Kemp was born at Beechwood, Rochdale, Lancashire, and educated at Shrewsbury and Mill Hill Schools. Matriculating at Balliol College, Oxford, in 1883, aged 16, Kemp transferred to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1884, where he graduated B.A.
Kemp was born at Beechwood, Rochdale, Lancashire, and educated at Shrewsbury and Mill Hill Schools. Entering Balliol College, Oxford, in 1883, aged 16, Kemp transferred to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1884, where he earned a B.A.