Person:Nathaniel Knight (12)

BIOGRAPHY: Knights and Kings of Collins By Carlotta Wood and Nora Johnson Brown Written in the 1930's Contributed by Marilyn Bobseine

Whether the tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table has a real foundation or is merely a historical fable is not known. However, this story of the Knights and Kings of Collins and the parts they played in the affairs of their community is based on facts.

According to a record compiled by Mary Knight Crane of Erie, Pa., the earliest mention of the Knight name in this country dates back to the coming of Richard, a miller, who was a proprietor of Hampton in 1640 and of his marriage in 1648 to Sarah Rogers of Newport, R. I. Their great grandson, Caleb, moved to New York state and in Chatham, Columbia county, his six children were born. Caleb's sons, Avery and Nathaniel, after leaving the paternal home, first settled in Otsego county, coming to Collins in 1818 and locating on lot 75.

Avery and his two sisters, Elizabeth, who became the wife of Sylvanus Parkinson and Ruth, who married James Ferris, are named among the first twelve schoolteachers in and around the district east of Collins Center during the years between 1825 and 1835.

Avery and his wife, Lucinda Ingersoll, built their first home on land afterward owned by John Randall and his wife Mary, Avery's niece. Of the children of Avery and Lucinda Knight, the two best remembered in this locality are Edwin, husband of Sally, one of Timothy Clark's daughters and Orton, who lived for years on the farm later purchased by Matthew Kohn. After the death of his wife, Seraphina Spaulding, Orton wed Lucy Hawkins Tanner and moved to the dwelling house south of the Methodist church in Collins Center. Here he had a cabinet shop among other things he made the coffins in which, as undertaker, he buried the dead. Orton was more than a pillar in the church. His hand kept the place in order and rang the bell that called to service or tolled to acquaint the countryside for miles around that death had visited the community. By a code, understood by every listener, the sex and age of the deceased was made known. Men and women, who in their youth attended the Methodist Sunday school during the many years of Orton' s supervision, remember well his closing remarks with the unfailing admonition, "Now children, go directly hum and throw neither stick nor stun. " His wife, Lucy Ann, also played an important role in the church activities; during protracted meetings, revivals and the like, it was to her home that the preachers and members from a distance came for bed and food.

The name of Avery has appeared in each third generation in Caleb' s line since he married Elizabeth Avery and gave her maiden name to his first born son. Avery A. Knight, grandson of the first Avery , was for many years a mail carrier between Collins and Collins Center in the days of the old stage. The home, which he built in the 70's, is now the Free Methodist parsonage. Avery Flick of Dunkirk is the young man bearing the name today.

At the first town meeting held after the creating of the town of Collins, the name of Nathaniel Knight was sent to the Council of Appointment to be commissioned as a magistrate. As one of the foremost men of his community he served his town as school inspector, assessor, justice of the peace and supervisor, holding the last named office for eight successive terms. In 1830 he was elected member of the State Assembly, his colleague being Millard Fillmore. In those days Nathaniel traveled to Buffalo on horseback and from there to Albany on a packet-boat which plied the Erie Canal at the speed of six miles an hour .

The Nathaniel Knight homestead, now owned by the August Knuth family and previously by John Rothfuss, is located east of Collins Center on Dupont road. Its site is near that of the first home of logs. When built it was on the main road which until 1833 circled from the house of Wilbur Irish in the valley to the west to a point on the boundary line between Collins and Concord where it proceeded as now.

During the years immediately following 1823 when the Knight brothers purchased farms from the Holland Land Company, it was not unusual upon opening the door in the early morning to see several deer feeding nearby. Wild animals often made havoc with the flocks and for protection these were corralled at night in pens near the dwelling. One midnight, members of Nathaniel's family were aroused by an unusual disturbance in the sheep pen. Wolves were attacking the flock. Driving the intruders out was an exciting experience never forgotten by the children who, many years later, told it to children and grandchildren of their own.

Another oft repeated story is about the family of three bears that in 1822 or 23 were ruining the cornfields around Scrabble Hill. Nathaniel, his brother Avery and their neighbor, John T. Johnson set out to hunt them. Two bears were caught alive in a deadfall but one escaped after being wounded. Two years later a bear was caught in a wolf trap but freed himself leaving one of his paws in the trap. Some 14 years later , when it was thought all bears had disappeared, one was discovered and killed among the ledges of the Cattaraugus Creek. His three feet and scarred shoulder identified his as the same animal which escaped the hunters years before.

Nathaniel Knight was active in all educational projects. That his interest was not confined to his own town is proved by a generous contribution toward the building of Gowanda Academy.

Nathaniel had four sons and four daughters. The daughters were musical and sang in the Methodist choir. Nathaniel played the clarinet. This old musical instrument is greatly prized by his great grandson, Edwin Russell.

In the home of one of Nathaniel's descendants in Collins Center may be seen some interesting articles belonging to the Knight family. Among them are the Lowestoft teapot bought in 1813 by Nathaniel's wife Polly Chadwick and an album containing delicately penned sentiments dated 1840-41 once owned by their daughter, Sarah Ann. Miss Sarah was a skillful needlewoman and manifestly followed the fads of the times in fancywork. There is a quaint light screen, designed to temper the candle rays, constructed of nine glass panels covered with net which holds in place the decorative motifs. The panels are 3 1/2 by 15 inches, bound and hinged with ribbon.

To modern eyes, Sarah Ann's corsets or stays as she maybe called them, is a curious garment with it's twenty inch waist and thick whalebone, I 1/2 inches wide inserted in the front. It is handmade in minute stitches, corded to give stiffness and covered with embroidery in a pattern of hearts and flowers with on either side a quotation from the Bible.

The name of Nathaniel Knight is written into the history of Collins. He came to a wilderness, built a log cabin for his family and, thirteen years later was recognized by the leading men of the state. The record that he left is one at which no knight of the plumed variety need cavil.

The first Kings to come to Collins were three brothers, Allen, Arnold and John. They with others, came in the spring of 1811 from Danby, Vt. to which place there is reason to believe that the family immigrated from Rhode Island. (Note: See History of Concord by E. Briggs, pp 696-701)

In Hamburg they were welcomed by Stenhen Wilbur whose wife, Mary King, was their cousin. With them the Vermonters traveled through the pathless forest the three days that it required to reach Collins. They stayed one night with James Tyrer on the Genesee road. His shanty was to small to accommodate the party so Arnold, John, Henry Palmerton, Jehiel Albee and John Williams slept on the roof. But crowded quarters were of little moment to the pioneer. "The first summer after we came to Collins," one of Stephen's sons writes, "my father and mother and their six children, Allen King, two unmarried men, lived in our small log house. How they all managed to stay there I cannot tell." The Wilbur cabin was situated a few rods back of the old Wilbur house still standing on the Wm. Clark farm.

The King boys located on lot 49, now a part of Collins Center. They built their log house on a spot just south of the present home of Isaac Skuse. In the fall, their father, Nathan King and the rest of the family joined them. Allen and his wife, Rezina Thompson, now moved to a cabin of their own. Another move took them to Zoar .They fmally bought the farm now owned by Dan and Charlie Becker where Allen died in 1851. Allen King was the great grandfather of Mrs. Alonzo Setter of Cattaraugus county.

In the log house of the Kings was held the first school in the town of Collins and John King was its teacher. The pupils, besides Nathan's four young children, were the children of Stephen Wilbur; David, John, Paulina and Alma (grandmother of Mrs. John Lord of Buffalo ), Benjamin, Hannah and Enoch Albee and Isaac Aldrich from Lodi. At a later date, Nathan's workshop served as a school room.

In 1816, Nathan opened the first tavern in the town and around this stopping place for travelers grew the village of Collins Center. In 1830, the year of Nathan's death, it was reopened by John C. Adams who soon changed it into a store.

George, Nathan's fourth son, was a boy of eight years when the family came to Collins. He remained on and eventually came into possession of the original home. Those persons bearing the King name in the town today are his descendants.

In a collection of George's time yellowed books and records now in the possession of his grandson and namesake, George King of Collins Center, are found the text books used in his school-teaching days. They are handwritten with elaborate captions and bear the date 1822.

An account book reveals that when he was poormaster in 1869, sugar was 18 cents per pound and candies were a frequent item in the relief orders drawn on the storekeepers, Joseph Mugridge, Thorn White and Addison Smith. There are records of an early library , which cover a period of 20 years. From them is learned that on June 17, 1825 a meeting of the inhabitants of Collins was held at the house of John C. Adams for the purpose of establishing a library which "shall be denominated the Franklin Library ," There method of regulating precedence in selection of books as outlined in the bylaws was simple. Numbers were taken from a hat "and the person who draws No.1 shall be entitled to the first choice of the books." Fines were imposed for damaging books or for keeping them over three months. Under the latter rule, many subscribers were delinquent, the most frequent appearing to be Philetus, Darius and Luke Crandall.

Under the date of September 30, 1838, Mark Peasley was fined 13 cents for "damaging the cover of Polar Seas and Region;" on December 24, 1837, Jehial Albee was charged 6 cents "for grease spot on book. " Another 6 cents was collected from Jonathan Sloan for "dirtying Revolutions in Europe on several pages." The literary tastes of the "forefathers of the hamlet" may be judged by the books, Thompson's Seasons, Life of Isaac Newton, Young's Night Thoughts, Works of Josephus and Homer's llliad. No title more frivolous than these appeared among the seventy-odd volumes in the Franklin Library .

Another interesting book contains the minutes of an association called the Phoenix Senior Band of Philo-Howards organized February 12, 1850 at the home of Addison Smith. The by-laws were read by Jos. S. O'Brian who "explained the objects of the society, showing the necessity of reform in our social intercourse and the good that might result from the same." At this meeting, "the following persons came forward and were made Philo-Howards in due form: Alexander M. Bruce, Jos. A. Smith, Mary J . Smith, Portia Conger and Abigall E. Cox. "

Membership in the Philo-Howard society evidently exacted some personal abstinences for at a meeting held at the home of A. G. Conger on the 18th of June 1850, " Abram and Elizabeth Southwick came forward and gave up their certificates rather than relinquish the use of tea and tobacco."

Programs consisted of "select pieces, essays and discussions of questions submitted by the members. There are records of addresses given by Edward Vail, Geo. King, Dr. Israel Congdon (Collins Center's fIrst physician), Dr. Wm. Sibley, Ebenzer Smith and others.

Subjects brought up for discussion had a wide range: "Which do mankind stand in the most need of at the present day, moral or physical education?" "Is it right for Philo-Howards to attend circuses and horse races?" Why do bright tin pans protect plants from freezing while rusty ones do not?" "Why do some folks swear when mad?"

George King was Captain King to the men who participated in general training on the Zoar flats a century ago.

In the days when the institution of slavery began to be questioned, he is said to have been the fIrst man in Collins to espouse the abolition cause and he cast the town's first vote in that direction. "He was laughed at, says Luzeme Clark, a veteran of the Rebellion. "But he lived to see the slaves free."

When war came, two of his sons, Ransome G. and John T. entered the service.

"What's in a name?" To a small group in this King family, its name is not altogether without significance, for believe it or not, through a maternal ancestor its lineage runs back a thousand years to the Saxon kings.

HISTORY OF SCRABBLE HILL Hardy Pioneers Who Came from The East by Oxcart or Afoot To Carve Homes Out of Tangled Wilderness By Carlotta Wood and Nora Johnson Brown August 26, 1937 Contributed by Marilyn Bobseine <markelbob@webtv.net> Nathaniel Knight

Half of the land cleared by John Mills was in time sold to Nathaniel Knight and the remainder became the Ferris farm, passing later to a Ferris son-in-Iaw, John Randall, and is now owned by Orrin Mesch. Nathaniel came to the locality in 1818, followed by his brother, Avery and other members of the Knight clan. His integrity and ability were soon recognized. He became the town's second supervisor, holding the office eight years, and in 1830m was elected to the Assembly-the first member from the southern part of the county .Be was a leader in all church and educational movements, tilled his fields, untangled his neighbors' legal problems and found time to play the clarinet. A descendant relates how, in the days when a night alarm might mean anything from a wolf in the cow-pen to an S. 0. S. from the stork, the Knight household was aroused from slumber to find a pair of lovers mounted on a house, importuning Nathaniel to arise a perform the marriage ceremony. Sleepily, he complied and and they rode happily away into the darkness. Before the roads route was changed in 1838, the Knight homestead, now owned by Mrs. Louise Knuth, was situated on the main highway between Collins Center and Springville. The Knights came from the vicinity of Cooperstown, as did the Bolt, Graham, and Reynolds families. The fathers of Joseph Bolt and James Fenimore Cooper were friends and neighbors and lie in neighboring graves in the old cemetery in Cooperstown, where their respective grandparents were the first settlers-Joe's father being the second child born in the settlement. Joseph Holt was a charter member of the Friendship Lodge, 1.0. 0. F ., of Collins Center, which was organized in 1851. Being unmarried, he lived with his uncle-in-law, Austin Graham, who, plying his trade of shoemaker, kept the Hill folk shod.

1847-Amanda Herrick. S. Carey Adams, second son of John C. Adams who followed his brother-in-law , Nathaniel Knight, to Collins. Carey became a carpenter but forsook the craft for law. Rising rapidly through the offices of supervisor, assemblyman, deputy county clerk and deputy collector of customs, he finally became legal advisor to Buffalo's then leading commission house, Pratt and co. He died in 1896.

Collins Center M. E. Church Since Its Beginning as a Methodist Society About 1823, This Has passed Through more Than a Century of Success and Happiness, Trials Tribulations By Carlotta Wood and Nora Johnson Brown October 16, 1936 Contributed by Marilyn Bobseine <markelbob@webtv.net>

Collins Center Society The Rev. John Copeland in the Reynolds schoolhouse on Scrabble Hill organized the Methodist Society of Collins Center about 1823. John Adams was its first leader, followed by Nathaniel Knight. Among the members were Mrs. Adams, Mr. and Mrs. Tabor, and Mr. and Mrs. Nehemiah Heath. Another class was formed in Collins Center, with -----------the leader.

Martin Potter Running true to the faith of his Puritan ancestry, Martin Potter, 32- year-old "mechanic" from Saratoga County, was a Presbyterian. His wife's name was Prudence when the land for the meeting-house was legally made over to the church trustees, J. C. Adams, N. Knight, Andrew Hall, William Stephenson and C. B. Parkinson, but in the census records of 1855 she is listed as Mary. Inasmuch as now his $800 frame dwelling held two daughters, Caroline and Marcia Starr, it may be assumed that Prudence had passed and he had married the widow Starr .He was a long-time resident of Gowanda and kin of Lieutenant William Potter, whose widow, Mary Wilbur Potter, lived her last years on Quaker street in Collins. . When carpentry on the church had reached the stage of framework, roof, clapboards, doors, windows and rough board floor, the money was exhausted, zeal had waned and work stopped. However, seats of unfinished boards were installed and the building was occasionally used for meetings, mostly Methodist or anti-slavery .The structure stood thus for ten years, slowly gathering about it a little group of graves marked by brown stones from the fields. In an old record book are found the minutes of a meeting held here on July 7th, 1840: " At a meeting of the male members of the first society and congregation of the M. E. Church in Collins held at the meeting-house agreeable to notice required by law for the purpose of reincorporating said society , Eli Heath and Abraham Reynolds were chosen to preside at said meeting and to receive the votes, etc. On counting the votes, it appeared that Nathaniel Knight, Enoch Randall, Orton Knight, Eli Heath and Abraham Reynolds were elected trustees and on clapping it appeared that N. Knight was chosen for one year, 0. Knight and A. Reynolds for two years and E. Randall and E Heath for three years.-Francis Knight---Clerk".

L. W. Brignall Leland Wellington Brignall, boyish and enthusiastic, was the nest ecclesiastical appointee. His well-remembered insistence upon prefixing "First" to Methodist Episcopal, in referring to the church, was not without precedent. It is so des in the deed of the premises ---in 1864 by Anson G. Conger trustees of the "First Methodist Church of Collins Center', for use and. benefit of its members, divided, nevertheless," the document continues, that premises shall at all times be granted to anyone who paid anything toward said house and premises." As the church had been standing on this site for thirty years and this is the first legal paper possessed by the society, it must be assumed that it was drawn to replace the one lost or destroyed, given, presumably by Nathaniel Knight. The driveway was purchased in 1870 for the sum of $5.00 L. W. Brignall gave place, in 1916, to Charles Carpenter, who stayed four years. He was born in Marilla, N. Y., in 1866 and died in 1934. His four children were graduated from their father's alma mater, the Seminary at Lima. Both Frederick and Louis entered the ministry.

History of the Original Town of Concord being the present towns of Concord, Collins, No. Collins and Sardina. Erie County, New York By Erasmus Briggs 1881

1820 - Nathaniel Knight and John Griffith were appointed as Magistrates for the new formed Town of Collis.

1823 & 1837 Nathaniel Knight is one of the Tax Assessors for the Town of Collins.

1824 - 1832 He was elected as Town Supervisor of Collins.

LAND:History of the Original Town of Concord being the present towns of Concord, Collins, No. Collins and Sardina. Erie County, New York By Erasmus Briggs 1881 Page 575 - 576 Deeds Given by the Holland Company Township Six, Range Seven Lot Acres Subdivision Date of Deed Name 84 53 s-e pt Sept. 24, 1834 Nathaniel Knight 75 175 e pt July, 2, 1822 Nathaniel Knight

TAXES: History of the Original Town of Concord being the present towns of Concord, Collins, No. Collins and Sardina. Erie County, New York By Erasmus Briggs 1881 Page 553 Copy of the Assessment Roll of the Town of Collins for the year 1823. Township Six, Range Seven Name Land Acres Val. Tax Nathaniel Knight m & s-w pt I 75 165 565 4 35

CENSUS: 1840 United States Federal Census Name: Nathaniel Knight Township: Collins County: Erie State: New York Source Citation: Year: 1840; Census Place: , Erie, New York; Roll: 280; Page: 150.

1850 United States Federal Census Name: Nathaniel Knight Age: 58 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1792 Birth Place: New York Gender: Male Home in 1850(City,County,State): Collins, Erie, New York Source Citation: Year: 1850; Census Place: Collins, Erie, New York; Roll: M432_499; Page: 296; Image: 267.

1860 United States Federal Census Name: Nathaniel Knight Age in 1860: 67 Birth Year: abt 1793 Birthplace: New York Home in 1860: Collins, Erie, New York Gender: Male Post Office: Collins Center Household Members: Name Age Nathaniel Knight 67 Humphrey Russel 31 Antoinette Russel 30 Casper Russel 11 Caleb Knight 32 Margaret Thielman 21 Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: Collins, Erie, New York; Roll: M653_751; Page: 130; Image: 135.

LAND: History of the Original Town of Concord being the present towns of Concord, Collins, No. Collins and Sardina. Erie County, New York By Erasmus Briggs 1881 Page 163 The Early Land Owners Names of Persons Buying Land from the Holland Compay. Township Six, Range Seven Name Date Land Acres Price Nathaniel Knight 1823 Aug, 14 pt I 81 60 240 Nathaniel Knight 1823, Feb, 15. s-w pt I 75 110 440 Nathaniel Knight 1823, Mar, 3. s-e pt I 84 50 200 Nathaniel Knight 1837, July, 5. pt I 63 50 200

History of the Original Town of Concord Being the present towns of Concord, Collins, N. Collins and Sardinia, Erie County, New York By Erasmus Briggs Rochester, N.Y. Union and Advertiser Company's Print. 1883 Deeds Given by the Holland Company Collins Township Six - Range Eight LOT ACRES SUBDIVISION DATE OF DEED NAME 60 161 n pt Jan. 9 1836 Orton J. Knight 53 63 s-e pt Nov. 16, 1835 Orton J. Knight 53 42 e m pt Dec. 3, 1829 Avery Knight 53 29 n pt Oct. 6, 1835" Avery Knight Township Six - Range Seven 84 53 s-e pt Sept. 24, 1834 Nathaniel Knight 84 84 e m pt Mar. 10, 1841 Francis L. Knight 85 135 m pt April 28, 1837 Orton J. Knight