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William Knapp (bp. 1581–1659)

Judith Tue (bp. 1589–by 1651)

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William, the son of Thomas and Alice (Howlat) Knopp, was baptized on 1 January 1580/1 in Bures St. Mary, Suffolk. [A] William, thought to be about 80, died on 30 August 1659 in Watertown. [1, pt. 3: 21] He married First Judith Tue on 11 January 1606/7 in Wormingford, Essex. [A] He married second Priscilla, the widow of Thomas Akers after 1655. [2] She died by 1 April 1662. [A]

Judith, the daughter of John and Cicely Tue, was baptized on 31 May 1589 in Wormingford. [A] She died by 1651. [A]

The modern spelling of William's name is Knapp. In the early New England records it is usually spelled as Knop, or sometimes Knope or Knap. In the old English records it is usually spelled as Knoppe or Knopp.

William came to New England in 1630 as an indentured servant of Sir Richard Saltonstall. He first appears in the New England records on 30 November 1630, when the Massachusetts Bay Cour of Assistants ordered that until William's debt to Sir Richard was paid off, any one who hired William or his son should pay half their wages to Sir Richard and anyone who bought boards from William should pay have to Sir Richard. William's debt amounted to 19 pounds and five shillings on 22 March 1630/1. [B]

On 7 November 1634 William was bound for ten pounds to appear at the nex court for swearing. On 6 June 1637—upon pain of a 100 pound fine and imprisonment—William was ordered to bring in sureties for appearing at the next quarterly court to answer for speaking against Governor Vane. On 1 June 1641 he was fined five pounds for sellling beer without a license. On 7 October 1651 he presented for scurilous and indecent words against the school master and ordered to pay a fine of 13 shillings and four pence or sit for two hourse in the stocks. [B]

William settled in Watertown. As inhabitant number 23, William Knop received 30 acres in the First Division of land to freemen in Watertown on 25 July 1636. [1, pt. 2: 3] On 28 February 1636 he was granted the seven-acre lot 79 in the division of plowland at Beaverbrook Plains. Freemen were allocated an acre for each member of their household and each cow valued at twenty pounds. [1, pt. 2: 7] He received the seven-acre lot 99 in the 26 June 1637 division of the Remote or Westpine Meadows. [1, pt. 2: 10] On 10 (3) 1642 he received the 93-acre lot 63 in a division of upland. Allocations were based on 13 acres per person and cow. [1, pt. 2: 12]

The courts of 1 (2) 1634 and 9 (7) 1639 ordered inventories of estates to be entered into town records. In the first inventory, William had a seven-acre lot and an eight-acre lot of plowland in the Further Plain, a seven-acre lot in the Remote Meadows, a 7-1/2-acre lot of upland in the Further Plain, 30 acres granted in the First Division, and a farm with 93 acres of upland. [1, pt. 2: 54]

At a 6 (12) 1648 town meeting, it was recorded that the town owed "ould knop" four shillings for killing a fox and six shillings for mending the stocks and other carpentry. [1, pt. 1: 17]

Watertown hired William as a carpenter—to tend to the meeting house and the pound. The town records show disbursements to him. However, he must have become incapacitated in some way with age. On 12 January 1651 the selectman discharged "old father Knop" as of 1 May 1652. [1, pt. 1: 28]

Eventually it appears that William became incapable of caring for himself. On 9 December 1656 "Ould Knap" complained to the selectman that he was in want. They proposed that if his children would care for their parents, they could have his estate, but if they did not want to, the town would do so. On 25 January 1757 the town arranged for ould knop's farm and cattle to be let out and for him to be supplied with necessities. [1, pt. 1: 49, 55]

William died intestate as his "will" lacked a date, executor, or witnesses. The will mentions his wife and his children William, John, James, Elizabeth, Mary, Ann, and Judith Knope. Inventory of his estate was taken on 31 August 1658 and amounted to about 129 pounds. On 15 October 1659 the court ordered a division; the widow Priscilla Knap received her third and the rest and the widow's reversion was divided among William Knap, Jr., John Knap, James Knap, Mary Smith, Judith Cady, and the children of John Philbricke, deceased, being grandchildren. On 1 April 1662 Priscilla was apparently deceased and William Knap, James Knap and Elizabeth his wife, Thomas Smith and Mary his wife, Nicholas Cady and Judith his wife joined with John Knap and Sarah his wife to confirm a sale of William's land to Nathaniel Coolidge. [A]

Bond says that William probably arrived in New England in 1630 with Nicholas Knapp. [2] It has been suggested that they may have been related. Anderson argues that this is unlikely. He points out that there is no record of them ever interacting and the town clerk spelled their names differently. [A]

Children of William Knapp:

i. Elizabeth Knapp was baptized on 10 July 1608 in Wormingford. [A] She was buried on 22 February 1661/2 in Bures St. Mary. [B] She married Unknown Buttery.

On 27 March 1660, Elizabeth Buttery, widow of Bures St. Mary and daughter of William Knap, deceased, appointed attorneys to receive her legacy. [A]

ii. William Knapp was baptized on 3 February 1610/1 in Wormingford. [A] He died on 25 September 1676. [2] It appears that he married first Mary __ and then Margaret ___. [1, pt. 3: 10, 16]

In the first inventory of Watertown estates, William had a four-acre homestall. [1, pt. 2: 64]

Apparently William's daughter was uneducated and ungoverned. On 13 December 1670 the Watertown selectman ordered John Eddy and Isaac Stearns to speak to William about this. On 2 February 1671 the selectman noted complaints that William's child was not being taught to speak English. On 24 October 1671 Thomas Smythe appeared to acknowledge these complaints and to promise he would be more attentive in the future. [1, 1: 104, 107, 109]

On 31 (8) 1676 Samuel Stearns and Ensign Warren presented the inventory of William's estate to the selectman. On 5 (10) 1676, Ensign Warren, Samuel Stearns, and Corporal Bond were directed to go to the court at Charlestown, present the inventory, and learn how the court wanted the estate disposed of. [1, pt. 1: 127]

iii. Mary Knapp was baptized on 19 August 1613 in Wormingford. [A] She married Thomas Smith of Watertown by 1637. [A][2]

iv. Anne Knapp was baptized on 24 December 1618 in Wormingford. [A] She married John Philbrook by 1650. [A]

Anne, her husband, and her daughter Sarah died at sea when the ship they were taking from Hampton to Boston sank. [B]

v. John Knapp was baptized on 20 January 1622/3 in Bures St. Mary. [A] He died between 22 January 1696, when he wrote his will, and 27 April 1696, when it was proved. [2] He married Sarah Young on 25 May 1660 in Watertown. [A][2]

vi. James Knapp was baptized on 30 April 1626 in Wormingford. He married Elizabeth Warren.

vii. Judith Knapp was baptized on 16 July 1629 in Bures St. Mary. She married Nicholas Cady by 1650. [2]

References

1. Watertown Historical Society, Watertown Records vol. 1 (Watertown: Fred G. Barker, 1894).

2. Henry Bond, Genealogies of the Families and Descendants of the Early Settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts, 2nd edition (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1860), 619–20.

A. "The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620–1633, Volumes I-III," digitized book, AmericanAncestors.org, originally published as: Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, 3 volumes (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), 1143–6.

B. Clifford L. Stott, "English Origins of William and Judith (Tue) Knopp of Watertown," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 147 (1993): 315–28.

Revised 07-Jun-2023

©2019 A. Buiter