Topic: Kempton Glass in New Zealand

[roget123]

Having recently received a enquiry about my book concerning Nazeing Glass from a grandson of Reginald Kempton (one of the founders of Nazeing)   I have learned that Reginald emgrated to New Zealand and continued to make glass there.  During my research I had been told by several Ex-employees of Nazeing that he went to Australia where I could find no trace.

Reginald worked from his home in Nelson, in the South Island.  
Angela, do you or any other readers of this message board know anything about the glass, my correspondant said it was similar to the Art glass Nazeing made in the UK. Maybe this is the source of 'Nazeing' glass that turns up in either Australia or New Zealand, as reported from time to time on this board.
Geoff

[roget123]

First an apology to my source, since posting I have learned she is a granddaughter!!! :oops:

She has now told me that before her grandfather died (Reginald Kempton) he made contact with another glass blower called Gary Nash in Auckland.  Grandfather,then  in his 80's would pay the odd visit to Gary's factory in Ponsonby(Auckland) and impart some of his knowledge.  He did give Gary his book of Recipes which I believe Gary was quite impressed with.  

I believe the name Gary Nash has been mentioned before on this board. Hopefully someone in NZ knows a little (or even a lot) about this liaison.
GeoffT

[gaspy1]

This is a very belated response to your post about Reg Kempton.  I know quite a lot about Reg Kempton in New Zealand (as well as having visited Nazeing to see his work there).  I have a number of his pieces in my collection, and can send images.  I interviewed some of Reg's neighbours in Havelock (rather than Nelson) who helped him mind his remarkable diesel and coke fired furnace and lehr.  I visited his former house, though no trace remains of his studio or furnace.

While Garry Nash did have contact with Reg, other NZ glass makers including Peter Viesnik and John Croucher had rather more to do with him

Stuart Park

[sph@ngw]

Reg Kempton was the son of Richard Kempton and grandson of Charles henry Kempton. he in turn was the son in law of Henry Hall, craftsman glassmaker, who had an interest in both James Powell and  son, and possibly Apsley Pellat/ Falcon Glass Works. Confirmation of this can found in Whitefriars Glass pub Museum of London by Wendy Evans, Catherine Ross, and Alex WErner on page 9. "Hall and Holmes" was the name of the glassworks circa 1786, and James Powell, a wine merchant, renamed it  J. Powell & Sons, on purchasing it in 1834. Stephen Hall owned a Southwark glass house near Falcon steps, and was possibly the father of Henry Hall.
The glass works that became Whitefriars was called Hopton, Hanson & Stafford circa 1759 and Stephen hall was an executor of Carey Stafford.
I will coem back with more info on Reg, as I am studying in detail for a paper  "The Kempton family" and there many glas works, and Reg appears to be the last glassmaker.

[sph@ngw]

http://newzealandglass.blogspot.co.uk/2007/05/new-zealands-first-glass-artist.html
This link provides soem useful info on Reg Kempton, a remarkable character still making glass in his Eighties-peter layton. please note! he died in the village of Thames, North Island in 1989 aged 90!
he has a studio in tasmania and on Marlborough Sound before moving to New Zealand

[gaspy1]

That blog is my New Zealand Glass blog - I mentioned it in my post in this thread in August 2011. I know quite a lot about Reg Kempton in New Zealand, as well as owning a number of pieces of his NZ work. I'll be happy to provide further information and / or images. You can reach me at sparksame@gmail.com, as well as through my blog http://newzealandglass.blogspot.co.nz/

[gaspy1]

Sorry, I should have added a clarification. Marlborough Sounds are at the northern end of the South Island of New Zealand. Havelock is a rural locality in the Sounds, and Reg Kempton's New Zealand studio was in a rural farmhouse near Havelock. Thames, where he died, is southeast of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand - Reg had moved there to be with family, after he stopped glassblowing.