William Knowlton (bef. 1604 - bef. 1655)

Born before 18 Mar 1604 in Uxbridge, Middlesex, England

Descendants

Died before 26 Jun 1655 at about age 51 in Massachusetts Bay Colony

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William Knowlton migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Birth

William was born before his baptism on 18 Mar. 1603/4 in Uxbridge St. Margaret, England, son of Robert Knowlton (abt.1565-1634) and Mary (Unknown) Knowlton (bef.1570-1621).^[1] (See the Research Note Disputed Origins - Stocking Discredited section below for disputed origins based on Stocking's fabricated story.)

Immigration and New England Life

It is unknown exactly when William arrived in America, but the first record of him in New England is his appearance on the list of those who had right to the comonage in Ipswich as of 31 Dec. 1641.^[2]

On 28 Feb 1643 William sold land to Edward Bragg: "William Knowlton, bricklayer, which he bought of John Andrews . . . adjoining other lands of said Knowlton which he bought of William Lampson and William Storey, having a lane leading towards the house of Joseph Metcalf towards the east and the Ipswich River toward the west."^[3]

In October 1643 he was listed among those who had not forfeited their powder to the town.^[4]

In the Ipswich court of 30 Jan 1647/8 "Will Knoulton" was a witness in which "Goodwife (also widow) Andrews admonished for cursing and reviling her son-in-law, Umphrey Griffin" and also in which "Umphrey Griffin of Ipswich presented for reviling his wife's mother."^[5]

Marriage and Family

William married Elizabeth (Unknown) sometime around 1640. There are no birth or baptism records for their children, but in a request by Thomas Knowlton (William's brother) in 1691 Thomas said that "his brother William...[left] a widow and seven children."^[6] Their oldest child, Thomas, is named in a deed between Thomas Knowlton and "Thomas Knowlton Junr. my Bro. Williams eldest son,"^[7] and in a deed between Nathaniel Knowlton (William's nephew through William's brother John) and his "Unkle" Thomas Knowlton (William's other brother), Natahaniel names the other six children.^[8] There seven children were:

1. Thomas Knowlton Jr. (abt.1642-abt.1717)
2. William Knowlton (abt.1644-1718)
3. John Knowlton (abt.1644-1728)
4. Samuel Knowlton (abt.1647-1697)
5. Benjamin Knowlton (1649-1690)
6. Joseph Knowlton (abt.1651-)
7. Mary (Knowlton) Abbe (abt.1654-aft.1715)

Death

William died in 1654/5, intestate, in Massachusetts, most likely Ipswich, Essex County, and in the 26 June 1655 court of Salem administration was granted to his brother Deacon Thomas Knowlton, "to whom is committed ye care of ye widow and children."^[9] His estate was inventoried 17 July 1655, and estimated at 37.2.1. His debts amounted to 27.14.1.

Research Notes

The Knowlton DNA Haplogroup Problem

DNA testing has demonstrated with certainty that the descendants of John Knowlton and William Knowlton are not related through the male line. John's line falls into haplogroup R1b, while William's falls into haplogroup T. Current thinking as of August 2017 is that the initial three brothers (John, William, and Deacon Thomas) were biological brothers due to the lack of any indication in England (including the will of their kinsman, Ralph) that would hint otherwise. The likely source of the irregularity is Stocking's John (5) Knowlton and his descendants.

For more information, please see the Knowlton Name Study page and the Knowlton DNA Project on Family Tree DNA.

Disputed Origins - Stocking Discredited

For many years genealogists have relied on Charles Henry Wright Stocking's book The History and Genealogy of the Knowltons of England and America, to spin and re-spin a yarn concerning the arrival of the three Knowlton brothers, Thomas, William, and John, to America. Unfortunately it was a fanciful tale. Quality research by TheTreeDr who has posted his research on Ancestry seems to have solved the riddle of who the brothers' father was, Robert Knowlton.^[10]

The key to understanding that the three were brothers and who their father was rests on the following pieces of evidence:

1. the bapism records the three boys which list the father's name as "Robti Knolton"^[11]
2. the will of one Ralph Knowlton in which he leaves behind an inheritance to the three brothers (it is presumed that Ralph was the boys' uncle: that their father Robert was Ralph's brother, but there is not yet evidence to support this assumption)^[12]
3. the fact that all three appear in New England at about the same time and location
4. in the 1655 affairs concerning the estate of William Knowlton in which his brother Thomas took control as William died intestate Thomas refers to William as his brother^[13]
5. in a deed between Nathaniel Knowlton (William's nephew through William's brother John) and his "Unkle" Thomas Knowlton (William's other brother), Nathaniel says, "to sd Thomas his brother Williams children..."^[14]

Stocking's book and the Errata should be disregarded when it comes to any information concerning William's siblings and ancestors and instead primary sources or indirect sources relying on primary sources should be consulted instead.

Sources

1. ↑ "Willm Knowlton Baptism, 18 Mar. 1603/4," London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, London Metropolitan Archives, London, England, Reference Number: DRO/010/001; digital image 18 of 98 available by subscription Ancestry.com or available without subscription Ancestry.com shared image
2. ↑ George A. Schofield, ed. The Ancient Records of the Town of Ipswich, 1634-1650 1:23, (Ipswich: Mass., Chronicle Motor Press, 1859) digital image available Archive.org.
3. ↑ from the deed cited by The TreeDr in "Shore Rd. in Ipswich, MA. (1642) and in Chebacco, now the Town of Essex, MA.(1650)," posted 24 Mar 2017 at Ancestry.com.
4. ↑ George A. Schofield, ed. The Ancient Records of the Town of Ipswich, 1634-1650 1:26, (Ipswich: Mass., Chronicle Motor Press, 1859) digital image available Archive.org.
5. ↑ Massachusetts, Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts: Volume 1, 1636-1656 (Salem: Essex Institute, 1911) 1 (1911):113, digital image available Archive.org.
6. ↑ “Estate of William Knowlton of (Ipswich?),” in The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts, Volume 1, 1635-1664 (Salem, Massachusetts: The Essex Institute, 1916–1920) 1:221, digital image at HathiTrust.org.
7. ↑ "Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986, Essex Deeds 1694-1697 vol 10 10:33 digital image 264 of 516 by subscription FamilySearch.org.
8. ↑ "Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986, Essex Deeds 1687-1694 vol 8 8:350 digital image 232 of 721by subscription FamilySearch.org. Abstract: Nathaniel Knowlton, cordwinder of Ipswich, acknowledges himself indebted unto "my honoured Unkle" Deacon Thomas Knowlton Sr of same town for £800 & to Lt. Simon Stacey, Jacob Foster, Mr. Nathaniel Rust & Nehemiah Jewett, feoffes of trust in behalf of sd Thomas & "his relations hereafter named" on certain conditions, including that Nathaniel will provide his uncle Thomas with suitable lodging, care & maintenance, etc. during his life, & that after his death shall administer his estate, including to pay "to sd Thomas his brother Williams children here named William, John, Samuel, Joseph, Benjamin and Mary" each £10 with proviso "that such as has not done it allready" shall assign & acquit to sd Nathaniel "all of the estate which was their father William Knowlton's" & to pay "children of said Thomas his cousin John Knowlton deceased" viz, £40 each to John & Elizabeth, £15 to Abraham "who lived with" sd Thomas, £5 each to Robert, Thomas, Ezekiel, Ephraim & Katherine, Deborah & Susannah; executed 5 Dec 1688 in presence of Thomas Dennis, John Boarman, Nehemiah Jewett
9. ↑ Massachusetts, Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts: Volume 1, 1636-1656 (Salem: Essex Institute, 1911) 1 (1911):404, digital image available Archive.org.
10. ↑ "The Real Christening Records Have Been Found In England For John, William and Thomas Knowlton Who Settled Ipswich MA In 1639" posted 5 Feb 2017 at Ancestry.com.
11. ↑ "Willm Knowlton Baptism, 18 Mar. 1603/4," London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, London Metropolitan Archives, London, England, Reference Number: DRO/010/001; digital image 18 of 98 available by subscription Ancestry.com or available without subscription Ancestry.com shared image
12. ↑ "Ralph Knolton Will, June 1638," London Metropolitan Archives and Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section, Clerkenwell, London, England; Reference Number: MS 9172/45; Will Number: 104; digital image available by subscription Ancestry.com or available without subscription shared by Ancestry.com image p. 1 of 2 and image p. 2 of 2
13. ↑ “Estate of William Knowlton of (Ipswich?),” in The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts, Volume 1, 1635-1664 (Salem, Massachusetts: The Essex Institute, 1916–1920) 1:219, digital image at HathiTrust.org.
14. ↑ "Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986, Essex Deeds 1687-1694 vol 8 8:350 digital image 232 of 721by subscription FamilySearch.org.

See also:

The following sources written by TheTreeDr at Ancestry seem to be well-researched and shed a lot of light on the Kowlton immigrants to New England:

• The Real Christening Records Have Been Found In England For John, William and Thomas Knowlton Who Settled Ipswich MA In 1639 which elaborates on the origins of William and John Knowlton
• "The Will of Ralph Knolton - Close Kinsman of Robert Knowlton of Uxbridge and his three sons John, William and Thomas" as well as "More about Ralph Knolton of St. Catherine's End Manor, Ruislip, Middlesex, England and other Knoltons in the area" links William Knowlton to Robert and Marcy Knowlton of Uxbridge
• "The William Knowlton Properties on Turkey Shore Rd. in Ipswich, MA. (1642) and in Chebacco, now the Town of Essex, MA.(1650)." which is a collection of several sources with property records.
• The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society), 39:386-87, Notes and Queries, 1885.