Person:John Knox (34)

The Steele Creek Historical and Genealogical Society Of the Old Steele Creek Township Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

THE KNOX FAMILY OF STEELE CREEK

The John and Sarah Knox family was among the first to settle in Steele Creek. Sarah died November 8, 1763, and is buried at Steele Creek Presbyterian Church. We learn from the book Passengers on the Wings of Time, by Margery S. Knox, that the known children consisted of John Knox (1722-1777) who married Ann (1729-1815); Samuel (1730-1800) who married Mary Taggard; David, James, Robert, and Matthew. There was one sister, Mary Knox, who married Alexander McKee who was from Pennsylvania. We also learn about this line from Samuel’s will, which is on file in the NC archive. The Mecklenburg Knox line should not be confused with the John Knox/Witherspoon/Gracy line of Rowan County or the James Knox/Craig and John Knox/Gaston lines of the Chester District of South Carolina. However, we do know that Dr. John Knox and Florence Neely of Steele Creek were from the Knox/Craig line of Chester. The Chester line is documented in the book Heritage History of Chester County, SC, 1982.

There are land grant records from the 1760 period indicating that John, Samuel, and Matthew had large acreage on the East side of the Catawba River in an area known as Johney’s Town.

We know a lot about the family of John and Ann Knox from his will filed in Mecklenburg Will Book D, pp.122-123 CR 065.801.19. Their children were: James (1758-1842) who married Hannah McFalls; Samuel (1763-1833) who married Agnes Nancy; Matthew, Joseph, John, Sarah, Mary, Elizabeth and Ann. James and Samuel have Revolutionary War records. Joseph moved to Tennessee in 1815. Some of the descendants of Samuel (b 1763) are buried at Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church.

The Samuel and Mary Knox line is also well researched by Louise Pettus. Samuel’s daughters were Jane, Sarah, and Mary. They married into the Pettus and Candlish families. These families remained in the area, and the lines and descendants are well documented by deeds and wills in the NC archives.

David Knox died a bachelor. Ms. Draper indicates he was known in his day as a bully who was fond of fisticuffs, fighting, and was hard to whip, reference Draper MSS. VV., Vol. 13, p. 12, John Rosser letter written September 13, 1878. At this time we do not have information on Robert’s descendants.

The children of Matthew Knox were Jane Knox Garrett, John T. Knox, James Knox, Margaret Knox Peck, and Elizabeth Knox Young. Slaves Aleck and Violet willed to his children were also mentioned in their wills. The children of John T. Knox (1730-April 26, 1800) and Celia Knox were John, William, Robert, Mary, Jane, and Nancy who married David Carothers (1782-1865) of lower Steele Creek. Celia remained single. William married Margaret Wilson and moved to Texas. Robert married Margaret Bain and was a founding Elder of Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church.

(510 Words) Submitted by Warren Woodrow Carothers, 1720 Willow Creek Drive, Columbia, South Carolina, 29212. Sources: Books/letters noted, NC Archives, Mecklenburg NC Will Abstracts by Ferguson, and records of Steele Creek and Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Churches.