Jonathan Knowlton (1770 - aft. 1830)

Born 28 May 1770 in North Brookfield, Worcester, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Dolly (Prouty) Knowlton — married 3 Mar 1791 in Spencer, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

Husband of Elizabeth (Bower) Knowlton — married 26 Jan 1808 in Ontario, Canada

Descendants

Died after 1830 after age 59 in Fowler, Saint Lawrence, New York, United States [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Barry Sweetman [send private message]

Biography

Birth

Jonathan was born in the town of Brookfield, in the Province of Massachusetts Bay on 28 May 1770.^[1] to parents Charles Knowlton and Eunice Pickard.

Marriage

On 3 Mar 1791 in Spencer, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States Jonathan Knowlton married Dolly Prouty.^[2][3][4]

Jonathan married 2nd Elizabeth Bower on January 26, 1808, in Ontario, Canada. In the marriage record Jonathan is said to be of Portland, Ontario, Canada. Jonathan and Elizabeth had only one documented child - Barnabas. The Stocking History also gives them a Charles and a Hannah, but they do not appear in any records.

Residence

The Stocking History and Genealogy of the Knowlton's had this to say about Jonathan:

" Johnathan was b. and lived in West Brookfield, Mass., whence he removed to Canada. He was a land speculator, and in his expeditions through the wilderness he discovered the lake which now bears his name. After accumulating a large property, he removed to Livingston Co., N.Y. In 1811 he returned to Canada to settle up his affairs, and when the War of 1812 broke out he was impressed into the British service. He escaped with his two sons by night in a boat; and breaking through the ice, reached the American shore, and at once enlisted in the U.S. service."

Stocking has many errors and inaccuracies but this biographical information may actually be close to the truth. Jonathan left very few records but with the few that we have, here is how they stack up with what Stocking had to say.

Jonathan's daughter Dolly and son Erastus have well documented as births in Massachusetts in 1791 and 1795, respectively. Then the next son Faxon may be born in Canada in 1798 but it is far from certain. After Faxon comes Clarissa probably born 1799 in New York and Eunice, well-documented as born in 1800 in New York. Lastly are Sina born 1803 and Levina born 1807, both documented born in Canada.

Based on this information it seems Jonathan and his family were living in Brookfield, MA. through 1795 and then may have made a foray into Ontario, Canada around 1798 where Faxon might have been born. But then they are back in the U.S. by 1800 living in Brownville, Jefferson Co., N.Y. where daughter Eunice has a documented birth. By 1803 the family has returned to Ontario, Canada. In 1808 the records show Jonathan received a grant of land in Portland, Leeds, Ontario. After Dolly passed away about December 1807, Jonathan married Elizabeth Bower in January 1808 in Ontario and probably remained in Canada into the year 1812 when son Barnabas was born there.

Since there are no records of Jonathan and Elizabeth in Canada after 1812, we assume Stocking is correct and that they had returned to the U.S. And Jonathan and Elizabeth may have accumulated property in Livingston Co., N.Y. as Stocking asserts. While the 1820 U.S. Census and the land records are silent on them, their oldest son Erastus can be found in Livingston Co. by 1830. It is clear Erastus has the title to quite a bit of property in Livingston Co. as he sells some of it from time to time. Since there are no Deeds showing where he acquired the land, we assume he received it from his father off the record.

The last record we have of Jonathan shows his 1830 residence in Fowler, Saint Lawrence, New York. The 1830 U.S. Census enumerates Jonathan, a woman in her 50's (Elizabeth) and a male 15-19 years old who is likely son Barnabas who was 18 years old at the time.

The fact that he appears in no other records suggest that Jonathan may have passed away sometime in the 1830's in Saint Lawrence County or neighboring Jefferson County, New York. His wife Elizabeth may have then returned to Canada, where she had strong family ties, probably taking son Barnabas with her.

Jonathan Knowlton Mythology

Trees abound with myths regarding the Jonathan Knowlton profiled here.

Myth #1 – That this Jonathan is a Revolutionary War Veteran who drew a pension. Shown in many trees, people have somehow been able to overlook the fact that Jonathan was 6 years old in 1776 and 11 years old when the fighting essentially stopped in 1781.

Myth #2 – Jonathan died on February 28, 1819 or June 30, 1837 or 1834 based on interpreting the information in the Revolutionary War pension records. Since the Jonathan profiled here was not a soldier in the Revolutionary War, any date found in these pension records does not pertain to him.

Myth #3 – Jonathan must have died before March 23, 1818 because his wife Elizabeth Bower married William Lewis in Ontario, Canada on that date. The marriage record states her name as “Elizabeth Bower” so right away we know this is not Jonathan's wife but another woman. If Elizabeth were to remarry after the death of Jonathan, it would be as “Elizabeth Knowlton” not as “Elizabeth Bower”. A widow with children would not use or be referred to by her maiden name.

Myth #4 – That Jonathan's real name was “Jonathan Evastus Knowlton” or “Jonathan Erastus Knowlton”. Not true. There is no record where he goes by that name. For some reason people have chosen to amalgamate or confuse Jonathan and his son Erastus.

Not A Myth

Jonathan had a lake named after him. Lake Knowlton in South Frontenac, Ontario, Canada is a very beautiful and popular lake that was named after this Jonathan.

Sources

1. ↑ Jay and Delene Holbrook, Massachusetts Town and Vital Records 1620-1988, Holbrook Research Institute, page 509
2. ↑ "Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910", database, FamilySearch: 4 December 2014, Jonathan Knowlton and Dolly Prouty, 03 Mar 1791; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 0874027 IT 2.
3. ↑ Vital Records of Brookfield, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849, Worcester, Massachusetts: Franklin P. Rice, 1909, Page 389
4. ↑ Charles Henry Pope, Prouty (Proute) Genealogy (Boston, Massachusetts, USA: Charles H Pope, 1910), Page 26

See also:

• Stocking, Rev. Charles Henry Wright. D.D. The History and Genealogy of the Knowltons of England and America. Vols.1, & 2 pgs. 73 and 156-157. New York: The Knickerbocker Press, 1897. Stocking ID 843.
• Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. Birth Record, Jonathan Knowlton (see image at right)
• Land Petitions of Upper Canada, 1763-1865, Library and Archives of Canada
• The Rev. Robert McDowell's Register of Baptisms, Portland, Ontario, Canada
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, International Genealogical Index (R) (Copyright (c) 1980, 1997, data as of February 1997, Film #: 456285