Notes:

Name:
listed as McKnight in the 1911 Canada Census and living is Souris, Manitoba.

Notes:

Born a McKnight but name changed to MacKnight. This might have been that he was ordained in the Presbyterian Church which had its roots in Scotland. The McKnight (Irish) name might of alienated some of parishioners. (just a hunch)

Robert married Harriet Burnham Choate on 22 Feb 1887 in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Harriet (daughter of Thomas George Choate and Christianna Ann Kidd) was born on 30 May 1863 in Warsaw, Ontario, Canada; died on 25 Dec 1928 in Guelph, Ontario, Canada; was buried on 28 Dec 1928 in Little Lake Cemetery, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Cause of Death: Huntington's Chorea (had disease for 10 years)

Other Events and Attributes:

• Cause of Death: Bilious fever

Notes:

This is cornerstone of this website. It started with Robert James McKnight (ID#1), then came Mary White (ID#2).

The McKnights came from County Down, Ireland, in the early 1830's on the same ship with the Whites of South Monaghan, and the Wrights. A grandson, Dr. John Wright, was a well,known and respected doctor for many years in Millbrook and father of Allan Wright of Cavan Township at Bailieboro. Mrs. Clarence Ball (Ula White) is a descendent of the Whites. It took nine weeks under sail to make the trip from Ireland. Mary White was seasick all the way over. When the river narrowed the ship was towed up the St. Lawrence River to Montreal by oxen. The Wrights settled in Hope Township, the Whites in South Monaghan and the McKnights in Cavan Township. Robert James McKnight married Mary White. He died in 1894 and she died in 1918 aged 88. They first settled in South Monaghan but soon moved to Lot 14, Cone. 6, Cavan Township.

County Down (named after its county town, Downpatrick) is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the south-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,448 km² and has a population of about 531,665. It is also one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland and is within the province of Ulster.

The county was archaically called Downshire. It borders County Antrim to the north, the Irish Sea to the east and south, County Armagh to the west, and County Louth to the southwest. In the east of the county is Strangford Lough and the Ards Peninsula. The largest town is Bangor, on the northeast coast. Three other large towns and cities are on its border: Newry lies on the western border with County Armagh, while Lisburn and Belfast lie on the northern border with County Antrim. Down contains both the southernmost point of Northern Ireland (Cranfield Point) and the easternmost point of Ireland (Burr Point).

It is currently one of only two counties of Ireland to have a majority of the population from a Protestant community background, according to the 2001 census. The other is County Antrim.

Robert married Mary White in 1852 in Ontario, Canada. Mary was born on 25 Nov 1833 in County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom; died on 19 Jan 1919 in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada; was buried in Grace Presbyterian Cemetery, Millbrook, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

White, Mary: The McKnights came from County Down, Ireland, in the early 1830's on the same ship with the Whites of South Monaghan, and the Wrights. A grandson, Dr. John Wright, was a well,known and respected doctor for many years in Millbrook and father of Allan Wright of Cavan Township at Bailieboro. Mrs. Clarence Ball (Ula White) is a descendent of the Whites. It took nine weeks under sail to make the trip from Ireland. Mary White was seasick all the way over. When the river narrowed the ship was towed up the St. Lawrence River to Montreal by oxen. The Wrights settled in Hope Township, the Whites in South Monaghan and the McKnights in Cavan Township. Robert James McKnight married Mary White. He died in 1894 and she died in 1918 aged 88. They first settled in South Monaghan but soon moved to Lot 14, Cone. 6, Cavan Township.

Thomas + Christianna Ann Kidd. Christianna was born on 25 Oct 1833 in Lanark, Ontario, Canada; died on 15 Mar 1910 in Mariposa, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Samuel married Agnes WelshRepublic of Ireland. Agnes was born in 1806 in Republic of Ireland; died on 11 Jun 1890 in Cavan, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Thomas Choate, son of Jacob Choate and Fanny Marshall Burnham, was born April 3, 1809 near Cobourg, Upper Canada. His parents had emigrated to Glanbord from Enfield, New Hampshire in 1798, along with members of the Burnham family who were cousins of the Choates. In approximately 1801, they moved to Hamilton Township, north of Cobourg, where Thomas was born, and by 1812, the family had moved to Port Hope, Upper Canada. Thomas learned the trade of millright at Warsaw, New York, and also studied music at Batavia, New York. In 1830, Thomas married Mary Wright, daughter of Richard Wright and Ann Stuart of Skiberne, County Cork, Ireland. Thomas and Mary had five children: Thomas George, Anna Eliza, Mary Jane, Richard Marshall, and Jacob Stuart. In 1834-35, Thomas was sent to Dummer Township by his uncle, the Honourable Zaccheus Burnham, to complete the construction of a saw and grist mill, which had already been started for Burnham by Thomas Hartwell. By 1836, the mill was in operation and Thomas moved his family to what was then known as Dummer Mills and built a general store. In 1842, Thomas successfully acquired the contract for a post office, and since a post office, required a village name, Thomas chose the name Warsaw. In 1839, Thomas' first wife died and he married her sister, Eliza Wright. They had two children, Harriet Burnham and Mary, before Eliza died in 1845. In 1846, Thomas married Hanah Grover, daughter of Jonah Grover and Lucia Baldwin, of Norwood, Upper Canada. Thomas and Hannah had three children: Celestia Charlotte, James Grover, and Arthur Francis. Thomas' eldest son, Thomas George, when he was old enough, took over running the mills for Zaccheus Burnham. Thomas George later established his own chair manufacturing shop on Quarry Lake. Thomas senior's main interest remained in the running of his store and post office, and with his duties as a Justice of the Peace. Thomas also established and conducted a singing school and choir which was under his tutelage for 60 years. Both he and his son, Thomas George became involved in the local temperence society and in local politics. Thomas retired from running the store in 1889, at the age of 80, and his youngest son, Arthur Francis, took over the business as manager and post master. In 1897, Arthur established a second store, Choate Supply Store, at McCraken's Landing, Stony Lake. Thomas died in 1900, at the age of 90. The Warsaw store was sold in 1927, and Arthur Francis died in 1931. The Choate Supply Store remained in business, and was managed by Arthur's wife Vida. When she died, the store was then managed by their daughter Bessie. The Choate Supply Store was sold out of the family in 1949. Arthur and Vida Elora Smith, also had a son, Richard (Dick), who was born in Warsaw in 1880. Dick was to become a journalist, artist and musician. Dick began his career with the Peterborough Examiner in 1905 and in his early days, worked for the Montreal Herald, the Buffalo Courier and some newspapers in Calgary and Vancouver. In 1908, Dick married Mary (May) Dawson Donnell, daughter of Elizabeth Ambrose and James Rea Donnell. Dick also worked in the United States for some time, and at one point in his career was a member of the Congressional Press Gallery in Washington, D.C. He later became the editor of the Toronto Daily News, editor of the Toronto Sunday World, and an editorial writer for the Toronto Globe. It is unknown when he died.

Trent University Archives

Thomas married Hannah Grover on 18 Feb 1846 in Douro-Dummer Township, Ontario, Canada. Hannah was born in 1807 in Newtown, Connecticut, USA; died on 29 Apr 1885 in Warsaw, Ontario, Canada; was buried in Port Hope Union Cemetery, Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]