FIRST GENERATION

-1- JOHN KNIGHT, mercer or merchant tailor, son of William and Elizabeth (Carter) Knight, b. Ca. 1587 bpt. at Romsey Abbey, England 30 Jan. 1595; d. In Newbury, Ma. in May 1670, ae ca 80. He probably m. (1) at Romsey ca 1615 Sarah Hawkins; she d. ca 1622-23; he m. (2) In Romsey 29 Mar. 1624 Elizabeth Vincent, b. ca 1600; d. in Newbury 20 Mar. 1644, ae abt 44; he m. (3) ca 1645 Ann (Langley) Ingersoll, a widow, b. ca. 1595; d. In Newbury 30 July 1677, ae 82. Ann was first m. 20 Oct. 1616 in England to Richard Ingersoll of Sandy's, Bedfordshire, Eng. and they had five children, md. Bathsheba (see infra). They sailed from Gravesend, Eng. in Mar. 1629 in the ship MAYFLOWER, and arrived in Plymouth, Ma. 15 May 1629. Then they sailed to Salem, Ma. and settled there, where Richard kept the ferry at the North River. He d. In Salem in 1644, see copy of his will In Essex Probate Court, Salem, Ma. Ann was a cousin of John Spencer, one of the original settlers of Newbury, and It Is believed that Ann met John through her cousin

John first settled by Parker River, then ca 1640 was granted 8 acres of land, probably at the same location as occupied by the present generation of the Knight family at 78 High Road, Newbury.

ISSUE: 1. John ( 2) b. 1622 3. Sarah ( 4) b. 1631

2. Elizabeth ( 3) b. 1625 4. Mary ( 5) b. 1634

On 25 May 1636 John and Richard were admitted as "freemen". To be a "freeman" of the Colony in early New England, a person was legally required to be 21 years of age and a member In good standing of some congregational Church. A person was made a "freeman" by the General Court of the Colony, and also by the Quarterly Court of the Counties. After 1671 he had to have property values at least 20 pounds. None but a "freeman" could hold office or vote.

On 6 June 1637 John Knight was licensed "to keep an ordinary (serve food and liquor) and give entertainment to such as needs." Colony Records, Vol. 1 page 149.

John Knight was chosen a selectman of Newbury on July 6, 1638, and as such he on August 6, 1638, signed and agreement with Mr. Richard Dummer in regard to a grain mill owned by the latter. The quaint phraseology and spelling of the records is of interest and is used in the attached. September 21, 1654: "Liberty is granted to the inhabitants of the 'old towne' to make a fence and hang a gate acrosse the way about Anthony Short's or John Knight's provided they hinder not the catell from going Into the commons there." Ensign John Knight signed as one of the witnesses to communication dated March 30, 1669, addressed to the court at Ipswich, Massachusetts. "John Knight, Senior," was on March 16, 1670, one of the witnesses to a "message of the church" regarding a disagreement between two parties therein, each of which claimed to be "the Church."

In a manuscript "copied from the old book ('First Book of Newbury Records') written by Woodbridge, Rawson & Comerby," are the following items: October 4, 1637: "There Is an acre of ground on the great neck on the river granted to John Knight to be layed out in some convenient place there by the lotters." December 21, 1637: "It Is agreed that Jo. Knight, Richard Knight and Mr. Seawall shall make a rate for keeping of the calves & that Mr.

-11-

CONTINUE

Birth Index

Table of Contents

© Mark A. Knight 1998