Born Henry Knox in Boston, Massachusetts. The seventh of ten children.
Coming from a poor family he worked at many horrible labor positions until
eventually he persevered, going on to open a bookstore of his own in
Boston.
It was while running this bookstore that he attracted the attention of
his bride to be, Lucy Flucker. She was the daughter of the Royal Secretary of Massachusetts, and a wonderful “catch”. The two were married and when Knox
fled Boston to join the Revolution forces, Lucy had his sword sewn into her cape.
While working with the local militia, Knox developed a rampart in Roxbury
that attracted the attention of General Washington himself. The general was very impressed with the young Knox and would ask for his assessments on the plans to capture Fort Ticonderoga. Theirs would be a lifelong friendship and would eventually lead to Knox's appointment to Major General. As Secretary of War, Major General Henry Knox was instrumental in the successful siege at Yorktown.
In 1794 after a successful career serving the country, he resigned and turned his interest to that of a gentleman farmer. His wife Lucy had inherited a huge parcel of land in Maine and he threw himself headlong into the task of developing this into a thriving area known as the District of Maine.
During his days of “retirement” in Maine he was engaged in many aspects
of the growth of the state. He built a lock and canal system, became involved in
land speculation, brick manufacturing and shipbuilding. He commissioned
a very large home, as distinguished as that of Monticello or Mount Vernon, to be built on his land in Thomaston, Maine. General Knox and his wife lived and entertained on the estate he named Montpelier.
At the time of his death in 1806, he and his wife had buried ten of their thirteen children, who did not live to adulthood. He is buried in the Town of Thomaston Maine and a replica of the home he had built, Montpelier, stands overlooking the town he helped to prosper.
He is remembered for his immensely successful military career, the contributions he made to the developments of the state of Maine, its economy and the large number of people he employed.
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I am Richard Thatcher, the great(5)grandson of Admiral Henry Knox Thatcher, son of Ebenezer Thatcher and Lucy Knox, daughter of General Knox. For more information on this side of the family please contact me at "thatcher.rich@gmail.com".
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