Australian and New Zealand Civil War Veterans

Henry Kember and his brother Arthur were born in Surry, England; Henry on January 17, 1836; the sons of Henry Kember and Sara Eardley, and they were educated at Sydemham College. At age 40 Henry married Laura Ann Bristow, in London, England and they had two sons; Oscar born in 1878 New Zealand, a son born in New Zealand in 1881 and a daughter born in New Zealand in 1884. Henry was living in England when the War Between the States broke out and apparently migrated to the United States, because Henry is said to have sided with the Southern cause, being in active service of the Confederacy for almost two years; but there doesn’t seem to be much of a record for a Henry Kember. Considering he may have used another name, there is a record of a John Kember in the 13th Louisiana Infantry, Companies “G” and “E”. Like wise in the same company and regiment there is a record, but it is spelt “Kemper”. He told individuals in New Zealand though that he had been present at the Battle of Shiloh when General Johnston was killed. It was said Kember eventually left active military duty and began working with the Foreign Bureau of the Confederacy to facilitate the trading of southern grown cotton for commodities badly need by the southern people; on several occasions running the Union blockade with goods to and from the West Indies.

Upon his return to New York after one such trip, Henry stated he arrived in time to hear of the surrender of General Robert E. Lee, his southern army and the collapse of the Confederacy.

After the war, Kember continued to conduct business in South Mobile, Alabama; eventually leaving for the Pacific Coast goldfields when gold was discovered. From there, after a period of time, Kember migrated to the City of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, where he became an auditor and an accountant in 1878 for the Wellington-Manawtu Railway Company; a private railway company that built, owned and operated the line between Thorndon in Wellington and Longburn, near Palmerston North in the Manatu. It was found that by 1881 Henry had also become Manager of the Wellington Biscuit and Confectionary Company.

In 1900 Kember was the Director of the Croesus Gold Mining Company on the Paporoa Range in New Zealand, and in February of that year extracted 186 ounces of gold from 217 tons of ore; far more that its competition. In 1901 Henry was a major shareholder in the Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Company whose directors were paid £450 per year. In 1903 Henry officially made his son, Oscar G., a partner in his accounting firm and thereafter they operated as ‘Henry Kember and Son, Accountants’.

On April 12, 1904 Henry’s oldest son, Oscar, was married to Miss. Amy Pownall at St. Pauls Pro-Cathedral in Wellington, with his younger brother Claude acting as best man; and Olive Kember as a bridesmaid. Then in July 1905 Henry’s youngest son Claude, boarded the ship ss Rimuatka; leaving New Zealand for Argentina.

In July 1908 Henry lost his brother Arthur, age 62 who had arrived in New Zealand in 1863, when he died in Wellington after an operation for an internal complaint.

In January 1909, while living in Wellington, Henry was appointed a member of the Board of the Government Advances to Settlers Office, which helped colonists who were struggling under the burden of a high rate of interest and heavy legal expenses connected with their mortgages.

Still living and working as a Public Accountant but without his wife, Henry Kember passed away at 80 years of age at 201 The Terrace in Wellington, New Zealand on May 15, 1916 of heart disease and heart failure; and was buried on May 17, 1916 in the Karori Cemetery, Section CH ENG2, Plot 160 C, record number 75557. The Karori Cemetery is located at 76 Old Karori Road, Karori; outside Wellington. Funeral Director Wilson provided the services. Henry Kember was survived by his wife Laura, 68 years of age if still alive; his son Oscar, 38 years of age; a son 35 years of age and a daughter 32 years of age.


Funeral Notice	Henry Kember sketch. NZ Truth Newspaper, 1912	John Kember

John Kemper, S&S	K3 & Cemetery	Karori Cemetery, used by permission of The Commonwealth Wargraves Commission

Kember & Son partnership	John Kemper, CWDS	Death Certificate

	Gravesite - Photo courtesy of Helen McVicar