Joel KNIGHT family, Yarcombe, Devon, 1840s and earlier

[Jean_E]

Hello from the U.S.A.  I am searching for maternal family information on Joel and Mary Knight (her maiden name may have been Bright) of Marsh, Yarcombe, Devon. 

I found 1841 census information on the family:

Joel Knight 56 Devon          
Mary Knight 50 Devon        
James Knight 20                                    
Caroline Knight 18                                
Robert Knight 15                                
Joel Knight 12                                        

Ho107/201 Folio: 7    Page: 9
Marsh, Yarcombe
Devonshire

Young Joel Knight and his brother Robert William immigrated to New York state in the U.S.A. 2 May 1851 (I think) on the ship Johns out of Plymouth (I think.)  Eventually, they traveled to Waupaca County, Wisconsin where they obtained government land to farm and raised their families.  I am descended from young Joel Knight.  Knight Lake in Waupaca County is named for the family and one of their farms.

I would be interested in learning any other information on that branch of the Knight family in Devon: parents birth and death dates, father Joel's occupation, data on either father Joel's or mother Mary's parents, etc.

Young Joel married a Caroline (or may have been called Mary) Dunn, who had family (her brother was a carriage maker) in Parma, New York (near Rochester, New York), U.S.A.  I'm not sure if he met her once he was in New York state or he knew her in Devon.  His older brother, Robert William, married Ann Locke in England, before immigrating.  At least two of their children, Thomas (b. 28 Jan 1849)  and James Robert (b. 19 Jun 1850) were born in Devon.

I'm posting a photo of "young" Joel Knight, circa 1914, when he was about age 85!

Thank you.  Jean_E, Missouri, U.S.A.

[Yorkslass]

Hello Jean,

I don't know if you have it, but Joel and Mary Knight also appear on the 1851 census, still living at Marsh, Yarcombe.

HO107/1927 Folio 371 page 12.

Joel Knight,    66    Farmer 40 acres,    born Yarcombe Devon
Mary Knight    58                                           ditto
James Knight  32     
Elizabeth Knight  8

There are several submitted entries for Joel Knight's baptism on the IGI search, on 10 April, 1785 at Yarcombe, Devon, to a Joel Knight and Elizabeth Sparks.

The Genuki Devon website also has a number of entries for Knight families in Yarcombe - (only a few mention Joel), but if you scroll through them, you may find something.....  here's the link -  http://www.rootschat.com/links/06xc/   

good luck,
Yorkslass

[Jean_E]

Thank you SO MUCH for the information!

Jean E, Missouri, USA

[quintus]

Found your message regarding Joel Knight.
I have his parents as Joel 1785 and Mary Bright 1791. Joel snr's parents were Joel 1751 and Elizabeth Sparke 1762. I have Benjamin Knight and Joan Spiller as his grand parents.

Young Joel's sister Caroline married another Spiller, namely John and they went on to have several children - one being Edwin Knight Spiller who married Annie Tuck and then had George Spiller, my husband's grandfather!

Hope this might be of interest

[Megran]

I have Mary Bright 1791, Sarah Bright 1798 and Robert Bright 1800 children of William Bright and Martha Batstone, grandchildren of Benjamin Bright and Sarah Spark.

Mary Bright 1791 married 1808 Joel Knight 1785. Daughter Elizabeth Knight 1809 married 1829 James Hurford 1804, their son Thomas Hurford 1831 married 1856 Rosa Anna Lutley 1831 and their daughter was Elizabeth Lutley Hurford 1858, who died unmarried in 1909.

Robert Bright 1800 married 1830 Elizabeth Lutley 1806. Sarah Bright 1798  married 1825 John Loosemore.

Many families of the Blackdown Hills area intermarried. Some of the above has still to be verified. Any errors or additions welcome. Hope this is of interest.
Regards,
Megran.

[quintus]

Many thanks for that info on the Brights

[Jean_E]

Thank you, quintus and Megran for your information on the Joel Knight family, the Bright family and the Spiller family of Devon.  Also, thanks to the International Genealogical Index <http://www.familysearch.org> I've been able to trace my Knight family line in Yarcombe, Devon back to John Knight, b. 1 Jul 1659, Yarcombe, Devon; plus his parents, George Knight and Elizabeth Whellier, and John's wife: Joane Dare, b. 10 Jan 1661 or 1662, Yarcombe, married 28 Oct 1680, Honiton, Devon; plus Joane Dare's parents, Robert and Ann Dare!  It seems that we are distant cousins through our Knight kin. One of the Knight family stories my maternal grandfather told was that "There always was a "Joel Knight" and so far the family line I found supports that. I do have a Public Member family tree on Ancestry.com: Knight and Ogden Families, Waupaca, Wis. if you would like to look at it and have me link you to it.  [Wisconsin is where my g-g grandfather Joel Knight and his brother Robert Knight, from Yarcombe, bought farmland, after spending time in Upstate New York, working and saving money. They settled in Waupaca County.  One of the lakes in the Waupaca area is named Knight Lake after one of their farms - I think it was named for the farm of one of Robert's sons.]  Again, thank you so much.  Jean E., Missouri, USA

[zooze]

Hi all

This is very interesting to me , as I hav ejust started  'doing' the Spillers of Devon then London,  In 1881 census there were more Spillers living in Yarcombe than anywhere else put together. 

My  Spillers were  George edward and George Williams that married in to the Perry family.   

My  father in lwas is Neil and  my Husband in Andy Spiller.  Any realtives out there?
Sue

[curlyjacquie]

Just another possible conneciton.  We think that Joel's (b1785) sister Ann (b 1790) married John Stone in 1808.   John is 3rd great grandfather.  John & Ann had 7 children all born in Globe Inn, Marsh, Yarcombe, Devon. 

Jacquie