George F Knox
Rank: Pvt Co: G Age: 22 Residence: Kittery Birthplace: Dover, NH Occupation: farmer
Married/Single: M Height: 5' 6 Eyes: Bl Hair: Lt Complexion: Lt
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GEORGE FRANKLIN KNOX was born on 29 Sept 1839 [IL Death Index; obit says the 24th] in either Dover, NH [Descriptive Roll] or Great Falls, New Hampshire [Marr Recs; shown as "Me" in obit and IL Death Index], the son of Augustus and Eliza (Pray) Knox. He died on 22 Oct 1934 in Pecatonica, Winnebago, Illinois [IL Death Index; obit; gravestone order], and he was buried in the "village cemetery" (aka Pecatonica Cemetery).
He was first married to EMELINE ADAMS on 11 Feb 1864, in Portsmouth, NH [NH Marr Rec; intents filed in Kittery on 8 Feb per VR of Kittery, pg 487], the dau of Christopher and Mercy Adams. She died on 5 Oct 1875 in Portsmouth, aged 55 years [Ports. Jrnl, 10/09/1875, pg 3]. Her burial place is not yet known. George secondly married, on 25 Jan 1887 in Boston [MA Marr Rec], to HARRIETTE M PEARSON. The daughter of William and Clara F Pearson [marr rec], she was born in Danville, IL ca 1858 [marr rec]. Death date not known as of this writing; she and George may have been divorced, as his listing in the 1930 census seems to indicate this. |
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George's parents, Augustus and Eliza, were Berwick, Maine residents and, as the censuses of 1850 to 1870 all show George being born in Maine (only his 2nd marr rec said NH), it is possible that he was also born there (as his siblings were). This town bordered NH and the village of Great Falls (in Somersworth).
George left Berwick for Kittery by 1860, where he worked as a farm laborer [1860 census]. The Descriptive Roll listed him as married in 1862, but no marriage was found for him. As his marriage to Harriette was listed as his 2nd, he was either divorced early on, or his marital status was an error. After his service, he moved to Portsmouth, NH and was employed as a house carpenter. He was in this city until at least 1875 [Ports. St Dir, 1871, '73, '75], when he relocated to Boston, MA, and lived there through 1887 (when he remarried).
In 1888, he may have been living in Portland, Maine [City Dir, pg 403], still employed as a carpenter. An ad ran in the November '88 Portland papers, where a Richard Gatley had a suit pending against "Harriett M. Knox, formerly Harriett M. Pearson", "her whereabouts unknown", for money owed him.
After the above Portland sighting, his whereabouts are sketchy until being seen in the 1930 census for Pecatonica, Illinois. There was a George F. Knox listed in the Dayton, Ohio City Directory for 1890, and he was a carpenter, so this could have been him. According to his obit [Morning Star, 10/23/1934, pg 9 and the Register-Republic, 10/23], he came to Illinois around 1893, and lived for two years in Rock Run Township, before moving to Pecatonica, where he lived "the last thirty-nine years". If that last fact is true, where is he in the census records? I did NOT find him in the 1900-1920 censuses, and I've even gone through the 1900 one page by page, and have tried numerous variations of search methods.
No children were found to have been born of George and either wife.
George left Berwick for Kittery by 1860, where he worked as a farm laborer [1860 census]. The Descriptive Roll listed him as married in 1862, but no marriage was found for him. As his marriage to Harriette was listed as his 2nd, he was either divorced early on, or his marital status was an error. After his service, he moved to Portsmouth, NH and was employed as a house carpenter. He was in this city until at least 1875 [Ports. St Dir, 1871, '73, '75], when he relocated to Boston, MA, and lived there through 1887 (when he remarried).
In 1888, he may have been living in Portland, Maine [City Dir, pg 403], still employed as a carpenter. An ad ran in the November '88 Portland papers, where a Richard Gatley had a suit pending against "Harriett M. Knox, formerly Harriett M. Pearson", "her whereabouts unknown", for money owed him.
After the above Portland sighting, his whereabouts are sketchy until being seen in the 1930 census for Pecatonica, Illinois. There was a George F. Knox listed in the Dayton, Ohio City Directory for 1890, and he was a carpenter, so this could have been him. According to his obit [Morning Star, 10/23/1934, pg 9 and the Register-Republic, 10/23], he came to Illinois around 1893, and lived for two years in Rock Run Township, before moving to Pecatonica, where he lived "the last thirty-nine years". If that last fact is true, where is he in the census records? I did NOT find him in the 1900-1920 censuses, and I've even gone through the 1900 one page by page, and have tried numerous variations of search methods.
No children were found to have been born of George and either wife.
Additional Source Data:
1850 Berwick, York, Maine census: hh 138/140; George w/ parents, aged 8 b.ME
1850 Kittery, ME census: "Emmeline" Adams, a. 29, w/ Christopher Adams, 74
1860 Kittery, York, ME census (pg 75): hh 555/585; in hh of Samuel Adams (John F Adams of the 27th Maine also here)
1870 Portsmouth, Rockingham, NH census (pg 7): hh 25/53; George and Emeline in hh of Charles and Annie Neal
1871, 73 and '75 Portsmouth Street Directories: George a carp, h. 10 Chapel
1880 Boston, MA Dir (pg 560): George, carp., h. 1 Bradford [not listed in 1878 or 1882]
1880 census - not seen [listing for 1 Bradford in Boston checked]
1888 Portland, Maine Dir. (pg 403): George F., carp., h. Long Island Ave., Long Isl. [ not in 1889]
1900
1910
1920
1930 Pecatonica, Winnebago, IL census (pg 10A): hh 373/294; rented
Notes:
1) on the 1864 NH Marriage Record of George and Emeline, the ages were switched, as she was 42 yrs old and he was 23.
2) In the Maine Veteran Cemetery Records (on Family Search), the wrong George Knox (who died in 1914 and bur in Evergreen Cem, Berwick) is attributed to being the 27th Maine soldier (the correct one above not filing for a pension until 1923).