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| Google Earth aerial of the Union Primitive Baptist Church and cemetery (also known as Burnt Church) in Lakeland, Georgia |
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| The headstone of my maternal 4th great grandfather William Anderson Knight at Union Primitive Baptist Church (Burnt Church), Lakeland, Lanier County, Georgia |
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| The headstone of my maternal 4th great grandmother Sarah Cone Knight at Union Primitive Baptist Church (Burnt Church), Lakeland, Lanier County, Georgia |
Sarah's headstone says: "Sacred to the memory of Sarah Knight, who was born February the 16th, 1780, and died November the 28th, 1859."
The
Knights first settled in Wayne County, Georgia, where William severed as
representative, Justice of the Peace, and Justice of Wayne Inferior Court for
several years. In the mid-1820s, they moved to what is now Lanier County but
was then Irwin and later part of Lowndes County. He served as the first senator of
Lowndes County from 1826 to 1828. The Knights were charter members of Union
Primitive Baptist Church, the first Primitive Baptist Church in Lowndes County, which is where they are buried.
William was ordained as a minister in 1832 and helped establish several
churches within a 100 mile-wide area. In 1850, after the death of Pastor
Matthew Albritton, William became the pastor of Union Primitive Baptist Church.
He also served as the first pastor of Wayfare Church from 1841-1854 and
1856-1858, located in what is now Echols County, Georgia.* (Helen and I also visited Wayfare that same Sunday, because my son was told that we had some relatives there, too.)
Curiously, the inscriptions on William and Sarah's headstones are on the back. Nothing is written on the front. (See below.) I'd not seen this done before. I've seen headstones with inscriptions on both sides, but not just engraved on the back.
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| The headstones and footstones of William Anderson and Sarah Cone Knight at Union Primitive Baptist Church (Burnt Church) in Lakeland, Lanier County, Georgia. No inscriptions are on the front of the headstones. |
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| The gravestone of my maternal third great grandmother Sarah Knight Roberts at Union Primitive Baptist Church (Burnt Church) in Lakeland, Lanier County, Georgia. |
Sarah Knight Roberts' gravestone says: "Sacred to the memory of Sarah Roberts who was born Oct. 10th 1809 and departed this life Jan. 21st 1880"
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| The gravestone of my maternal third great grandfather William P. Roberts at Union Primitive Baptist Church in Lakeland, Lanier County, Georgia |
There are graves of other members of the Knight family in this cemetery. As soon as I figure out how they connect to my branch, I'll post them.
Catherine
*Folks Huxford, Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, Volume I. Cooper Press Inc., Jacksonville, Florida, 1966, 160-161.
William A. Knight's sister Mary Knight was my 5th great grandmother and was married to George Roddenberry. This in addition to the John Davis connection I just posted about. Small world.
ReplyDeleteSmall world indeed! And my ancestor Sarah Knight's mother-in-law was Phoebe O'Steen (who married John Roberts) in the other post you commented on.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Cousin! Have you heard about the Knight Family Connections facebook page? Here's the link https://www.facebook.com/groups/526222397424199/
Hello my name is Robert Walker I am a descendant of the same Knights, My 6x Great grandparents was John and elizabeth (woodson) Knight their Son Joseph and Jerusha (cone) Knight. (joseph i believe is the 1st cousin of William Knight and Jerusha is the cousin of Sarah cone. I am currently stationed at Fort Stewart Ga and live in Effingham county in Guyton, Until just a few weeks ago i did not know the significance of our family to this area, I drive across the CPT WM Cone bridge every day and pass the cemetery every day. I have visited many graveyards in the area. I have looked hard for Jerusha and Josephs grave, I know some of their kids went to and settled in the Burnt Church area, any way i can get the names of the graves their of the other Knights? As i stated I live only 4 miles from the old Ivanhoe and about 10 miles from the Cone and Knights properties on the Ogeechee river and have visited them (now known as Shearhouse Landing) any information i can get would be greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteHi Robert, It's great to meet another cousin! One of these days I'd like to get over to that area and also drive over that bridge.
ReplyDeleteHere are the names of the other Knight headstones. There may be others in that cemetery, but these are near William and Sarah (Cone) Knight. I'm including what dates I could decipher from my digital photos. Not sure if I've read them all correctly and some of the headstones are broken and sitting on the ground:
Amanda A. Knight - June 15, 1862 (broken here)
Barzilla Knight - 1st Lieut Co K, CSA, 1836, 1863, Killed at the Battle of Chickamauga.
Dicy Knight - "Wife of John" Born Sep. 29, 1826, Died Nov 10, 1907
John Knight - Born Mar 14(?), 1828, Died July 29, 1904(?)
Jonathan Knight - Born Jan 17, 1817, Died (broken here)
Rachel Knight - Born Aug 4, 1808, Died Dec 28, 1874(?)
Nancy Knight - Born Aug 8, 1835, Married William J. Knight Jan 1, 1860, Died (death date covered with grass, broken below here)
There's a group of us Knight descendants on Facebook. Please consider joining us :) Knight Family Connections https://www.facebook.com/groups/526222397424199/
Catherine