MILITARY: American Civil War Soldiers
December 13, 2003 12:34 AM
Name: William H Knight ,
Residence: Newton, Michigan
Enlistment Date: 02 October 1862
Distinguished Service: DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
State Served: Michigan
Unit Numbers: 1076 1076
Service Record: Enlisted as a Private on 02 October 1862 at the age of 22
Enlisted in Company A, 7th Cavalry Regiment Michigan on 13 October 1862.
Promoted to Full Corporal on 06 April 1864
Promoted to Full Sergeant on 01 May 1864
Mustered out Company A, 7th Cavalry Regiment Michigan on 15 December 1865 in Fort Leavenworth, KS
BIOGRAPHY: Illustrated History and Biographical Record of
Lenawee County, Mich.
By John I. Knapp and R. I Bonner
Adrian, Mich.
1903 - 123
William H. Knight was born in Adrian township, Lenawee County, Mich., October 30th 1842. His father, William Knight, was born near Northampton, Mass., January 17th, 1807, and was the son of Erastus and Polly (Little) Knight. This branch of the Knight family in America, so far as is known, sprung from England, and the first record shows that Joshua Knight lived in Connecticut, was a farmer and shoemaker. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, won distinction for bravery and fidelity, and was promoted to lieutenant. William Knight was raised a farmer, and resided at home until he was about twenty years of age, when he went to New Jersey, where he worked at ship carpentering some time, but eventually to Massachusetts, where he remained for about three years, when in the spring of 1834, he emigrated to Michigan, and settled in Rome township, this county. This was new land, which he commenced to improve, but being a single man, and finding some trouble in securing any conveniences or board, he soon determined to make a change, finally locating on section 18, in Adrian township. Here he at once began clearing and building, and by Christmas that year (1834) he had constructed a house, which he occupied until 1841, when merited reward for faithful labor enabled him to build a far more pretentious from dwelling. He cleared up this farm and brought it to a high state of cultivation, enjoying the fruits of his industry for sixty-six years. He was a prominent and highly respected citizen, enjoying the confidence and esteem of all classes. He was prominent in school and church matters. He was the first to organize a school in his district, and was prominent in organizing the West Adrian Congregational Church. He was a deacon in the church from its foundation, and was always a zealous worker for the cause. He died in Adrian township, November 8th, 1901. December 25th, 1834, William Knight married Miss Anna Smead, daughter of Rufus and Anna (Hawks) Smead and they were the parents of seven children. Mrs Anna (Smead) Knight was born in Bolton, Warren County, N. Y., September 14th, 1810, and came to Michigan with her parents in 1834. She died in Adrian township, July 4th, 1885. Her parents were natives of Massachusetts, and settled on section 17, in Adrian, in 1834. Her father died at the age of 83, and her mother died in 1869, being nearly 95 years old. William H. Knight, the subject of this sketch, was brought up a farmer, and attended the district schools of his neighborhood, afterwards going two years to Raisin Institute, conducted by Aunt Laura Haviland; two years at the Ypsilanti Seminary, afterwards taking a business at the Poughkeepsie, N. Y., Business College. Upon returning home, he went back to the farm. In 1866 he purchased his present farm home, on section 9, in Adrian township, which he has carried ever since. About one and a half years he was employed as bookkeeper at A. Stevenson & Sons' coal and lumber yards at Adrian. He served his township as Supervisor for three years, and several years as School Inspector. He is a member of the West Adrian Congregational Church, and has been superintendent of the Sunday school for the last twenty years. His home is known as Mapleside Fruit, Grain and Stock Farm. He is largely interested in feeding cattle for market. He is president of the Lenawee County Horticultural Society, and is engaged to a limited extent in cultivating and propagating choice fruits. November 25th, 1868, William H. Knight married Miss Frances A. McKenzie, daughter of Charles M. and Ann (Hawkins) McKenzie, and they are the parents of seven children, as follows: Anna E., born March 17th, 1871, married Harry Bartlett, is the mother of two children, and resides in Chicago; Grace A., born May 13th, 1877, teacher in Chicago public schools; Laura F., born July 19th, 1879, died November 21st, 1899; William H., Jr., born February 28th, 1881, unmarried, and lives at home; Charles E., born January 9th, 1883, with First National Bank of Chicago. Mrs. Frances A. Knight was born in Woodstock, this county, May 14th, 1842.
CENSUS: 1880 United States Federal Census
Name: William H. Knight
Home in 1880: Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan
Age: 37
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1843
Birthplace: Michigan
Relation to Head of Household: Self (Head)
Spouse's Name: Frances
Father's birthplace: Massachusetts
Mother's birthplace: Massachusetts
Neighbors: View others on page
Occupation: Farming
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
William H. Knight 37
Frances Knight 38
Anna E. Knight 9
Alice C. Knight 6
Mary L. Knight 5
Grace A. Knight 3
Laura F. Knight 11M
Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan; Roll: T9_590; Family History Film: 1254590; Page: 11.1000; Enumeration District: 145; Image: 0023.
1900 United States Federal Census
Name: W Henry Knight
Home in 1900: Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan
Age: 51
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1849
Birthplace: Michigan
Relationship to head-of-house: Head
Spouse's Name: Francis
Race: White
Occupation:
Household Members: Name Age
W Henry Knight 51
Francis Knight 58
William K Knight 19
Charles Knight 17
Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan; Roll: T623 725; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 39.
1910 United States Federal Census
Name: William H Knight
Age in 1910: 67
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1843
Birthplace: Michigan
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birth Place: Michigan
Mother's Birth Place: New York
Spouse's Name: Francis R
Home in 1910: Redlands, San Bernardino, California
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
William H Knight 67
Francis R Knight 67
Alice C Knight 36
Charles Knight 27
Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Redlands, San Bernardino, California; Roll: T624_94; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 111; Image: 350.
1920 United States Federal Census
Name: William Knight
Home in 1920: Redlands, San Bernardino, California
Age: 77 years
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1843
Birthplace: Michigan
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's Name: Frances
Father's Birth Place: Massachusetts
Mother's Birth Place: New York
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Home owned: Own
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 474
Household Members: Name Age
William Knight 77
Frances Knight 77
Source Citation: Year: 1920;Census Place: Redlands, San Bernardino, California; Roll: T625_129; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 180; Image: 474.
MEDIA: D11425 - William Henry & Frances Amanda McKenzie Knight s/o Osman Erastus & Anna S. Smead Knight h/o Frances Amanda McKenzie (25 November 1869) - William Henry Knight Home with his family - Ancestry.com - Children in photo: Anna Estella Knight, Alice Carey Knight, Mary Louise Knight, Grace Adele Knight, Laura Frances Knight, William Henry Knight & Charles Edward Knight
D11426 - William Henry & Frances Amanda McKenzie Knight s/o Osman Erastus & Anna S. Smead Knight h/o Frances Amanda McKenzie (25 November 1869) - William Henry Knight Family photo- Ancestry.com
D11427 - William Henry & Marion Ethel Knight - Marion Ethel Knight and her Grandpa William Henry Knight - Thanksgiving day 25 November 1915 - Ancestry.com
D11428 - William Henry Knight s/o Osman Erastus & Anna S. Smead Knight h/o Frances Amanda McKenzie (25 November 1869) - Thanksgiving at Granpa & Grandma's 25 November 1915 Family photo - Ancestry.com
D11429 - William Henry Knight s/o Osman Erastus & Anna S. Smead Knight h/o Frances Amanda McKenzie (25 November 1869) - William Henry Knight with 3 grandkids on his 80th birthday 1922 - Ancestry.com
D11430 - William Henry Knight s/o Osman Erastus & Anna S. Smead Knight h/o Frances Amanda McKenzie (25 November 1869) - William Henry Knight with some relatives - Ancestry.com
DEATH: Wiliam H Knight in the California, U.S., Death Index, 1905-1939
Name: Wiliam H Knight
Birth Year: abt 1842
Death Date: 10 Dec 1928
Age at Death: 86
Death Place: San Bernardino, California, USA
Source Information: Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Death Index, 1905-1939 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
Original data: California Department of Health and Welfare. California Vital Records-Vitalsearch (www.vitalsearch-worldwide.com). The Vitalsearch Company Worldwide, Inc., Pleasanton, California.
BURIAL: William Henry Knight in the U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
Name: William Henry Knight
Birth Date: 30 Oct 1842
Birth Place: Adrian, Lenawee County, Michigan, United States of America
Death Date: 10 Dec 1928
Death Place: Redlands, San Bernardino County, California, United States of America
Cemetery: Hillside Memorial Park
Burial or Cremation Place: Redlands, San Bernardino County, California, United States of America
Has Bio?: Y
Father: William Knight
Mother: Anna Knight
Spouse: Frances Amanda Knight
Children:
Grace A. Ruesink
Anna E Bartlett
Laura Frances Knight
William Henry Knight
Charles Edward Knight
Alice Strawn
Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
Original data: Find A Grave. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.