James Albert Knighton - an interpretation of details related to my otherwise "unknown" father
Born Liverpool December 4, 1901, died of peritonitis November 7, 1929 in Southampton, aged 27.
In looking for James Albert Knighton, I have discovered that his immediate forebears, on his father's side, are from Nottingham and on his mother's side, the White family, are from Liverpool . . . and perhaps earlier from Ireland.
James Albert seems to have grown up in a Roman Catholoic family and we have reference to his confirmation, a ceremony, I believe, that affirms the person's faith and is one of a series of functions of initiation into the Catholic church, taking place in the early teens in many instances.
The parents of James Albert
There is a record of the marriage of James Albert's father, also named James Knighton, to Charlotte White. We can henceforth refer to that James as James Knighton Senior to avoid confusion. At the time of the marriage, James Senior was aged about 20 and Charlotte White aged about 19, the wedding took place at St Aidans Church Liverpool in 1891. Other records indicate that James Knighton Sr. was born in Nottingham August 9, 1869 and Charlotte was born about 1870, or 1871, in Liverpool. James Knighton Sr, in Nottingham, appears to have been in the royal navy or possibly the naval reserve, from aged about 15 according to an1884 naval entry and it would seem that after leaving that naval branch, still young, he moved to Liverpool to work as a seaman in the merchant navy.
We have no details at this time of James Knighton Sr's siblings if any. Charlotte White appears to have had just one sister, Mary Ellen White who was married to William Carpenter in 1886. Mary Ellen Carpenter was the godmother to each of the Knighton children.
James Albert's siblings, the childreen of James Sr. And Charlotte
James Albert had a brother, Arthur, and at least two sisters, Eliza and Ellen. The 1911 census indicates that James Albert, aged 9, Arthur, aged 13 and Ellen, aged 7, were living in Liverpool with their aunt, Mary Carpenter, nee White, their mother's sister. The eldest sibling, Eliza, is shown on the 1911 census as living in Nottingham, perhaps with paternal relatives there, she was 16 at the time.
Other than his name on the 1911 census we have no additional information on Arthur and there is little more on Eliza and Ellen. But both of those female names appear to be “family'' names – names of other family members the names of parents or grandparents we can surmise. For instance, the name of the eldest daughter of both Charlotte and her sister Mary, was Eliza – perhaps named after their mother. And Ellen was the second name of her aunt Mary, Charlotte's sister.
There is a reference to an Ellen Knighton being married in Liverpool to William T. Smith in 1924 -- and two children born 1926 and 1929 may have been theirs. If they are still alive, I guess they could be my cousins.
Eliza Knighton was married and became Mrs. Shaw in Nottigham in 1915
The Knighton children were baptised in the Catholic Church and their baptism records identified to date list five children. Not listed there is Arthur Knighton who was born about 1898 according to the 1911 census.
From another source there is an entry referring to an infant named William James Knighton aged 7 months being buried 19th June 1893 at Ford Cemetary -- He apparently was the first born and the first to die. Baptism list follows
At St Alphonsus :
William Knighton born 10.11.1892 Baptism 28.11.1892
Elisabeth Knighton born 18.6.1894 Baptism 25.6.1894
At Sacred Heart
John Albert Knighton born 25.11.1899 Baptism 3.12.1899
At St Michael
James Knighton born 4.12.1901 Baptism 18.12.1901
And at Sacred Heart
Ellen Knighton b 10.11.1903 Baptism 20.11.1903
Where were the parents in 1911?
Since the parents, James and Charlotte Knighton, are absent from the 1911 census records, and the children were living with their aunt, the question arises as to whether they were still alive at that time, especially Charlotte. While it is possible that James, the father, being a seaman, may have been away at sea at census time it is more difficult to account for the absence of Charlotte, then aout 40 years of age if alive.
Grandparents
The Knightons of Nottingham, grandfather James Knighton, and the Whites of Liverpool, grandfather Patrick White.
So there is still much to fill in . . .
Note: I would especially like to find out about Patrick White, his relationships and origins, if he is indeed James Albert's grandfather.
Criticism and comments welcomed. Thank you, Jim R.
