The family of Thomas J Knott 1808-1887

Tracing the family of Thomas Knott means chasing all over the country, basically.  Thomas is the son of Joseph and Mary Adams Knott, and was born in 1808,  His parents had moved from Pennsylvania to Jefferson County, Ohio, very early, and Thomas was born there, near Steubenville.  The family later moved to Richland County, Ohio, and Thomas married Hannah Bell there.  She is the daughter of John and Hannah Finch Bell.

Thomas was a man who couldn't stay in one place for long, partly for reasons of business (he was a millwright who built mills, ran them for a short time, and then moved on), and partly because he seems to have had a wanderlust.  During his lifetime he lived in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Nevada, and Illinois, and he made several trips to Nevada/California,at least once overland and other times by sea. His life is interesting and I've written about it in a previous post.  

However, he was home often enough to start and raise a family.  We're told that he and Hannah had 9 children.  I've been able to name 8, but I'm still missing one.  As mentioned, his children settled all over the country.  

The first born was Anna, born in 1830.  She married William Fesler, so far not identified further.  They had one son, George, before Anna's death in 1852 in Jonesville, Hillsdale County, Michigan.    

Elzy Hedges (apparently named for a storekeeper in Richland County, Ohio) was born in 1832.  He married Mary Elizabeth Harris.  All that is known of her background is that she grew up in South Wales.  Sadly, Elzy was murdered in 1859 in Genoa, Douglas County, Nevada, where he had settled and where his parents planned to move until the sadness of his death changed their minds.  Mary gave birth to a daughter, Elzyette, a few months after Elzy's death.  

John Wilson, who used the name "Wilson", was born in 1836 and died in 1927 in Salem, Marion County, Ohio.  He married Harriet Clarissa Starr, the daughter of John and Clarissa Falley Starr.  Their children are Herbert, Alfred, Walter, Robert, Mary, Anna, Edith, George, and John, and I will write more of this family in my next blog post.

Harriet was born in 1838  and died in 1840 at Jamestown, Steuben County, Indiana, where Thomas and Hannah were living.

Thomas Knott was the first of the children to have a long life.  He was born in 1840 and died in 1921 in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois.  He was twice married, first to Elizabeth Simmermaker and then to Mary Simmermaker.  The women are cousins.  Elizabeth's parents are Philip and Margaret Beach Simmermaker, and Mary's are George and Aley Henderson Simmermaker.  There are no known children from the first marriage, and two, Fred and Clara, from the second.  

Louisa was born in 1873 and died in 1927 in Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois.  She married Benjamin Weaver, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Charles Weaver.  Their children are Ella May, Harriet known as Hattie, and Mary Etta.  

James was born February 10, 1846, and no more is heard of him, not being listed in the 1850 census.  He must have died as a baby or very young child. 

The last child we know of is Albert Adams, born in 1848 and died in 1947 in Vallejo, Solano County, California.  He married Margaret Welty, the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Bitzch Welty.  Their children are Elaz, Franklin, Albert, and Elizabeth. 

If the nine children is an accurate tally, then there is one child missing.  Since he or she doesn't show up on a census, it is likely that the child did not live long, and was possibly born after the 1850 census although it could have been earlier.  I like to read about Thomas as he left more records than many of our ancestors, but it's Hannah who has my heart.  She had to be mother and father to the children as Thomas traveled so much.  It's a reminder that our female ancestors deserve our respect and admiration. They didn't have it easy.