Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-01-20
TRACING FAMILY HISTORY.
BY ]. o. Knott.

AS the editor of the Register has
seen tit 10 take pleasure in some ar
tIcles which | have been glad TO send
nlm, thrown of In moments of relaxa-
ton to rest myself from more exacting
duties, am going TO ask him to print
TINS communication as one which con-
Germs largely just ons family, Though
a large one) in our county and in fact
in the entire country. On the other
hand, the communication will demon
strate principles which may be useful
for others 10 put into practice in discov-
ering family history.
Some years ago, on a steamer going
UP the Atlantic Coast, ! was thrown
with one Rev. J. W. Mott. He was at
tracted by my name and we talked fam
~ history. From him | learned tina;
Mott" and Knott" were originally the
same. He also put me wise TO much
that | afterwards followed up TO salts
factory conclusions.
At another time | talked with Mr.
Miller Knott. OF Altoona, Pa, and got
certain traditions which were sug-
gestive, but which found were not to
be verified by history.
Later, about fifteen years ago, met
A. Leo Knott, of Baltimore, who has
of the Knott family from early colonial
write that history. saying: 81 am old
but you are young. Write it for his
tory's sake. The Knott family is, be-
lieve, the Oldest one now extant in the
United States. If there is an older
one ! do not know of it," He also
told me Of the books to consult and
told me of his own collection Of facts
in volume that cost him $50 to COM
pile.
| had before saw Mr. Leo Knott
made tour or two to Europe and had
always made independent investga-
tions as to the family name while
there. found TO be true what | had
heard, namely, that Yorkshire, England,
is full of Knots. | also discovered
that Knott and Knudt were probably
the same name.
Since then have at odd times made
notes as | read books or saw people
until have probably the most informa-
ton on the subject of the Knott fam
lily OF any one now living in this coun.
try. My immediate family in West
Virginia, seeing little pamphlet which
| compiled some years ago, thought
that ! had gone to the wrong sources
for information. They do not know
my idea. care very little for the
immediate ancestry Of bur branch OF
the family. have that included in
the larger plan. My purpose has been
to establish, as an interesting historical
| fact, that the family is probably the
oldest now living in the United States
And there is good reason to believe
it. Even young Rolfe, son of POGO
hontaS, lived in England. where lie wad
born, some time before he came to this
cosntry, TO become the ancestor of thai
H'r1C-..j tribe that claims TO be
escenGants from the Indian maid"
James Knott, Gent, had his trunk I'M
packed, and was down to business
| rearing a large family and owning
much land, when young Rolfe came to
America to set up his aristocratic
family. The fact is, the early settlers
of jamestown, for most part. died out
or became as families extinct. lanes
| Knott, aged %, and coming on the
steamer. George" landed in what was
| then Accomac, Va, in October, 1917
/ just three years before the "Mayflow-
err touched Plymouth Rock. lanes
'knot'S history is an open book no all
who viii read. His name is among
the first families of Virginia" and in
all the early records of MARYLAND
lie died AT about 81 years old, very
wealthy, having been a close friend OF
I Governor Calvert of Maryland, and
with his name and influence felt in all
Virginia and Maryland
From this one man came all the
Knots of Virginia and MARYLAND, in
Guiding Pennsylvania. From this
ea5 ern Country they spread and multi
/ 0llct unit! they are everywhere in our
land. In my Chautauqua work this
past summer found them in Kentucky
and TennesSee-bu all from Virginia
and MARYLAND originally. Proctor
knott'S folks are still in Lebanon, XIV.
and no finer people live in the Blue
/ Grass State.
have now established beyond doubl
that Knott" and "Knudt" are the
same and the fact can Be found in the
most authentic books in the Library OF
Congress. With the establishment Of
lniS TACT goes another, namely. that
! hnudt is one OF the oldest of the fam
HES OF England, coming over with
the Danish invasion.
English families have delighted TO
trace there ancestry to the time of the
coming william the Conqueror. But
the knOttS were old and established
n England when William landed there
!hey had been among those who had
conquered in part England's first erea.
hing, Alfred. AS one of the records
saw not long ago says: when the
hnudts came to England, the KNOTS
came with them, and have been with Us
ever since"
Had ! the time | could show the
trend OF the Seafaring tendency in thr
hnctt family. AS the progeny of tn,
Old Danish sea dogs, these hardy me
OF later days were sea captains and mer
VINO worked with ships and steamship
mes. Abraham, John, and Joseph
Nnou are all recorded in the DAYS q
the first settlement of this CONN.,,