Person:Webster Knight (9)

m. 27 Jan 1881
  1. Robert Lippitt Knight1883 - 1962
  2. Adelaide Knight1885 - 1948
Facts and Events
Name Webster Knight
Gender Male
Birth[1] 10 Aug 1854 Cranston, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Marriage 27 Jan 1881 Providence, Providence, Rhode Islandto Sarah Waldo Lippitt
Death[1] 30 Jun 1933 Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Burial[1] Swan Point Cemetery, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United StatesHistorical Cemetery #PV003
References
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Grave recorded, in Find A Grave
    [Includes headstone photo], last accessed May 2017.
  2.   Wilbor, John Reid. The Wildbores in America : a family tree. (St. Paul, Minnesota: J.R. Wilbor, c1907)
    3:103 ; 4:131.
  3.   .

    Who's Who in New England
    Edited by Albert Nelson Marquis
    Second Edition, 1916
    Chicago: A. N. Marquis & Company, Publishers
    Page 641

    Knight, Webster, mfr.; b. Providence, R.I., Aug. 10, 1854; s. Robert and Josephine L. (Webster) Knight; descendant of Richard Knight, of Newport, R.I., 1648; A.B., Brown U., 1876; m. Sarah Waite Lippitt, of Providence, Jan. 27, 1881; 2 children, Robert Lippitt, Adeladie. Mem. B. R. & R. Knight, mfrs. sheetings and shirtings; also dir. R.I. Hosp. Trust Co., Phoenix Nat. Bank. Peoples Savings Bank, Manufactures Mut. Fire Ins. Co., Providence Mut., Fire Ins. Co., R.I. Mut. Fire Ins.C., Mechanics Mut. Fire Ins. Co., State Mut. Fire Ins. Co., Enterprise Mut. Fire Ins. Co., Am. Mut. Fire Ins. Co. Mem Warwick Town Council 11 yrs. (pres. 4 yrs.); Rep. Presdl elector, 1904. Mem. Providence Chamber of Commerce. Mem. staff of Gov. Charles Warren Lippitt with rank of col., 1895, 1896; asst. q.-m. gen., C.N.G., 1897-11. Episcopalian. Clubs: University Squantum Assn., Turks Head. Recreations: fishing, hunting. Home: 118 Princeton Av., Providence, R.I.; (summer) Natick, R.I. Office: 3 Washington Row, Providence, Rhode Island.

  4.   .

    The Providence Society Blue Book
    Including suburbs in Rhode Island together with Fall River
    and the Attleboros, Mass.
    Elite Family Directory
    Club Membership
    1905 - Page 58

    Knight, Mr. and Mrs. Webster
    118 Princeton avenue
    Sum. Res.: Natick, R. I.
    Mr. Robert L. Knight
    Miss Adelaide Knight
    Mrs., nee Lippitt (18)
    Mr. (49-68-79-88)

  5.   .

    The Rhode Island Register for the year 1856.
    By George Adams
    Volume II - Providence
    Gladding & Brother; George H. Whitney
    1856
    Register County of Providence
    Sheldon Knight
    Justice of the Peace - Cranston
    Sheldon Knight
    City of Providence
    Robert Knight - Jabez C. Knight
    Westerly
    Jed W. Knight
    Rhode Island Militia
    A. E. Burnside, Major General of the Militia
    First Light Infantry Company, Providence
    Lieutenant Colonel, Sylvester R. Knight

    Banks in Providence
    Atlantic Bank - 48 Broad Street.
    Robert Knight - Director

    Bank of Commerce - 4 Market Square
    Jabez C. Knight - Director

    Butchers' and Drovers' Bank - 25 Broad St.
    B. B. Knight - President - Director
    W. Knight - Cashier

    High Street Bank - 154 High Street.
    Robert Knight - President - Director

    Mount Vernon Bank - 37 Westminster Street
    Robert Knight - Director

    Roger Williams Bank - 23 Market Square
    Jabez C. Knight - President - Director

    Elmwood Bank. - Elmwood, Cranston
    Robert Knight - Director

    Landholders' Bank, - Kingston, South Kingston
    David B. Knight - Director

    Mechanics' Savings Bank. - 41 Westminster St., Providence
    Henry P. Knight - Director
    People's Savings Bank. - 4 Market Square, Providence
    Jabez C. Knight - Director

    Insurance Companies

    Fireman's Mutual Insurance Company
    2 Market Square, Providence
    Benjamin B. Knight - Director

    Merchants' Insurance Company
    20 Market Square, Providence
    Jabez C. Knight - Director

    Roger Williams Insurance Company
    15 Market Square, Providence
    B. B. (Benjamin Brayton) Knight - Director

    Butler Hospital
    Jabez C. Knight - Director

    Cranston, Providence
    City Council (Probate) - Sheldon Knight

    Foster, Providence
    City Council (Probate) - Olney Knight

    Johnston, Providence
    City Council (Probate) - Charles Knight

    Coventry, Blacksmith - Alfred W. Knight
    Scituate, Bobbin Makers - Robert Knight
    Foster, Carpenter - Ezra Knight
    West Greenwich, Carpenter - Nathan Knight
    West Greenwich, Carpenter - Olney Knight
    Coventry, Carriage & Coach Builders - Caleb Knight
    Lime Rock, Cooper - John Knight
    Scituate, Grist Mill - Richmond M. Knight
    Providence, Grocer (Retail) - William A. Knight
    Pawtucket, Millinery & Fancy Goods - Mrs. Henry Knight
    Scituate, Saw Mill - Richmond M. Knight
    Scituate, Saw Mill - Wm. W. Knight

  6.   .

    List of United States Citizens
    Sailing on the: S.S. Baltic
    Sailing From: Liverpool, August 2nd, 1924
    Arriving at Port of: New York, August 11th, 1925

    Knight, Webster
    Shown as a 69 year old, married, male, who resides in Providence, R.I., who was born 14 November 1854, whose address is P.O. Box 530 Providence, R.I.

  7.   .

    CENSUS: 1860 United States Federal Census
    Name: Webster Knight
    Age in 1860: 5
    Birth Year: abt 1855
    Birthplace: Rhode Island
    Home in 1860: Cranston, Providence, Rhode Island
    Gender: Male
    Post Office: Knightsville
    Household Members: Name Age
    Robert Knight 33
    Josephine W Knight 31
    Josephine E Knight 10
    Webster Knight 5
    Harriet L Knight 1
    Martha Obrien 21
    Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: Cranston, Providence, Rhode Island; Roll: M653_1206; Page: 259; Image: 176.

  8.   .

    1870 United States Federal Census
    Name: Webster Knight
    Estimated birth year: abt 1855
    Age in 1870: 15
    Birthplace: Rhode Island
    Home in 1870: Providence Ward 9, Providence, Rhode Island
    Race: White
    Gender: Male
    Post Office: Providence
    Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Providence Ward 9, Providence, Rhode Island; Roll: M593_1480; Page: 398; Image: 257.

  9.   .

    1880 United States Federal Census
    Name: Webster Knight
    Home in 1880: Providence, Providence, Rhode Island
    Age: 25
    Estimated birth year: abt 1855
    Birthplace: Rhode Island
    Relation to head-of-household: Son
    Father's name: Robert
    Father's birthplace: Rhode Island
    Mother's name: Josephine W.
    Mother's birthplace: Connecticut
    Neighbors: View others on page
    Occupation: Clerk In Store
    Marital Status: Single
    Race: White
    Gender: Male

    Household Members: Name Age
    Robert Knight 54
    Josephine W. Knight 51
    Josephine E. Knight 30
    Webster Knight 25
    Prescott C. Knight 18
    Sophie Knight 14
    Edith Knight 9
    Elizabeth Jones 58
    Bridget Brady 23
    Frank Shute 26
    Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Providence, Providence, Rhode Island; Roll: T9_1213; Family History Film: 1255213; Page: 257.2000; Enumeration District: 47; .

  10.   .

    1900 United States Federal Census
    Name: Webster Knight
    Home in 1900: Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island
    Age: 45
    Estimated birth year: abt 1855
    Birthplace: Rhode Island
    Relationship to head-of-house: Head
    Spouse's name: Sarah
    Race: White
    Occupation: Manufacture Cotton Goods

    Household Members: Name Age
    Webster Knight 45
    Sarah Knight 42
    Robert L Knight 17
    Adelaide Knight 14
    Josephine Abbott 43
    Caroline Carlson 27
    Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island; Roll: T623 1504; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 208.

  11.   .

    1910 United States Federal Census
    Name: Webster Knight
    Age in 1910: 55
    Estimated birth year: abt 1855
    Birthplace: Rhode Island
    Relation to Head of House: Head
    Father's Birth Place: Rhode Island
    Mother's Birth Place: Connecticut
    Spouse's name: Sarah A
    Home in 1910: Providence Ward 5, Providence, Rhode Island
    Marital Status: Married
    Race: White
    Gender: Male

    Household Members: Name Age
    Webster Knight 55
    Sarah A Knight 52
    Adelaide Knight 24
    Carolina F Carlson 37
    Ida C Johnson 39
    Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Providence Ward 5, Providence, Rhode Island; Roll: T624_1443; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 198; Image: 502.

  12.   .

    1920 United States Federal Census
    Name: Webster Knight
    Home in 1920: Providence Ward 7, Providence, Rhode Island
    Age: 65 years
    Estimated birth year: abt 1855
    Birthplace: Rhode Island
    Relation to Head of House: Head
    Spouse's name: Sarah W
    Father's Birth Place: Rhode Island
    Mother's Birth Place: Connecticut
    Marital Status: Married
    Race: White
    Sex: Male
    Home owned: Rent
    Able to read: Yes
    Able to Write: Yes
    Image: 1007

    Household Members: Name Age
    Webster Knight 65
    Sarah W Knight 61
    Adalade Knight 34
    Agusta Anderson 43
    Esther Ekholm 24
    Source Citation: Year: 1920;Census Place: Providence Ward 7, Providence, Rhode Island; Roll: T625_1677; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 259; Image: 1007.

  13.   .

    1930 United States Federal Census
    Name: Webster Knight
    Home in 1930: Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island
    Age: 75
    Estimated birth year: abt 1855
    Birthplace: Rhode Island
    Relation to Head of House: Head
    Spouse's name: Sarah W
    Race: White
    Occupation:

    Household Members: Name Age
    Webster Knight 75
    Sarah W Knight 72
    Adelaide Knight 44
    Source Citation: Year: 1930; Census Place: Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island; Roll: 2169; Page: 35A; Enumeration District: 8; Image: 70.0.

  14.   .

    PASSPORT: U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925
    Name: Webster Knight
    Birth Date: 10 Aug 1854
    Birth Place: Elmwood Jonn of Canston, Rhode Island
    Residence: Natick Warwick, Rhode Island
    Passport Issue Date: 22 May 1924
    Father Name: Robert Knight
    Father's Birth Location: Warwick, Rhode Island
    Father's Residence: Dead
    Passport Includes a Photo: Y
    Source: Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925 (M1490)
    Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2007.
    Original data: Passport Applications, 1795-1905; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1372, 694 rolls); General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
    Passport Applications, January 2, 1906-March 31, 1925; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1490, 2740 rolls); General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59; National Archives, Washington, D.C. Registers and Indexes for Passport Applications, 1810-1906; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1371, rolls 1-3, 13); General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59; National Archives, Washington, D.C. Emergency Passport Applications (Passports Issued Abroad), 1877-1907; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1834, 56 rolls); General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

  15.   .

    BIOGRAPHY: http://www.riverpointlace.com/lippitt_mill_history.htm
    Lippitt Mill and Related Textile History
    By: J.E. Hayes, III

    In 1912 Robert Knight died, leaving his son Webster Knight as senior member of the firm. Webster was unable to handle the complex workings of the textile industry, and on October 1st, 1920, by family agreement, the company was sold for $18 million dollars. The new owners, Consolidated Textiles Corporation, reorganized the new B.B. and R. Knight, Inc., with 14 mills and a bleachery.

    Along with the buildings and property went the highly recognized Fruit of the Loom seal.

    Two months later the cotton market collapsed, due mainly to the reawakening of the European textile industry. Grasping at the slim possibility of profitable operation, the new firm cut wages in the Valley by 22.5 percent in the summer of 1921. On Jan. 20, 1922, the wages were cut another 20 percent.

    Three days later, just as the power was turned on in the morning, the operatives of the Royal Mill walked out. Later that day two more mills shut down; 1,961 people were now striking. By Jan. 24, every mill in the Valley, including Lippitt Mill, had closed because of the strike. More than 2,874 operatives were now on the street.

  16.   .

    Taken from The Pawtuxet Valley Historian, Volume 18, Issue 8.
    March Meeting 2005
    Dr. Thomas SEPE, President of CCRI, graciously stepped in as speaker to replace Julie White who had another commitment. Dr. Sepe lives on campus in the house that was once part of the KNIGHT Estate. Although the house has been well maintained, the outbuildings have suffered from years of neglect. A commission has been established to research the historical significance of the property and to obtain funding to restore the buildings.

    The following, taken from the hand-out given to those who attended the meeting, briefly explains who the Knights were and how they impacted Rhode Island economy:

    "The Knights, one of Rhode Island's most prominent families during the 19th century, made their fortune in the textile industry. Their most well-known contribution was the Fruit of the Loom brand.

    The Knight family entered the textile industry in 1848 when they brought nearby Pontiac Mills. In 1873, another prominent Rhode Island family, the Sprague's, met with financial ruin. Robert and Benjamin Brayton KNIGHT acquired the SPRAGUE's mills as well as this "mansion estate" in 1875.

    According to the Warwick City Historian, the brothers converted the property into a model "gentleman's farm". The Knights operated this working farm until they deeded it and the surrounding acreage to the state for the birth of a community college in the 1960's."

    On the twenty of so acres that comprise the estate, there is a cider mill, a two-story building constructed of stone and mortar, that housed horse-powered apple presses; a greenhouse with an attached potting shed and central heat; a water tower, which sits on its original stone foundation, on about 200 square feet of land (it was built to provide gravity-fed water from artesian wells); a two-story carriage house and barn that original carriages from the KNIGHT family; a corn crib that was used to store corn to feed the prized Ayrshire cattle and Morgan horses; box stalls and a tack room that housed the Knight's prized horses; and a hen house believed to have been built as a barn for pigs.

    The house was built in 1835 by A.W. Sprague. When the Knights acquired the property Robert L. KNIGHT, one of the principals in the B.B. & Knight Company was the first occupant (1812 to 1912) and his sons, Webster Knight, occupied the residence from 1854 to 1933.

    The estate is secluded from the campus by the road that leads to the main building. President SEPE is 100% behind the restoration and looks forward to the day when the public can be invited to share in the property's unique history and the beautiful surroundings reminiscent of a working farm, part of a gentleman's estate in the 19th century.