No. 20 Thomas and Abigail McKnight

Up until now we have examined the paternal family of Matilda Elizabeth Coile, wife of Jacob M. Oakes of Jefferson County, Tennessee. In blog number 15 we also examined the life of Malinda McKnight, Elizabeth's mother. Now let's take a look at her family starting with her father and mother. Thomas McKnight was born in South Carolina about 1798. Little is known of Thomas McKnight. The 1840 census shows that only one property owner separated his land from that of his father-in-law, William Frazier. The property that stood between them was owned by Anna Frazier, probably a relative. Malinda's mother was Abigail Frazier, born 2 April 1804 in Jefferson County and probably in the Lost Creek Community near present day New Market. Abigail was born into a devout Quaker family. Her family was part of the Lost Creek Friends Monthly Meeting. Their present day meeting house stands near where the original meeting house stood in New Market. Little is known about Abigail other than that she married outside the Quaker faith and, as was the custom, was disowned by the Lost Creek Monthly Meeting. Abigail and Thomas married on 27 April 1818 as recorded in county records. Thomas was about 20 years old and Abigail was just past her 14th birthday. It is likely that Thomas was a Baptist. We do know that some of their children were members of the Baptist Church nearby. The McKnights, like most of their neighbors were farmers. We have found record that Thomas and Abigail had twelve children. As best I can determine these children are presented below in order of birth:

1. Grace McKnight
2. Mary A. McKnight, born about 1822
3. John McKnight, born about 1828
4. Lucinda McKnight, born about 1833
5. William A. McKnight, born about 1835
6. Malinda McKnight, born April 1836
7. Matilda McKnight, born about 1840
8. Martha McKnight, born about 1842
9. Elizabeth McKnight, born about 1844
10. Andrew Jackson McKnight, born about 1845
11. James McKnight, born about 1849
12. Thomas Jefferson McKnight, born about 1849

I believe that Thomas died about 1860 and that Abigail died afterwards. I do not have an exact date for her death.