Thomas Charles Knight was born in Whitechapel, London on Saturday 14 April 1821 and baptised at the church of St Mary Whitechapel on Friday 19 October 1821 [1] the eldest son of Thomas Knight a porter of Round Court, Saffron Hill, London and Mary Ann Davies from Bethnal Green, East London. At the time of his birth the Knight family were living in Brick Lane, which runs from Bethnal Green, through Spitalfields and down towards Whitechapel. By the seventeenth century, Trumans Black Eagle Brewery had been established in Brick Lane and a Sunday market grew up to serve the local immigrant population. Initially, French Hugenots settled there and later Jewish settlers, but today Brick Lane is home to a large Bangladeshi community.
Thomas Charles was the eldest of seven children, his younger brothers being John, Joseph and George and younger sisters being Susannah, Emma Elizabeth and Sophia (see family tree, below).
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Thomas Charles Knight's Immediate Family
By 1831 the family had moved to Webb Square [2], just east of the what is now the junction of Shoreditch High Street and Commercial Road. The whole area around Webb Square was demolished in the mid-nineteeth century in order to construct Bishopsgate Goods Yard for the Great Eastern Railway Co.
Four years later in 1835 the family had moved the short distance to Luke Street, Shoreditch, [3] about three hundred metres west of Webb Square. Some of the housing in Luke Street still stands today, although it is not known which house the Knight family lived. Two years later in 1837 at the time of the birth of Thomas's sister Sophia [4] the family were living in Hunt Street, and his fathers occupation was listed as a pewterer, i.e a maker of pewter utensils.
Not long afterwards, in 1840, the family moved further north to Round Court, Onslow Street, Clerkenwell [5], where Thomas's father was back to working in the tin foil industry.
The 1841 census [6] shows seven members of the Knight family: his parents Thomas and Maria together with siblings Susan, Mary, Sophia and Jospeph and a lodger, Thomas Pitt, probably worked with Thomas Knight senior. At this time Thomas was employed as a porter.
On Sunday 29 September 1844 Charles Thomas, aged 23, married Elizabeth Martha Calcutt (nee Warner), a widow aged 24, at the church of St Andrew, Holborn [7]. By the time he was married, Thomas Charles was referred to as Charles Thomas, probably to avoid confusion with his father also being named Thomas. Both the groom and the bride were living in Hat and Tan Yard, a stones throw from where Thomas lived previously in Round Court: Thomas at number six and Elizabeth at number eight. On the marriage certificate, Thomas's occupation is given as a pewter caster, and the witnesses were both relatives of the bride, Thomas and Sarah Warner.
The Knight family at the time of the 1851 census [8] the Knight family were living at number 8 New Buildings, Amwell Street, Clerkenwell which is just 150m north of the Mount Pleasant sorting office in Farringdon Road. The census shows Thomas employed as a light porter, his wife Elizabeth and children Charles aged eleven(Elizabeth's son by a previous marriage), Mary Ann aged two and Louisa aged eleven months. Seven years later the family fortunes took a turn for the worse as they moved to Myrtle Street, Hoxton, adjacent to St John's Church and Thomas was employed as a labourer [9].
By the time of the 1861 census [10] the Knight family had moved to number 27 Pear Tree Court, Clerkenwell. The eight member of the family were: Thomas Knight aged 39, employed as a gate keeper; his wife Elizabeth Knight aged 41 employed as a bank teller; Charles Calcutt aged 19 a labourer; Mary Ann aged 11, Louisa aged 10 and William aged 5 all listed as scholars; Eliza aged 4 and Abraham aged 7 months. Note that Charles Calcutt's relation to the head of the family is recorded as 'son-in-law', (step-son) as he is Elizabeth's son from her first marriage.
Ten years later the Knight family were still living at 25 Pear Tree Court. The 1871 census [11], [12] shows Thomas and his wife Elizabeth living with their children William, Elizabeth, Abraham and Catherine. By this time their fortunes have taken a turn for the better, as Thomas is employed as a metal castor.
By 1881 the Knight family had moved to Holborn, and the 1881 census [13] shows six members of the Knight family living at 7 Leather Lane, which connects Theobolds Road to High Holborn, not far from Hatton Garden. At this time Thomas Knight was employed as a labourer, as was his elder son William. His younger son Abraham, aged 20, was employed as a wood turner.
Thomas Knight died on Monday 31 October 1887, aged sixty-seven at 5 Union Buildings, Holborn from the effects of phthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis or progressive wasting disease) [14].
Notes and Abbreviations:
- Baptism Register for St Mary Whitchapel, Thomas Charles Knight, 1821
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Susannah Knight, 1831
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Emma E Knight, 1835
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Sophia Knight, 1837
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Joseph Knight, 1840
- National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/671/6 f15 p22
- GRO, Marriage Certificate Charles Thomas Knight Elizabeth Martha Calcutt, 1844
- National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1517 f139r
- Baptism Register for St Mary, Islington, Eliza Knight, 1857
- National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/191 f47v
- National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/379 f79v
- National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/379 f80r
- National Archives, 1881 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG11/379 f80r
- GRO Death Certificate Thomas Knight, 1887
- 'Ths' stands for 'Thomas Charles'
Notes and Abbreviations:
- Baptism Register for St Mary Whitchapel, Thomas Charles Knight, 1821
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Susannah Knight, 1831
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Emma E Knight, 1835
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Sophia Knight, 1837
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Joseph Knight, 1840
- National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/671/6 f15 p22
- GRO, Marriage Certificate Charles Thomas Knight Elizabeth Martha Calcutt, 1844
- National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1517 f139r
- Baptism Register for St Mary, Islington, Eliza Knight, 1857
- National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/191 f47v
- National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/379 f79v
- National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/379 f80r
- National Archives, 1881 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG11/379 f80r
- GRO Death Certificate Thomas Knight, 1887
- 'Ths C' stands for 'Thomas Charles'
Notes and Abbreviations:
- Baptism Register for St Mary Whitchapel, Thomas Charles Knight, 1821
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Susannah Knight, 1831
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Emma E Knight, 1835
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Sophia Knight, 1837
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Joseph Knight, 1840
- National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/671/6 f15 p22
- GRO, Marriage Certificate Charles Thomas Knight Elizabeth Martha Calcutt, 1844
- National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1517 f139r
- Baptism Register for St Mary, Islington, Eliza Knight, 1857
- National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/191 f47v
- National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/379 f79v
- National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/379 f80r
- National Archives, 1881 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG11/379 f80r
- GRO Death Certificate Thomas Knight, 1887
- 'Ths C' stands for 'Thomas Charles'
Notes:
- Baptism Register for St Mary Whitchapel, Thomas Charles Knight, 1821
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Susannah Knight, 1831
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Emma E Knight, 1835
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Sophia Knight, 1837
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Joseph Knight, 1840
- National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/671/6 f15 p22
- GRO, Marriage Certificate Charles Thomas Knight Elizabeth Martha Calcutt, 1844
- National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1517 f139r
- Baptism Register for St Mary, Islington, Eliza Knight, 1857
- National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/191 f47v
- National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/379 f79v
- National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/379 f80r
- National Archives, 1881 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG11/379 f80r
- GRO Death Certificate Thomas Knight, 1887
Notes:
- Baptism Register for St Mary Whitchapel, Thomas Charles Knight, 1821
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Susannah Knight, 1831
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Emma E Knight, 1835
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Sophia Knight, 1837
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Joseph Knight, 1840
- National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/671/6 f15 p22
- GRO, Marriage Certificate Charles Thomas Knight Elizabeth Martha Calcutt, 1844
- National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1517 f139r
- Baptism Register for St Mary, Islington, Eliza Knight, 1857
- National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/191 f47v
- National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/379 f79v
- National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/379 f80r
- National Archives, 1881 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG11/379 f80r
- GRO Death Certificate Thomas Knight, 1887
Notes:
- Baptism Register for St Mary Whitchapel, Thomas Charles Knight, 1821
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Susannah Knight, 1831
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Emma E Knight, 1835
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Sophia Knight, 1837
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Joseph Knight, 1840
- National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/671/6 f15 p22
- GRO, Marriage Certificate Charles Thomas Knight Elizabeth Martha Calcutt, 1844
- National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1517 f139r
- Baptism Register for St Mary, Islington, Eliza Knight, 1857
- National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/191 f47v
- National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/379 f79v
- National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/379 f80r
- National Archives, 1881 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG11/379 f80r
- GRO Death Certificate Thomas Knight, 1887
Notes:
- Baptism Register for St Mary Whitchapel, Thomas Charles Knight, 1821
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Susannah Knight, 1831
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Emma E Knight, 1835
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Sophia Knight, 1837
- Baptism Register for St Leonards, Shoreditch, Joseph Knight, 1840
- National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/671/6 f15 p22
- GRO, Marriage Certificate Charles Thomas Knight Elizabeth Martha Calcutt, 1844
- National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO107/1517 f139r
- Baptism Register for St Mary, Islington, Eliza Knight, 1857
- National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/191 f47v
- National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/379 f79v
- National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/379 f80r
- National Archives, 1881 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG11/379 f80r
- GRO Death Certificate Thomas Knight, 1887
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