KNOLLIS, Francis Minden (eld. son of rev. James Knollis of Donnington, Berkshire). b. Donnington 14 Nov. 1816; ed. at Lincoln coll. Oxf.; demy Magd. coll. 1836–9, fellow 1839 to death, bursar 1846; B.A. 1837, M.A. 1840, B.D. 1850, D.D. 1851; R. of Congerstone, Leics. 1840–2; R. of Brandeston, Norfolk 1847–8; domestic chaplain to Lord Ribblesdale 1849 to death; P.C. of Horspath, Oxon. 1849–50; Inc. of Fitzhead near Taunton 1856–61; author of The sophistry of words, or the cause and effects of inadequate appellations of sin considered. Oxford 1837, anon.; A wreath for the altar. Leicester 1838; A short explanation of all the holydays of the church 2 ed. 1839; The silver trumpet, or the child’s companion to the christian year. Norwich 1849; A tutor’s counsels to his old pupils, or a week’s hints for a quiet life 1863, and 14 other books. d. Bournemouth 26 Aug. 1863. J. R. Bloxam’s Register of Magdalen college, vii 340–2 (1881).
KNOLLYS, Sir William Thomas (eld. son of general Wm. Knollys who claimed to be 8 earl of Banbury 1763–1834). b. 1 Aug. 1797; styled Viscount Wallingford 1797–1813; ed. at Harrow and Sandhurst; ensign 3 foot guards 9 Dec. 1813, adjutant 1821–7; lieut.-col. Scots fusilier guards 1850 to 25 March 1853 when placed on h.p., col. 20 June 1883; taught prince Albert his military duties 1850; governor of Guernsey 1 Aug. 1854 to 10 May 1855; commanded the camp at Aldershot 1855–60; col. of 62 foot 16 Nov. 1858 to 20 June 1883; general 17 June 1866; vice pres. of council of military education 1861–2; treasurer and comptroller of household of prince of Wales 1862–77, groom of the stole to the prince 22 March 1877 to death; gentleman usher of the black rod to House of Lords 22 March 1877 to death; receiver general of duchy of Cornwall 14 Oct. 1878 to death; LL.D. Oxf. 1863, D.C.L. Camb. 1864; K.C.B. 23 April 1867; P.C. 19 March 1872; author of A translation of the Odes of Horace, privately printed; Some remarks on the claim to the earldom of Banbury 1835; A journal of the Russian campaign of 1812 by R. E. P. J. De Frezensac, a translation 1852. d. House of Lords 23 June 1883. bur. Highgate cemet. 28 June. Biograph, ii 507–10 (1879); I.L.N. xlii 399, 400 (1863), portrait, lxxxiii 5 (1883), portrait; Graphic, xxvii 652 (1883), portrait.
Note.—In his will which was proved 30 Aug. 1883 he styles himself “by hereditary descent and by the law of the land Earl of Banbury, Viscount Wallingford and Baron Knollys of Greys co. Oxon.”
KNOTT, Robert Rowe. b. 1796; ed. St. John’s coll. Camb., B.A. 1819, M.A. 1824; lecturer at Rye and head master Rye gram. sch. 1822–35; C. and lecturer at St. Peter-upon-Cornhill, London 1835–38; V. of Helidan, Northants. 1838–49; chaplain of Donative of Tarrant Crawford, Dorset 1849–65; chaplain of West London union 1865–70; author of The new aid to memory. Parts 1 and 2 By A Cambridge M.A., Part 3 by the rev. R. R. Knight 1839–42, 2 ed. 1841–42; Part 1 Events of the history of England, and Part 2 Events of the history of Rome, were separately printed 1845 and 1846. d. Bayswater, London 11 Jany. 1879.
KNOWLES, Charles James (2 son of James Knowles of Greenhead, Yorkshire). b. Greenhead 1798; barrister M.T. 7 Nov. 1823, bencher 1841 to death; Q.C. 6 July 1841; attorney general for Duchy of Lancaster, Feb. 1846 to 1861. d. Hurst Green, Sussex 12 Feb. 1867.
KNOWLES, Edward. b. Gravesend; captain of the Northfleet 895 tons, emigrant ship which was run down about two miles off Dungeness on her way from London to Hobart Town by the Spanish steamer Murillo 22 Jany. 1873, when only 85 persons were saved out of 412 passengers and crew; m. 4 Dec. 1872 Frederica Louisa Markham, she was granted civil list pension of £50 1 March 1873; he went down in the Northfleet 22 Jany. 1873. Annual Register (1873) 9–15.
KNOWLES, Emma Marian Maude (dau. of Mr. Elphinstone). b. London about 1808; pupil of James Sheridan Knowles the actor; first appeared in America 26 Aug. 1834 at Arch st. theatre, Philadelphia as Juliet; returned to England 1836; played in William Tell, The Hunchback and several other of J. S. Knowles’s plays at T.R. Dublin from 4 April 1836; played at Glasgow 1837 and 1838; played Meeta in J. S. Knowles’s drama The Maid of Mariendorpt at Haymarket theatre, London 9 Oct. 1838; (m. 1842 J. S. Knowles the dramatist); left all her husband’s manuscripts to Mary Knowles Rice. She d. 29 North bank, Regent’s park, London 10 May 1888. R. B. Knowles’s Life of J. S. Knowles (1872) 133; F. Harvey’s Genealogical table of the families of ... Knowles (1875).
KNOWLES, Sir Francis Charles, 3 Baronet (only son of admiral sir Charles Henry Knowles, 2 baronet 1754–1831). b. 10 June 1802; ed. Trin. coll. Camb., 22 wrangler and B.A. 1825, M.A. 1828; F.R.S. 4 March 1830; F.S.A.; barrister L.I. 28 Jany. 1834; gained Telford prize 1872 for an intricate mathematical problem; author of History of the Shaftesbury election 1830; The supplement to the reform act of 1832, a proposal for the extension of the representation 1864. d. 50 York st. Portman sq. London 19 March 1892. bur. cemetery of St. Nicholas, Guildford 25 March. The Daily Graphic 24 March 1892 p. 9, portrait.
KNOWLES, James Sheridan (only son of James Knowles the lexicographer 1759–1840). b. Anne st. Cork 12 May 1784; removed with his parents to London 1793; wrote the Welsh Harper, one of the popular ballads of the day 1798; ensign in 2nd regiment of Tower Hamlets militia 25 Jany. 1805 to 25 July 1806; M.D. Aberdeen 1806; vaccinator of Jennerian Soc. Salisbury sq. London 1806; first appeared on the stage at Crow st. theatre, Dublin 1808; acted in Cherry’s company at Waterford and Swansea 1809–11; taught elocution at Mrs. Chapman’s school, Belfast 1813–5; kept a school at Glasgow 1817–29; partner with Mr. Northhouse in the Free Press newspaper, Glasgow 1821–4; first appeared in London at Covent Garden 5 April 1832 as Master Walter in The Hunchback, made his début in U.S. of A. 29 Sep. 1834 in the same part; lectured at various places on rhetoric, &c.; granted civil list pension of £200, 14 July 1848; converted and became a Baptist preacher June 1853, drew large audiences to Exeter Hall; his best known plays were Cains Gracchus produced at Belfast 13 Feb. 1815, Virginius at Glasgow 1819 and at Covent Garden 17 May 1820, The Hunchback at Covent Garden 5 April 1832, The Wife at Covent Garden 24 April 1833 in which he played Julian St. Pierre, The Love Chase at Haymarket 10 Oct. 1837, Woman’s Wit or love’s disguises at Covent Garden 23 May 1838; author of The Magdalen and other tales 1832; The life of Edmund Kean, Esq. tragedian 1833; George Lovell, a novel 3 vols. 1846; Fortescue, a novel 3 vols. 1847; The Rock of Rome or the arch-heresy 1849; The Idol demolished by its own priest 1851; The Gospel attributed to Matthew is the record of the whole original apostlehood 1855. d. Higher terrace, Torquay 30 Nov. 1862. bur. necropolis, Glasgow 5 Dec. Life of J. S. Knowles. By R. B. Knowles (1872), portrait; Genealogical table of the families of ... Knowles. By F. Harvey (1875); W. Marston’s Our Recent Actors, ii 122–38 (1888); Traits of Character. By A Contemporary, ii 131–58 (1860); James Grant’s Portraits of public characters, ii 251–61 (1841); J. E. Ritchie’s London Pulpit, 2 ed. (1858) 141–7; W. Bates’s Maclise portrait gallery (1883) 397–402, portrait; R. H. Horne’s New spirit of the age, ii 85–90 (1844); G. Hodder’s Memories of my time (1870) 170–5; Cumberland’s British Theatre, vol. xlii, portrait; Men of the time (1857) 428–31.
Note.—There was a tavern at 12 Brydges st. Covent Garden called after him the Sheridan Knowles tavern, it lasted from 1840 to 1860, here met the worshipful society of “The Owls,” some 200 strong with Augustine Wade as president and J. S. Knowles as patron and chancellor. There was a splendid edition of Knowles’ works privately printed 1872–4 at expense of James M’Henry, edited by Francis Harvey 6 vols. 4o., 25 copies only, the last vol. is a life of him by his son R. B. Knowles.