KEMBLE, JOHN MITCHELL ( 1S07-57). An English historian and philologist, the son of Charles Kemble, the actor, and the brother of Fanny Kemble. He was born in London, Eng land, received his preliminary education at Clap ham and at the Bury Saint Edmunds Grammar School. and in 19:26 entered Trinity College. Cam bridge, where he became an intimate friend of Tennyson. Archbishop Trench, and William B. Donne. He was brilliant, hut erratic in his studies, and before he had completed his course entered the Inner Temple for the study of Anglo Saxon law, in which he had become interested. Ile failed in 1829 to satisfy the examiners of his proficiency in philosophy. and his degree was 'deferred,' but after a period of study in Ger many. where he began his researches in Germanic philology, he was granted his A.B. in 1830, and proceeded to his M.A. in 1833. About this time lie became associated with Trench and others in a plan to aid Torrijos in his revolt against Ferdi nand VII of Spain, and sailed to Gibraltar, but the scheme was abandoned. and he returned to
Germany to continue his philological studies with Jacob Grimm at Gottingen. and at other uni versities. An edition of Beowulf, published in 1833. gave him high rank as an Anglo-Saxon scholar. X course of independent lectures on Anglo-Saxon language and literature given at Cambridge in 1834 increased his reputation. From 1835 to 1 he was editor of the British and Foreign- Reriew, In February. Is-O. lie was appointed Licenser of Stage Plays in succession to his father, Charles Kemble, and retained the office until his death. In 1839-40 he published his valuable collection of charters of the Anglo Saxon period under the title of Codex Diplomati ens, and in 1849 appeared two volumes of a His tory of the Anglo-Sasons in England, a work which was never completed, lint which remained up to the time of the publication of Bishop Stubbs's Constitutional History the chief au thority for the study of the history of England before the Norman Conquest.