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John Knight (1633–1714), son of John Knight and Mary Unknown
Ruhamah Johnson (1635–1657/1663), daughter of William Johnson and Elizabeth Bunker
John was the son of John and Mary Knight,was born in 1633. [1, 228, 239] He died on 1 December 1714 in Charlestown. [2, 260] He married first Ruhamah Johnson on 25 April 1654 in Charlestown. [2, 14] He married second Abigail Stowers by 1663. [3] Abigail, the daughter of Nicholas and Amy Stowers, was born on 27 June 1636 in Charlestown and was baptized there on 28 June 1636. [3] Abigail, the wife of John Knight, Jr., died on 9 March 1668 in Charlestown. [2, 57] John married third Mary Bridge on 22 June 1668 in Charlestown. [2, 25] Mary, the daughter of William Bridge (a stepson of John Oldham) and Persis Pierce, was probably born in 1649 in Charlestown. [3] Mary, the wife of John Knight, died of small pox on 13 August 1678 in Charlestown. [2, 104] John married fourth the widow Mary Clements on 19 December 1678 in Charlestown. [2, 110] She was born about 1647. She died on 5 February 1682 in Charlestown. [2, 113] He married fifth the widow Sarah Holsworth on 24 May 1683 in Charlestown. [2, 119] She died on 6 November 1713 in Charlestown. [2, 256] Savage says that she was Sarah Rawlins, who married first Joshua Holdswoth, a mariner of Boston, on 10 May 1669. [4]
Mary (Clements) Knight deposed she was 32 in 1679. [1, 228]
Ruhamah, the daughter of William Johnson and Elizabeth Bunker, was born on 1 February 1634/5 in Charlestown. [5] She died between 4 November 1657 and 1663.
Thompson calls John as, "John Knight (1633–1714), a much-married Charlestown cooper, grand juryman, and pillar of respectability." [1, 228]
Ruhamah, the wife of John was admitted to the Charlestown church on 29 February 1660. [6, 282] John was admitted to the church on 26 November 1667. [6, 284] Abigail Knight, sister Stower's daughter was admitted on 13 August 1667. [6, 284] Mary, [the third] wife of John, was admitted on 23 September 1677. [6, 437] Mary, [the fourth] wife of John was admitted on 9 January 1680. [6, 438] Sarah, [the fifth] wife of John was admitted on 9 March 1684. [6, 439]
John was on a 16 November 1658 Charlestown tax list. [1, 50] He was a constable in Charlestown in 1669, a petty juryman in 1674 and 1677, and a grand juryman in 1679. [1, 229]
John had a servant Sarah Crouch who became friends with the notorious Sarah Larkin, whose "wanton carriages" the Middlesex county court first heard about on 6 October 1668. John, a widower, testified that he had woken in the middle of the night and "found the two Sarahs, 'both undressed ... Sarah Largin ran off still undressed shedding chlothes ... I asked [Crouch] what men were these. At length she said Peter Briggs. I asked her if the other were Thomas Jones but she gave me no answer. I warned her that I would turn her out of doors [if it happened again].'" [1, 373] This was not an isolated incident and on 4 June 1670, both Sarahs were presented by a grand jury for fornication; Sarah Larkin had given birth. On 6 January 1671, Sarah Larkin was out on bail and the servant Nathaniel King brought her wine, cakes, and tobacco, paid for with money he stole from John Knight. [1, 374]
In September 1675—during King Philip's War—a settler's haystack caught fire. Forty militiamen escorted 30 members of a friendly band of Indians to Charlestown for questioning. One was found guilty and was sentenced to be sold as a slave. The acquitted Indians were allowed to return home, and they passed through Woburn on a training day. The men were ordered to let them pass, but a soldier called Knight—probably a kinsman and possibly a son of John—fatally shot one of the Indians. He claimed it was an accident and, contentiously, was acquitted. [1, 479]
John's third wife and three of his children died of small pox in the summer of 1678.
On 14 April 1679, John was awoken by a thief in his house. In the dark, he grabbed at his coat, but the thief wriggled free. Thompson describes the authorities' attempts to find the owner of the coat and recover the goods stolen from John. [1, 228]
In 1680 John Knight asked Gershom Flagg of Woburn for the money he owned him for seven new barrels. Gershom said that he used the barrels to venture nine barrels of cider with Mr. Bissell, and that he would pay him when Mr. Bissell came home. [1, 238–9]
John Knight of Charlestown made his will on 28 November 1701 and added a codicil on 23 November 1703. He left bequests to his wife Sarah, his granddaughters Ruhamah Bacon and Elizabeth Gibson, his daughters Elizabeth and Abigail, and his son Samuel. His son Samuel posted bond on 13 December 1714. [7]
All of John's children were born in Charlestown.
Children of John Knight and Ruhamah Johnson:
i. Ruhamah Knight was born on 29 January 1654 and died 13 February 1654 in Charlestown. [2, 15]
ii. Elizabeth Knight was born on 3 June 1656. She died on 27 February 1713 in Roxbury. She married Jacob Bacon.
iii. John Knight was born on 4 November 1657. [2, 19] He probably died young.
Children of John Knight and Abigail Stowers:
iv. Abigail Knight was born on 27 February 1663. [2, 46] She married ___ Gibson.
Abigail deposed she was 15 in 1679. [1, 228]
iii. Mary Knight was born on 27 December 1665. [2, 54] She died on 5 April 1666 in Charlestown. [2, 49]
iv. John Knight was born on 1 September 1667. [2, 59] He died on 2 June 1668 in Charlestown. [MVR, 58]
Children of John Knight and Mary Bridge:
v. Persis Knight was baptized on 2 (3) [May] 1669 in Charlestown. [8] She died on 24 August 1669 in Charlestown. [2, 72]
Persis is named in the 7 November 1665 will of her grandfather Thomas Pierce. [3]
vi. Mary Knight was born on 29 July 1670. [2, 76] She died of smallpox on 20 August 1678 in Charlestown. [2, 104]
vii. Persis Knight was born on 11 March 1672. [2, 83] She was baptized on 17 (1) 1672 [March 1672/3]. [8] She died on 13 August 1701 died on 13 August 1701 in Charlestown. [2, 182]
viii. John Knight was born on 16 November 1673. [2, 61] He died of smallpox on 16 August 1678 in Charlestown. [2, 104]
ix. Samuel Knight was born on 8 September 1675. [2, 93] He married Rachel Chase on 19 (7) [September] 1700 in Nantucket. [9] Rachel, the daughter of Lieutenant Isaac Chase and Mary Tilton was born on 25 (8) [October] 1679 in Nantucket. [9]
x. Rebecca Knight was born on 28 October 1677. [2, 99] She died [probably of small pox] on 18 September 1678 in Charlestown. [2, 104]
References:
1. Roger Thompson, From Deference to Defiance: Charlestown, Massachusetts, 1629–1692 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012).
2. Vital Records of Charlestown, Massachusetts: "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1620–1850," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org > Charlestown, vol. 1 and vol. 1, originally published as Vital Records of Charlestown, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850, 2 vols. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1984, 1995), volume 1.
3. "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), 231–2 (Bridges), 1779–82 (Stowers).
4. James Savage, Genealogical Dictionary, 4 vols., (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1860–1862),vol. 2: 446.
5. "Great Migration, 1634–1635, I–L," digitized book, originally published as Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration to New England, 1634–1635, Volume IV, I–L (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2005)
6. James F. Hunnewell, "Record-Book of the First Church in Charlestown," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 23 (1869).
7. "Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648–1871," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org, case 13428.
8. James F. Hunnewell, "Record-Book of the First Church in Charlestown," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 26 (1872), 50, 53.
9. Vital Records of Nantucket, Massachusetts, To the Year 1850, vol. 1, vol. 3 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1925), vol. 1: 209; vol. 3: 212.
07-May-2023