Michael Knox

Cal 1792 - 1878  (~ 86 years)

• Name	Michael Knox
  Born	CALC 30 Apr 1792	, Scotland   [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1851	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Labourer
  Residence	1851	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Presbyterian
  Occupation	1861	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	Laborer
  Residence	1861	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	Church of Scotland
  House of Industry and Refuge	22 Jun 1869	House of Industry and Refuge, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Occupation	1871	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Inmate of Poor House
  Residence	1871	House of Industry and Refuge, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-159211
  Died	11 Sep 1878	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4, 5, 6]
  	Cause: old age
  Buried	House of Industry and Refuge Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  Person ID	I159211	Generations
  Last Modified	7 Nov 2024

  
  

  Family	Catharine,   b. 1796, , Scotland ,   d. 12 Jun 1862, North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 66 years)
  Last Modified	12 Nov 2024
  Family ID	F39818	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  About 1820, Mr. John Telfer was specially sent to Scotland to induce intending Canadian emigrants to settle in Dumfries. This gentleman, in conjunction with Michael Knox, for at least thirty years one of the " characters" of Galt had entered the Hudson Bay Company's services some years before. (Having no friends to take care of him, old Knox was removed to the Waterloo County Poor House, in 1869. His iron constitution enabled him to survive till the 11th September, 1878. He was in his 87th year. Many amusing stories of Michael were long current, and the following one has the merit of being well authenticated : - His wife kept house for Dr. Miller, before the latter was married. One day Michael, who was much given to drinking, told the Doctor there was something in his throat, and asked him to look into it. He accordingly opened his mouth, and the Doctor, after examining it, said, "I don't see anything, Michael." "Well, it is very odd you see nothing," replied the old wag, "for a hundred acres of land and and a yoke of oxen went down there!" Reminiscences of the Early History of Galt and the Settlement of Dumfries in the Province of Ontario, by James Young, pg 41-2 ____________________________ At the Poorhouse, Berlin, on the 11th inst., Michael Knox, formerly of Galt, aged 86 years, 4 months and 11 days. Has been an inmate of the House since the 22nd June 1869. Galt Reporter Sep 13 1878 pg 3 _________________________ From about the year 1825, settlers began to arrive more frequently, and before the close of the decade most of the farms in the immediate neighbourhood of Shade's Mills were taken up, and not a little land cleared and cultivated, The settlers were almost exclusively Scotch, and were very largely from Roxboroughshire and Selkirkshire. This arose chiefly from the exertions made in Scotland by Mr. Dickson, to direct the attention of emi-grants to his Dumfries lands. Besides articles about the township and the village, published in Chambers' Journal and the regular press, he wrote freely to leading Scotchmen on the subject, with many of whom he was acquainted. Among others he communicated with James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, who took great interest in the matter, and was the means of securing many of the best settlers which the township obtained, not a few of whom brought letters of introduction from the poet to Mr. Dickson. A nephew and niece of his own were among the number,* and it would appear as if, at one time, some hope was entertained that Hogg himself might be tempted to cross the water. However this may be, it is a well-attested fact that, during a trip of Mr. William Dickson, jr., to Scotland, he visited the poet, and offered him a farm in Dumfries, if he would come out and accept of it. Hogg laughingly replied, " The Yarrow couldna want him!" and that was the last I heard of the matter. About 1820, Mr. John Telfer was specially sent to Scotland to induce intending Canadian emigrants to settle in Dumfries. This gentleman, in conjunction with Michael Knox, † for at least thirty years one of the "characters" of Galt, had entered the Hudson Bay Company's service some years before. *Mr. Samuel Hogg, at one time clerk in Mr. Shade's store, and his sister, Mrs. James Dalgleish. †Having no friends to take care of him, old Knox was removed to the Waterloo County Poor House, in 1869, His iron constitution enabled him Reminiscences of the Early History of Galt and the Settlement of Dumfries in the Province of Ontario, by James Young, 1880 Toronto: Hunter, Rose

  
  

• Sources

  [S229] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1871, Div 13, Page 1. [S313] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1851, Pg.35. [S1838] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1861, Galt 1861 Div. 5 Page 51. [S1848] House of Industry and Refuge Burial Register - Kitchener. Michael Knox Died: 11 Sep 1878 Age 85 Cause: old age Tier 3 Grave 8 [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 19 Sep 1878. Died 11 Sep 1878 Michael Knox died in the Poorhouse of Berlin at the age of 86 years [S1338] News - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Galt Reporter (1846-1973), Obituary of Michael Knox - Sep 13 1878 pg 3.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - CALC 30 Apr 1792 - , Scotland Occupation - Labourer - 1851 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Presbyterian - 1851 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Laborer - 1861 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Church of Scotland - 1861 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada House of Industry and Refuge - 22 Jun 1869 - House of Industry and Refuge, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Inmate of Poor House - 1871 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1871 - House of Industry and Refuge, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - Cause: old age - 11 Sep 1878 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - House of Industry and Refuge Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth