Knighthood's

[lisa23]

Is anyone aware of any sites, books, place, etc that can give you the names of people that were knighted. I have an ancestor whom would have been knighted in the early 1800's. The tricky bit is I don't know his surname but he was known as Sir Henry. He was living in Nottingham. Any help appreciated.

[mshrmh]

You could try the official gazette - London/Edinburgh/Belfast
http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/
You can search by name, so you would need a surname however.

[Little Nell]

Daft question coming up - if he was an ancestor, how come you don't know his surname?  Have you worked backwards to get to him - or have you been told a family story?

Puzzled 

Nell

[lisa23]

I know it seems strange that I don't know the surname. Henry's daughter was Matilda but there is a long story about how Matilda ran away with a man and her father did not approve. Matilda changed her surname so she wouldn't be found. I have been told the family story, that her father was knighted. So I was hoping to go through a list of names and maybe get lucky.
Regards Lisa

[newburychap]

If he was an hereditary knight there would be no mention in the Gazette.

[mshrmh]

newburychap - I've never come across hereditary knights - do you mean a baronet? They also use the title Sir, but it is inherited through the male line - eg Mark Thatcher being a recent example, inheriting from Dennis. They are not "knighted" as such.

[newburychap]

Yes - a baronet. In general people refer to those addressed as Sir as 'knights' - as this is a family story the chap could easily have been a Bart.

[lisa23]

Hi newburychap
This is interesting news for me. Is there any way to find out about who were baronets or is this something that would be too difficult to chase.
Lisa

[newburychap]

You need an early edition of Debretts Baronetage of England (1st ed 1808).
The British Library would have it, as would other research libraries - if you are lucky you may find it online.