June 18, 2020
Introduction: In this article – the second in a series about Mayflower descendants – Melissa Davenport Berry tells stories about some ancestors in the Knowles family line. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.
Last week’s story on Virginia genealogist Mrs. W. H. Knowles inspired me to launch a series on Mayflower lines and their descendants. A member of my genealogy group, Jeffrey Gorman, has researched his family. The Knowles family intermarried into Mayflower lines and Jeffrey has a massive photo collection.
Through his maternal line Jeffrey is finding Mayflower passengers William Brewster, Francis Cook, Peter Brown, and Stephen Hopkins. Jeffrey’s mother Althea Moore Knowles is a direct descendant of Ruth Bowers and Richard Knowles, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1639.
I was able to gather more on the Knowles family by searching GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives. My research showed the value of old newspapers, taking us beyond the names and dates to reveal the stories of our ancestors’ lives. For the Knowles line, I found birth, marriage and death notices, as well as stories of a bizarre and fatal lightning strike, death during an epidemic, being kicked in the head by a horse, and a business closing.
Many of the Knowles were sea captains, merchants, and master mariners who contributed a great deal to their communities in the Cape Cod area.
The Twin Tragedies of Captain Nathaniel Knowles
An interesting, but tragic, find was an obituary for Jerusha (Smith) Knowles, of Orleans, Massachusetts, published in Boston’s Independent Chronicle. Jerusha, direct descendant of William Brewster, was the wife of Captain Nathaniel Knowles, son of Seth Knowles and Ruth Freeman.
Jerusha was struck by lightning in her home. She was surrounded at the time by several friends and her husband. Nathaniel had a little injury and the rest of the group only felt a slight shock.
Tragedy was to strike Nathaniel again. Fifteen years after losing his wife in a freak lightning accident in their own home, a mysterious epidemic, “which is vulgarly called the Bastard Pleurisy,” swept over Cape Cod and killed Nathaniel’s daughter Jerusha Knowles (b. 1786). Her death was published in the Boston Commercial Gazette, along with many other relatives. According to sources this illness wiped out over 10 per cent of the population.
The dead included: Mr. Jesse Knowles, son of Revolutionary War soldier Simeon Knowles and Eunice Mayo; widow Polly Myrick; widow Molly Knowles; Mrs. Hannah, wife of Major Henry Knowles; Mr. Seth Higgins; widow Sarah Myrick; and Mr. Aaron Higgins.
Elijah Knowles
Elijah Knowles (1811-1891), son of Harding Knowles and Margaret Knowles, was a merchant and well-known citizen of Barnstable County.
He owned a store in Orleans, Massachusetts, and partnered with Mark Crosby and Winsor Snow.
In 1855 the Boston Herald reported that Elijah was severely injured by a horse kick. He was knocked down by a horse attached to Cushing’s Express wagon. He was treated by Dr. Ayer at the First Station.
His obituary in the Boston Herald stated he was “universally esteemed” in the town. He represented his district in the Legislature, and served as county commissioner and revenue collector. He was also a big promotor of the Cape Cod Railroad.
Elijah married 1st Mercy Ann Myrick, daughter of Harding Myrick and Rebecca Higgins, and 2nd Tabitha Holbrook, daughter of Elisha Holbrook and Sarah Brown.
Captain Elijah Edwin Knowles
Elijah Edwin Knowles (1829-1899), son of Elijah Knowles and Abigail Freeman, was well known in maritime circles.
He secured his fortune as the master of large ships that made successful voyages. When he retired from the sea, he launched a second career as a director of the Cape Cod National Bank, and one of the incorporators of the Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank, both in Harwich, Massachusetts.
He married Mary Francis Winslow, daughter of Nathaniel Winslow and Eliza Jane Clark.
Thomas Jackson Knowles
A Knowles line moved to the Cape Ann, Massachusetts, area. Nathaniel’s grandson Thomas Jackson Knowles (1830-1904) lived in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He was born to Nathaniel Knowles Jr. and Zerviah Higgins.
He married Caroline Stevens Proctor (1840-1910), daughter of Anna J. Elwell and Addison Proctor – a direct descendant of John Proctor, who was falsely accused and convicted for witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials 1692.
Thomas J. Knowles published a business advertisement in the Cape Ann Light and Gloucester Telegraph. He had a shop selling clothing and gear for the fishing industry, but had sold his business to F. Bennett, Jr. In his ad, Thomas thanks his past patrons, and urged them to support the new owners – and agreed to stay on for a while, “happy to meet his old friends and customers.”
Thomas was elected as an alderman in 1874 and owned land and stables on Mansfield Street.
Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial
Further Reading:
- Nutfield Genealogy: 10 New Things to Know about Researching a Pilgrim in Your Family Tree
- Amy Whorf McGuiggan from the Provincetown Independent: The Mysterious Cape Cod Epidemic of 1816
- Mayflower Families Fifth Generation Descendants, 1700-1880. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2017). From Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Mass., December 1620. Plymouth, MA: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1975-2015
- John Winthrop Papers, Vol. 1-5, 1557-1649
- Pane-Joyce Genealogy: Genealogy Report
- Index to the Virginia Genealogist, Volumes 1-20, 1957-1976
Genealogy:
- William Knowles Sr. (1540-1632) and Dorothy Bray (1540-1605)
- Richard Knowles (1614-1675) and Ruth Bowers (1616-1687)
- Captain John Knowles (1641-1675) and Appia Bangs (1651-1722), daughter of Edward Bangs (1591-1677/8) and Rebecca Hobart (1611-1679)
- John Knowles Jr. (1673-1757) and Mary Sears (1672-1745), daughter of Paul Sears (1638-1707/8) and Deborah Willard (1642-1721)
- Joshua Knowles (1696-1786) and Sarah Paine (1699-1772)
- Joshua Knowles (1730-1779) and Mary Harding (1735-1801)
- Joshua Knowles III (1756-1822) and Hannah Atkins (1763-1843)
- Nathaniel Knowles (1790-1867) and Sally Smith (1793-1857), daughter of Archelaus Smith and Sarah Doane Hopkins.
- Jeremiah Knowles (1822-1880) and Jemima Dyer (1824-1882), daughter of Joseph Snow Dyer and Jemina Dyer.
- Jeremiah Alpheus Knowles (1853-1908) and Elizabeth Evans (1851-1932)
- Nathaniel Edward Knowles (1880-1939) and Mary Elizabeth Moore (1876-1917)
- Althea Moore Knowles (1913-1984) and Joseph Wilson Gorman (1917-1998); Child: Jeffrey Glenn Gorman (b. 1962)
Related Article:
That was quite an illness, to wipe out 10% of the population. Very interesting article.
Gary, I plan to do some more research on this. GenealogyBank had many obits on this and a few notices. Check back and thanks for reading!
I am totally in love with this family and your presentation, Melissa; as much as I had followed the paper trail to find this Nathaniel, a double cousin (2nd cousin 8x removed) to me through both his father Seth and mother Ruth Freeman, I did not know these details. Too often I am too busy trying to find other sources or lack the skills to find such articles. Your skill at ferreting out the details that help us know the lives of these ancestors, including tragedies and personal stories. I did not know about the deaths of either Jerusha and am anxious to follow the clippings you have provided for other ancestors.
Truly appreciate your work.
Thanks Kay! Check back for me and keep searching GenealogyBank — you will find more! I appreciate your comments and look forward to hearing what you find! 🙂
Thank you, Melissa, I love this article. You brought life to my family’s history.
Thank you Jeffrey for sharing your family photos! I loved working on the Knowles line and I cannot believe the inter-marriage connections with the Mayflower.
Another great story Melissa, you do a great job of telling the story of your research and it’s always interesting how you come up with so much information. Lots of work I’m sure. Can’t imagine being safe at home like this poor lady was and then gone in a split second, awful. Remember the Knowles Surname DNA project is on the web too, as there are many spelling variations to this surname.
Thanks Jerald! I will check out the DNA project. I was interested in Richard Knowles and Ruth Bowers. I believe they ran a tavern and Ruth was busted for charging high fees for her beer–just like Dionis Coffin. Richard was a ship master and came from England to Plymouth.
This is so helpful. I am a direct descendant of Richard Knowles, Capt. John Knowles Sr. (he was killed by Native Americans in June 1675, for which they were tried and found guilty, which was the beginning of “King Phillip’s War 1675-1676,” as well as Col. John Knowles II. Also, Simon and Thomas Crosby, and the Hall and Winslow families. I am so grateful to learn all of the details due to the thoughtful work of so many. I’ll be sure to document as much as I can and share with others, as well.
Hi Melissa. I’m skeptical about William Knowles and Dorothy Bray being the parents of Richard Knowles (1614-1675). What sources provided this information? From what I’ve read, William died without issue. He and Dorothy didn’t have any children and the two children born during his second marriage to Elizabeth Howard were fathered by Edward Vaux.
Annie, the genealogy for this story was furnished by the owner of the photos, Jeffrey Gorman. I will have him contact you via email. The only research I provided was on the future generations and what I found in the newspaper archives and census. There is a series printed by John Nichols, “The Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth..” that mentions the marriage and Richard Knowles.
I am following the genealogy of Charles McCullough and Kittie Belle (nee Knowles). I have traced the Knowles family back to Richard and Old Silverhead and further back yet. I would love to have written evidence of this genealogy if it is available. You can contact me at leetchloe0811@gmail.com. Thank you.
RE: an obituary clipping for a Sarah E. Knowles
I have a faded newspaper obituary, date unknown, died age 17 in Brewster.
It does not mention relatives other than being the only daughter of doting parents and tenderly devoted brothers.
If you have more info it would be interesting to hear. It appears the info I have came from the Dennis Historical Society.
If I had or have the obit it mean be with some old papers of Captain Soloman Freeman (1800-1877) I think I have.
The text follows:
DIED, in Brewster, 16th ult., SARAH E. KNOWLES, aged 17 years.
The sudden decease of this young lady has already received the usual
notice taken of the multitudes which daily pass on to man’s other home. Yet
it seems not quite right that even so brief a life should terminate and no
word be spoken thereof; and the circumstances in the case also bid it be
otherwise. –
It is not often that one whose life was so short and whose termination
was so sudden gives occasion for so great sorrow and yet which yields so
“much of consolation.” She was the only daughter and the only sister of
doting parents and tenderly devoted brothers; the anchor of earthly hope to
the one and the opening flower of promise to others. Parents saw in her the
yearly increasing tree of affection, beneath whose kindly shade they were to
rest themselves in weariness of years; – with scarcely a doubt they looked
upon her as the one who should ease them down life’s last declivity, and in
the last hour smooth their pillow of death. And upon her also, the brothers
looked as the one full of cheering promise who should journey with them
along life’s tedious road; continuing to be to them not only a tender comp-
anion but the object of their fraternal solicitude. She was the last born of
many yet the first in the affections of all, and what they almost wished for
she gave undoubting promise of becoming. Yearly she was maturing her
mind, – drinking daily at the fountains of knowledge, and when her own
thirst was slaked, then to return with “the pitcher” from “the well” filled for
others; – a gleaner in the field of mental culture, she was ere long to return
bearing sheaves for those she loved. But God saw it best to break this
“golden bowl” of promise even before the fresh water of early-life’s “well” had
filled it, – thus sadly disappointing parents, brothers, and friends. – Yet in
that cup of disappointment and bitter grief what sweets were mingled! – the
sick room and the death-bed hour together found a scene and uttered
words, which to the mourning friends were of more value than the longest
lease of mere earth-life. Parent and brother well may say, in this their hour
of trial, “It is enough,” for daughter and sister lived long enough to ripen for
heaven; to shew forth Christ’s Peace and to give that evidence of acceptance
with God which sweetens the cup of affliction an presents to the weeping eye
a view of that unchanging, tearless world where forever
“Daughter, sister sill ye’ll see.”
Such a life and thus closed while it has a word of urgent eloquence for all,
does also in a peculiar manner and with a consoling and touching unction
come to mourning friends gently breathing
“Peace, then, in this hallowed hour!
Think what breast shall bear your gem!
Tears may fall, but Faith has power,
Back to smiles to brighten them.”
~ Warm Regards ~