A BLUE plaque has been put up in Read to commemorate the life of a member of the Kemp family and his contribution to the village.

Read Parish Council commissioned the plaque last year to mark the life of Joseph Kemp, whose family owned Read and Friendship Mills.

Apart from providing work in their mills, he was heavily involved with village affairs and was concerned for his workers’ welfare.

As part of his contribution, he gifted land to the village to be used as a recreation ground and allotments in 1921.

The plaque has been placed on the old stone gate post at Victoria Lodge which is all that remains of Victoria Mill.

Joseph was born in 1866 and served as parish council chairman from 1904 to 1925.

He died in 1947.