The Knecht/Knight Family
Written and compiled by Margaret nee Knight Sypniewski
THE NAME KNECHT:
The name Knecht is very common in Austria and Germany. The Knecht Name Meaning in German and Swiss German:
It is an occupational name for a journeyman, from Middle High German kneht, Middle Low German Knecht ‘knight’s assistant’, ‘lad’, ‘servant’, ‘hired hand’, ‘apprentice’, ‘helper’.
The name Knecht means "servant," or "farm hand," and the colorful Landsknechte served both king and country as mercenaries. Many Knechts changed their name to the Anglicized "Knight" when they arrived in New York. Many Knechts were, in truth landowners and knights, as the name evolved away from the menial meaning.
Germany (233)
*Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press.
Switzerland (77)
Bavaria (35)
Baden (25)br>
Württemberg (22)
France (16) *** from the New York Passengers List
A BRIEF WORD ABOUT LANDSKNECHT:
The German Landsknechte meant literally "servants of the land," a misnomer in that they were originally poor farmers who later began to work for cash as mercenaries. The word was coined by Peter von Hagenbach, who commissioned them for service with Charles the Bold of Burgundy. The Swiss infantry was the reason why. In the 1470s these mercenaries fought for those who could pay. They fought in Germany, Spain, and England, where a brigade of Landsknechte helped crush the Robert Kett rising in 1549. Maximilian I (1483-1516) transformed the Landsknecht into a disciplined corp d'elite. Many German nobles fought with them. They were best known for their outrageous, multi-colored clothing. They fought hand-to-hand against the enemy with pike formations. Commoners also used a short sword called a Katzlaber ("cat-ripper"). The katzlaber was 28 inches long. Nobles used the two-handed sword called zwihander which was 66 inches long. The Landsknechte provided their own gear. Flamboyance was their point of pride - with huge plumed hats, slashed doublets, hose in vivid colors, ribbons, and colorful bows. The major weapon of the Landsknechte was the pike (made of ash) and approximately 18 feet in length. The steel head was 10 inches long and often a fox's brush or animal tail was tied to the top of the pike for its healing properties and protection in battle.
These mercenary armies more or less invented a new style of clothing with slashings. It was actually invented by the Swiss in 1476. The legend is that upon defeating Charles the Bold of Burgundy that they pillaged a wealth of velvets, silks, and other finery, which the victors used to patch their own clothing. The attaching of pieces of fabric to the back of tears received in battle became a German fad.
This was called quite simply "slashing." Fabric later was purposely slashed at regular intervals and was backed by the fine silks and velvets. Soon the nobility caught slashing fever and the next step was the cod piece which soon became inflated with padding.
Another color example is shown below. This is a painting of Duke Henry the Pious of Saxony (painted by Lucas Crananch in 1514).
I found:
Friederike Knecht 21. Augsburg, Württemburg #54-1001.
(from FTM, CD267 German and Swiss Settlers in America, 1700w-1800s, German Immigrants to NY from Bremen, 1847-54.Broderbund Software Inc).
In Ellis Island Records, I found the following Knechts:
George Knecht 28 Augsburg, Germany 1924
Fritz Knecht 28 Augsburg, Germany 1923
Alois Knecht 24 Geislingen, Germany 1924
Carl Knecht 17 Gomaringen, Germany 1923
Friederike Knecht emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1854/2 according to records so it is doubtful that these were his relatives, some 69 years later, but I have set them here for future reference.
Frederick Knecht changed his name to "Knight" when he entered New York in 1852 (census records have another date of emigration). He held land in Wurtemburg, Germany, and had to flee in difficult political times. The first record of Frederick is in New York, in the 1860 Census, with his wife Phoebe (nee Peterson) and his son (my great grandfather), Frederick George Knight, Jr. Thus begins my family tree:
Other Knechts:
Josefa Knecht 29 Augsburg, Germany 1924
Margarete Knecht 3 Augsburg, Germany 1924
Josepha Knecht 28 Augsburg, Germany 1923
Elise Knecht 23 Gomaringen, Germany 1923
GENERATION ONE
All I known about the parents of Frederick Knight was that his father's name was Joseph Knecht of Austrian lineage, and his mother's name was Mary ?.
GENERATION TWO
Frederick Knecht/Knight was born May 3, 1827/1833 (records differ) in Austria. He emigrated to New York in 1852. He died December 19, 1902 in Madison Township, Lenawee County, Michigan, and is buried in Brookside Cemetery in Tecumseh, Michigan. He married Phoebe Ann Peterson 1866 in New York. They are first shown in the 1860 New York Census in W. Auburn Township, Cayuga County. At this time, Frederick (spelled Fredrick on census) is 27 years old and is an engineer. His wife Phoebe (spelled Phebe on census) is 20 years old. Phoebe was born August 8, 1839 in New York(?) Phoebe died of Tuberculosis on November 18, 1868 in Tecumseh, Michigan and is buried in Brookside Cemetary in Tecumseh, Michigan. In the 1870 census Frederick is listed as age 40 and has his son, Frank Knight, age 2 living with him. Their property was valued at $600.00 and they are living in Raisin Township, Lenawee County, Michigan.
In the New York 1880 census, Frederick is re-married to a woman named Frances Peterson(?) his first wife's sister(?) She is 32 years old and was born in New York. Frederick is listed as a cooper, at this time. They are living in Tecumseh, Michigan.
By the 1900 census, Frederick is a boarder at a house in Adrian, Lenawee County, Michigan. He is listed as a widower and returned to his position as engineer. He died two years after this census, at age 75 years.
GENERATION THREE
Harriet Assenia Bartholomew was born October 16, 1862 in Milan, Monroe County, Michigan and died April 22, 1957 (at age 94) in Tecumseh, Lenawee County, Michigan. Harriet's family moved to Tecumseh in 1883.
I never met Great-grandfather Frederick, however, there were always reunions of the Knight Family members in Tecumseh, Michigan.
When Frederick was 12 years old he was to be adopted out to the Henes family, but he ran away and worked as a waterboy for the circus. In a short time, he became a performer in the Barnum & Bailey Circus out of Chicago. He was a tumbler and a jumper. One of his acts was standing on the back of one or two horses and doing all sorts of tricks. When he fell and hurt his back he had to give up this lifestyle. By this time he was old enough to be on his own, and he returned to his father's home.
In the 1880 census Frederick is boarding at the home of William McKinney in Tecumseh, Lenawee County, Michigan, and is listed as 28 years of age.
I think that Frederick George Knight was greatly affected by having to adopt his children out to his friends, but he had to travel in his career as engineer, and needed a safe place for his children, while he was away. No one wanted to watch four young children, and he had no family nearby. His mother and father were still in Germany. His brother and sister had their own families to feed. It seems that he adopted them out to people who could afford to care for his children and he contributed to their expenses, such as college. They always lived nearby in their younger years, in Tecumseh, so he could see that they were not abused. At family reunions all the family attended. His youngest and eldest sons keep close to their father. His eldest son, Frederick, had him living with his family from time to time. My great-aunt, Phoebe Knight told of him teaching her and Charles, her brother, German. She stated that her grandfather was a distinguished man who cared deeply for his children and grandchildren. The couples that cared for his daughters could not have children of their own, so they considered them precious.
I think he felt that they needed the stability of both a father and a mother, to grow up happy and sound. By the time he remarried the children were adults, and out on their own.
I do not know exactly when he remarried, but I do know that his wife Frances was ill. Frances was originally his housekeeper. She took morphine for her ailment, which included a lot of pain, and like so many at this time, developed an addiction to her drug. Both his martial partners had tragic endings. This, I am sure, troubled his mind since his first wife and daughter both died of tuberculosis, and his son, Franklin, died at the age of 20 in an accident. His death certificate said he hung himself, but the family never believed that. Franklin was working on a scaffold, in the church, doing frescos on the ceiling. Franklin was an artist of some talent. However, this talent was not to reach its maturity. My great aunt reported to me that Frank was always a happy person, not prone to melancholy.
It seems that "weakness of the lung" was carried into the genes by Phoebe Peterson. This gene also showed up in the Bartholomew family through Harriet Assenia Bartholomew, Frederick's daughter-in-law. Harriet had asthma. This gene carried through to a few of their decendents, including myself. Fortunately, there are ways to control this disease today. Harriet lived to almost her 95th birthday, and was a remarkable women.
From the tragic beginnings of Frederick George Knight, later generations had longevity and health. We think this came from his own genes, since he was healthy most of his life.
Most of the Knight/Knecht family is buried in Brookside Cemetery in Tecumseh, Michigan. Click Here for the family plots and their locations.
GENERATION THREE
Darl graduated with a degree in medicine from the University of Michigan as an Eyes, Ears, and Throat specialist. They were married in Washington D.C.
Grace and Carl has two sons named: Robert Dewey Frost and Edward Lyster Frost.
GENERATION FOUR
GENERATION FIVE
Children by his first wife are:
RELATED LINKS:
The Children of Frederick Knight and Phoebe Peterson are:
The children of Frederick George Knight and Harriet Assenia Bartholomew were:
The Children of Henrietta I. Knight Conklin and Lyster H. Dewey were:
The Children of Charles F. Knight and Grace Lenore Dickerson were:
The children of Phoebe Knight and Floyd Bryan were:
Children of Franklin Knight and Mary McShane:
Children of Russell Martin Knight:
Children of Rose Knight and Norman Orr:
The Children of Ruth Knight and Paul Hines:
Ancestry Connection
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Augsburg
visitor since May 3, 2004
Email: Maggie973@aol.com
Margaret
This page was last updated on February 21, 2017