Career
He represented Victoria South in the 1st Canadian Parliament as a Liberal Party of Canada member. He was born in Cromarty, Scotland in 1821, the son of Kenneth Kempt, and came to Peterborough County in Upper Canada with his family in 1831. Kempt was a lumber and grain merchant.
He served on the township council for Lindsay, also serving as reeve.
In 1872, he was named sheriff for Victoria County. He died in Lindsay at the age of 63.