*                                                               The Knott family                                                                  *

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William Nott, sojourner, married Ann Soper at Ashburton in January 1783. Ann was of the parish.

Parish records

William was possibly the William Nat, son of Phillip and Eliz., who was baptized at Ilsington in March 1755.
Gloria Knott Schurman says that maritime records located in Newfoundland place William's year of birth circa 1757.

Philip Nat had married Elizabeth Soper in April 1754 at Ilsington.
Other children born to Phillip and Eliz. and baptized at Ilsington were:

Mary, December 1757 (Philip and Eliz. Natt)
Susanna, April 1760 (Philip and Elizabeth Natt)
Philip, February 1764 (Philip and Elizabeth Nat)
Betty, March 1766 (Philip and Elizabeth Natt) Died June 1771.
John, September 1770 (Philip and Elizabeth Nat) 
Transcription of Ilsington parish records

John baptised 1770 may be the John who married a Sarah unknown. John and Sarah had a son, John, baptised at Ashburton in May 1806.
Parish records

Susan Knott, the daughter of John and Sarah, was born in October 1814, and baptised in November.
England and Wales Non-Conformist births and baptisms

John baptized 1770 may be the John, 68, in the household of Ann Knott in the 1841 census. Ann, aged approximately 35, was 'Independent', as was Susan Knott, 25. Elizabeth, 15, Sarah 5 and Emma, 4 months, were also in the property in North Street, as was George, aged approximately 70. John was an agricultural labourer.
1841 census HO107, piece no. 253, folio 11, p17

John may be the John who was buried aged 76 in December 1846
Parish records

Children of William and Ann
William, the son of Wm and Anne Knot, was baptized on December 3rd 1784, at Ashburton

Mary, the daughter of William and Anne Natt, was baptized on October 20th 1790, at Ashburton
Anne, the daughter of William and Anne Natt, was baptized on October 24th 1792, at Ashburton
William, the son of William and Anne Nott, was baptized on December 14th 1796, at Ashburton
Ann, the daughter of William and Anne Knot, was baptized on March 29th 1799, at Ashburton
John, the son of William and Ann Knot, was baptized on June 20th 1800, at Ashburton
Parish records

Mary Knott, William and Ann's eldest daughter, married William Batten at Ashburton in February 1814.
Parish records

Caroline Soper Batten was born in August 1821, and baptized in December. She was the daughter of William and Mary Batten.
She was buried at Ashburton in 1823, aged 2
England and Wales Non-Conformist births and baptisms, Ashburton, available from https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
Parish records

Ann Batten, of 30, Barrack Street, married Richard Halls, of the same address, at Stoke Damerel in September 1840. Ann's father was William Batten, a currier.
By 1851 the couple were living in East Street, Ashburton, with four children. Ann was 36, and like her husband and the rest of their family, had been born in Ashburton. Richard was a cabinet maker.
Parish records
1851 census HO107, piece no. 1871, folio 265, p13

William and Mary Batten, aged 61 and 60, were living in Kingsbridge Lane at the time of the 1851 census. With them on census night were two unmarried daughters, Mary, and Caroline Soper Batten; a married daughter, Eliza Eames; and one year old Wm Rd Eames, their grandson. William was a currier who had been born in Ashburton.
William Knott Batten, also a currier aged 31, was living in the next property, with his wife Mary and two young children.
1851 census HO107, piece no. 1871, folio 334, p42

Mary Batten, aged 61, was buried at Ashburton on February 20th, 1852
Parish records
A memorial in St Andrew's churchyard says, 'In affectionate remembrance of William Batten who died January 27th 1856 aged 66 years, also of Mary his wife who died February 16th 1852 aged 61.'
Harriet the wife of Joseph Batten is also commemorated: she died on November 1st 1879, aged 48
https://ashburtonarchive.org.uk - accessed 20-01-2025

Anne Knott, daughter of William and Ann, married Thomas Pope Smerdon in May 1827, at Ashburton. William Batten and Sarah Smerdon were the witnesses.
Parish records

The couple were living in North Street at the time of the 1851 census, with two adult unmarried children, Charlotte and Charles. Thomas was a farmer of 20 acres, and a butcher.
1851 census HO107, piece no. 1871, folio 319, p13

Several people from Ashburton were fined in 1855 for having defective weights, although most had been unaware of the fact. Thomas Pope Smerdon argued that the weight that was supposedly defective might not be the one seized from his premises, but he could not definitively say that this was the case. Fines and expenses added up to 14s 2d for each person.
Western Times 8 Sept 1855, p7 col2

Mr Thomas P Smerdon died on October 7th, 1871, aged 72
Western Times, 13 October 1871, p8 col1

John Knott, possibly the son of William and Ann, married Sarah Duscombe at Ashburton in April 1829. Both were of the parish.
Parish records

Martha Duscombe Knott was born in April 1830 and baptized in May 1830 in Ashburton. John and Sarah were her parents, and John was a labourer.
Parish records
In 1835 John Knott of Ashburton, was on the game keepers list (assessed as a servant), working for John Caunter at Way.
Western Times 19 September 1835, p1 col2

John Knott was one of several persons living in property owned by the Mssrs. Caunter, who wrote to the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette in 1837 to explicitly declare that they had not been coerced by the Messrs. Caunter in the matter of their voting.
Exeter and Plymouth Gazette 19 August 1837, p2, col3

A trial was held at the criminal court, Castle of Exeter in July 1838, which the Western Times headlined as 'Ashburton Riots!!'' Henry Caunter, Gilbert Hearder, John Knott and Richard Knapman were prosecuted for riot and assault. The alleged assault was upon one Robert Bowden, and the four were accused of assembling unlawfully, riotously and tumultuously with more than 50 others, with the purpose of disturbing the peace. The defendants were acquitted.
Supplement to the Western Times 4 August 1838, p5 col1

On the tithe map apportionments, approximately 1840, John Knott junior is occupying a house owned by George Caunter. The property is no. 1348 on the tithe map.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/historicenvironment/tithe-mam/ashburton - accessed 26-01-2025


On the 1841 census John and Sarah Knott were living in East Street with their three children: Martha 11, Mary, 4 and Sarah, one month old. John was approximately 35 years old.
1841 census HO107, piece no. 253, folio 20, p34