HISTORY OF ELIZABETH JONES KNIGHT Provo Knight Born—20 May, 1844 in Pennsville, Morgan Co., Ohio Died—6 Nov., 18S6 in Payson, Utah Co. Utah Came to Utah—12 Sept., 1850—Aaron Johnson Capt. Married—James Philander Knight-8 Oct., 1860—Provo History submitted by Hazel Meriwether Case—Feb. 1970 Central Park Camp==South Center Salt Lake County (Information taken from-family group sheets, also the Diary of her father, Elisha Jones, and bits searched by Hazel M. Case, a great granddaughter. Written for Hazel M. Case and Mary Forman by Nora Lund, Historian.) Elizabeth Jones Knight was born 30 May, 1844, in Pennsville, Morgan Co., Ohio. She was number seven in a family of 14 children. (After they arrived in Utah, her father practiced plural marriage so she had quite a few half brothers and sisters, also.) Those in the family older than she were: Martha, Thomas, (died) Richard, John, Mary, and Sarah; then came Elizabeth; after her was William (died), James (died), Elisha Warren , Margaret Ellen, (died), Joseph, Jacob Absalom, (died) and Hyrum. When Elizabeth was 3 years old her parents joined the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, being baptized by her Uncle James Jones, who had spent 4 years with the Mormons in Nauvoo. However, her father had been converted to the church in 1840 when he first heard the gospel preached. As soon as the Jonses were baptized, they traveled with her Uncle James back to the Mormon settlement which was Winter Quarters, Nebraska. In 1846 the mormons had been driven out of their beautiful city of Nauvoo by wicked mobs. Being of tender age, naturally, Elizabeth's first memory would be of the long wagon trip from Ohio to Nebraska, and of the hardships of the family in Winter Quarters, where her mother became very ill , and where her father broke a blood vessel in his breast trying to build his family a log cabin. He was ill for five months. Elizabeth was 6 years old and would remember well the trip across the plains which commenced on June 12, 1850, with the Aaron Johnson Company. They did have sub-captains also, over 50 wagons and over 10 wagons. Of course, Elizabeth walked most of the way across the -1- plains, as all those who were able did . The wagons were filled with the necessary things for the trip. She did not have to walk fast, though, to keep up with the slow old oxen , but she got very tired as she trudged along. It took them three months to get to the Great Salt Lake Valley, but they did finally arrive on the 12th of Sept. 1850. Elizabeth's first home in Utah was in the Fort in Little Cottonwood, some 12 or 15 miles southeast of Salt Lake City; but they didn't stay there long because her father heard about a new town to the south called Provo, which would be a good place to make a home for his family . Her Uncle James Jones lived down there, also. Elizabeth liked Provo very much and soon had many friends. The one she was most interested in , however, was James Philander Knight. He was a fine young man, the son of a widow, Lydia Knight. His father, Newel Knight, had died in January of 1847 in Indian Territory, as they started across the plains. James had helped his mother's family to get to Utah in 1850 with the Edward Hunter Company and in 1858, they had moved to Provo. The friendship of this young couple ripened into love, and they were married 8, October 1860. She was 16 and he was 22 years old. A year later, on July 15 1861, their first child, James J. was born, but was not permitted to live. Perhaps it was in the summer of 1862 that James and El izabeth went to Fairvuew, Sanpete Co. to make their home, because her parents were living there at the time. Elizabeth gave birth to her second child, Newel, on 13 Oct, 1862 in Fairview. Then her third child, a son Elisha, was born in Fairview on the 19th of December, 1864. According to the entry in her father's diary, Elisha Jones, her mother , died in Sanpete Co. March 4, 1864 and her father took his wife to Provo for burial. Another entry of the diary is Sept. 20, 1864, "I sold my property in Fairview to James Knight and am going to Provo Valley." October, 1864, "I moved to Heber City." Elisha died there, April 18, 1880. As 1 have no other information about Elizabeth through these years, I will simply follow the birth dates and places of the children on the group sheet to weave this story. We would conclude that bu the fall of 1865 or spring of 1866, the Knight family had gotten tired of trying to make a living in Sanpete Co. and -2- decided that Utah Co. was a better place to live, after all. Clara Elizabeth was born in Payson 28 August 1866. This little farming community was Elizabeth's home for the remainder of her days. She gave birth to Margaret Ellen 30 March, 1868; (died as a child) Artimetia, 28 Oct, 1869; Lydia Rozina, 10 August, 1871; Hyrum Arnold, 8 August 1873; Sylvia Emily 19 October 1875; Eva Sarah, 29 April 1877; Jesse Leroy 20 June 1879; Edwin Delile, 12 January 1881; Lee 1 August '1883, (died age 6, 1889) and Martha 17 August 18S5, (died a month later.) Another interesting entry in her father, Elisha Jones' diary is March 15, 1868, "I recieved a letter from Elizabeth Knight all eaten up by grasshoppers." From a great granddaughter, Hazel M. Case has learned, James Knight was a very hard working man, and provided well for his wife and large family. Certainly, Elizabeth's life as a wife and mother in those early pioneer days, where most of the food and clothing was produced and prepared at home, would keep her very busy. The bearing of each child, with only a mid-wife in attendance, would be quite an ordeal, but she did not shirk motherhood. She looked upon the arrival of each child as a special blessing from God. It is said that she was a beautiful woman, tall and proud, with dark hair. She was always neat and well groomed. Little did she realize that on the 6th of November 1886, when she went to the dentist to have some needed work done, no doubt a tooth or two pulled, that she would never set foot in her home again. It is not known just what complications took place, or if she had a bad heart or not. However, the family story is that upon returning from the dentist, she opened her gate and started up the path and dropped dead. What a terrible shock and loss ro her husband and children. One daughter, Clara Elizabeth, was married at the time, 1884. Her son, Elisha had died at the age of 15 years, 1879. There were eight children at home, including Lee, who was only 3 years old. (He died 3 years later .) After a very sad funeral, Elizabeth Jones Knight was sorrowfully and lovingly laid to rest in the Payson Cemetery on November 8 1886; just 42 years of age. The older girls shouldered the added responsibility and work of the home, assisting their father in caring for the younger children. Even after -3- they were married and had home of their own, they did what they could. The Knight children, after their marriages, moved to other places to make their own homes. Some of them, at least Newel, went to Wayne Co. and lived at Loa and Giles. James , their father, lived in Wayne Co. with his children for a time. Some of the boys, at least Hyrum and Delile, went over in West Millard Co. at Delta and took up farms. It was here with his children that James spent his declining years. They took good care of him until he died 15 June, 1909, at the age of 70 years. He was buried beside his wife in the Payson Cemetery on June 17, 1909. Elizabeth and James' children chose worthy companions; Newel married Lizetta Liddle; Clara Elizabeth married Albert Simmons; Artimetia married Frank Jacpbs; Lydia Rozina married Court land Stewart; Hyrum Arnold maried Cordelia Mayhem; Synvia Emily married Peter Christensen; Eva Sarah married Charles Evans; Jesse Leroy married Agnes Kenner; Edwin Delile married Elnora Turner. -4-