Individual Details

William Knapp [Knopp] may have been the son of Thomas Knopp of Bures St. Mary, Suffolk, England. Thomas was buried there 18 May 1613, called Thomas Knopp, the Sexton. Thomas's wife was Alice Howlat, their marriage recorded 10 Jan 1569/70. She was possibly a daughter of Nicholas Howlett of Bures St. Mary whose will dated 14 Jan 1555/6 mentions seven children under age eighteen but names only three of them.

Children baptized at Bures St. Mary, that are apparently the children of Thomas & Alice were:
Elizabeth Knopp, bp. 9 Mar 1571/2
James, bp 19 Sep 1574
John, bp 13 Jul 1578
William, bp 1 Jan 1580/1
Thomas, bp 15 Mar 1583/4 as "the sonne of Thomas"
Margaret, bp 7 Nov 1586 "daughter of Thomas"
Ann, bp 13 Jan 1590/1 "daughter of Thomas"
Robert, bp 3 Feb 1593/4 "sonne of Thomas"

William & Judith's children John & Judith were also baptized at Bures St. Mary's, the other children at her home parish, Wormingford, Essex, where they were married.

William was indentured to Sir Richard Saltonstall when he arrived in America in 1630 - probably for the amount of passage for himself and his family. Sir Richard sailed with the Winthrop Fleet:
The Winthrop Fleet consisted of eleven ships sailing from Yarmouth, Isle of Wright to Salem. Some sailed April 8, arriving June 13, 1630 and the following days, the others to sail in May, arriving in July. The total count of passengers is believed to be about seven hundred, and presumed to have included the following people. Financing was by the Mass. Bay Company.
The ships were the Arbella flagship with Capt Peter Milburne, the Ambrose, the Charles, the Mayflower, the Jewel, the Hopewell, The Success, the Trial, the Whale, the Talbot and the William and Francis.
Sailed April 8 1630: Ambrose, Arbella, Hopewell, Talbot,
Sailed May 1630: Charles, Jewel, Mayflower, Success, Trial, Whale, William and Francis
Winthrop wrote to his wife just before they set sail that there were seven hundred passengers. Six months after their arrival, Thomas Dudley wrote to Bridget Fiennes, Countess of Lincoln and mother of Lady Arbella and Charles Fiennes, that over two hundred passengers had died between their landing April 30 and the following December, 1630. That letter traveled via the Lyon April 1, 1631 and reached England four weeks later.
Listed on a reconstructed passenger list: William Knapp, Mrs. Knapp, John, Anne, Judith, Mary, James, William Jr., probably of Bures St. Mary, Suffolk. Other passengers were also from Suffolk.


SOURCE: The Winthrop Fleet of 1630 (Reprint 1976-Genealogical Publishing Company), by Charles Edward Banks
Early research found that among the passengers that came to America in 1630, Nicholas Knapp and William Knopp, were in evidence. The immigrants came to America in 1630. The Admiral ["Arbella"-formerly the "Eagle"] of the Fleet left the waters of the Castle of Yarmouth "On Thursday, April 8, at six in the morning, weighing anchor and setting sail, followed by her three consorts in scattered formation" [The Winthrop Fleet of 1630 (Reprint 1976), by Charles E Banks, :37) NOTE: Keep in mind this is in reference only to the "Arbella," as there were other ships underway when the "Arbella" set sail. The April 6 entry refers to the boarding of the "Arbella" by Captain Milbourne, of Yarmouth Castle, "a grave, comely gentleman, and of great age"[Ibid, :36]. Fortunately for the purposes of our list of immigrant passengers, there exists a list of seventy names of those who came with the Fleet; a rough list prepared by John Winthrop, and is found entered in a "flyleaf" disconnected from the main text of the original Winthrop Fleet Journal. It was from this list that ancestors Nicholas Knapp and William Knopp, with wives and children were identified. Although it does not depict the name of the ship on which these ancestors were passengers, we can be reasonably assured they were passengers aboard the "Arbella", the Winthrop Fleet Flagship. It is also recognized, that they could have been passengers on any of the other ships in the Fleet that are known to have carried passengers, as well. As stated in the source [Ibid, :53], QUOTE; "As there is no known list of emigrants who came with the Winthrop Fleet, so there is none for those who came in particular ships....". The Fleet consisted of eleven ships as follows:
+1-"Arbella" - Admiral
#2-Talbot - Vice Admiral
#3-Mayflower
+4-Whale
+5-Ambrose-Rear Admiral
+6-Jewel-Captain
#7-William & Francis
+8-Success
#9-Hopewell
#10-Trial
#11-Charles

30 Nov 1630, the Court of Assistants in Watertown ordered that whoever employed Willm Knopp or his son in any work was to pay half their wages to Sr. Rich. Siltonstall & whoever buys boards from them to pay one half the price to Sr. Richard, until the money disbursed for them be satisfied.

William was eventually granted seven parcels of land in Watertown, a 16 acre homestall, a 93 acre farm, 30 ares in the Great Divident, and smaller parcels which totalled another 29 acres. As an old man, he performed work around the meeting house and was the poundkeeper - he was referred to as "Ould Knop" or "Father Knop".

In 1656, William applied for assistance to the selectmen of Watertown who proposed he place his estate in the hands of his children in exchange for their support, but the children refused to do so. During the last years of his life, the town leased out William's lands and reimbursed others for their assistance to him.

Watertown Records
1st & 2nd Books of Town Proceedings
Lands Grants & Possessions
The Proprietors' Book
The 1st Book & Supplement of Births, Deaths, & Marriages
Watertown, MA 1894
p.24 8 Oct 1651 reference to “ould Knop” - received payment from the town
p.25 10 Dec 1650 [should have been 1651 according to surrounding entries] disbursements by John Shearman to “ould Knop” for wages
p.28 Jan 12 1651 Ordered that ould father Knop shall be payd out of this p'sent rate whatsoever he can make appeere to be due to him and to be Discharged of his service aboute the meeting house and keep of the pound when his yeare is expired which will be upon the first of May in '52.
p.30 Feb 3, 1651 Ordered that Sergent Beeres shall view the severall pertickerlers of old Knops work done at the meeting house and to make a returne to the towne
p.55 15 Dec 1657 10# for ould Knop …credit given to the town all wch somes are to be pd in this 50L rate wth the severall debts dew to the towne
p.56
Jan 29 1657 By Left. Beeres there is pd in the behalfe of the towne as lent to Willi Knop the Elder the some of fower poundes, eighteene shillings & eleaven pence. Other sums:
By Michaell Bearsto for Ould knop;More by Mich: Bearsto.
p.56 Thomas Hastings howse Apr 13, 1658.
The Land of Ould Knop his meadow & corne land is lett to Robt Jenison & Sargt Bloyse for this yeare att the rate of five pounds & if in case it continew in the hands of the select men to lett it, they do ingage the above named have it all the time that it continew in the same hands to lett

Lands & Proprietors….
25 Jul 1636 Grant of great dividents lotted out by the Freemen to all the Townsmen being 120 in number. 4 Division, each 160 rods in breadth.
First Division - Lott 23, William Knop, 30a
2nd Division - Lott 17, Nicholas Knap 30a
Etc. Both mentioned many times, William's name consistenly spelled “Knop”, as is William Jr., Nicholas as Knap. Strangely, Nicholas seems not be appear in the books of the Town. In the register of births, deaths, marriages, both names seem to be spelled Knap more often then not.


First Inventory of Grants and Possessions:
William Knop Sen.
1. An homestall of 16a bounded SE & SW with Robert Lockwood & Nicholas Knap, the E with Richard Browne, NE with Richard Beers, N with the highway & the W with George Munnings
2. 7a of Plowland in the further Plaine & the 86 Lott
3. 8a of Plowland in the further Plaine & the 52 Lott
4. 7a of Meddow in the remote Meddowes & the 99 Lott
5. 7a & halfe of upland beyind the further Plaine & the 31 Lott
6. 30a of upland being a great Divident in the 1st Division & 23 Lott
7. A farme of 93 acres of upland in the 1st Division


Grants & Possessions of the Lands in Watertown
According to order of the Court of 9 (7) 1639
Attested Feb 27 1714/15

William Knop, Sen
Missing the 8 acres of plowland in the first inventory
Missing the farm
Added: One acre of Meaddow by estimation in West meddow bounded wth common land granted to him


Watertown
Births, deaths, marriages
Priscilla dau of William & Mary Knap born 10 (9) 1642
John Cade, sonn of Nickholas & Judeth Cade borne 15 January 1650
Judy Knap dau of Willyam & Mergrett Knop bornn the 2d of March 1652
Judy Cady dau of Nicholas & Judy bornn the 2d of September 1653
Elizbath Knap dau of James & Elizabath Knap borne the 21 Second, 1655
James Knap sonn of James & Elizabeth Knap borne the 26 of May 1657
Nicholas Cady sonn of Nichholas & Jedeth Cady dyed the 21st of 11th 1657
James Knap sonn of James & Elizabeth dyed the 26 September 1657
Nicholas Cady, sonn of Nickholas & Judeth bornn the 2nd of Aug 1657
Elizabeth Knop dau of Willyam & Mergrett Knop bornn the 23 Jul 1657
Danill Cady sonn of Nickholas & Judy Cady borne the 27 Nov 1659
Willyam Knap aged abought 80 years, Deceased the 30 of August 1659
John Knape & Sary Younge maryd the 21 3rd 1660
Ezekiell Cady sone of Nickholas & Judy Cady Borne ye 14 (6) 1662
Sary Knop of John & Sary Borne 5 (7) 1662
Nickholas Cady son of Nickholas & Judy Cady borne the 20 of the 12, 1663
Joseph Cady son of Nickholas & Judeth borne 28 of May 1666


His will dated 5 Jul 1655 was never proved, possibly because of ambiguous language. Daughter Anne had died but the will not modified to dispose of her portion. Elizabeth Buttery of Bures St. Mary was the daughter still in England - she appointed attorneys to receive her portion but she died before she received her share. The heirs in New England indicated in a deed dated 1 Apr 1662, that their father had died intestate. The estate inventory was taken 31 Aug 1658.

Christen	1 Jan 1580/81	Bures Saint Mary, Suffolk, England
Marriage	11 Jan 1606/07	Wormingford, Essex, England - JUDITH Tue
Marriage	Abt 1651	Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts - Living
Death	30 Aug 1658	Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts

Spouse	JUDITH Tue ( - 1651)
Child	Elizabeth Knopp ( - 1661)
Child	William KNOPP ( - 1676)
Child	Mary Knopp ( - )
Child	Anne KNOPP ( - 1657)
Child	JOHN KNOPP ( - 1696)
Child	James Knopp ( - 1700)
Child	Judith Knopp ( - )

Spouse

Living

Webtags

Notes