Knox Family Tree

In this post I'm going to trace back the Knox family line.  Grace (Fairbanks) McGlew's mother (Grampy's grandmother) was Delia Maria Knox.

Delia's bible, passed down to
her daughter, Grace.

Delia was born in Groveland, MA, on Aril 18, 1873.  She married Charles Otis Fairbanks on Dec. 25, 1890, at the Groveland Congregational Church.  Delia and Charles had ten children together.  Uncle Charlie had written in his notes that "Delia was a kind considerate mother and wife and loved by all her children."  Delia passed away on April 9, 1964, in Haverhill MA.

Delia Maria (Knox) Fairbanks
photo shared by Ruth McGlew

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Delia's parents were Willard Knox and Loversha Hardy (we'll be tracing the Hardy family back in a future post).  Willard was born in 1848/9 (birth year estimated from his age on census records, I have not yet been able to locate his birth certificate).  One interesting fact discovered on the 1850 census record: Willard and his future wife, Loversha, were likely next door neighbors as children, as the Knox family was listed immediately after the Hardy's on that year's census record.  

1850 census record - Hardy and Knox families were likely
neighbors.  Lovercia age 2 yrs, Willard 2 mos.

Willard and Lovercia married in Groveland on April 22, 1866.  He was listed as a farmer on their marriage record.  Lovercia passed away on March 17, 1896 from what was recorded as "access of abdomen," and Willard died three decades later, on June 26, 1926.  They were both laid to rest in Groveland's Riverview cemetery.

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Willard's parents were Eli Knox and Susan Ricker (b. Aug 20, 1823 in Dover, NH).   Eli was born on Sept 20, 1820, in Berwick, ME.  He married Susan Ricker on May 9, 1844, in his hometown, and they had five children together. Eli's occupation on the 1850 census record is listed as carpenter, and in 1849 he built his home in Groveland.  

Excerpt from "The Houses and Buildings of Groveland Mass"
- Compiled in 1854 by Alfred Poore, M.D. 

Eli died on October 13, 1908, in Groveland, Massachusetts, at age 88, and was buried in Riverview Cemetery.

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Eli's parents were Joshua Knox and Patience Knox (possibly distant cousins?  She was born in 1793 to David Knox in Acton, ME).  Joshua was born in Berwick, ME, on May 25, 1787.  He married Patience on April 10, 1817, in Lebanon, ME.  It appears that they had eight children together, but only three survived to adulthood.  Joshua died on June 1, 1840, in Berwick, Maine, at the age of 53.

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Joshua's parents were Jonathan Nock and Elizabeth/Betsey (surname uncertain).  Jonathan was born on February 27, 1758, in Berwick, Maine.  He served as a private in the Revolutionary War, in Captain Emerson's company of Col. Joseph Cilley's New Hampshire Regiment.  A summary of his 1829 pension application stated that Jonathan "Enlisted for the term of three years January 1, 1777 (having before served eight months and twelve months). In Capt. Amos Emerson's Co., Col. Joseph Cilley's Regt., New Hampshire line. Discharged March 21, 1780, at Reading, Conn."

Jonathan was one of the many continental soldiers who endured the winter at Valley Forge.  Some of the 1st New Hampshire's previous engagements included the Siege of Boston, Defense of Canada, Lake Champlain, Trenton-Princeton, Saratoga, Philadelphia-Monmouth.

Found at "Valley Forge Legacy: The Muster Roll Project"

Jonathan and  Elizabeth married on July 23, 1780, and they had nine children together.  He died on January 6, 1840, and Elizabeth on Oct 15, 1769.  They were both buried in in the Knox family cemetery in Berwick, Maine.

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Jonathan's parents were Zachariah Nock and Judith Pitman.  Zachariah was born on Aug 1, 1720.  He first married Molly Hanson in 1737, and they had two children together.  After Molly's death, he remarried in 1750 to Judith Pitman, and had seven children with her.  

This story was shared in the book Thomas (Nock) Knox of Dover, N. H., in 1652 and Some of His Descendants: "Zachariah settled early in Berwick. The cellar hole where his house once stood is still seen about a mile northwardly of Berwick bridge. He settled far from neighbors and beyond the immediate protection of any garrison house. He had several encounters with the Indians, but he was a bold, brave man and always came out best. At one time when he was returning with his cows from pasture, he was beset by a large band of Indians, but he fought his way through them, reached his house and taking one child himself and his wife another, they reached the woods and made their way to the nearest garrison house which they reached unharmed."

Zachariah passed away in 1816.  I haven't been able to locate either birth or death records for Judith.

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Zachariah's parents were Zachariah Nock and Sarah (surname uncertain).  Zachariah Sr. was born about 1689 in Dover, NH.  The Thomas Nock genealogy states that he was a house carpenter.  Zachariah and Sarah settled in Berwick, ME and had nine children together.  He passed away in either 1769 or 1772.

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Zachariah Sr.'s parents were Sylvanus Nock and Elizabeth Emery (b. abt. 1652 in Kittery, ME).  Sylvanus was born about 1657 in Dover, NH.  On April 20, 1677, he and Elizabeth were married, and they had eight children together.  I found information that Sylvanus was apprenticed at about age thirteen to John Hall, Jr., a tavern keeper in Dover.  Sylvanus and his first wife moved across the border to Kittery, Maine, around 1689. Sylvanus passed away sometime between when he made his will on March 7, 1716 and when his will was probated on Feb 13, 1717.

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Sylvanus' parents were Thomas Nock and Rebecca Tibbetts.  Thomas was born before 1629 in England, and had immigrated to the New World sometime before 1652, when it , as recorded that he received a grant of land in Dover. Thomas died as the result of an accident on Oct 29, 1666, leaving behind his wife Rebecca, four young children (and another who would be born just over three months later).

Thomas' wife, Rebecca (Tibbetts) Nock, was born between 1636 and 1637 in Dover, NH, to Henry and Elizabeth Tibbets.  After Thomas died, she remarried to Philip Benmore on Sept 28, 1669.  Elizabeth died on March 30, 1680 in Dover Neck, NH.

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Elizabeth's parents were Henry Tibbitts and Elizabeth (possibly Austin?).  Henry was born circa 1596 in England, and he was shoemaker in London. He and his wife Elizabeth, and their two oldest children (Jeremy, age 4, and Samuel, age 2) left London on the ship James and arrived in the New World in Sept. 1635 (on the James's passenger list, their surname is recorded as "Tybbott").  The James was a relatively small ship, and carried one hundred passengers along with horses, cattle, goats and enough provisions to last the twelve week journey.  In 1642, Henry was granted 20 acres of land in Dover, NH.  “On the west sied of ye Back Rever or over ye Back Rever” (now called the Bellamy River). He also had a grant in 1643 to a 3 ½ acre house lot on Dover Neck, on the east side of High Street (now Dover Point Road).  His house was later fortified as a garrison against Indian attack.  Henry was a farmer, shoemaker and engaged in lumbering. He died sometime before the 27th of June, 1676.