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William Alexander Kemp

10 Jul 1921 – 12 Dec 1991

5 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

  • Born10 Jul 1921not verified1 source
  • Died12 Dec 1991not verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 10 Jul 1921

    Born

  2. 12 Dec 1991

    Dies, aged 70

Family

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Partner

During his lifetime

He lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1920s · William is born

In the news1919–1939

Council Housing Construction Began in 1919

Following the 1919 Housing Act, local authorities began building council houses to replace slums, with over 1 million built by 1939.

What people wore

Working-class menswear habits

Working-class men often wore their father's old suits for manual labor, leading to common sights of mismatched coats and trousers.

Getting around

Short branch line train travel times

A local branch line train between Oxenholme and Windermere stopped at three intermediate stations over a 10-mile distance, with the journey taking 25 to 30 minutes.

The Great Depression. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 set off a world depression: banks failed, work vanished and coffee prices collapsed in Brazil.Around the world · 1929–1939

The Great Depression. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 set off a world depression: banks failed, work vanished and coffee prices collapsed in Brazil.

Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided · public domain

In the news1918–1928

Women Won the Right to Vote

In 1918, a limited number of women were allowed to vote, and by 1927 all women over 21 were granted the right to vote.

Music

Popular wartime dance routines

The Hokey Cokey became a hit song and dance routine in 1942, featuring simple actions that allowed for mass participation by anyone. Other popular wartime dances included the conga, which was easily mastered with a simple one, two, three kick format.

Daily life

Schooling and Classroom Life

Schools often lacked lunches, so children in winter brought a potato marked with their initials to be baked in the school coal-oven. Pupils were taught using rote learning, and in smaller schools, might start by writing in trays of sand before using chalkboards or expensive pencils.