage.
Describes more geological rambles in the Lammermuirs.
Thanks for letter of 11th, and the song. Sorry Kemp had been unable to visit. Gives an account of a tour in the west of Scotland.
Encloses a copy of his lecture on the geological history of the south east of Scotland/
Can WK supply any information on runes and runic inscriptions.