Dear Mr Buckley

I have come across your Web site via the Internet and wonder if you have discovered more information about Mrs Hempel than appears in Count Rumford's footnote or in the limited information that I know about her.

She was born Johanna Ruehl or Ruel in Germany in 1741 and married the potter Carl Friedrich (= Charles Frederick) Hempel, who was naturalised as a British subject in 1765 and settled in Chelsea in 1772. Mr Hempel died there in 1791 and his widow continued the business. They were renowned as crucible manufacturers as well as makers of China dinner ware.

My interest arises from the circumstance that Mrs Hempel's sister, Christina Catherina Ruel, married the German-English musical theorist A. F. C. Kollmann, about whom I have written for the New Grove Dictionary. The Hempels' son, Charles William, also was a musician.

There is some business correspondence between the Hempels and the Wedgwoods in the latter's archives but, until I saw your Web site, I was unaware of the link to Count Rumford. If you or anyone else has done any research concerning the Hempels I should be interested to hear of this.

Yours sincerely
Michael Kassler

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Michael Kassler, Managing Director
Michael Kassler and Associates Pty Limited
10 Wollombi Road
Northbridge NSW 2063, Australia
Phone: +61 2 9967 5755 Fax: +61 2 9967 5890