John Knight Jr. (1648 - bef. 1725)

Born 16 Aug 1648 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Rebecca (Noyes) Knight — married 1 Jan 1672 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died before 11 Aug 1725 before age 76 in Newbury, Essex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

Parentage; Date and Place of Birth

John Knight, the son of John Knight and Bethsheba (Ingersol) Knight, was born in Newbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony on August 16, 1648.^[1][2]

References in Newbury Records

John was referred to in records as John Knight Jr from when he first appeared in the records in 1672 until his father's death in 1677. Thereafter he was just referred to as John Knight. References in the records to John Knight Jr prior to 1671 refer to John's father, whose own father John died in 1670.

Marriage and Children

John married Rebecca Noyes in Newbury on January 1, 1671/2.^[3][4][2]

John and Rebecca had the following children:

1. James, b. September 30, 1672 in Newbury,^[1][2] m. Mary Plumer^[2]
2. Rebecca, b. April 27, 1674 in Newbury,^[5][2] m. Robert Adams^[2]
3. John, b. April 3, 1676 in Newbury,^[1][2] unmarried in 1725^[2]
4. Sara, b. February 25, 1678/9 in Newbury,^[6][2] m. Samuel Moody.^[2] (Note that the Sarah Knight who married Dr. Matthew Adams was not this Sara, but the Sarah Knight who was the daughter of John's brother Joseph Knight.)
5. Elizabeth, b. April 13, 1681 in Newbury,^[7][2] m. Samuel Plumer^[2]
6. Joseph, b. October 9 1683 in Newbury, m. April 29, 1708 Rebecca Noyes in Newbury, d. January 31, 1746 in Newbury. (See discussion and sources in Joseph's profile.)
7. Nathaniel, b. December 22, 1688 in Newbury,^[5][2] m. Sarah Somerby^[2]

Pramberg states that John also had a daughter named Mary who married Stephen Thurston and a daughter named Bethsheba who was born about 1691 and died in 1776.^[2] However, no birth records have been found that establish that John had daughters by those names, and the fact that John's will does not mention any daughters by those names strongly suggests that he did not have any daughters by those names who were living when he made his will.

Public Life

John lived his entire life in Newbury. He took the oath of allegiance in Newbury in 1678^[8] and was chosen by the town as a fence viewer in 1675, 1679, 1680, 1683 and 1685; as a surveyor of the highways in 1681; and as a tithing man in 1687.^[9]

Based on the inventory of his estate, John was a "husbandman" or "yeoman." The 1688 town rate of Newbury listed John as having 2 houses, 8 acres of plow lands, 12 acres of meadow, 6 acres of pasture, 1 horse, 2 oxen, 3 cows, 3 calves, 12 sheep, and 3 hogs.^[10]

Death; Estate

John made his will on January 7, 1724/5. In his will, he made bequests to his wife Rebecca, sons James, John, Joseph and Nathaniel, and daughters Rebecca, Sarah and Elizabeth, and grandson James Knight son of his son James Knight. John named his sons Joseph and Nathaniel as his executors. The will was witnessed by Stephen Noyes, John Webster and Moses Noyes.^[11]

The inventory of John's estate was taken on August 11, 1725 by John Rolfe, John Noyes and Joseph Lunt and appraised at a total of £178.10.11, including 4 acres of land in Old Town (£45), 3 acres of land between wood lots and Little River (£27), livestock (£20), and grain, hay in the barn and apples on the tree.^[11]

John's will was probated and his inventory confirmed on August 30, 1725.^[11]

Chronology of Records

• 1675. At a Newbury town meeting on March 6, 1674/5, William Ilsley and John Knight Jr were chosen as fence viewers in old town to Moody's lane.^[12]
• 1678. A list of men who took the oath of allegiance at Newbury in 1678 included John Knight, age 30.^[8]
• 1679. At a Newbury town meeting on March 31, 1678/9, Thomas Hale Sr and John Knight were chosen as fence viewers at old town.^[13]
• 1680. At a Newbury town meeting on March 24, 1679/80, Samuel Plumer and John Knight were chosen as fence viewers at old town.^[13]
• 1681. At a Newbury town meeting on March 24, 1679/80, John Emery, John Webster, Abraham Adams, Thomas Hale Jr and John Knight were chosen as Surveyors of Highways.^[14]
• 1682. John Knight was among those who signed a petition dated March 28, 1682 supporting the petition of John March to establish a tavern.^[15]
• 1683. At a Newbury town meeting on March 27, 1682/3, John Knight and Richard Dole Jr were chosen as fence viewers at old town.^[13]
• 1685. At a Newbury town meeting on April 6, 1684/5, Joseph Ilsley and John Knight were chosen as fence viewers at old town.^[13]
• 1687. John Knight was among 21 men appointed by the town of Newbury to be tithing men.^[16]
• 1688. The 1688 town rate of Newbury listed John Knight as having 2 houses, 8 acres of plow lands, 12 acres of meadow, 6 acres of pasture, 1 horse, 2 oxen, 3 cows, 3 calves, 12 sheep, and 3 hogs.^[10]

^{[3] [9] [10] [8] [16] [13] [12] [14] [11] [2] [4] [15] [6] [5] [1] [7]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, Volume I - Births. The Essex Institute, 1911. p 268. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15} Pramberg, Noreen C. Four Generations of the Descendants of John Knight and His Brother, Richard Knight, First Settlers of Newbury, Massachusetts. 1986. p. 6. Link to page at archive.org.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Newbury Births, Marriages, Deaths 1635-1701. Vol 1. FHL Film # 886202, image 183 of 195. Link to record at familysearch.org. See image attached to this profile.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, Volume II - Marriages & Deaths. The Essex Institute, 1911. p 279. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, Volume I - Births. The Essex Institute, 1911. p 270. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, Volume I - Births. The Essex Institute, 1911. p 271. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, Volume I - Births. The Essex Institute, 1911. p 267. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Currier, John. History of Newbury, Mass. 1635-1902. 1902. p. 181. Link to page at archive.org.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} See "Chronology of Records" in this profile.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} Currier, John. History of Newbury, Mass. 1635-1902. 1902. p. 204. Link to page at archive.org.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3} Essex County Probate Records. Vol. 315. pp 281-283. Link to pages at familysearch.org.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Currier, John. History of Newbury, Mass. 1635-1902. 1902. p. 115. Link to page at archive.org.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4} Currier, John. History of Newbury, Mass. 1635-1902. 1902. p. 116. Link to page at archive.org.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Currier, John. History of Newbury, Mass. 1635-1902. 1902. p. 111. Link to page at archive.org.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Currier, John J. Ould Newbury: Historical and Biographical Sketches. Damrell and Upham, 1896. p. 181. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Currier, John. History of Newbury, Mass. 1635-1902. 1902. p. 118. Link to page at archive.org.