John
Knox of
When I visited my cousin Wilson Knox back in October of 1999, he took me on a “tour” of Caldwell Station home sites, including the home where my Grandparents once lived on the “Old Statesville Road.” Nearby stood a stately white house now occupied by our cousin, Sarah Mills Knox, the great granddaughter of “Old” John and Mary B. Knox.
Sarah Mills Knox and John "Wilson" Knox, Jr
on the "back stoop" at Sarah's Home in "Caldwell Station"
Huntersville, North Mecklenburg, NC
October 1999
The house is very old
–
Hmmm…BLAKELY?…STEELE?…where have I seen those names together
before???
I
recalled John Knox #2’s 1853 LWT, which stated:
“I give and bequeath to my Eldest Son, Robert J Wilson [Knox] One
Hundred and Twenty Six [126] Acres of Land Known by the name of the BLAKELY
place on which he now lives and has a deed for the same…”.
Seven
years earlier, in March 1846, John Knox #2 “sold” to his son his tract of 126
acres on the headwaters of McDowell Creek
adjoining lands of William [Graham] Potts and John [Milton] Alexander and a
“swamp”…
[One side note about this transaction and
John's LWT: I wondered how John could “bequeath” land to
Robert if Robert already had a deed to it.
The answer is that the 1846 purchase price was probably paid by Robert
to his father as a note or “loan” to Robert, therefore John’s estate still had
a financial interest in the property.
John’s LWT bequest served to cancel or forgive Robert’s mortgage debt.]
Forty-six
years earlier, in July 1800, John Knox #1 bought from his brother-in-law,
Samuel Wilson, 384 acres on McDowell Creek, adjoining Martin STEELE, Adam Meek,
Dunlap, and William Hill.
My
subsequent research confirmed that both Martin Steele and Rebecca Blakely were
Sarah’s ancestors... My next question: Were they also John Knox’s neighbors on the headwaters of
McDowell Creek after July 1800?
Mecklenburg Co, NC Tax
Lists
In the “between” years, when Federal Census records are not available, Tax Lists can be helpful in locating households within a “tax community” which was organized by the Captains heading Militia Companies. North Carolina laws regard who and what was taxable changed over time, and the minimum age of a free white male "poll" was increased from 16 to 21:
By 1784, the definition of a poll was "freeman and male servants 21 years old and upwards, and slaves male and female between the age of 12 and 50 years." A law of 1801 exempted free males over the age of 50, and in 1817 the upper age limit was lowered to 45. This was the law in North Carolina until 1835 when a state constitutional amendment permanently established "taxable" age - "all free males over the age of 21 years, and under the age of 45 years, and all slaves over the age of 12 years and under the age of 50 years, shall be subject to capitation (poll) tax, and no other person shall be subject to such tax; provided that nothing herein contained shall prevent exemptions of taxable polls as heretofore prescribed by law in cases of bodily infirmity." [quotes from "NC Research: Genealogy & Local History", Chapter 14, Raymond A Winslow, Jr; NCGS, 1996; page 232]
The 1798 and 1799 Tax Lists
confirm John, son of Patrick was in Mecklenburg, but he does not appear to be
living on the “headwaters” of McDowell Creek.
The
“headwaters” of McDowell Creek neighbors [James Curry, Absalom Duckworth,
Robert Dunlap, Alexander Gillespie, Joseph Gillespie, John Henderson, Joseph
Maxwell, James Meek, John Osborn, Robert Potts, David Smith, Samuel Wilson and
William Wilson among others] appear in Captain
Matthew Hart’s Company [page 61]; however, there are no Knoxes listed among
them.
1798 Tax
List of Mecklenburg County, NC - Captain A. Cathey's
Company
(pages 47 & 48, included the following property owners,
among others...)
Property
Owner |
# Acres, #
White Males 21-50, #
All Blacks 12-50 |
My
Comments |
Alexander, Amos |
268 A, WP-1, BP-4 |
grandfather of Amos Alfred
Alexander who m. Margaret Knox, dau of John and Mary B. Knox |
Black, Thomas |
200 A, WP-2, BP-2 |
|
Bailey, Francis |
325 A, WP-1, BP-1 |
|
Cathey,
Archibald |
1220 A, WP-2, BP-6 |
|
Davidson, John |
600 A, WP-0, BP-12 |
|
Henderson, Wm Sr |
300 A, WP-0,BP-3 |
|
Henderson, Wm |
265 A, WP-0, BP-3 |
|
Henderson, John |
0 A, WP-1, BP-0 |
|
Hill, William |
590 A, WP-2, BP-0 |
|
Johnston, Patrick |
328 A, WP-1, BP-2 |
among first Ruling Elders at
Bethel in1829 |
Johnston, James |
200 A, WP-0, BP-0 |
|
Jetton, Lewis |
780 A, WP-1, BP-0 |
grandfather of Martha Nantz
Jetton who m. R. J. W. Knox |
Irwin, Samuel |
350 A, WP-1, BP 1 |
|
Knox, Allison |
147 A, WP-1, BP-0 |
stepfather of John Knox, son of
Capt Patrick Knox |
KNOX, JOHN |
344 A, WP-1, BP-0 |
son of Captain Patrick Knox
|
Meek, James |
200 A, WP-1-BP-0 |
|
Potts, Jonathon |
274 A, WP-1, BP-1 |
|
Torrence, Hugh |
1322 A, WP-2, BP-8 |
co-Exc
of Estate of Capt James Knox |
Wiley, William |
130 A, WP-1, BP-0 |
|
Wilson, Benjamin |
430 A, WP-1, BP-2 |
son of Samuel Wilson Sr |
Wilson, Robert |
216 A, WP-1, BP-0 |
son of Samuel Wilson Sr |
Wilson, Margaret |
216 A, WP-1, BP-1 |
Margaret Jack, 3rd wife and
widow of Samuel Wilson Sr |
Wilson, David |
275 A, WP-1, BP-0 |
Major David Wilson, brother of Saml Jr; also fought at Battle of Ramseur's Mill with Captain
Patrick Knox who was killed |
[Source: Herman W. & Ralph B. Ferguson,
Mecklenburg Co, NC Tax Lists, page 19]
Mecklenburg Tax Lists: 1800-1824
The Tax lists below support the thesis of one John Knox on the “headwaters of McDowell Creek” after John’s 1800 purchase of 384 acres... John's age range appears correct in 1798, 1806 and 1824, but in error in the interim years, when John appears to have gotten a tax break...
Militia
Company Head & John’s Land Sales and
Purchases |
John Knox #
of Acres; #
White Males ages 21-50; #
All Blacks ages 12-50 |
Tax
List Neighbors & Comments |
1800-1805:
No Tax
Lists In July 1800, John sold
423 acres on the east side of the Catawba River, and on the same date purchased
384 acres on McDowell Creek. His McDowell Creek deed indicated he already owned land adjoining the 384 acres; however, there is no
prior record of this purchase, so we don’t know how many total acres he owned
in July 1800, or when or from whom he acquired the additional acres. |
(384+) |
My guess is that John Knox is
living in the HH of Samuel and Hannah
(Knox) Wilson in the Federal
Census of 1800 record |
1806: Capt. B. Willson's Company, pages
105-106 [Ferguson, pages 34-35] In
1806, John Knox, son of Capt Patrick Knox, appears in Capt B. Wilson’s
Company. Also in this Company are Samuel Wilson Jr and his brothers, and
Allison Knox. No land transactions recorded during the six years after John’s 1800 purchase of 384 acres. Again, assume the 79-acre difference (463-384=79) is the land he already owned in 1800 which adjoined the 384 acres.
|
463-1*-0
|
Ezekiel, Eli, Moses, Josiah,
and Amos Alexander; John Bell; James Blakeley, Jr; Francis Beaty; Archd Cathey; Robert Davidson; Major John Davidson; William
Hill; John Hill; William Henderson Jr; Patrick Johnston; Lewis Jetton;
Allison Knox; James Meek; John Potts; Hugh Terrence; Samuel Wilson Sr, Samuel Wilson Jr, Benj
Wilson; Robert Wilson; David Wilson; William J. Wilson, among others... |
1807: no
surviving record of Capt B.
Wilson’s Company |
|
|
1808: Capt B.
Wilson’s Company, pages 191-192 [Ferguson, page 60] |
|
Allison Knox is listed here,
but John is listed in Capt Douglass’s Company: |
1808: Capt. Duglass's Company, pages 179-180 [Ferguson, page 57] 1808 is the first year after 1800 that John Knox’s “McDowell” neighbors can be clearly identified in the Tax Community where John is also listed.
[*transcription error/omission? See 1824 below] |
463-0*-0
|
Ephraim Alexander; James
Blakely; Hugh Bryson; Thomas Barnett; Widow (of James Sr)
Curry; James Curry [Jr]; Jonathan Duvest; David
Doherty; Alexander Gillespie; Jos. Gillespie; John Henderson; Matthew Hartt; Zebulon Jetton; Daniel McAuley; Joseph Maxwell;
John Osborn; Jonathan Potts; Martin Steel; Robert Sloan; David Smith; Robert
Steel; Widow Robison, among others |
1809:
No Tax
Lists survived. |
|
|
1810: Capt B.
Wilson’s Company, pages 238-239 [Ferguson, page 70-71] |
|
Allison
Knox is still listed... John missing.... |
1811: Capt Benj Wilson’s Company, pages 271-272 [Ferguson, page 80] |
|
Allison Knox
is still listed... John missing.... |
In 1810-1811, Allison Knox is
found in Capt B. Wilson’s [above] however, John is missing from all tax lists. |
|
My guess is that John is living
in the HH of Samuel and Hannah (Knox) Wilson
in the Federal
Census of 1810 record. |
1815: Capt. Dewert's Company, pages 5-7 [Ferguson,
pages 89-90] In 1815, Allison Knox is still in
Capt B. Wilson’s Company, and John is found in Capt Dewese’s
Company [formerly Capt Duglass Company], still
among his neighbors on McDowell Creek. In 1805, John sold 53 acres to Robert Dunlap, however, this deed of sale was not recorded until 1815. His 1805 sale accounts for the majority of the reduction in John’s 1808 taxable acreage (463-53+410). Uncertain if 400 was a misreported number, or net -10 acres are a missing transaction(s).
[*transcription error/omission?
Should be 400-1-0
See 1824
below] |
400-0*-0
|
Hugh Bryson; Thomas Barnett;
James Bell; James Blakely; James Curry [Jr]; Nixon Curry; David Doherty; Hezekiah and Jonathan Dewert
[Dewese]; Joseph Duglass;
Wm Lee Davidson; Alexander Gillespie; Jane Johnston (widow) ; Samuel
Johnston; Reuben Johnston; James Knox
[son of Robert]; Robert Meek; Daniel McAuley; Adam McRaven;
Joseph Maxwell; David Mulford; Jonathan Potts;
Edwin Potts; James Robison; Robert Sloan; Robert Steel; James Steel; David
Smith; Barnabas Torrence |
1815: Capt B.
Wilson’s Company, pages 12-13 [Ferguson, pages 92-93] |
|
Allison Knox is still
listed...John is in Capt. Dewert’s [Dewese] Company: |
1816-1822:
No Tax
Lists survived. In 1816, John sold
105 acres on the waters of McDowell Creek William Elliott. The transaction was
recorded in 1818 and is reflected in his 1823 taxable acreage below. *Prior acreage was 400-105=295,
so in 1823, either a of net +5 acre transaction(s)
is/are missing, or reporting was less than precise... |
(400-105=295*) |
The Federal
Census of 1820 is the first census taken after John and Polly B. married
in 1813. Near neighbors include: James
Connor; Samuel
Johnston, James Gillespie, Hugh Bryson, Reuben Johnston, James Black, Thomas
Barnett, Robert Steele, Hezekiah Dewese and
others. |
1823: Capt.
Doherty's Company, pages 297-300 [Ferguson, pages 110-112] In 1822, Samuel Wilson
transferred an additional 32
acres on the headwaters of McDowell Creek to John Knox; however, the
transaction was not recorded until 1828, and therefore is NOT reflected in
John’s 1823 (or 1824) taxable acreage. [*transcription error/omission? Should be 300-1-2. See 1824 below] |
300-0*-2
|
John Knox is still living among
his McDowell Creek neighbors: Eli Alexander (father of John
Milton Alexander); James & Thomas Blakely (sons of Rebecca); Margaret
Curry (widow of James Sr); Alexander Gillespie;
Joseph Gillespie; James Hiram Houston; Samuel & Rueben Johnston; Sarah
Johnston (widow of Andrew); James Knox (son of Robert); Robert Meek (son of
Adam); Daniel McAuley; David Smith (Estate); Moses Steel; Sally Steel (widow
of Martin); Peterson Westmoreland, and others... |
1823: Capt. Harry’s Company, pages 307-310 [Ferguson, pages 114-115] |
|
Allison Knox |
1824: Capt. Dohertie's Company, pages 366-369 [Ferguson, pages 138-139]
[*Last available Tax List entry - John would have been age 47] |
300-1*-2 |
Same as 1823, see details below |
1824: Capt. Harry’s Company, pages 370-372 [Ferguson, pages 140-141] |
|
Allison Knox |
[Source: Herman W. & Ralph B. Ferguson,
Mecklenburg Co, NC Tax Lists]
McDowell Creek 1800 to 1846...
Looking back through Herman
Ferguson’s transcripts of Mecklenburg Tax Lists, “Captain
Doherty’s Company” List for the Tax Year 1823” provides a virtual
snapshot of the McDowell Creek “neighborhood” in which John Knox lived… Again,
this is the first list available after 1816 – the year John Knox #2 sold 105 A
to William Elliot, the year we can document
John Knox #2 was “living” on his plantation on the “headwaters” of McDowell
Creek.
Nearly
every name on this list has a documented link backward to either John Knox #1 circa 1800…or forward to John Knox #2 circa 1846…and they all own property on McDowell Creek. Also note that at no time between 1808 and 1823 are there two John Knoxes listed as tax payers on McDowell Creek...
Let’s take a more detailed look
at some of the neighbors who appear on 1823 Tax List who have linkages with
John #1 or John #2, or both:
page 297:
·
Alexander, Eli [father of John
Milton Alexander, who died 1848, but whose 1846 property adjoined the John
Knox #2 property sold to Robert J. W. Knox]
·
Blakely, James [son of “Widow”
Rebecca Blakely who died in 1838]
·
Blakely, Thomas [son of “Widow” Rebecca Blakely who died in 1838]
·
Note that James’ and Thomas’ mother, Rebecca, is conspicuously
absent. Furthermore, she doesn’t appear on any of the Ferguson Tax List
transcriptions. Why not? My guess is she did not own property in Mecklenburg until after 1824 when she inherited
122 acres from David Smith. If she did
not own property...she would not have been on the tax list.
page 298:
·
Curry, Margaret [Widow of James
Curry who died 1805. James Curry was
Samuel
Wilson’s 1794 Security for Guardian Bond of John & Jane
Knox, orphans of Capt Patrick Knox]
·
Deweese, Jonathan [son Abner Deweese m.
Jane Elizabeth Knox, daughter of James Knox & Nancy Miller; 1819 owned
property adjoining John Knox]
·
Doherty, James [m. Rachel McAuley, dau. of Daniel McAuley;
security bondsman for John #1’s 1826
Guardian Bond for Moses
Shelby’s children, who were grandchildren of Alison and Mary (Smith-Knox)
Knox]
·
Davidson,
Wm. Lee [Major William Lee Davidson – employed John Knox #2’s son, Patrick
J. Knox, Marengo Co, Al, c. 1850]
·
Gillespie,
Alexander [married Elizabeth
Robison III in 1828, making him John Knox #2’s brother-in-law]
·
Gillespie, Joseph [“neighbor” and sole Executor of Rebecca Blackley/Blakely’s 1838 Estate – see Mecklenburg Co. NC,
Will Book E, p. 183; father of Alexander Gillespie, grandfather of Joseph
Robison Gillespie – nephew of John #2 and Polly B (Robison) Knox]
page 299:
·
Houston, James Hiram [died 1826; his widow, Sarah Davidson Kerr
later m. William
Lee Davidson and moved to Marengo Co, AL bef 1850. Patrick
J. Knox, son of John Knox #2 left NC with this group after 1846.]
·
Johnston, Patrick [1829 Ruling Elder at Bethel Presbyterian where
John #2 was a Trustee in 1829; buried at Gilead ARP]
·
Jetton, Lewis [father of Alexander Brevard Jetton; grandfather of
Martha Nantz Jetton who married Robert J. Wilson Knox (son of John #2) in 1845]
·
Jetton, Ephraim [son of Abraham Jetton; sold 105 acres on McDowell
Creek back to John Knox #2 in 1828]
·
Johnston,
Samuel [m. Louisa Henderson, 2nd cousin of Mary B. (Robison)
Knox; 1819 neighbor of John Knox #2; also 1818 Estate Bondsman for John Knox #1,
brother of Jane
Knox]
·
Knox, John [John #1 or #2...?]
·
Knox, James [son of Robert Knox and Mary (Ewart) Knox]
·
Meek,
Robert [son of Adam Meek; witnessed 1816 deed for the sale of 105 acres on
McDowell’s sold by John Knox #2 to William Elliot].
·
McAuley,
Daniel [witnessed
1816 deed for the sale of 105 acres on McDowell’s sold by John Knox #2 to
William Elliot; appears in numerous John Knox #2 transactions].
·
McAuley, Hugh [son of Daniel; m. Nancy Davidson Alexander, sister
of Amos Alfred Alexander who m. Margaret
Knox, daughter of John Knox #2]
·
Meek, Adam, Heirs of [Adam owned land adjoining John Knox #1 in
1800]
·
Potts, Robert [1829 Ruling Elder at Bethel Presbyterian; same year
John Knox #2 was a Bethel Trustee]
page 300:
·
Smith,
David, Exr. of [David Smith’s Estate
– speculate highly probable he was John Knox #1’s uncle, brother of Mary Smith]
·
Sloan, Robert [married Nancy Agnes Curry, daughter of James Curry
and Margaret McKinley] [John Knox #2 neighbor]
·
Steel, Moses [son of Martin Steel/Steele and Sarah/Sally Hunter]
[John Knox #1 and #2 neighbor]
·
Steel, Sally, Widow. [Sarah Hunter, widow of Martin
Steel who died 1817] [John Knox #1 and #2 neighbor]
·
White, William, Doctr [married Sarah
Davison Caldwell, daughter of David
Alexander “D. A.” Caldwell and Martha Bishop]
·
Westmoreland, Peterson [1860
Census – next door neighbor of John Knox #2 and Robert J. Wilson Knox]
So, as you can see, this list
contains many John Knox #1 and #2 connections…
By now, I think it’s pretty likely that John Knox probably never moved
after he arrived on the “headwaters” of McDowell Creek sometime between 1800
and the 1808 Tax Listing, but let’s take a look at the other evidence
connecting the two Johns.
Go
to Connecting the Dots...between the Two Johns