Charlotte Kemp

Charlotte Kemp ( Butcher, 27 July 1790 – 22 June 1860) was a missionary for the Church of England, co-founding the second Church Mission Station in New Zealand at Kerikeri. Born in England, she came to New Zealand with her husband, James Kemp, in 1819 and settled in Kerikeri where the CMS station was founded. She taught at the station's schools and raised her eight children. One died as an infant and this led to her having a mental breakdown. She recovered and by 1840, she and her husband were the only missionaries in Kerikeri. During the Flagstaff War, they were two of the few Europeans to remain in the area during the conflict. She died in Kerikeri at the age of 70.

Early life Charlotte Butcher was born on 27 July 1790, in Carleton Forehoe , Norfolk, England. She married James Kemp, a blacksmith, on 16 November 1818 at Wymondham Abbey and then emigrated to New Zealand.

Missionary work After sailing aboard the Baring to Sydney, in Australia, Kemp and her husband transferred to the General Gates for the trip to the Bay of Islands, their final destination. Arriving on 12 August 1819, they settled in Kerikeri, where she was one of the first European women in the area. Along with Thomas Kendall and John Gare Butler, the Kemps established a Church Missionary Society (CMS) station at Kerikeri. However, Kendall and Butler were soon in argument, making it difficult for the Kemps. At the time of their arrival, the Musket Wars was a constant presence. Nearby was the main pā (fort) of Hongi Hika, a Māori rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe). Hika often raided neighbouring tribes and brought back slaves, to the dismay of the missionaries. They also had to deal with the threats to their wellbeing and property.

Legacy The Kemp residence, Mission House, remained in the family's hands until 1974, when it was donated to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust by her great-grandson. The oldest European building in New Zealand, it was added to the New Zealand Historic Places Category 1 list on 23 June 1983.