Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1905-07-20
A Bit of Family History.

DEAR REGISTER During a 60
iourn in the vicinity of Baltimore, l
was requested by Mr.. A. Leo Knott,
formerly Assistant Postmaster under
Mr.. Cleveland, and also ex-States
Attorney of Maryland, to come to see
him. He and l had, for some time
past, worked on the problem of fami-
ly ancestory-I on the English end
Of the line and he on the American.
AS many of your readers are con-
nected with the rather numerous
Knott family in old Jefferson, I give
in brief some facts which are strictly
reliable.
The Knott family is English, and
came from Yorkshire. Ny own per-
sonal observation while in England
convinces me that the tradition which
says the family was Of Danish origin
is correct. II Knott was Mt original
ly Knudt, or Knute, the names come
of the same original stock. York.
shire, England, is literally full of
Knots. Knottingly, Nottingham and
many such places show the influence
of the name in very early times. l
propose to follow up this, if possible,
until can give the direct connection.
The Knutes are still in Denmark. a
lady from that country assured me
that there were mo finer people IN
Denmark than Count Kuutes folks.
The American ancestors can be
traced directly. Mr.. Leo Knott has
that without the loss of single link.
James Knott was the family ancestor.
He came to America in 1917, and set
tied in what Is now AcoOmao county,
Va, on tide-water. He had three
children, and obtained large grant
Of land from the King Of England, who
seems to have known him quite favor
ably, and in consequence of that grant
Of land, the Knott family crossed the
Chesapeake and settled in Charles
county, Nd. James Knott afterwards
returned to Virginia and died and
was buried there. The children and
their descendants, being in a Roman
Catholic community, married, many
of them, into that church. Hence
the Catholic branch Of the family to
which Mr.. Leo Knott belongs.
The immediate ancestors of the
Knots of Jefferson come of st. Ma
rvs county, Nd, just adjoining
Charles, and seem not to have been
Catholics.
The wife of Samuel Knott, the
founder of the Jefferson family Of
Knots, was of Swiss origin, and sprang
from the Lochers. Maj. John Knott,
who was killed in the civil war, bore
the name "Locher" from his mother s
people.
From this bit of history some GU
rious things are learned. The Danes
are sea,faring people the Knots
of England lived near the sea they
had much to do with constructing ves-
sells in early times to carry settlers to
this country. James Knott settled
on tide-water and lived and died
there, while his immediate descend
ants lived, ain sight of the bay
The Jefferson Knots have lived on
the Potomac and have followed "boat-
ing" from the days Of old.
There is furthermore a strange COM
bination of Virginia and Maryland in
the family. They have lived on the
borderlands of the two States since
1917. If not in the technical sense
F. F. VS. they are E. F. V's-earliest
of the families of Virginia and OF
Maryland. Jamestown was settled
in 1907, and Maryland in 1888.
James Knott was on the ground of
both States soon after a landing in
each had been made. His descend
ants have fought in every important
war this country has carried on, and
are Americans through and through
as well as Southerners from the be-
ginning.
J.O. KNOTT.
,-,,,Eo,, ",