James Knox (1791 - 1860)

Born 8 Jan 1791 in Pawling, Dutchess, New York, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 24 Sep 1860 at age 69 in Mount Pleasant Township, Whiteside, Illinois, United States

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Biography

James was born 8 January 1791 in what is now Dover Township, Dutchess County, New York1 (Figure 1) to Archibald (1763-) and Ruth Knox2. A history 2 oftheBeekmanPatentsettlersofDutchessCounty claimsArchibaldarrived in Pawling from Ashford, Connecticut around 1790. They were Quakers and raised their family in the faith2,3. James had three known siblings: Sarah, William (b?-1832) and Archibald2. However, the 1790 Federal Census for Pawling shows one male under age 16 and one over, as well as three white females in the household4, suggesting they had two children and possibly Archibald’s mother living with them prior to James’s birth. The younger female was no doubt Sarah. The 1800 Federal Census finds two males under the age of 10, one aged 10-15 and one aged 26- 44, as well as two females under 10, one age 10-15 and one age 26-445. One of the under 10 males was James and the other his younger brother. The older female is Sarah and the other two would be additional sisters. In 1810 the Federal Census finds one male under the age of 10, one aged 10-15, two aged 16-25 and one aged 45 and over, while there is one female aged 10-15, one aged 16-25 and one aged 26-446. This suggests James had three brothers and three sisters total. James and his family traded at the Gage and Titus Store in Dover Plains between 1809 and 1812 and store records are the only mention of James, who paid 4s 8p cash to settle his account on 3 September 18112. Around 1816 he left his family and moved to Canada1.

James moved to Canada in 1816 and was married to Amy in Burford-London, District of Canada that same year1. While there is no written evidence it appears likely Amy immigrated to Canada with her siblings by 1816 and that is where her and James met. The Burford and London Townships of the London District are located just west of the western tip of Lake Ontario14. Ancestry.com family trees have them married by Justice of the Piece, Thomas Harnor, 8 June 1816, while Bent reports they were married January 9th of that same year1. During that period William (1817-1884), Martin (1819-1884), Alson (1821-1882), Peter (1823- 1875), and James (1825-1873) were born. In 1825, the family moved back across the border to Erie, New York1. Archibald (1827-1896), Henry (1828-1886), Lydia (1831-1910), and John (1833-1918) were born in Aurora, located on Cayuga Lake between Rochester and Syracuse.

In 1835, the family moved to what was then Joe Davis County (now Whiteside County), Illinois in the Ox Bow Bend of the Rock River, across from Prophetstown1 (Figure 7). According to S. J. Clarke15 they were among the earliest to settle this area. They traded with the local Indians and subsisted on wildturkeysandhogs. The family resided there for two years. James farmed, as well as built and ran the ferry across the river1, 15. According to Bent the ferry was first a “common oar boat and poles, then...rope and pulleys” (Figure 4). Mary (1837-1899) was born here before they moved to Mt. Pleasant Township later that year. They first settled a piece of land near where the corners of Wall and Orange Streets intersect (Figures 8 and 9) in what would become the town of Morrison. Unable to find water he moved to where the “Library Hall” stood in 1877, digging the well on what would later be F. C. Woodruff’s property (Figures 8 and 9). According to Bent1 the country was nothing but “hazel brush and trees” when the Knox family arrived. Allen (1840- 1913) and Lewis (1842-1906) were born here. According to General Land Office records James received a patent for 160 acres of land in 1845 and for another 40 acres in 184717 (Figure 10) where the future town site of Morrison would stand (Figures 11 and 12). Davis says he owned an 80-acre farm in section 16, Mount Pleasant Township3 which according to Illinois land records was purchased in 1848 for $2.50 an acre18. In the 1850 Federal Census19 James’s occupation is listed as a farmer owning land worth $1500. At home is his wife, sons Archibald, Henry, John, Allen and Lewis and daughters, Lydia and Mary, and sister, Sarah. Archibald is shown as owning $100 in real estate and Henry is employed as a laborer. Allen (age 10) and Lewis (age 7) were attending school, but it appears Mary (age 13) was not. In the 1860 census20 James owns $6000 in real estate and $1760 in personal property. His wife is living at home along with Mary (age 23), Allen (age 20) and Lewis (age 17). The citation has Allen married that year21 and attending school, while Lewis is also attending school and working as a farm laborer. James joined the Methodist Episcopal Church later in life and was a staunch republican3. James died 24 September 1860 and is buried near his home. Amy moved in with one of her sons15 and died 9 February 1866. They are both buried at Round Grove Cemetery in Whiteside County, Illinois22,23.

Sources

• Stephan E. Matz, James & Amy (Martin) Knox, Publitas (https://view.publitas.com/p222-11649/a-history-of-james-amy-martin-knox/), 2020.

1History of Whiteside County, Illinois, From its First Settlement to the Present Time; with Numerous Biographical and Family Sketches. Edited by Charles Bent; The Whiteside Sentinel; Morrison, Illinois, 1877.

2The Knox Family in The Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Volume VII, pg. 660-664. Frank J. Doherty, Orlando, Florida, 2003.

3History of Whiteside County, Illinois, From its Earliest Settlement to 1908. By William W. Davis, M.A. The Pioneer Publishing Co., Chicago, 1908.

41790 Federal Census. Census Place: Pawling, Dutchess, New York; Series: M637; Roll: 6; Page: 40; Image: 165; Family History Library Film: 0568146.

51800 Federal Census. Census Place: Pawling, Dutchess, New York; Series: M32; Roll: 21; Page: 50; Image: 55; Family History Library Film: 193709.

61810 Federal Census. Census Place: Pawlings, Dutchess, New York; Roll: 30; Page: 222; Image: 00167; Family History Library Film: 0181384.

71790 US Federal Census: Poultney, Rutland, Vermont; Series: M673; Roll: 12; Page: 245; Image: 180; Family History Library Film: 0568152

8Vermont, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1860. Ancestry.com, Provo, UT.

91810 US Federal Census: Poultney, Rutland, Vermont; Series: M673; Roll: 12; Page: 245; Image: 180; Family History Library Film: 0568152.

101851 Census of Canada East, Canada West, Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Burford, Brant County, Canada West (Ontario); Schedule: A; Roll: C_11741; Page: 93.

111851 Census of Canada East, Canada West, Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Townsend, Norfolk County, Canada West (Ontario); Schedule: A; Roll: C_11713; Page: 21.

121861 Census of Canada. Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Census Returns for 1861; Roll: C-1054.

13Ancestry.com submission by Shirley Wilcoxon.

14Report by William D. Bowen dated 5th September 1817 from Burford in the Statistical Account of Upper Canada with a Grand View to a System of Emigration, Volume 1 by Robert Gourley, Published by Timpken K. Marshall, Stationers Court, London, 1822.

15”Benjamin F Lathe and James P Knox Family”. From the Biographical Record of Whiteside County, Illinois, 1900, by S. J. Clarke; S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago.

16Crossing ferry Red River, Fort Abercrombie, DT by State Historical Society of North Dakota.

17Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management General Land Office Records data base record accession number IL4620_.014 and IL4510_.114 at https://www.glorecords.blm.gov/default.aspx.

18Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales, Illinois State Archives Volume 819 pg. 71 at http://www.ilsos.gov/isa/landSalesSearch.do.

191850 US Federal Census: District 37, Whiteside County, Illinois; Roll: M432_132; Page: 404B; Image: 283.

201860 US Federal Census: Mount Pleasant, Whiteside County, Illinois; Roll: M653_237; Page: 309; Family History Library Film: 803237.

21According to family records Allen was married to Mary Hunnington Utley on 10 August 1865 in Burford-London District, Ontario, Canada. However, Illinois marriage records place the wedding in Carroll, Illinois.

22Illinois, Find a Grave Index, 1809-2012. Memorial for James P. Knox submitted by Ken on 8 September 2008. Find A Grave Memorial# 30003838.

23Illinois, Find a Grave Index, 1809-2012. Memorials for Amy Emma Martin Knox submitted by Ken on 8 September 2008. Find A Grave Memorial# 30003896.