This is a picture of the Richard Knight family taken around 1870. Back row: Hannah, Elizabeth, William May, Mary Knight-Bland, Frances Knight-Ostrom, Richard (father), Catherine "Kate" Knight-Timllin, Richard, Frances May-Knight, John, and Emma. Elizabeth and Hannah were from Richard's first marriage to Elizabeth Phillips. Richard's sons John P. and William H. are absent from the photo. Not yet born are Henry, Jane and Benjamin
The 1878 "Canadian County Atlas Digital Project"
Richard Knight (1823 - 1892)
Richard Knight was born December 28 1823 in Saint Minver, Cornwall, England. (1) This date would prove possible but not definitive when we refer to the Ontario Census regarding his age. If this is the case his parents were John Knight and Mary Miller. It is then possible he had at least one brother ten years his senior Henry born in 1816. Bodmin is just a short distance from Saint Minver where I found the marriage registration. This was the town where the marriage registrations and Census registrations took place. A fact that may be of interest is that one of his children with his second wife has the second name of Miller which might further suggest that these are his parents.
Next I found a registry for a marriage between Richard Knight and Elizabeth Phillips in the town of Bodmin, Cornwall. I just recently found a more complete parish registry with the date for their marriage, 24 November 1846.(2) This is most certainly them. In this marriage I have their place of residence as Port Quin, Cornwall and were married in Saint Endellion. The names of both father of the bride and groom are identified as John. Richard's profession is tailor. It would appear they married just before migrating to Canada.
We know they were married on or around that time because Elizabeth gave birth to their first child John Phillips Knight in 1846.
At that time children were often born soon after marriage and even before.
We also know that in general populations did not travel far from their original home, unless they were tempted to immigrate to the new world.
The situation in that part of England was dire for farmers after the 1815 war and then again during the ‘Hungry Forties' causing another wave of emigration of agricultural workers to leave. This was repeated during the farming depression which started in the mid-1870s and lasted for nearly twenty years.
The distance between Port Quin and Saint Endellion is only fifteen minutes by bicycle, which, would be the same for a horse and wagon.
1846 Cornwall Parish Register for Richard and Elizabeth
Richard was living in Vaughan, York region in 1851,(3) working as a tailor with wife Elizabeth and 4 children. They also had a servant in the house named Hariott Bone, a 12 year old from England. They actually lived in York County, Vaughan Township. Richard Knight a native of England settled in Bowmanton, Township of Haldimand, Northumberland County in the year 1852.(4) It does not say if Elizabeth was alive at the time or not. The 1851 Census information was not gathered until after January of 1852 and at that time Richard was still in Vaughan with his family. It would not be unreasonable to think that he only moved to Bowmanton in the spring of that year. He was able to secure 200 acres in Northumberland and it is possible they decided to move to the area before the death of Elizabeth.
Gazetteer and Business Directory for the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham 1865-6
Richard met Fanney May after settling in Bowmanton and married her, November 1 1854.(5) It was after their marriage to Fanney that he became the Postmaster of the Bowmanton Post Office. He also farmed and ran a grocery store. Richard continued as postmaster between the dates 1860-05-01 to 1884-01-05 at which time he handed in his resignation.(6) The family moved to Toronto sometime between the 1881 and 1891 census'. They lived in the east end of what is now downtown Toronto. Richard appears in the 1891 Canadian census with his wife Fanney, five of his children and four grandchildren, but died the following year. He died 25 September 1892 and is buried in Bowmanton Cemetery Haldimand, Northumberland, Ontario, Canada. I also found an obituary for a Richard Knight as follows: Knight Richard James 16 Nov 1894 Port Hope 25, Weekly Guide 23 Nov 1894 05/06 Bn England. Died of brain fever. Could this be the same Richard? If so the date is wrong?
Richard had a family of two boys and two girls with his first wife Elizabeth Phillips. John, Elizabeth, Anne and William. For more on Elizabeth and their children visit Elizabeth Philips page through the link.
Richard's second wife Fanney May and their twelve children William, Mary, Frances, Ann, Richard, Eliza, Catherine, John, Emma, Henry, Sarah and Benjamin
Citations
(1) B. 1828 Knight Richard England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 (2) M. 1846 Knight John/Phillips Elizabeth "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-2010," database with images, Richard Knight and Elizabeth Phillips, 25 Nov 1846; citing Marriage, St Endellion, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, Cornwall Records Office, Truro. (2a) M. 1846 Knight John/Phillips Elizabeth England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 Bodmin V.IX p.43 (3) C. 1851 Census Place: Vaughan, York County, Canada West (Ontario); Schedule: A; Roll: C_11759; Page: 35; Line: 3 (4) The1878 "Canadian County Atlas Digital Project" (5) M. 1854 Knight Richard/May Fanney (6) Postmaster Government of Canada Library and Archives Source: Office Name: Bomanton Electoral District: Northumberland 1857-1914 Haldimand Township (7) C. 1861 Census Place: Canada West (Ontario) Northumberland Haldimand Image No.: 4391947_00306 (8) C. 1871 Census Place: Canada West (Ontario) Northumberland Haldimand Image No.: 4396346_00164 (9) C. 1881 Census Richard Knight, Haldimand, Northumberland, Ontario, Canada; from "1881 Canadian Census." Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. (10) C. 1891 Census Census Place: St Mathews Ward, York East, Ontario; Roll: T-6379; Family No: 341 (11) D. 1892 Canada, Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current