The Knott family of lighthouse keepers
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The Knott family of lighthouse keepers are accredited with the longest period of continuous service in the history of manned lighthouses, commencing in 1730 at South Foreland with William Knott and ending in 1910 at Skerries (Anglesey, Wales) with Henry Thomas Knott (son of George Knott - see below) who died the following year having retired to Crewe. There are three famous lighthouse-keeping families in England, the other two being the Darling (see: Grace Darling) and the Hall families. The three families are inter-related.
George Knott (pictured) was the fourth in the succession, and was famous for his wonderful models of the lights in which he served. The picture shows him with one of two amazing models he made of the Smeaton Eddystone. The model is perfect in every detail, both inside and out, and is in store at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. The other model was destroyed during the Blitz.
The Knott Family History of Lighthouse Keeping
WILLIAM KNOTT (b.1680 Dover Kent. d. unknown)
South Foreland 1730
WILLIAM KNOTT (b.1706 Acrise Kent. d. 1780) (Son of William Knott b.1680)
South Foreland (1730 – 1741). Probably continued to 1770 but no known records.
HENRY KNOTT (b.1743 St. Margaret’s at Cliffe. d. 1828) (Son of William (b.1706))
South Foreland (1770 – 1817).
HENRY THOMAS KNOTT (b. 1797 St. Margaret’s at Cliffe. d. 1870) (Son of Henry b. 1743))
South Foreland (1817 – 1861).
JOHN KNOTT (b.1820 St. Margaret’s at Cliffe. d. 1851) (Son of Henry Thomas b. 1797)
South Foreland (1841 – 1851). Died in service.
GEORGE KNOTT (b. 1828 St. Margaret’s at Cliffe d. 1904) (Son of Henry Thomas b. 1797)
South Foreland (1851 – 1860)
Eddystone (1861 – 1866)
Braunton (1867 – 1871)
Eddystone (1871 – 1881)
Bull Point (1881 – 1888)
North Foreland (1888 - 1891)
HENRY THOMAS KNOTT (b. 1851 St. Margaret’s at Cliffe. d. 1910) (Son of George Knott b.1828)
Skerries (1874 – 1886)
South Foreland (1866 – 1867)
Basses, Ceylon (1887 – 1890)
St. Ann’s Head (1890 – 1894)
South Stack (1898 - 1899)
Start Point (1900)
Skerries (1901 – 1906)
Linked to the Hall Family of Lighthouse Keepers via the marriage (Holyhead 1877) of Henry Thomas Knott (b. 1845) to Ellen Margaret Hall (b. 1847 Dale, Pembs) daughter of John Hall (b. 1810 Dale, Pembs) keeper of St. Ann’s Low Light.
Linked to the Darling Family of Lighthouse Keepers via the marriage of Thomas Owen Hall (b. Dale, Pembs 1840) (Son of John Hall (b. 1810 Dale, Pembs) keeper of St. Ann’s Low Light) to Grace Horsley Darling (b. Bamburgh 1844)(daughter of William Darling (b. 1806 Bamburgh) Keeper of Farne Island Lighthouse)
