Person:David Knight (4)

BIOGRAPHY: New England Families Genealogical and Memorial: Third Series,Volume III, page 1528 David Knight was of East Greenwich,Rhode Island. On September 8,1691, he was one of the appraisers of the estate of Captain Clement Weaver. In 1693 he was associated with his brother John, at Woodstock, Connecticut, concerning the surveying and laying out of lands in Narragansett. His marriage and the births of his children were recorded at Norwich, Connecticut, where he lived the most of his life. He married, March 17,1691, Sarah, daughter of Stephen and Sarah Backus. She was born in April 1688.

History of Norwich Connecticut pages 93, and 258; He was granted land for repairing the meeting house and school house in 1700, this history also has him listed among residents whose applications for farm settlements in the "Crotch of ye Rivers" were approved in 1718.

Church records:

David Knight and his children were admitted into the Puritan Congregational Church in Canterbury, CT; Congregational Church of Canterbury Records, Connecticut Historical Society, 1932.

Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation. Volume II

Knight 

(II) David , son of Richard Knight , lived at East Greenwich, Rhode Island , and Norwich, Connecticut . He was associated with his brother John in surveying and laying out lands in Narragansett . He lived most of his life at Norwich , where his children were recorded. He married, March 17, 1691 , Sarah , daughter of Stephen and Sarah Backus . He died November 24, 1744 . Children: Rachel , born November 14, 1691 ; Jonathan , July 2, 1698 , mentioned below; Mary , April 2, 1700 ; Hannah , January 30, 1702 ; Lurana , February 1, 1704 ; Joseph , November 7, 1705 ; Benjamin , August 14, 1707 . http://mars.libs.uga.edu/cgi-bin/homepage.cgi?style=&_id=a80c46ea-1108522368-1095&_cc=1

Jul 6, 1718, "David Knite of Norwich entered into Covenant."

Jul 20, 1718, "David, Jonathan, Sarah, Mary, and Hannah Knite, the children of David Knite of Norwich entered into the Covenant."

The following is taken from the Knight web site

David's Will reads:

" I, give unto my well Beloved wife Sarah the use and Improvement of all my Moveable Estate During her Natural Life, In Lieu of her Right of Dower." " As to my Sons (viz) David, Jonathan, Benjamin, and Joseph deceased, what I have formaly Given to Each of them in Land and Divers other ways I Judge to be the full of their Several Portions of my Estate: and therefore I Give the Nothing by this my Last Will and Testament, nor to the Children of son Joseph, Deceased."

" As to my moveable Estate; I Give it to my Daughters (viz) Sarah the wife of Elisha Lilly, Mary the Wife of Thomas Walbridge, Hannah the wife of Aaron Read and Louranna ye wife of Ebenezer Bettes and the Children of my Daughter Rachell Hendy, deed, to be Equally Divided to and among them, that is to Say, to all the Children of my Daughter Rachell, Deceased, as to one of the above Named Daughters, one fifth Part, to be equally Divided to and among as above Expressed after my wifes decease." Exor: Jonathan Knight Proved: 10 December 1744

His son Jonathan was made the executor and the will was signed with his mark, a straight line crossed be a curved line. The will was proved December 10 1744. The inventory dated three days later amounted to 607 pounds 11 shillings and 7 pence. No real Estate was listed and it seems certain that he had divided his real estate among his children before he made his will. The inventory of his estate includes three bonds of 100 pounds each and one bond of 130 pounds, old tenor, a bible valued at 2 puonds 5 shillings and a history Book valued at 1 shilling. In a division of the estate in February following, Sarah Knight signs with her mark, but Elisha Lillie, Thomas Walbridge, Ebenezer Bettes and Aron Read with their autographs. In the final accounting mention is made of a journey to Woodstock to look after the estate, and the widow, in this division, received 532 pounds and 9 pence.

In 1692 David was at Canterbury. He lived at a place known as " Ye crotch of the rivers" (Lisbon).

Some of David's neighbors were: Eleazer Jewett, Daniel Longbottom, Josiah Read, Henry Wallbridge. Another neighbor was Samuel Rood and Samuel Rood Jr.

Bottom (Longbottom) Family Album by Rebekah Deal Oliver 1970 Page 16 "YE CROTCH OF YE RIVERS"

  Is is recorded that Daniel Longbottom was an inhabitant of Newent in "Ye Crotch of ye Rivers", the area between the Shetauket, Little, and Quinneboug Rivers, which became a society of Norwich in 1690. In 1692 he married Elizabeth Lamb, daughter of John and Ann Lamb of Groton. Their oldest child, the second Daniel, was born there on March 19, 1694, the same year of the birth of the second Christopher Huntington.
  In 1694 and 95 Captain James Fitch, Jr. sold a grant of 1800 acres "lying between the crotch of the rivers Shetucket and Quinebaug" to Joseph Safford, Richard Smith, Meshach Farley, Mathew Perkins and Samuel Bishop, all from Ipswich, Massachusetts. In 1695 Joseph and Jacob Perkins, also of Ipswich, purchased a tract from the former purchasers. Settlement commenced immediately. In 1718 the following sixteen persons were listed as inhabitants of Newent: Samuel Bishop, Samuel Coy, Eleaser Jewett, David Knight, Daniel Longbottom, Samuel Lothrop, Jabez Perkins, Joseph Perkins, Josiah Read, Josiah Read Jr., Joseph Read, John Read, William Read, Samuel Rood, Samuel Rood Jr., and Henry Wallbridge. As would be expected, here again are names of men whose descendents married Bottom men and women. In his Journal 1813 Nathan H. Bottom of Shaftsbury, Vermont wrote that his great grandfather's (the first Daniel) "relations were pretty numerous in Norwich, and there were so many of the name in a certain part of town that it was called Bottomtown".

The New England Ancestry of Dana Converse Backus By Mary E. N. Backus Newcomb & Gauss Co., Printers Salem, Massachusetts 1949 Page 8

Levi Byram and Martha Jane Belnap Gold Medal Pioneers By Donald Levi Gale Hammon 1996 - Page 15

Bottom (Longbottom) Family Album By Rebekah Deal Oliver W. Kelly Oliver, Publisher 1970 - Page 16

John Pember The History of the Pember Family in America By Celeste Pember Hazen 1939 - Page 27/155

The Descendants of Andrew Warner Lucien C. Warner, M.D., LL.D & Mrs. Josephine Genung Nichols The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor. Co. New Haven, Conn. 1919 - Page 618

The Early Knights of Rhode Island By G. Andrews Moriarty, A.M., LL.B., F.S.A., of Bristol, R.I. 4. David Knight (Richard), of East Greenwich, R. I., and of Woodstock and Norwich, Conn., born about 1656, died at Norwich, whither he had removed, 24 Nov. 1744. He married at Norwich, 17 Mar. 1691/2, Sarah Backus, daughter of Stephen and Sarah Backus.

    On 8 Sept. 1691 he was an appraiser of the estate of Clement Weaver at East Greenwich. He followed his brother to Connecticut and settled finally at Norwich, where he and his descendants remained. None of his children came back to Rhode Island. He lived for a while at Woodstock, as is shown by the deposition of Joseph Devol, cited above. In 1694 he bought all his brother John's rights in the Hall and Knight Purchase.

4. David Knight (Richard), of East Greenwich, R. I., and of Woodstock and Norwich, Conn., born about 1656, died at Norwich, whither he had removed, 24 Nov. 1744. He married at Norwich, 17 Mar. 1691/2, Sarah Backus, daughter of Stephen and Sarah Backus.

    On 8 Sept. 1691 he was an appraiser of the estate of Clement Weaver at East Greenwich. He followed his brother to Connecticut and settled finally at Norwich, where he and his descendants remained. None of his children came back to Rhode Island. He lived for a while at Woodstock, as is shown by the deposition of Joseph Devol, cited above. In 1694 he bought all his brother John's rights in the Hall and Knight Purchase.

CHRISTENING: 6 July 1718 Cantebury,,Connecticut

LAND: Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island Austin Page 330 1693 In this year he, of Canterbury near Norwich, Henry Hall of Westerly and David Knight, of Woodstock, employed Joseph Davol to layout and survey lands called Hall's and Knight's Purchase. This was deposed to later (1711, Jul. 31), by Joseph Davol, who says further that John Knight approved his work and that two highways were laid out for the convenience of the purchasers.

Collections of the Rhode Island Historical Society Vol. III Providence: Marshall, Brown and Company MDCCCXXXV Pages 225 - 226 Deposition Relating to Hall's Purchase

  The deposition of Joseph Davel of Stoningtown in the county of New London in the Colony of Connecticut, of lawful age, who formerly lived in the town of Westerly in the Colony of Rhode Island, testifeth and saith, that in the year of  our Lord one thousand six hundred ninety and three, I then being surveyor of lands and under oath to said office, was employed by Mr. Henry Hall of the town of Westerly in the Colony of Rhoad Island, and Mr. John Knight, the son of Richard Knight, who then lived near Norrage in a place now known by the name of Canterbury in the county of New London in the Colony of Connecticut aforesaid, and Mr. David Knight of the town of Woodstock in Boston government, to lay out  and survey and make divisions for them unto several persons who then lived on said land with their families, viz: The land commonly called or known by Hall's and Knight's purchase or Chepechewwag or Wawwoskepog in the Narragansett country, I the said Joseph Davel, then surveyor, laid out and bounded and drafted by a map or plat, and made divisions for them unto those persons which bought and purchased of them, viz: unto Job Babcock 200 acres; Peter Wells 100 acres; William Taner 100 acres; John Sheldon 200 acres; John Crandal 180 acres; Jeremiah Crandal 180 acres;  Gershom Cottrel 180 acres; James Ray 100 acres, and to Jonathan  Knight 200 acres: with several highways, viz: two highways through said land for the use and benefit of the purchasers: and when I laid out said land, the abovesaid Hall and David Knight were personally present with me, and likewise the abovesaid John Knight approved and liked my work, and they paid me my wages for my work, and some time since said John Knight took his part of the money which was the price of the land, he received said money of Henry Hall. This abovewritten is the truth, as witness my hand, July 31st, 1711

(signed) Joseph Davell

  The above written Capt. Joseph Davell perosonally appeared and made oath to the above written evidence before me in Westerly, this 1st day of August, 1711

(signed) John Babcock, Justice

1711, Mar. 27. Testimony of James Fitch, of Canterbury, Ct., was given, that in the year 1694, John Knight, late of Norwich, deceased, with David Knight, his brother, came to my house in Norwich and declared in agreement, whereby John sold his whole right to brother David, and a tract of land purchased by his deceased father and Henry Hall, of the Indians.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Moriarty, G. Andrews. The Early Knights of Rhode Island. New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Jul 1933)
   87:269.

   David² Knight (Richard¹), of East Greenwich. R. I., and of Woodstock and Norwich. Conn., born about 1656, died at Norwich, whither he had removed. 24 Nov. 1744. He married at Norwich, 17 Mar. 1691/2, Sarah Backus, daughter of Stephen and Sarah Backus. On 8 Sept. 1691 he was an appraiser of the estate of Clement Weaver at East Greenwich. He followed his brother to Connecticut and settled finally at Norwich, where he and his descendants remained. None of his children came back to Rhode Island. He lived for a while at Woodstock. … In 1694 he bought all his brother John's right in the Hall and Knight Purchase.

2. ↑ Norwich, New London, Connecticut, United States. Vital Records of Norwich, 1659-1848. (Hartford, Conn.: Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut, 1913)
   1:48.

   mr Dauid Knight Died on the 24th day of Nov^r 1744.