William Knox (1721 - 1802)

Born Jul 1721 in Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Isabel (Ferguson) Knox — married 21 Dec 1749 in Blandford, Hampden, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 19 Mar 1802 at age 80 in Blandford, Hampden, Massachusetts, USA

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Biography

Captain William Knox served with Hampshire County, Massachusetts Militia during the American Revolution.

Born in Scotland, or Massachusetts? When the England and French War broke out, 1744, a fort was built on his land, south of the Presbyterian meetinghouse, in Blandford. Indians were allies of France and there was concern over Indian attacks.

Married Isabell at age 27, she was 19, December 1749. When talk of the French and Indian war started, he joined military drills, along with his four sons. When he left for the war, he gave his land over to someone else, but it was deeded back to him when he returned, June 1745. Williams' brothers John and Adam had come to Blandford with their father as the original settlers. John owned a tavern that was located on the road to Westfield, near the town boundary. He was reimbursed for caring for soldiers who stopped there; there was no hospital.

April 1776 he reported to Captain John Moseley and was commissioned a captain of 6th Company, age 54. Son William III was commissioned a second lieutenant. Had five sons and 3 daughters.

According to "Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War"... Knox, William. Captain, 6th co., Col. John Mosely's (3rd Hampshire Co.) regt. of Mass. militia; list of officers chosen in said regiment, endorsed "April 26, 1776;" reported commissioned April 26, 1776; also Captain, Lieut. Col. Timothy Robinson's detachment from 3rd Hampshire Co. regt., which marched to Ticonderoga Oct. 21, 1776, by order of Gen. Skyler (Schuyler) to reinforce army at that place; (service not given); also petition dated Blandford, Jan 5, 1779, signed by said Knox, stating that he had served for a considerable time as a Captain of a militia company in Col. John Moseley's (Hampshire Co.) regt., and asking permission to resign is commission on account of age, lameness, and infirmity.

Isabel and William Knox had 12 children;
William Knox 1750–1815
Eleanor Knox 1752–1835
Samuel Knox 1754–1828
Elizabeth Knox 1756–1852
John Knox 1759–1833
Nathan Knox 1761–1833
Mary Knox 1763–1858
David Knox 1767–1852
James Knox 1769–1807
Eunice Knox 1772–1861
Isabel Knox 1773-1856
Adam 1775–?
​ Gravestone Inscription: In memory of Capt William Knox who died March 19th 1802 in the 81st year of his age

Served as the representative of Blandford Massachusetts. Answered the Alarm in Lexington with his son and was a captain of the company. later was asked by Samuel Adams to join as representative of the Provincial Congress. He served as a member even serving as president of the provincial congress til the end of the war.

When The Mass. Government Act of 1774 annulled their charter the people of Massachusetts responded with the Mass. Provincial Congress. The Provincial congress was an extra-legal body formed out of need for communications between towns and for decisions to be made in regard to the colonies' future. With John Hancock as president this completely illegal body operated as the Government of all of Massachusetts outside British controlled Boston. The mere existence of such a congress angered Gage because of it's threat to his authority.

The Congress met in Concord for 4 days to discuss their current situation on April 11. When the British marched to Concord and Lexington many Militia, including Paul Revere believed it was to arrest both Sam Adams and John Hancock. Recorded in The Journals of each provincial congress of massachusetts. Page 275, found on line at:

Will: Knox http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-18-02-0013

At a Congress of Delegates from the several Towns and Districts in the Colony of the Massachusetts-Bay, began and held at the Meeting-House in Watertown, the thirty-first day of May, 1775: Mr˙ Samuel Freeman was unanimously chosen Secretary, and the Hon˙ Joseph Warren, Esquire, President, Resolved, That the Congress will now proceed to hear the Returns and consider the qualifications of the Members. The Returns being read, it appeared that the following gentlemen were elected by the inhabitants of their respective Towns to represent them in this Congress, viz:

FOR THE COUNTY OF SUFFOLK. BOSTON. — The Honourable Thomas Gushing, esq˙, Mr˙ Samuel Adams, Hon˙ John Hancock, esq˙, Joseph Warren, esq˙, Mr˙ John Pitts, Benjamin Church, Jun˙, esq˙, Mr˙ Oliver Wendall. ROXBURY. — Captain Aaron Davis. DORCHESTER. — Colonel Robinson, Mr˙ James Robinson

BLANDFORD. — Deacon William Boies, Capt˙ William Knox. GRANVILLE. — Timothy Robinson, esq˙, Mr˙ Nathan Barlo. PALMER. — David Spear. NEW-SALEM. — Lieutenant Amos Foster. BELCHESRTOWN. — Captain Nathaniel Dwight.

Residence

Residence:

Date: 1800

Place: Blanford, Hampshire, Massachusetts

Date: 1790

Place: Blandford, Hampshire, Massachusetts, United States

Notes

Note N80

Service:

MASSACHUSETTS Rank(s): CAPTAIN, PATRIOTIC SERVICE

Birth:

CIRCA 1721 SCOTLAND

Death:

3-19-1802 BLANDFORD HAMPSHIRE CO MASSACHUSETTS

Service Source:

MA PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, 1774-1775, P 275; MA SOLS & SAILS, VOL 9, P 394

Service Description:

1) DELEGATE TO PROV CONGRESS UNDER SAMUEL ADAMS;

2) CAPT, 6TH CO, MILITIA

3) COL JOHN MOSELEY, 3RD HAMPSHIRE CO REGT

Elizabeth Chubb cannot be the mother of the children, given their birth dates . It is reasonable to assume she was the second wife. Looking at the birth of Griswald, it is reasonable to assume she ( the first wife) died in childbirth. While the last will and testament of William Knox Identifies his wife as Elizabeth, there are reasons why she cannot be the mother of the earlier children: Births start in 1718.It is Blandford MA 1725. Blandford being a puritan type village with a church and a rector. Cohabitation would not be as acceptable in a town as it would be out in the wilderness and the birth of Griswold seems to be just before a several (more than 5) years wait before the birth of the last of William's children, Elizabeth. Elizabeth's birth is 1730 and it is the only birth that took place after the marriage of Elizabeth Chubbs marriage to William Knox.

Sources

• "Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FC37-N2G : 4 December 2014), William Knox and Isabel Ferguson, 21 Dec 1749; citing reference v.3, p.104; FHL microfilm 186,138.
• "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FHRP-WTB : 13 July 2016), William, Capt. Knox and Isabel Ferguson, 21 Dec 1749; citing Marriage, Blandford, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 186,138.
• Source: S00061 Author: Edmund West, comp. Title: Family Data Collection - Individual Records Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.; Repository: #R00001 NOTEEdmund West, comp., Family Data Collection - Individual Records (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.).

• Source: S00080 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.; Repository: #R00001 NOTEAncestry Family Trees (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.), This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created.

http://billiongraves.com/pages/record/WilliamKnox/8881723?utm_campaign=treeconnect&utm_source=familysearch.org&utm_medium=sourcelink

• SAR Membership Number: 73412

• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed October 17, 2015), "Record of William Knox", Ancestor # A067142.

• Source: S169 Author: Ancestry.com Title: U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2011; Repository: #R1

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• Source: S41 Author: Ancestry.com Title: Massachusetts, Town Records, 1620-1988 Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook).Original data: Town and C; Repository: #R1

• Source: S43 Author: Edmund West, comp. Title: Family Data Collection - Individual Records Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.; Repository: #R1

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• Source: S69 Author: Ancestry.com Title: 1790 United States Federal Census Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - First Census of the United States, 1790 (NARA microfilm publication M637, 12 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Gro; Repository: #R1

• Source: S82 Author: Edmund West, comp. Title: Family Data Collection - Deaths Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2001.; Repository: #R1

• Source: S98 Author: Ancestry.com Title: 1800 United States Federal Census Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Second Census of the United States, 1800. (NARA microfilm publication M32, 52 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Grou; Repository: #R1