KNIGHT, Samuel	1793-1879  LOWNDES

SAMUEL KNIGHT was born in Effingham County, in November 1793, a son of John 
Knight, R.S., and his wife, Mrs. Frances (Fannie) Knight.  While he was yet 
a boy his parents moved to the new County of Wayne and he grew up there and 
lived there until 1825 when he moved to Lowndes County.  He was married in 
1810 to Miss Mary Roberts, born 1793, in South Carolina, daughter of 
Richard Roberts, R.S.  She died May 6, 1875, in Manatee County, Florida. 
 The children of Samuel and Fannie were:

1. Fatima	b. February 18, 1811, m. Enoch Collins March 9, 1827.
2. Moses	b. February 25, 1813, died 1815.
3. Aaron	b. February26, 1815, m. Jane Varn September 30, 1840, daughter of 
Frederick.
4. Jesse	b. August 18, 1817, m. Rebecca Caroline Varn October 1, 1840, 
daughter of Frederick.
5. Thomas	b. March 1, 1820, died 1828.
6. Joel	b. February 24, 1823, m. Virginia Mitchell March 29, 1848.
7. Frances	b.May 9, 1825, m. (l) John J. Zipperer (2) Jacob Summerlin.
8. Elizabeth	b. March 1, 1827, m. Elhannon McCall February 6, 1842.
9. Mary	b. March 6, 1829, m. George Hambleton February 10, 1849.
10. Martha	b. October 3, 1832, m. Dr. Samuel B. Todd December 25, 1849.

After living some years in Lowndes County, Samuel Knight sold his lands and 
moved to Hillsborough, County, Florida in 1844, settling about four miles 
north of where Plant City now is.  He lived there until old age.  His last 
few years were spent with his grandson, Thomas S. Knight of Charlotte 
Harbor, Florida, where he died May 3, 1879.
Mr. Knight was a private in Capt. Jonathan Knight's company of Wayne County 
militia in 1813, during the War of 1812, which company protected the 
frontier of Wayne County.  He was also in the Indian War of 1836-1838. 
 During the civil war he was too old f or service.  He served as Justice of 
Peace in the 28th district, Wayne County, 1815-1816.
Mr. Knight became a prosperous farmer and cattle owner in South Florida and 
was in good financial circumstances especially in his latter years.  He 
owned a large plantation, also a very large stock of range cattle.  He also 
owned a number of slaves before and during the war.
He was a member of the Methodist Church and became a local preacher in that 
connection serving in that capacity for many years before his death.  He 
became the first Methodist preacher in South Florida in the 1840s.  He was 
an influential man in his day.
Mrs. Knight was for many years a Baptist.  She was originally a member of 
Kettle Creek Baptist Church in Wayne County.  She joined with Elder William 
A. Knight and wife and others in constituting Union Church in Lowndes 
County October 1st, 1825, coming into the organization by letter from 
Kettle Creek Church.  The church minutes show she was expelled June 9 1832, 
"for joining the Methodist Church and denying the Baptist faith".
Mr. and Mrs. Knight became the ancestors of a large and influential family 
connection of South Florida in which section most of the Knight children 
lived and died.  Rev. E. L. Todd, beloved Baptist minister of Lowndes 
County (Georgia.), now retired and in his 86th year, is a grandson of 
Samuel and Mary Knight.

Census References: 1820, Wayne; 1830, 1840, Lowndes; 1850, Hillsboro, 
(Florida.).


KNIGHT, William Anderson 	1778-1859  BERRIEN

ELDER WILLIAM ANDERSON KNIGHT is the forefather of the large and 
influential Knight family connection of Berrien, Lanier and Cook counties, 
and was in the Primitive Baptist ministry for many years prior to his 
death.  He was born in North Carolina, February 16, 1778, and was about ten 
years old when his parents moved to Georgia.  In 1798 he married Miss Sarah 
Cone, daughter of Hon. William Cone, who rendered distinguished service to 
his adopted state during the Revolutionary War.  The Cone family was also 
From North Carolina originally and had sojourned in South Carolina a short 
time during the war.  The two families, Knights and Cones, were originally 
residents of Effingham County but in the creation of Bulloch out of 
Effingham in 1796 were placed in the new county.  Mrs. Knight was born in 
South Carolina October 16, 1780.  To Elder Knight and his wife were born.

1. Thomas	b. February 6, 1799, m. Frances Mikell September 25, 1817.  Lived 
in Tattnall County.
2. Keziah	b. November 20, 1802, m. Isbin Giddens April 1829.
3. Levi J.	b. September 1, 1803, m. Mrs. Ann D. Herrin November 14, 1827.
4. William Cone	b. October 8, 1805, m. Rachel Carter, daughter of Jesse.
5. John	b. July 7, 1807, m. Sarah Moore, daughter of John.
6. Sarah	b. October 10, 1808, m. William P. Roberts son of John.
7. Elizabeth	b. September 23, 1811, m. John Carter, brother to James.
8. Aaron	b. July 13, 1813, m. (1) Ann Sloan, daughter of John, Sr. (2) Mrs. 
Sarah E. Sanders.
9. Jonathan	b. January 16, 1817, m. Frances Staten, daughter of Barzilla 
Staten.

Mr. Knight was among the very first settlers of Wayne County after it was 
created, moving there about 1803.  His home was in present Brantley County. 
 He was named in a legislative act of 1803 as one of five commissioners to 
locate the public site of the new county.  It was several years before it 
was permanently fixed and when it was done it was located on lands owned by 
Mr. Knight and by William Clements, a neighbor, and the county seat was 
named "Waynesville."
Mr. Knight served as Representative from Wayne County 1810-1811 and again 
in 1813.  He served as State Senator from Wayne, 1815, 1816, 1817, 1819, 
1820.  He was a Justice of Peace in the 334th District, 1813-1817, and a 
Justice of Wayne Inferior Court 1820-1824.
In the winter of 1824-1825 Mr. Knight and his family with others of the 
family connection, moved to the southern part of what was then Irwin 
County, where they located.  Mr. Knight settled on Lot of Land No. 516, 
10th land district, near Grand Bay, on present State Highway No. 11, in 
what is now Lanier County.  A year after moving to his new home, his 
portion of Irwin County was made into Lowndes County and Mr. Knight was 
elected the first Senator from the new county, serving 1826-1828.  He was a 
delegate from Lowndes to the 1833 State Convention and in 1839 to the state 
tariff convention.  In 1856, Elder Knight's home was placed in Berrien 
County when it was created partly out of Lowndes.
He was a leading spirit in the organization of the first Baptist Church in 
Irwin or Lowndes counties; it was organized October 1, 1825, at Carter's 
Meeting house located on the west bank of the Alapaha River.  The church 
was named "Union" and became the "mother" of all Baptist Churches, both 
missionary and primitive, of this section.  Mr. Knight and his wife became 
charter members, moving their letters from Kettle Creek Baptist Church in 
Wayne County.  He became the first church clerk, serving from 1825 until he 
was ordained to the Gospel Ministry by his church March 10, 1832.  He had 
previously been licensed to preach, November 13, 1830.  In the years that  
 followed, Elder Knight became very active and zealous in the spread of 
the Gospel over the then frontier country, organizing several new churches. 
 He and his pastor, Elder Matthew Albritton, often went together on trips 
that required days many miles from home.  Elder Knight stayed busy holding 
special services in the homes of the settlers, visiting the sick, 
conducting funerals, organizing "arms" of Union Church that later became 
independent churches, and assisting in constituting new churches over all 
area 100 miles or more in extent.  After the death of Elder Albrittion in 
1850, Elder Knight succeeded him as pastor of Union Church and served until 
his own death December 8, 1859.  He became the first pastor of Wayfare 
Church in present Echols County, serving 1841-1854 and again 1856-1858. 
 His missionary labors precluded him from serving as pastor of many of the 
churches that wanted him.
Mrs. Knight died November 28, 1859.  Her aged husband could not long 
survive her passing, dying ten days later.  They were buried at old Union 
Church.  The whole section for miles around felt keenly the passing of this 
aged and saintly couple whose hospitality and goodness to others were known 
to others far and wide.

Census References: 1820, Wayne; 1830, 1840, 1850, LOWNDES.
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
---------------------

KNIGHT, LEVI J.	1803-1870  BERRIEN.

Gen. Levi J. Knight of Berrien County was one of the early and most 
outstanding men of his county and had a long and distinguished service, 
both civil and military.  He was born in Wayne County, September 1, 1803, a 
son of Elder William A. Knight and his wife Sarah Cone Knight (see Vol. 1). 
 He grew up in that portion of Wayne now Brantley County.  Hewas married 
there November 14, 1827, to Mrs. Ann D. Herrin, daughter of William and 
Elizabeth Clements, a prominent family of that county, and sister of John 
F. Clements (see Vol. 1) and of David G. Clements (q. v.).  She was born on 
August 6, 1802 in Wayne County, and died October 13, 1857.  To Gen. and 
Mrs. Knight were born eight children:

1. William W.	b. 1829, m. Mary, daughter of Jesse Carroll.
2. Elizabeth	b. 1830, m. Hardeman Sirmans.
3. John G.	b. 1832, m. (l) Eliza, daughter of George Carter (2) Mrs. Mary 
Knight, widow of Jesse C. Knight, daughter of James Davis.
4. Sarah	b. 1833, m. Gideon Gaskins, son of John.
5. Mary A.	b. 1836, m. Thomas M. Ray.
6. Levi	b. 1838, died single, age 18 years.
7. Jonathan D.	b. 1840, m. Emily Brandon, daughter of William
8. Keziah	b. 1843, m. J. Aaron Knight, son of John (1st cousin).

On moving to what was then Lowndes County a few days after marriage, Levi 
J. Knight made choice of a home on a lot of land on Beaverdam Creek near 
the present town of Ray City, in that portion of Lowndes that was cut into 
Berrien County in 1856.  He lived there until his death February 23, 1870. 
 He and his wife were buried at Union Primitive Baptist Church where his 
parents had been buried.
Gen. Knight's military service began as a private in the Wayne County 
militia when he served as a 15-year-old boy in the protecting of the 
frontier of Wayne County against Indian depredations.  In the Indian War of 
1836-1839, he raised an independent company of Lowndes County militia and 
commanded it as Captain.  This company took a leading part in the conflict. 
 On December 11, 1840, he was commissioned Major-General of the 6th 
Division, Georgia Militia, which position he held until he was succeeded in 
1850 by Gen. David Johnson.  When the Civil War came on, he again exerted 
himself in the defense of home and country and raised the first company to 
be raised in Berrien County; it was called the "Berrien County Minute Men", 
and was composed of volunteers.  The company was sent to Savannah, thence 
to Brunswick where it was made a part of the 29th Regiment, and designated 
Company "G", and Capt. Knight was promoted to the rank of Major of the 
regiment.  He held this rank until the following April (1862) when he 
retired on account of age, at the reorganization of the regiment.
Gen. Knight's first civil office was that of Sheriff of Wayne County, to 
which he was appointed June 16, 1824 just before reaching his 21st 
birthday.  He filled out an unexpired term.  He served as Justice of Peace 
of the 658th district, Lowndes County, 1829-1833; State Senator from 
Lowndes 1832, 1834, 1837 1841 ^inc.^  He was again Justice of Peace, 
1838-1848.  He was Senator from the 5th District (composed at the time of 
Ware, Clinch and Lowndes), 1851-1852.  The next year the old system of 
electing a senator from each county was gone back to, and Senator Knight 
was elected from his county (Lowndes), serving two terms, 1853-1854 and 
1855-1856.  In the latter year he had a leading part in the passage of the 
act creating Berrien County in which territory he lived.  He was a Justice 
of Berrien Inferior Court in 1868, and he was elected as a delegate to the 
State Constitutional Convention.
In politics, Gen. Knight was a staunch Whig until the dissolution of the 
party preceding the Civil War when he became an ardent Confederate.  After 
the War, he was a Democrat.  He was frequently a delegate from Lowndes to 
the Whig State Conventions.
State records reveal that Gen. Knight was one of the state surveyors to 
survey newly ceded Indian lands in North Georgia in 1826, and again in 
1832.

Census References:  1830, 1840, 1850, Lowndes; 1860, Berrien.

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