H Kemp and Son Limited Funeral Directors was founded in 1893 by Herbert Kemp, a joiner by trade who relocated from Lincolnshire to his first business premises in Waterloo Street, Hull.
Herbert originally offered joinery services and later expanded to provide a comprehensive and professional funeral service as well.
In 1926, Herbert relocated his business to a residential property in Hallgate, Cottingham, a short distance from the premises it occupies today. This property was originally occupied by Herbert and then by Herbert’s son, Eardley, and his family, who had joined his father in the family business. By 1932 the property had been extended to include a workshop and Chapel of Rest.
The business continued to thrive and developed an excellent reputation within the local community and as a result relocated to larger premises in 1964, where it resides today.
Eardley was joined in the business by his son Geoffrey providing a comprehensive and professional funeral service for many years until Eardley’s death in 1986. Geoffrey, was joined by his eldest son, David, in 1992, who manages the business to this day.
H Kemp and Son Limited is a well known local family business with four generations giving over 125 years service to Cottingham and surrounding areas.
Eardley Kemp born in 1908, was the second son of Herbert and Hannah Kemp. He was married to Ella (nee Rhodes) in 1932 and they had three children, Keith, Geoffrey and Jennifer.
He worked for many years alongside his father and was key in the redevelopment and expansion of the business premises during the 1950s and 60s into what we see today on the Hallgate site.
Geoffrey Kemp was born at 245 Hallgate, Cottingham on 30th April 1939 and was the middle child of Eardley and Ella Kemp. He Married Eileen Foster in 1963 and had two sons, David and Philip.
Geoff attended Hallgate School until he left to take up an apprenticeship in Joinery at Papes in Beverley. Following the completion of his National Service he returned to Cottingham to join his Father in the family business, where he worked until his death in April 2015. He was very well known in Cottingham and was involved in the Christmas lights since its inception in 1981.
David Kemp was born in March 1964 and is the eldest child of Geoffrey and Eileen Kemp. He attended Hallgate Primary School and then Cottingham High School. He left school at 16 and completed an an apprenticeship as a joiner at Jacksons Services, Hull .
He married Fiona (nee Holborn) in 1987 and they have two children, Stephanie and Christopher. David left Jackson’s Services in 1982 and he joined his father in the business shortly after. David continues to work in the family business today and is assisted by his mum, Eileen and his wife, Fiona.
At H Kemp and Son Limited we actively support local and national charities throughout each year, by contributing to many local events and organisations.
In memory of Geoffrey Kemp , who was a very generous man and supported many local and national charities, we have decided to concentrate our support on two charities each year. We will be selecting a regional and local charity to receive a donation directly from ourselves.
Charities and Organisations We Have Supported in The Last 12 Months
Dementia UK | British Legion Poppy Appeal | HEY Mind | PAUL for Brain Recovery
The charities we are supporting in 2020 are HEY Mind Suicide Prevention Support and P.A.U.L Brain Recovery and have been chosen by David Kemp. Each charity has received a donation of £300
The charities for 2019 are featured below and have been chosen this year by Eileen Kemp, Geoff’s wife. They each received a donation of £300
This charities for 2018 have been selected by Fiona Kemp, David’s wife. They each received a donation of £250 form H Kemp and Son Limited.
To make it a bit more interesting this year a team from H Kemp and Son Limited took part in The Hull 5K Inflatable Challenge on Saturday 28th April and with support from friends and family raised an additional £200 for these charities. Our team members were – David and Fiona Kemp, Steph and Ryan Mooney, Chris Kemp, Jane and Lily Haiselden.
The charities for 2017 are featured below and have been selected by David Kemp, Geoff’s eldest son. They each received a donation of £250
The charities for 2016 are featured below and have been selected by Mrs Eileen Kemp, Geoff’s wife. They each received a donation of £250.
This year we have chosen to support the RNLI and Raise The Roof, a charity based in Hull to help the homeless. These charities were chosen by Fiona Kemp and each have recieved a donation of £300
This year we are very proud to be celebrating our 130th anniversary, the business originally being founded in 1893 by David’s great grandad Herbert. To celebrate this milestone, in our history, we are donating £130 to two local charities/organisations each month for the forthcoming year. Details of these charities are shown below:
June 2023  Hull Hide and Seek Book Project, an organisation dedicated to providing reading opportunities to children in the local community by creating treasure hunts at local events and in parks around the city.  Cottingham Food Bank , a local community group run entirely by volunteers to support local residents experiencing food poverty. | |
July 2023 Abbie’s Fund , It’s aim is to raise money to provide memory boxes for the Maternity Unit at Hull Royal Infirmary’s Women and Children’s Hospital  M.A.S.H (Military Assistance Social Hub), is a charity which provides support and assistance to armed forces veterans, those serving and their families to combat social isolation and the associated health issues. | |
August 2023 H.E.R Breast Friends ( Hull and East Riding Breast Friends ) – is a local organisation who isn’t just about support, they aim to inspire and encourage, and really make a difference by helping to promote a positive approach to living with the disease  S.O.B.S ( Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide) Hull Branch – is a UK-based organisation offering peer-led support to adults impacted by suicide loss. | |
In 1981 saw the inception of the Cottingham Lights Committee and Geoff was one of the founder members. Over many years he worked tirelessly to raise the profile of Cottingham Christmas Lights, giving up every Sunday in November and the beginning of January to put up and remove the displays each year.
He was responsible for the scenes that used to be on displayed at the West End of Hallgate, choosing the theme, building the set and putting it in place at the very last minute to keep the public in suspense.
He strove each year to improve upon the previous year’s display to ensure the popularity and longevity of this seasonal event. A display, Santa in a canoe, has been bought in his memory.
SAIF Membership:
H Kemp & Son Ltd proud to be
members of the Society of Allied
and Independent Funeral Directors
our regulatory body for Independent
Funeral Directors.
Contact Us:
H Kemp and Son Limited
259 Hallgate, Cottingham
East Yorkshire, HU16 4BG
Tel: 01482 844 695
Email: hkempandsonltd@gmail.com