Descendants of John Knox of ROWAN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
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DUPLICATE NYPL RL 3 3433 07736308 7 '•.;JJ:''pvr'::ri(,.i:;;:7;'i.i.i: ^'.'v,)*! i',iy;iflv:i;vj;ri.'5!.:v!': v/^"^ -^L /^ .^ >«ox «> f" AVv .1 THE KNOX FAMILY HATTIE S. GOODMAN, WOODLEAF, N- C. THE KNOX FAMILY A GENEALOGICAL AND BIOG- RAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE Descendants of John Knox OF ROWAN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA AND OTHER KNOXES 'By HATTIE S. GOODMAN Illustrated fr^^ RICHMOND, VIRGINIA Whittet fef Shepperson, Printers and Publishers 1905 First Printing: July, 1905 CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. P^^, Origin of the Name Knox, and Extracts from Dif- ferent Books and Manuscripts on the Early Family of Knox, 9 CHAPTER II. The Family of Knox the Reformer, 17 CHAPTER III. Will of John Knox, the Reformer, 25 CHAPTER IV. John Knox, Emigrant, and Jean Knox's Will, 30 CHAPTER V. William Knox and Descendants, 38 CHAPTER VI. Samuel Knox and Descendants, 74 CHAPTER VII, James Knox and Descendants, 113 CHAPTER VIII. Absalom Knox and Descendants, 142 CHAPTER IX. John Knox, Jr., and Descendants, 172 CHAPTER X. Joseph Knox and Descendants, 209 2 Contents. XI. CHAPTER p^^, Benjamin Knox and Descendants, 234 CHAPTER XII. Mary Knox and her Descendants, 231 CHAPTER XIII. Other Families of Knox, 235 CHAPTER XIV. Notes on the Family of Knox from Scottish Regis- ters, 253 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. Hattie S. Goodman, Frontispiece. John Knox, the Reformer. 19 John T. Knox,* 39 15en Allen Knox, 52 Mrs. Cynthia Knox Borders, 76 C'lui-topher" C. Knox, 81 tlionp of Tennessee Knoxes, 97 John B. Knox. 1U2 Knee Buckle of Capt. James Knox, 113 William H. Polk 120 James K. Polk 121 Rev. Absalom K. ]5arr and wife, 157 Rev. William A. Wood 166 Home of Rev. A. K. ]?arr and family at Springfield, Ohio. 168 Mr. and Mrs. Sarah I'.arr Beac-h 169 Lawrence W. Barr and family 169 Rev. and Mrs. L. L. Uhl and dau^^liter 170 Home of Rev. and ^Ir^. Ulil, in India 170 John Scudder Barr and family 171 Rev. flames Knox 197 Ciroup of six Knox brothers 210 R. ^I. Knox"s re>idence in Pine lilnff 213 Mrs. Sue Knox Wherry and Miss Mittie Knox 215 J. R. Jackman 243 PREFACE. About sixty years ago the Rev. James Knox, an uncle to the writer, drew up a sketch of the names of his Knox ancestors, as far back as he could trace the line—beginning with his great- grandfatlier, Jolin Knox, from Scotland. Upon seeing this, the idea was at once suggested to the writer to undertake a Genealogical Knox Family Tree. With this miniature chart on a sheet of writing paper as a nucleus or starting point, the work was commenced in 1890. Year by year the "tree" continued to grow, as in tracing out the different branches new limbs were added, until, at present, it contains not less than 2,200 names, many dates, etc. While collecting material for the "tree," there was quite an amount of information sent in that might prove of interest, and could not be entered on the drawing, which we have been re- quested to prepare, in connection with the genealogy, for book form. In the preparation of this work the author has endeavored to present as full and accurate a record as possible of the de- scendants of John Knox, immigrant. Still, there are some branches we have not succeeded in tracing, or carrying down to the present day. We had hoped to trace the line back into Scotland, but so far have not been able to do so. We have been greatly aided in the work by some of the cousins on the respective branches, to all of whom we extend sincere thanks. We might mention several to whom we are specially indebted for valuable assistance. On the Samuel Knox branch. 6 Preface. Hon. John B. Knox, Anniston, Ala., aided in many ways— loaned me a book, The Bowie Family, which was indeed a very Dr. E. Y. great help. Judge T. J. Davis, Cave Spring, Ga,; Rudicil, Summerville, Ga., and W. W. Knox, Menlo, Ga., sent interesting data. On the David Lucl-ey Knox branch, Mr. Walter S. Knox, Charleston, Tenn., and Brother Henry Knox and Mr. Chris. L. Knox, Corsicana, Texas, gave hel]3 and en- couragement. On the William branch, Mr. John T. Knox, San Bernardino, Cal., and John Knox, Sigourney, Iowa. On James Cal. Knox branch, Mrs. Virginia Knox Maddox, San Francisco, ; Mrs. William Polk, Warrenton, X. C, and Mrs. Boone, Cartilage, Missouri. Mr. Jesse Brandon sent a record of the Brandons. On JosepJi, Ark. Knox branch, Mr. R. M. and S. Y. T. Knox, Pine Blutf, ; also Mr. B. F. Knox, Milton, Tenn. On the Absalom branch, the name of Miss Margaret Caumont Force will be gratefully remembered for kind assistance, especially in making search in the Congressional Library. Many others might be named who cheerfully aided in the work. Mr. Robert T. Knox, of Fredericksburg, Va., though not of the line or family we have been tracing (so far as we know), manifested much interest in the history of our line of the Knox family. He kindly loaned us a valuable Knox book, from which we copied an amount of interesting data. The material for these pages has been gathered from a num- ber of different sources: County and State records, Library of Congress, and Bureau of Pensions at Washington ; Genealogical Memoirs of John Knox and the Family of Knox, by Rev. Charles Rogers, T.,L. D., etc., etc. The genealogical data has been secured chiefly from letters and family records sent in for the Knox Tree. Pheface, 7 We also had research made in the records of Scotland, the result of which is, so far, rather unsatisfactory. The failure to connect this family with the line of John Knox, the reformer, may be due to the fact that we were unable to locate with certainty the birthplace of John Knox, of Rowan, our immigrant progenitor. Notwithstanding the undertaking has proven quite a tedious that 1 was not one, we have enjoyed it, the only regret being more capable of doing justice to the subject. Many, very many, errors will be found, no doubt. the result After so long a time, the finis has been reached, and of our labors presented to the Knoxes and their descendants by The Author. NOTE. A small figure over a name indicates tlie generation. Starting with hi? are the imigrant progenitor. John Knox. a> Xo. ', children marked % and so on. the Frequently there will he found large Roman numerals opposite number and name, indicating the number of section further on where the line of descent is again carried on. An index at the chi-e of tlie sketcli will afford any further informa- tion necessary. THE KNOX FAMILY. CHAPTER I. Ohigix of the Xame Knox. Extracts from Different Books and Manuscripts on the Early Family of Knox. surname Knox is local, and signifies a small, or round- THEtopped hill. (This we have from several sources.) There are a variety of forms or spellings of the name to be found: Knoc, Knock, Knok, Knokis, Knokkis, Knokks, Knox, Knoxe, Knox is. The following is copied from a narrative sketeli of the family of Knox. 1825. "Pedigree at large with John Frederick Knox, lyiount Falcon Estate, Co. Mavo, Ireland." "The pedigree of this most ancient and most illustrious race which has now flourished for more than fifteen hundred 3'ears (and that historically), and which is of royal origin, has been given in the chart, heretofore supplied only from the period of their establishment in Ireland. This took place about the begin- ning of the seventeenth century, about a. d. IGIO, when they came hither from Scotland, where they had flourished in the highest distinction for more than five centuries previously, viz., from a. d. lOTl to a. d. 1610, when Andrew Knox, Bishop of the Isles, was translated thence to be Bishop of Eaphoe, in Ireland, leaving his son, Thomas Knox, Bishop of the Isles. "Among other Scottish honors this family enjo3'ed three earldoms, viz., Dunbar, March and Moray. They have been regents of that kingdom, and have mated with the noblest and the blood while for highest therein, including royal ; upwards of six centuries previous to a. d. 1072 they flourished in England as sovereign princes, viz., during the Saxon heptarchy, and until the Xorman invasion. 10 The Knox Family. '"They came into England from Saxony, where their ancestors had reigned for centuries. Of this royal family three brothers were the reigning princes at the time of their coming into Eng- land, about A. D. 450, their names bein^ Hengist, Horsa and Uchter, or Octer. Soon after this period, Uchter aforesaid laid the foundations of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Xorthumber- land. "Later we find that 'the Saxon name of Uchter softened into Utred.' His son Adannis married the Lady Sybilla, or Isabella, the daughter of Walter, tlie High Steward of Scotland (his cousin by birth), and obtained with her in dowry and frank marriage four baronies or lordships in fee within the regality of Eenfrew on terms of fealty (only) to the Baron of Renfrew, the said Walter, Lord High Steward, who was Lord Paramount of said regality. "The names of these four baronies were Knox, Ranfurly, Craigends and Griffcastle, and Adamus havvng left Dunbar and fixed his residence in said Barony of Knox, came therefore and thenceforward to be described and known as Adamus de Knox. Surnames were about that time coming into use, and were gen- erally taken from such and similar causes." Knox of Prehen.