When Steve Tatum recently contacted me about his Knight ancestors (see here), I assumed we would quickly locate a link between his branch and that of Jones County. There were two key similarities: the appearance of the name “Newton,” as in Joseph Newton Knight, and the intermarriage of this Knight with Rebecca Jenkins, a woman of mixed ethnic ancestry.
The photo that Steve sent certainly gave me pause; it wasn’t Jones County’s Newt and Rachel, but it was eerily suggestive of them:
Rebecca Jenkins and Joseph Newton Knight
In fact, however, Yvonne Bivins and I have searched our records and found no links between this Tennessee couple and the multiracial Knights of Jones County, Mississippi (specifically Newton and Rachel Knight). Nevertheless, the similarities are intriguing, and I am posting Steve’s information on his family in hopes that Knight family historians from near and far might recognize a link to their own ancestry and volunteer more information about these particular Knights.
The following are Steve’s own words about his ancestors:
All I know is that when my grandmother, Bradie (Knight) went to Red Boiling Springs (Macon County), Tennessee, she made mention of a relation to her father (Walter Houston Knight). The name she mentioned was “Newt” Knight. I thought that was an odd name until I understood later that it was short for “Newton”; this was long before any research or information was available on the Internet.
“Newt” & Rebecca Knight were the parents of Walter Houston Knight who was my paternal grandmother’s father. I remember standing by my great grandfather (Walter’s) bedside when I was a young boy, we called him “Pappy” Knight. (Walter H. Knight was born in 1880, married to Pennsylvania Piper (Knight) b. 6 Apr 1874 -d. 26 Dec 1939.
My grandmother was so dark skinned with her olive complexion, that we used to question her a lot about it and she would always say that her family was always called “Black Dutch.” I always suspected that she had either Native American or African American ancestry or a combination of the two. Which would all make sense if she is indeed from the Joseph Newton Knight line. She always made mention of her first true love being a “Gypsy” boy, which would have been taboo in a traditional southern “white” family in those days.
This mix of races could also be the very reason that it is difficult to find any written records as well. I know that many would attempt to conceal any interracial mix in the early days, particularly in the “old south” unless it was to their advantage to be connected with those of a different race, This still stands true today with some of the older folks there.
I know in some cases, for example, African-Americans marrying a Native American would mean they automatically became “free persons of color”, so there was probably much of that going on between the Blacks, Cherokee, Choctaw, etc.
Walter Houston Knight, photo courtesy of Steve Tatum
If any of you recognize this line and have additional information or insights to offer, please consider adding a comment!
Vikki
Hey,
This might sound strange, but my grandmother maiden name is Knight. Our family is from Central and northern Mississippi. My family has the same cheek bones, nose, eyes , and hair. I know we have some indian in our family but that’s about it. I was searching for family members or just info on my histroy. The know on the picture of the woman and boy stand out so much in my family i had to e-mail you. Well let me know if you have anymore to tell or we can tell each other.
Hello Cardale,
I hope that we can help you connect with your Knight ancestors. The Knight post that you commented on, however, appears to be a branch from Tennessee that is unrelated to the Mississippi branch discussed in several other posts, and which was descended from Newt, Serena, Rachel, and George Ann Knight.
If you can provide a bit more information about your family–names, dates, etc.–perhaps we can find a link for you, either to the Mississippi or perhaps the Tennessee branches discussed here on Renegade South.
Thanks for posting!
Vikki
I am retired and my hobby is photography. I am interested in family research. I woluld be glad to do research and especially photography of head stones in a radius of 100 miles of Birmingham Alabama. I would need reimbursement of expenses. Please contact me at jimgayle47@gmail.com
Her great grand mother was American Indian. This area in Tennessee is one of the first to open up to the settlers, as they came, in via Kentucky. And several of these families claim Indian Ancestry. Only a few can be proven, but her grandmother is one that can be., although she does not appear on the Daws Rolls.
Anyone interested in sharing information on the Knight’s of
Macon, Smith, of Trousdale Co. Tennessee may contact me at: Poorette@gmail.com Sharon
Thank you so much, Sharon, for contributing this information on the Tennessee Knight family.