Lydia (Bishop) Knowlton (1701 - aft. 1743)

Born 8 Aug 1701 in Manchester, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Wife of Robert (Knolton) Knowlton — married 24 Dec 1724 in Manchester, Essex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, New England

Descendants

Died after 1743 after age 41 in Manchester, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Susan Anderson [send private message]

Biography

Lydia (or Lidiah) Bishop was born in Manchester on 8 Aug 1701. She was the daughter of John and Anna Bishop.^[1]

Lydia married Robert Knowlton in Manchester, Essex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, on 24 Dec 1724.^[2] Lydia and Robert had eight children, all registered in Manchester:

• Lydia Knowlton (b. 24 Jul 1725)^[3]
• Sarah Knolten (b. 11 Mar 1726/7)^[4]
• Anna Knowlton (b. 22 Sep 1729)^[5]
• Rachel Knolton (b. 26 Feb 1730/1)^[6]
• Robert Knolten (b. 22 Apr 1733)^[7]
• Mary Knowlton (b. 2 Apr 1735)^[8]
• Ezekiel Knowlton (b. 1 Apr 1740)^[9]
• John Knowlton (b. 22 Jul 1742;^[10] d. 29 Jun 1748)^[11]

No documentation has been found for Lydia Bishop Knowlton's date or place of death. The date given here is an estimate based on the date of birth of her last known child, in 1742. The place estimated for her place of death is where she had always lived.

Research Notes

Anna's Parents

Torrey's entry for Lydia's parents is brief:^[12]

BISHOP, John (-1733) & Anna/Ann ____; by 1695; Manchester {Essex Ant. 8:126; Driver 94}

Based on the probate papers for John Bishop (see below), Torrey was off by a couple of years on his date of death: he died between 6 Jun 1730 and 17 Aug 1730.

Nine other children were born to John and Anna Bishop in Manchester:

• Anna Bishop (b. 5 Oct 1695)^[13]
• Rachel Bishop (b. 13 Dec 1698)^[14]
• John Bishop (b. 22 Nov 1703)^[15]
• Mary Bishop (b. 24 Jul 1706)^[16]
• Sarah Bishop (b 15 Sep 1708)^[17] Note: Not mentioned in father's will, 1730.
• Prudence Bishop (b. 21 May [Mar.?] 1712/3)^[18]
• Jeminah Bishup (b. 17 Jun 1715;^[19] d. 2 Apr 1760, Manchester)^[20]
• Richard Bishup (b. 22 Sep 1717)^[21] Note: Not mentioned in father's will, 1730.
• Elizabeth Bishup (b. 10 Jul 1720)^[22] Note: Not mentioned in father's will, 1730.

It is possible that Lydia's father was John, son of Thomas Bishop and Lydia Norman, born on 17 Oct 1667, in Manchester.^[23] In support of this theory: Anon., "Descendants of John Bishop of Salem," p. 126.

Lydia's mother, Anna (or Annah) (Unknown), could have been born in about 1675, which would have made her about 45 years old when she bore her youngest child in 1720.

The John Bishop who was Lydia Bishop Knowlton's father was a cooper in Manchester, who died after 6 Jun 1730, which was the date of his will,^[24] and before his will was proven on 17 Aug 1730.^[25] Heirs listed in the will:

• Anna Bishop, wife
• John Bishop, son
• Anne Worlace [Wallace or Wallase], daughter
• Rachel Driver, daughter
• Lydia Knowlton, daughter
• Mary Bear [or Bare], daughter
• Prudence Bishop, daughter
• Jemima Bishop, daughter (who was not expected to marry or to be able to support herself; her father paid particular attention in his will to ensuring that she would be supported by her siblings for her lifetime)

In addition, there was a specified piece of cloth, in Anna Bishop's hands, which was not to be considered part of his estate but was to be given to Assarias Allen. The witnesses to the will were Jabez Dodge, Benjamin Allen, Jonathan Allen, and Richerd Day.

The probate papers of Thomas Bishop (d. 15 Oct 1694, Manchester), possible father of this John Bishop, shed no light on whether his son, John, was the father of this Lydia Bishop.^[26] In particular, the Administration Bond, which often lists the occupation of both the petitioner(s) and the sureties, does not do so in this case.^[27] John, son of Thomas, was, however, involved with settling his father's estate, so he was alive, adult and in Manchester in 1694.

Note on Profile History

This profile was previously Unknown-49108. Based on the documentation presented above, it was determined that her LNAB was Bishop and that she was the daughter of John and Anna Bishop, who were living in Manchester at the time of her birth.

Additional evidence is found in John Bishop's will (cited above), which names, among his daughters, Lydia Knowlton.

Sources

1. ↑ "Bishop, Lidiah, d. John and Annah, Aug. 8, 1701:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 27 (accessed 8 May 2018).
2. ↑ "Knowlton, Rob[er]t, and Lydia Bishop, Dec. 24, 1724; intention also recorded: Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Marriages, p. 143 (accessed 8 May 2018).
3. ↑ "Knowlton, Lydya, d. Robert and Lydia, July 24, 1725:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 72 (accessed 8 May 2018).
4. ↑ "Knolten, Sarah, d. Robert and Lydia, Mar. 11, 1726-7:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 71 (accessed 8 May 2018).
5. ↑ "Knowlton, Anna, d. Robert (Knolten) and Lydia, Sept. 22, 1729:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 72 (accessed 8 May 2018).
6. ↑ "Knolton, Rachal, d. Robert (Knolten) and Lydia, Feb. 26, 1730-31:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 71 (accessed 9 May 2018).
7. ↑ "Knolten, Robert, s. Robert and Lydia, Apr. 22, 1733:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 71 (accessed 8 May 2018).
8. ↑ "Knowlton, Mary, d. Robert and Lydia, Apr. 2, 1735:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 72 (accessed 8 May 2018).
9. ↑ "Knowlton, Ezekiel, s. Robert and Lydia, Apr. 1, 1740:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 72 (accessed 8 May 2018).
10. ↑ "Knowlton, John, s. Robert and Lydia, July 22, 1742:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 72 (accessed 8 May 2018).
11. ↑ "Kno[l]ton, John, s. Robert, June 29, 1748; duplicate record shows June 8, 1748," citing church records: "Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Deaths, p. 266 (accessed 9 May 2018).
12. ↑ Torrey, New England Marriages to 1700, vol. 1, p. 150 (accessed 9 May 2019).
13. ↑ "Bishop, Annah, d. John and Annah, Oct. 5, 1695:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 27 (accessed 9 May 2018).
14. ↑ "Bishop, Rachill, d. John and Annah, Dec. 13, 1698:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 27 (accessed 9 May 2018).
15. ↑ "Bishop, John, s. John and Annah, Nov. 22, 1703:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 27 (accessed 9 May 2018).
16. ↑ "Bishop, Mary, d. John and Annah, July 24, 1706:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 27 (accessed 9 May 2018).
17. ↑ "Bishop, Sarah, d. John and Annah, Sept. 15, 1708:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 27 (accessed 9 May 2018).
18. ↑ Bishop, Prudence, d. John and Annah, May 21, 1712-13:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 27 (accessed 9 May 2018).
19. ↑ "Bishup, Jeminah, d. John and Anne, June 17, 1715:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 27 (accessed 9 May 2018).
20. ↑ "Bishop, Jemima, Apr. 2, 1760, a. 44 y.:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Deaths, p. 240 (accessed 9 May 2018).
21. ↑ "Bishup, Recherd, s. John and Anne, Sept. 22, 1717:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 27 (accessed 9 May 2018).
22. ↑ Bishup, Elezebeth, d. John and Anne, July 10, 1720:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 27 (accessed 9 May 2018).
23. ↑ "Bishop, John, s. Thomas and Lidya, Oct. 17, 1667:" Massachusetts Vital Records Project, Manchester - Births, p. 27 (accessed 9 May 2018).
24. ↑ Last Will and Testament, John Bishop, dated 6 Jun 1730: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #2475 (accessed 9 May 2019).
25. ↑ Reverse of Last Will and Testament of John Bishop, with note of the court's date of acceptance on 17 Aug 1730: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #2475 (accessed 9 May 2018).
26. ↑ Essex County Probate File #2484 (accessed 9 May 2018).
27. ↑ Administration and Inventory Bond, dated 3 Dec 1794: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, #2484 (accessed 11 May 2018). The year on the document itself is partially illegible, but it appears legibly in a notation on the reverse side.

• Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) (subscription required)
• Torrey, C. A., New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. (subscription required)
• Vital Records of Manchester, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849, Published by The Essex Institute, Salem, MA: Newcomb & Gauss, Printers, 1903.