…“Tale of Two Johns” Character Profiles…

 

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Captain Patrick Knox

Revolutionary War Soldier

b. bef 1748 d. 20 June 1780

 

 

 

 

Whig Captains Grave - Ramsour's Mill Battlefield, Lincolnton, North Carolina

 

 

 

 

Court records and historical accounts document that Captain Patrick Knox was “kiled” in June 1780 at the Battle of Ramseur's Mill, and that he was “of Mecklenburg County.”    We know from two historical accounts (C. L. Hunter, 1877 and the Rev Jethro Rumple, 1885) that Captain Patrick Knox's remains were interred on the "southern brow" of the Battlefield, along with five of the six other Whig Captains who were slain in the Battle, in what is now Lincolnton, Lincoln Co, NC.  The seventh Whig Captain, Gilbraith Falls, is buried at Centre Presbyterian, Iredell Co, NC.

 

We do not know where or when Patrick Knox was born, and we can only speculate regarding who his parents and siblings may have been.

 

The earliest record found in Mecklenburg Deeds is dated 4 September 1779.   However, other than information gleaned from this deed, and from his 1782-1800 estate records, very little is known about Patrick.   We can be assured that this property was the same Patrick Knox, since the original 1779 transaction is referenced in the 10 July 1800 sale of this 373 acres by Patrick’s son and heir, John Knox [see Mecklenburg Deed Book 16, page 461 ].

 

 

Mecklenburg Deed Book 6, page 96-98;

 

4 Sept 1779, Archabald [sic] Henderson of Meck., to Patrrick [sic] Knox of same, for L3250...300 A, part of a patent to Patrick [Peter] Elliot, and conveyed by him to George Renicks, 14 April 1752, by Renix  to John Black, 23 (?) Oct 1754, and by Thos. & Josiah Black, heirs of sd John to sd. Henderson; also 73 A, part of 200 A granted to Geo. Renicks, 30 Aug 1753 and conveyed by John Renick, son of George Renicks,  17 June 1776 to A. Henderson... Archibald Henderson (Seal), Wit: Saml Blith [Blythe], William Henderson. (No rec. date)

 

[Holcomb & Parker, abstract - page 172]

 

 

Mecklenburg Co, NC Court Minutes, Docket Book 1-- 1774-1780, p. 290

 

 "The Execution of the following Deeds was proved in open Court and Ordered to be Recorded --- Viz --- [page 293, this one deed is in a list of deeds proven]  ... One from Archibd Henderson to Patrick Knox, 373 A dated 4 September 1779 [proved] by Samuel Blyth. ....

 

[Brisco, Mecklenburg Co, NC Court Minutes, Docket Book 1 -- 1774-1780; abstract - page 293; NC Archives C267:R264]

 

 

The following is a State Land Grant issued to Archibald Henderson in Oct 1783, the plat description confirms that Patrick Knox owned adjoining property:

 

Mecklenburg Deed Book 12, page 22;

 

9 Oct 1783.  State Grant 333 issued at Hillsborough, Vol 53, p 137, at 50 sh the 100 A, to Archibald Henderson by J. Glasgow, Sec. 224 A on the east side of Catawba R. adj. Patrick Knox, William Henderson, and the land the grantee lives on.

 

[Ferguson, Abstract 613, page 39]

 

PRB Notes:

 

1) The 15 April 1778 warrant for State Grant 333 states Archibald's grant of "224 Acres of Land In Mecklenburg County" was "Bounded by his own line, Wm Henderson, Jno Cowns [Cowan's] & Jno Hendersons line."  By the time the Grant was issued in 1783, “Patrick Knoxes line” is also given as a boundary.

 

2) This 224 acres, and therefore Patrick’s 373 acres, may be located in the area near the Duke Power Plant, near present-day NC 73, east of Catawba River, north and/or south of the road between the river and Beatties Ford Road.  Difficult to pinpoint, but Cowan's Ford/Island may be a clue.

 

3)  When William Henderson died in 1819, his estate sold this property to Robert Davidson [Mecklenburg Co, NC Deeds, Book 22, page 195].  I believe that the Jenny Knox who witnessed William Henderson’s 1818 LWT was Jane Knox, daughter of Patrick Knox, sister of John Knox.

 

 

 

 Mecklenburg County Estate Records:

 

Mecklenburg Estate records (see below), show that his wife was named Mary, and that she had a brother referenced as "Smith" indicating her maiden name was probably Mary Smith.   Patrick and Mary's five children are named, but their ages are only estimates: Hannah, abt 11; Matthew, 8-10; Ruth, 5-7; John, 3, and Jane, under 3. 

 

We also know that Mary, his widow, re-married sometime between 1782 and 1786 when court papers indicate that Allison Knox was then married to Patrick's widow, and had assumed the duties of Administrator of Patrick's Estate.  She (and Allison) apparently lived on Patrick’s 371+ acres of land from 1782-1799, this according to the 1800 Tax Recap Statement included in estate papers.

 

Capt Patrick's daughter, Hannah, who m. Samuel Wilson, Jr., was born about 1769 [age 16 in 1785, according to her court records].  Assuming she was his eldest child, that Patrick was at least 21 when he married, and assuming his first child was born a year later, then a reasonable guess would be that he was born no later than 1748.  He may have been much older, however, he could not have been much younger.

 

We do not know Patrick’s parents or siblings.  In a January 3, 1996 article, written by Ken Brotherton and published in the Mecklenburg Gazette, Mr. Brotherton states that Robert Knox's "brother, Patrick, was killed" at the Battle of Ramseur's Mill in Lincolnton, Lincoln Co, NC, but he gives no evidence to support this claim.   If Patrick and Robert were brothers – why didn't Robert and Mary (Ewart) Knox name any of there sons Patrick?  Surely the name of Robert’s deceased brother, if killed in the Revolution, would have been carried down through Robert's line -- especially given that all of Robert’s sons were born after the 1780 death of Patrick…but not one son, or grandson carried the name of Patrick Knox...   This fact alone seems very peculiar, and  (in my mind) seems to make it less likely that they were brothers.

 

From estate records, we know Patrick named his two sons Matthew and John.  Using traditional Irish naming patterns, it also seems likely one of these two sons was named after Patrick's father, and the other was named after Mary Smith's father -- but this is pure speculation.  Traditionally, the first son would have been named for the father's father, making it very likely Patrick's father was named Matthew...but again, that is pure speculation.

 

  

==============================================================

NC Archives - Mecklenburg Original Estate Records

 [& Court Minutes from Herman W. Ferguson Abstracts]

==============================================================

 

Mecklenburg County NC  Estates

 

NC Archives - Mecklenburg Original Estate Records Box CR.065.508.146:

Loose Estate Papers: Knox, Patrick. 1780. <Reel 60, Box 146>

[Transcribed by Peggy Reece Bruckner, all spelling and punctuation is as found in the original documents; my comments in square brackets]

 

 

"Account Curent & Settlement of Estate of Patrick Knox, Decd who was 'Kiled' in Jun 1780 Mary Knox Relict as Administratrix"

 

 

 

DOCUMENT ABSTRACTS [click on links to see original documents]:

 

April Court Session 1782 -

 "I hereby certify that Mary Knox [see note 1] , Admr of Patrick Knox Dec'd an Inventory & Amount of sales of said Estate..." Test -  Isaac Alexander, Cmt

 

+++++++

 

Oct[?] 27th[?], 1785 -

Guardian Bond - "Allison Knox Guardian of the aforesaid Hannah Knox " [signed by Alison Knox and James Knox]

 

+++++++

1785. December Session

Court of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Book 2, 3

 

Hannah Knox, an Orphan of Patt. Knox aged 16 years [b. abt 1769], comes into Court and makes Choice of Allison Knox [as] her Guardian who is approved off and bound with James Knox in the Sum of L80.

 

+++++++

 

March 1, 1786 -  Accounting Statement

 

Administrator "Allison Knox now married to relict" [signs Alison Knox]

This report also states "Money Since recd from pennsylvania and not returned" meaning it was not previously reported in an Estate Return; however, for what and from whom this money was received is not recorded. The transactions may indicate Patrick came from Pennsylvania before he first appears in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina in September 1779 -- which was less than one year before he was killed in June 1780.

 

+++++++

 

April 28, 1794 - Guardian Bond

 

"Saml Wilson appointed guardian of Patrick Knoxes minor children John & Jane Knox " [signed by Samuel Wilson and James Curry]

 

+++++++

 

March 2, 1795 -

Court Proceeding regarding an "error" in the [Jan 31, 1792] sale of a Waggon purchased by James Knox from the estate of Patrick Knox:  

 

Error  “evidently was proved on trial on the 2nd March 1795 before Col. James Johnston & Isaac Alexander as arbitrators by the Oath of Several Creditable Witnesses who were present at the said sales & knew and believed said Admin. [Allison] & Mary Knox then & there did enter into a special agreement with said James Knox that he should have the waggon at his former bid...and that she and her brother Smith  then urged him the said James to bid the said Waggon off to himself and not suffer[?] it _____[?] into the hands of those poor ___[?] persons who were then bidding for it, to the great injury of herself and orphant children, to which agreement the said James [Knox] complied, bid it off at L36.10.0 gave his said note publicly with the other people...yet the Estate of said James Knox  has got relief in the premises to the said amount of L7 hard, by his Executors Hugh Terrence  & Jno Sharpe  on the said 2 March 1795 before James Johnston & Isaac Alexander, when there was a full investigation of the whole matter, with evidence ___[?] and Samuel Willson present, who had said note assigned to him, as Guardian of 2 of the Heirs [John & Jane] of said Patrick Knox & married to a third [Hannah] therefore he draws now three fourths  of the Neat [sic Net] proceeds of said Estate...'

 

This document proves Mary's maiden name as "Smith."  The Estate of James Knox, executors Hugh Terrence and Jno Sharpe, proves this was Captain James Knox, grandfather of President Polk.]

 

 

 

+++++++

 

1795. July Session

Court of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Book 3, 245

 

         Ordered by the Court that Allison Knox, Admr. in right of his wife as Admx of the Estate of Patrick Knox, decd, meet at the house of Hugh Torrence on the Last day of August to Settle the Estate of Patrick Knox, Decd.. and [make] due return of said Settlement to our next Court.

 

+++++++

1796. January Session

Court of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Book 3, 299

 

        Ordered by Court that Sheriff Summons the County Surveyor & 12 men freeholders to be & appear on the land of Patk. Knox, Decd, and lay off the widows Dower agreeable to law and make return of their proceedings to our next Court, Issd.

 

 

+++++++

 

1796. April Session

Court of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Book 3, 313

 

       Pursuant to an Order of the Worshipful Court, We have [met] at the dwelling of Allison Knox on the 16th day of February [1796?], & being duly Qualified as the Law directs did then Lay Off & put in possession [of] Allison Knox as Heir at Law to the Widow's Third of Patrick Knoxes, Decd. Lands as by a plan made and will more full appear [Viz]: Beginning & runs...[no landmarks or adjoining neighbors given in description]..., containing two Surveys 419 acres. [Division made] By Richard Barry, Joseph Moore, Wm. Henderson, Jonathan Potts, James Price, Wm. Graham, Amos Alexander, Simon Duckworth, Hugh Torrence, Henry Henry, Wm. Henderson [repeated name? or 2^nd William Henderson??] & John Stephenson.  William Black, Surveyor.

 

 

+++++++

                                                     

 

June 7, 1800 – Accounting Statement

 

 "Amount for Schooling the Orphans of Decd Patrick Knox”

 [Alison Knox accounting of money paid for schooling of children]: 1782 - Hannah & Matthew "9 months each"...1785, 1786, 1787 - [see note 9] "three years in the whole" for Ruth, John & Jean [Jane?]Knox "at different times"..."note Hannah & Matthew went to school some in the above three years"

 

+++++++

 

July Session 1800 - "Settlement of Patrick Knoxes Estate by Alison Knox"

"Accounts Current & Settlement of Estate of Patrick Knox Dec'd who was kiled in June 1780, Mary Knox, Relict as Administratrux"

 

+++++++

 

July 22, 1800 - "We the subscribers as a Committe of Court have examined & admited the foregoing Vouchers and after Deducting the amount of said vouchers from the amount of sales of said estate Leaves a Ballance of £4.0.11 in the Hands of the administrator all of which is Submitted to Court"

....Conners JP

Jno Harris JP

+++++++

 

 

June 1800 Tax Recap [1779-1800] for the Estate of Patrick Knox

“Taxes Due on 371 acres of Land, of which the sd. Patrick died seized…Samuel Blythe Collector in Henry Henry’ now Archd Catheys Company…widow lived thereon… Amount Due from the Estate of Patrick Knox… or may be deducted from the distributive Share of John Knox the Only Heir at Law to sd. land  -----

 

+++++++

 

 

1800. October Session - Court of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Book 4, 246

 

A Settlement of the Estate of Patrick Knox, Deceased, by Allison Knox, Admr.,

in right of his wife, Viz:

 

 

To amount of the estate............................................	£225.02.00
Cr. By Vchs, recd & allowed......................................	46.02.11
	£176.19.01
By Widows Third......................................................	59.19.80
	£119.19.05
Int. thereon till 20 Jan 1787........................................	28.16.00
Due from Admr........................................................	£148.15.05
By Vouchers recd  & credited...................................	40.17.00
	£97.18.05
Int. thereon till 20 Jan 1795.......................................	46.18.08
	£144.17.01
By a further Credit in Settlement...............................	140.16.02
Balc. Due from Admrs.............................................	£4.00.11

 

 

 

Epilogue: On July 6th, 2009, more than 229 years after his death at the Battle of Ramsour's Mill, my Captain Patrick Knox, who with "unfailingly loyalty served as a soldier in the cause of American Independence"  was officially recognized as a new Patriot, and my ancestor, by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution! 

 

 

KNOX DNA Project -- ANOTHER "Tale of Two Johns...of Third Creek, Rowan Co NC..."

Recent Knox DNA Project evidence does support that Patrick and Robert Knox, b. 1742, County Down, Ireland, share a common Knox-surnamed male ancestor [Knox DNA Project Line #1] born since about 1500 AD -- and probably more recently.  There is a Matthew Knox, b. 1803, Pendleton District, SC, who has been confirmed as part of Line #1, but a relationship to Capt Patrick Knox is yet to be discovered.

In addition, there is no solid evidence that Patrick Knox was related to either of the two other Knoxes who appear in his estate records: 1) Allison Knox, who married his widow, and 2) James Knox who co-signed Hannah Knox's 1785 Guardian Bond to Allison Knox, and also purchased a wagon from Patrick's estate [which caused legal action, and probably the subsequent appointment of Samuel Wilson (Jr) as Guardian for John and Jane Knox].   This, of course, does not exclude that Allison and Capt James Knox may have been related, and my instincts are pointing me in that direction.  Most Knox researchers believe that Alison/Allison Knox likely had an Alison/Allison-surnamed mother.  Capt James Knox’s brother, Joseph married Magdalene Allison; however, if there is another connection with this Allison line, it is yet to be discovered. [Allison Knox left very few tracks...]

We do know that the James Knox who appears in Capt Patrick Knox's estate records can be positively identified as Capt James Knox, (by a reference to his estate and executors, in Patrick’s estate, and by reference to Patrick’s estate in James’ Estate records), grandfather of James Knox Polk, the 11th President.  

Hopefully, additional research will eventually reveal the family connection between Captain James and Captain Patrick. 

Interestingly, the Knox-DNA project evidence also now excludes John Knox, b. 1708, Knox DNA Project Line [#8], from sharing a common ancestor with Robert or Patrick Knox since 1500 AD.   This is the "John Knox" is "old" John Knox, b. 1708 - d. 1758, who is buried at Thyatira, who m. Jean/Jane/Jeane Gracie/Gracey/Gracy, and who is said to have been the father of Capt James Knox.  There are actually three genetically disconnected groups of Knoxes in this study who claim kinship with Captain James Knox, grandfather of President Polk.  Obviously, they can't all be correct.  I suspect that two of these lines believe they are connected because of Miss Hattie S. Goodman's book, "The Knox Family, compiled and published in 1905.

I am currently researching this "John Knox of Thyatira" line, and have discovered there are several major errors Miss Goodman's work.  Ironically, the evidence shows that Miss Goodman has misconnected her own "John Knox" to the wrong line!   There is no evidence that her ancestor, John Knox who m. Hannah Reid, was the son of "old" John and Jeane Knox of Thyatira, as indicated by her book.  In fact, much of what Ms. Goodman thought she knew about the children of John and Hannah is simply wrong...  [As soon as I've tied up all the loose ends, I will provide a link from this page to the new site.]

I do believe that Miss Goodman was correct in her belief that "her" John Knox (who m. Hannah Reid) was the brother of James Knox, grandfather of President Polk.   I have been verifying the "facts" published in Miss Goodman's book, and have already discovered and documented several show-stoppers: 

First,  "old" John Knox's widow, Jeane's "beloved youngest son Benjamin" was named co-executor of her 1772 LWT (Rowan Co, NC) ...and therefore not younger than age 21 in 1772 and therefore b. not later than 1751 (not 1759 as indicated by Miss Goodman).  Benjamin, the son of "old" John and Jeane of Thyatira, lived in Mecklenburg until 1784 when he and his first wife, Jemima, moved to Wilkes Co, Georgia.  (The area where they lived in Wilkes became Oglethorpe in 1793.)  Benjamin's first wife died between 1792 and March 1794, when he married a second time: Winifried Simmons.  Benjamin himself died in 1805 in Oglethorpe (not in 1842 in Rowan Co, NC as indicated by Miss Goodman), so Miss Goodman, or her source, misidentified Jeane's "beloved youngest son Benjamin"  who is published in her 1905 book.

 

Jeane Knox's 1772 LWT lists her sons in what "appears" to be their birth order:  1) Samuel, 2) James, 3) Joseph and 4) Benjamin, but the "facts" don't seem to support this assumption.

 

Number one son - Samuel's Rev War Pension Application testimony gives 1747 as his birth year, and his tombstone gives 1 Jan 1747.  Number three son - Joseph's Rev War Pension Application testimony, dated August 1832, says "he was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania -- he is eighty five or eighty six years of age" -- indicating he was b. 1746-1747... (his descendants say he was b. December 1747; the source of which I not been able to find).

 

While it is technically possible for both Samuel and Joseph to have been born in 1747; however, that doesn't leave much room for number two son - James.  Other evidence gives us more clues...

 

Samuel and Joseph, sons of "Jane" Knox are taxed as "Polls" in her household in 1762, this according to an early Rowan Co, NC Tax Census.  Per the law then in affect at that time, both Samuel and Joseph had to be 16 years or older...indicating they were born not later than 1746 -- a year earlier than their pension testimonies.  Did they know how old they were?  (We know Joseph admitted not knowing when he was born...)  My guess is that neither knew with certainty.  There is no reason for Jane to have claimed they were 16+ in 1762, since by doing so, she must pay a Poll Tax on each...  This seems to indicate it is likely both Samuel and Joseph both reported their ages incorrectly in their pension statements...and both were born at least a year earlier than their testimony indicated.

 

If number three son, James, was born between Samuel and Joseph, he too should have been a Poll on the 1762 Tax Census.  However, he is completely absent in 1762 Tax Census, although we know he was alive then years later in 1772, when his mother wrote her LWT.  Jeane's LWT makes special bequests to Joseph and Benjamin, but says nothing special regarding her son James.  None of the four could have been minors, since Benjamin, her "youngest" was at least 21.   This tends to indicate that James was older both Joseph and Benjamin...

On the other hand, neither James, nor Benjamin are listed as "Polls" in their mother's household, or anywhere else for that matter.   This seems to support that both James and Benjamin were under 16 in 1762, and  therefore, both were born not sooner than 1747.  Since we now know that Benjamin was 21 in 1772, and b. not later than 1751, then we can also deduce that James (who, according to his mother, was OLDER than Benjamin) was likely b. between 1747-1749...
 

The implication here is that no matter how you calculate these births, it is clear that Captain James Knox, who died Oct 1794 and whose tombstone gives his age as 42 (b. after Sept 1752...which is almost 1753)...was two years YOUNGER than Benjamin, the "youngest son" of  Jeane Knox who d. 1772 and is buried at Thyatira -- and therefore CANNOT be the son of the Jeane Knox who d. 1772.

It is this researcher's belief (confirming Miss Goodman's belief that Captain James Knox was "her" John Knox's brother) that Captain James Knox, the grandfather of President Polk, was the son of "old" Robert Knox of Third Creek -- and NOT the son of "old" John Knox of Thyatira, but has been confused with the Captain James Knox of Rowan who appears in other records. 

This is also likely the reason that Captain James Knox named his eldest son Robert...and his second son Thomas (after wife Lydia's father, Thomas Gillespie)...and no sons John.

I also believe Captain James Knox's mother was named Jane (the name of his eldest daughter), but was NOT a Gracy...  And, if my hunch is correct, and Alison Knox was Captain James Knox's brother...then it also follows that Alison/Allison may have been their mother's surname...   James and Lydia obviously followed the traditional naming convention - eldest son after the father's father (Robert Knox); second son after the mother's father (Thomas Gillespie; eldest daughter after the father's mother (Jane); second daughter after mother's mother (Naomi). 

Ms. Goodman spends a lot of time chronically the Knox-Polk connection, but knows little about the sons (Robert & Thomas) of James and Lydia.  What she does provide is simply wrong. 

According to his proven descendants (DAR records), Captain James Knox was b. 1752 in Ireland -- 12 to 14 years after John and Jeane of Thyatira are said to have left Ireland for America...  The evidence clearly shows that the Robert Knox, who Miss Goodman profiled in her book, was far too old (older than his father...) to have been the son of James Knox and Lydia Gillespie. For example, she states that their son Robert, fought in the American Revolution -- however, he was 2 when the conflict began, and no more than 10 when it ended...  She provides the descendants for this Robert Knox -- but they cannot be the descendants of Captain James Knox.  Thomas Knox, their younger son, was "insane" according to his father's estate papers, and there is no evidence he ever married or produced heirs.  It is therefore possible, and perhaps probable, that Captain James Knox's male lines are extinct, since neither of his male descendants have descendants who have joined the DAR using this famous line.

The evidence speaks for itself...and as soon as I've finished the analysis of the "Knoxes of Third Creek, Rowan Co, NC," I'll post all the evidence on a new website to be evaluated by other interested Knox Researchers. 

Meanwhile, it is my hope that the Knox-DNA project will attract more donors who descend from these clearly associated lines. Their DNA, plus more scrutiny of the records and facts, will aid in "sorting out" these connections, an may eventually may provide more clues to "my" Patrick's Knox ancestry!

Stay tuned for more....