Joseph Elliott KNOX

[dbrobertson]

My gr-great grandfather, Joseph Elliott KNOX was born in Ulster 10 Jun 1814. He emigrated to Canada (or 'Canaday' as he seemed to call it) in 1832. The birth date and emigration date are both taken from self-reporting on the 1901 Canada census (and elsewhere).

His father could be/should be named John, based upon Scottish naming patterns and his mother could be either/both Ann and/or Martha.

Family lore states that Joseph emigrated at age 17 in the company of two older brothers.

Not a lot to go on - which, I guess, is largely why we haven't discovered anything new on this KNOX
line in the last 40 years...

Brian

[aghadowey]

Ulster-Scots naming pattern only worked if a family followed it- not all did- and amongst those who did many events could change the order of names used.

What about Joseph's marriage? family Bible?, local histories?
Have you tried searching for other men called Knox in the area who also came from Ireland?

[dbrobertson]

aghadowey - Joseph married Catherine KNOX 19 Apr 1843 at Bristol, Canada East (Quebec). Catherine was born at Leitrim, County Fermanagh 20 Jun 1822. Despite having the same surname Joseph & Catherine stated that they were unrelated and met each other in Canada. Catherine's family emigrated in 1831. I didn't see anything of Joseph's KNOX family when I was researching his wife's ancestors in Fermanagh & Cavan.

The family Bible is good for the period 1843 to 1903 - the period about which lots is known.

Thanks,
Brian

[aghadowey]

When I said "Have you tried searching for other men called Knox in the area who also came from Ireland?" I meant in Canada not Ireland.

What were the names of Joseph's children? His middle name Elliott (quite common here to use surnames as first or middle names) which might be the maiden name of his mother or grandmother or the name of the local minister, doctor, schoolmaster, etc.

[dbrobertson]

Joseph & Catherine had a large family (in order):

John Matheson      KNOX
Rachel                  "
Ann                      "
Matilda                 "
James Matheson    "
William Elliott        "
Selena Jane          "
Catherine Ann       "
William Joseph      "
Margaret Sarah Lucinda KNOX
Isabella Lucinda             "
Robert Henry                 "
George Gordon (blood adoption)

The KNOX families settled in Pontiac County (then Lower Canada) in the early 1830s. The only 'other' KNOXes I've found have been Joseph's KNOX in-laws. There were also a number of MCDOWELLs (Catherine's maternal relations) who emigrated at this time.

Brian

[shanreagh]

Joseph Knox appears in several censuses in Canada from 1851 through to 1901 and his birthdate varies by a few years from 1815 to 1818. He is Presbyterian, Church of Scotland or Free Church (wee Frees?)

If you look at the various places that the family went to in Canada you might be able to track down the brothers. I have seen John, Henry and Robert Knox.  Their religions range from Free Church, Wesleyan Methodist.  Once you find them you can see if they are related and you might find after searching for their marriages births of children that one has 'let slip' the actual County they came from.  Are you saying that these are relations of the wife Catherine Knox? The names of the children of the brothers may give some clues.  Also search local (Canadian) histories or newspapers to see if one has been a noteworthy figure as these accounts often say they 'arrived with brothers from  xxx' place.  Just by looking at the entries on FS I can see that John and Joseph Knox were both in Bristol Pontiac at the time of the 1861 census. Also the last child of Joseph is named Robert Henry. You also have some second names to fit in such as Elliott, Matheson (used twice) and also the doubling up of Lucinda (might be that the earlier one had died)

I have often found that by investigating laterally that you find clues/relations hiding in plain sight. 

[shanreagh]

Returning to search in Ireland the Irish  records I go to, more to get  a flavour of the numbers of the family are the records of the Censuses.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/
There are at least 100 Knox names in Co Londonderry in 1831, apx 78 in 1851 in Co Antrim and 1900 in 1901. With the later censuses (1901/1911) I arrange the search by age as the oldest ones may have been a relation of the ones who emigrated. Also if you have explored the names in Canada thoroughly you may find that similar names are to be found in the Irish censuses.
and
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/
Here i look at Civil index for the earliest ones and also look at the Church records as some were mobile and may have lived in  Dublin or other parts of the south. 

[dbrobertson]

shanreagh - Yes, William, John, Henry and Robert Knox are Catherine's older brothers (she also had seven sisters). So all the Pontiac County baptisms in those years are either Catherine's nieces/nephews or her children.

These Knoxes of Pontiac County are pretty well accounted for after the marriage in 1843. Several good (and two superlative) genealogists have worked on this line, including a third cousin who moved to Bristol, Quebec to do her in situ research late last century. Knox descendants live in the area to this day.
 
The enduring question has remained: who is Joseph Elliott Knox? People have theorized over the years
but nothing was revealed.

I guess my thought was that the internet has advanced enormously  in recent years, so I would have one more look to see what might be there.

Incidentally, Joseph & Catherines's grave site at Fort Langley had initially been adorned with a wooden marker. Said marker disappeared when I was a little boy, sometime in the 1940s. In 2009, the grave was re-dedicated on a sunny summer day to the wail of bagpipes.

But I still don't know anything more about my great-great grandpa Joseph than what he told us on the 1901 census: he was born 10 Jun 1814 in Ulster and emigrated in 1832.

All trails go cold eventually: this one just never got warm.

I shall poke around where you have suggested.

Thank you,
Brian

[BallyaltikilliganG]

hi brian i have searched several sites for you the results even incomplete amount to nearly six page, even split into 4 parts its unacceptable via this website. if you write to me via pm giving me your email i will send it for your future use of negative [too strong a word] searches Jim