Generation 1

JOHN KNOWLES (d. 1705) of Hampton

Parents: Unknown

John Knowles died on 5 Dec 1705; he had been blind for ten years. [Ref, 2;778] He married Jemima Asten on 10 Jul 1660 [Ref, 2;778] in Hampton. [Ref]

John was a mariner. [Ref, 2;778]

On 25 Mar 1666, John bought a house on ten acres and six acres of marsh in Hampton. [Ref, 2;778]

Children of John Knowles and Jemima Asten:

1. John Knowles was born on 6 Feb 1661/2 [Ref, 2;779] in Hampton. [Ref] Goodman John Knowles died in 1733 in Hampton. [Ref] He married Susanna Unknown. [Ref, 2;779] She died on 16 or 17 Oct 1745, age 82. [Ref, 2;779], age 82, of old age, in Hampton. [Ref two records]
2. Ezekiel Knowles was born on 19 Aug 1663 [Ref, 2;779] or 15 Sep 1663 in Hampton. [Ref, two records] He died on 11 Dec 1666 [Ref, 2;779] in Hampton. [Ref]
3. James Knowles was born on 20 Nov 1665 [Ref, 2;779] in Hampton. [Ref] He died on 1 Feb 1682 [Ref, 2;779], age 17, in Hampton. [Ref]
4. Simon Knowles was born on 22 Nov 1667. He married first Rachel Unknown. He married second Rachel Joy. [Ref, 2;779]
5. Joseph Knowles was born on 11 Jun 1672 [Ref, 2;779] in Hampton. [Ref] He probably died young. [Ref, 2;779]
6. Sarah Knowles was born on 17 Apr 1676 [Ref, 2;778] in Hampton. [Ref] She died on 8 Jun 1742. [Ref, 2;778] She married Robert Drake. [Ref, 2;778]
7. Hannah Knowles was born on 18 Apr 1678 [Ref, 2;778] in Hampton. [Ref] She died on 12 Sep 1769. [Ref, 2;778] She married William Locke. [Ref, 2;778]

Generation 2

SIMON KNOWLES (b. 1667) of Hampton

Parents: John Knowles and Jemima Asten [Ref, 2;778]

Simon Knowles was born on 22 Nov 1667 [Ref, 2;779] in Hampton. [Ref] He married first Rachel Unknown. [Ref, 2;779] She died on 11 Nov 1696 [Ref, 2;779] in Hampton. [Ref] He married second Rachel Joy on 23 Aug 1700 [Ref, 2;779] in Hampton. [Ref]

Children of Simon Knowles and Rachel Unknown:

1. Simon Knowles was born on 18 Mar 1695/6 [Ref, 2;779] in Hampton. [Ref] He was baptised on 13 Dec 1696 in Hampton. [Ref] He died on 22 Apr 1753 in North Hampton. [Ref, 2;779]

Children of Simon Knowles and Rachel Joy:

1. Rachel Knowles was born on 10 Jan 1701 [Ref, 2;779] in Hampton. [Ref] She was baptised on 25 Aug 1718 in Hampton. [Ref] She died on 15 May 1767. [Ref, 2;779] She married Samuel Hobbs. [Ref, 2;779]
2. Joseph Knowles was born on 22 Jan 1704 or 1705 [Ref, 2;779] in Hampton. [Ref] He was baptised on 25 Aug 1718 in Hampton. [Ref] He married first Catherine, the daughter of Richard Taylor. [Ref, 2;779] He probably married second Lydia Randel on 12 Jan 1778. [Ref, 2;779]
3. Ruth Knowles was born on 30 Sep 1707. She married Joseph French.
4. Jonathan Knowles was born on 22 Aug 1710 [Ref, 2;779] in Hampton. [Ref] He was baptised on 25 Aug 1718 in Hampton. [Ref] He married Sarah Unknown. [Ref, 2;779]
5. Abigail Knowles was born on 25 Aug 1718 [Ref, 2;779] in Hampton. [Ref] She died on 5 Aug 1745 [Ref, 2;779], age 27, of throat distemper, in Hampton. [Ref] She was unmarried. [Ref, 2;779]

Generation 3

RUTH KNOWLES (b. 1707)

Parents: Simon Knowles and Rachel Joy [Ref, 2;778-9]

Ruth Knowles was born on 30 Sep 1707 [Ref, 2;779] in Hampton. [Ref] She was baptised on 25 Aug 1718 in Hampton. [Ref] Ruth Knowles of Hampton married Joseph French on 22 July 1731 in Salisbury. [Ref]

The evidence that this is the Ruth who married Joseph French is circumstantial: She appears to be the only Ruth Knowles of Hampton of the right age. The names of her children coincide with those of her father and siblings, but these were also common names in the French family.

References

Dow, Joseph, History of the town of Hampton, New Hampshire: From its settlement in 1638, to the autumn of 1892, unknown, L.E. Dow, 1893.

Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850. Online Database: NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2007.

Sanborn, George Freeman, Jr., and Sanborn, Melinde Lutz, Vital records of Hampton, New Hampshire: To the end of the year 1900, Boston, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1992. (Online database. NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009)