Kennett was born on March 15, 1807, in
Falmouth, Kentucky, the son of Press Graves Kennett and Margaret (
née Porter) Kennett. He was presumably named for priest
Martin Luther. He was educated at private schools. In 1822 and 1823, he was
Pendleton County's deputy county clerk, and of
Campbell County in 1824. Also in 1824, he moved to
St. Louis, where he worked as a merchant beginning in 1825. He then moved between
Jefferson and
St. Francois Counties, where he worked in the mining and
shot manufacturing industries. He was a member of the
St. Louis Board of Aldermen from 1843 to 1846, refusing to run for re-election. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Southern Opposition Party. He served from March 4, 1855, to March 3, 1857, representing
Missouri's 1st district. He lost the following election. In 1867, he moved to Europe. He died on April 12, 1873, aged 66, in Paris. after which he was buried at
Bellefontaine Cemetery. The city
Kennett, Missouri, is named after him. He married Mary Ann Eliza Boyce; their granddaughter, Martha Swearingen Farrar, married politician
Daniel D. Burnes. ==References==