Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 25.djvu/393

Rh scopal Church at Perth. He was conductor of the Perth Choral Union and of the Euterpean Society. He also continued his teaching and composed many pieces of light music. He died at Perth of congestion of the lungs, on 25 April 1867.

[Choir and Musical Record, 18 May 1867, p. 360; Oxford Univ. Herald, 22 March 1862, p. 8; West Briton, 10 May 1867, p. 4, and 17 May, p. 5; Perthshire Courier, 30 April 1867, p. 2; Boase and Courtney's Bibl. Cornub. i. 227–8, where a list of his compositions is given, iii. 1226; Boase's Collectanea Cornubiensia, p. 349.]  HEMPEL, CHARLES WILLIAM (1777–1855), musical composer, was born at Chelsea, Middlesex, on 28 Aug. 1777, and showing very early indications of musical talent was placed under the tuition of his relative, Augustus F. C. Kollman, organist and composer. He made rapid progress, and at the age of eight performed during the service at the king's German chapel, St. James's. He was placed later at a boarding-school in Surrey, where all his leisure time was devoted to music and drawing. In 1793–4 he was on the continent, chiefly at Leipzig and Dresden, where he cultivated his taste for music. Not finding employment in London, he removed to Truro in Cornwall, where in May 1804 he was elected organist of St. Mary's Church. He held this post for forty years, supplementing his income by teaching music. In 1805 he composed and printed ‘Psalms from the New Version for the use of the Congregation of St. Mary's,’ and in 1812 ‘Sacred Melodies’ for the same congregation. These melodies became very popular, and some of them are still found in musical collections. ‘A Morning and Evening Service, twenty Original Melodies, and two Anthems,’ dedicated to the Hon. George Pelham, bishop of Lincoln, was published in 1820. For the use of his pupils in 1822 he printed an ‘Introduction to the Pianoforte, comprising Elementary Instruction, with a series of Practical Lessons.’ Hempel also became known as a poet in 1822 by his work entitled ‘The Commercial Tourist, or Gentleman Traveller, a satirical poem in four cantos.’ This book was embellished with coloured engravings designed and etched by J. R. Cruikshank, and in 1832 went to a third edition. In his later life he removed to Exeter, where he made an improvident second marriage. His death is involved in some obscurity. The ‘West Briton’ states that he died at his son's residence, Wolsingham Place, Kennington Road, London, on 14 March 1855; but a more trustworthy source, the registrar-general's return, says that after acting as a banker's clerk he died in the workhouse, Prince's Road, Lambeth, London, on 14 March 1855. His eldest son was Charles or Carl Frederick Hempel [q. v.]

[A Dict. of Musicians, 1827, i. 359–60; Boase and Courtney's Bibl. Cornub. i. 228; Boase's Collectanea Cornubiensia, p. 349.]  HEMPHILL, BARBARA (d. 1858), novelist, was youngest daughter of Patrick Hare, rector of Golden in the county of Tipperary, and representative of the Irish family of Clare of the sept of the O'Heir. She married John Hemphill (d. 1833) of Cashel, whose family had long been settled at Rathkeany. She died 5 May 1858, leaving one son, Charles Hare Hemphill, Q.C.

Mrs. Hemphill wrote much for amusement, and began to publish by the advice of Thomas Crofton Croker [q. v.], a connection by marriage. Her first published work was a story in the ‘Dublin University Magazine’ for 1838, called ‘The Royal Confession.’ She also wrote: 1. ‘Lionel Deerhurst, or Fashionable Life under the Regency,’ London, 1846, 8vo. This was edited by the Countess of Blessington. 2. ‘The Priest's Niece,’ a novel, London, 1855, 8vo. 3. ‘Freida the Jongleur,’ London, 1857, 8vo, an historical novel.

 HEMPHILL, SAMUEL (d. 1741), Irish presbyterian minister, was a native of Ulster, and probably trained for the ministry in one of the presbyterian academies in the north of Ireland. He appears to have entered at Glasgow College on 5 March 1716, and to have received the degree of M.A. on 30 April. In 1718 he received a call from the new congregation of Castleblayney, co. Monaghan, and was ordained by Augher presbytery on 24 Dec. Shortly after he entered the ministry, there broke out the non-subscription controversy, coincident with the passing of the Irish Toleration Act, 1719, which was without the condition of subscription. He voted with the subscribers, and made his mark among them by issuing (1722) one of the ablest pamphlets on that side. In June 1723 he was present at the meeting of general synods in Dungannon, co. Tyrone, and was placed on the synod's committee. Soon afterwards he was at Edinburgh. Charles Mastertown [q. v.], the foremost man of his party, sent him while there a pamphlet bearing on the controversy for revision. He received the degree of M.A. at Edinburgh on 21 Jan. 1726. On 26 May he issued from Castleblayney his last publication, in which