Hempton Street

The residents of Hempton Street might well be living in Fulford Street, but for a decision by the New Plymouth City Council in August 1955. Up until then, Fulford Street extended from Morley Street to Robe Street and on paper through the northern slopes of Marsland Hill to include what is now Hempton Street.

The mayor Mr E. O. E. Hill reported that a resident had complained about continual confusion around mail delivery and had requested a name change.  In considering the request, the council also noted that it would be very unlikely that the two streets would be joined. So the small section of Fulford Street separated by Marsland Hill was renamed Hempton Street.

Mr. Thomas Hempton was New Plymouth's second town clerk, a position he held from 1884 until 1897.  Born in Londonderry around 1824, he came to Taranaki and served with the Taranaki Militia as captain and was listed as their paymaster and also paymaster for the Taranaki Military Settlers in 1864. He died on 15 November 1901 and is buried at Te Hēnui along with his wife Mary, who died in 1914, and son Tom who was killed in South Africa in 1900.

In 1918 the Hempton family donated a large sum of money in memory of Thomas to help build an annexe to the Carnegie Library in New Plymouth. The annexe was to house the fabulous Skinner collection of books and artefacts.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.