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Record #14749
Name :
: Thompson Alexander KNOX (1873 - 1921)
  aka : Alex Knox


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: 13 Jul 1873

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
: 19 Jul 1921   Notes : Typhoid Fever
Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland, Glasgow
Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialUnited States of America, Mesa
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: 18 Apr 1886
Country
: Canada

Ship
: Buenos Ayrean

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: Quarriers
NotesIn 1886, Alex Knox, 12 (along with sister, Annie Knox, 9), arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in a group of 117 Quarriers children en route to Belleville, Ontario, Canada.

Alex Knox was placed with Andrew Norton Percival on lot 13, concession 1, in Oxford-on-Rideau township, Grenville county, Ontario, Canada. Percival farm was located near the hamlet of Burritts Rapids which is about five miles from Merrickville; both are situated on the Rideau River. Andrew Norton Percival (1859-1942) and his wife Isabel Johnston (1861-1949) are buried in the Merrickville Union Cemetery.

Alexander Knox joined the Dobson family in immigrating to the Arizona territories of the United States in 1896. He returned home to Canada to marry Martha James on March 27, 1900, and they left for Arizona the same year.

On March 27, 1900, at Grenville, Ontario, Canada, a marriage was registered between Thompson Alexander Knox, 26, farmer, 26, born in Scotland to William Knox and Isabella Thompson; and Martha James, 26; born in Ontario, Canada, to John James and Mary Hogan.

From Helen Richardson's Personal Interview with Orval Knox. September 2, 1982:

"Thompson Alexander Knox came to Arizona with John Dobson, a long time friend from Burritt's Rapids, Ontario, Canada in 1896. John's older brother had come several years earlier, and the two men worked for him on his farm upon their arrival in the area. The men decided to make their homes here. They both returned to Canada in1900 to marry. Alex and his bride Martha James were married in Merrickville, Ontario March 27, 1900, and they returned to Arizona the same year. Their home was a tent house that they moved to several locations before eventually buying land at what is now Guadalupe and Dobson Roads. They lived in the tent house for seventeen years. They were blessed with a family which included a daughter Eva Bell who lived only two months, a second daughter Anna Florence, and sons Orval Alexander, John Stanley, and Kenneth Wendell. In 1917 they bought land north of Chandler, where they farmed. Their first home was on what is now called Knox Road just east of Arizona Avenue.

A little background on Thompson Alexander Knox, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His father had died of consumption when he was ten leaving his mother, who was a seamstress who made shirts, to support the family. She worked at home throughout the days and nights, with Alex delivering finished shirts to the factory and bringing unfinished shirts home. There were five children in the family, an older brother and sister who also worked, and two younger sisters. His mother became sick with consumption and was very frightened about what would happen to her children when she died, because orphaned children usually did not survive in the extreme poverty. The family minister told her of an orphanage which had been built near Glasgow called Quarrier's Homes. She did not want the family separated, but finally signed the papers for Alex, Anna, and Jessie to enter the home upon her death. They were taken to Quarrier's on April 29, 1885.

The Knox children lived in the Scottish home for a year. Alex was then sent by ship to a home in Brockville, Canada in 1886 at the age 13, and his sister Anna arrived one month later. After some time he was taken to live on the farm of the Norton Percival family who lived in Burritt's Rapids, where he was a chore boy, worked on the farm, and attended school a few months of the year. He worked there for ten years. The Percival family were cousins of the Dobsons, thus the relationship with John Dobson began which ultimately led the young men to come to Arizona together.

Alex died in 1921 in Arizona of Typhoid Fever. Martha raised her children, operating the farm with the older boys, who attended school and worked on the farm. In 1929 she purchased the Fuller farm on the west side of Arizona Avenue and moved to a large brown shingle house which was a landmark in Chandler until it burned down in 1977. All of her children graduated with honors from Chandler High School with Florence, Orval, and Kenneth graduating from the University of Arizona where they were accomplished students. Martha Knox died in her home on November 20, 1963.

Julia Hansen Knox, the wife of Stanley, after graduating from Chandler High School, worked as a secretary to Dr. Chandler at his Chandler Improvement Company. She often told the story that Dr. Chandler asked her how she would name additional streets as the town was growing. She helped name streets in the town as it grew during the 1920s.

The Knox family has been around for a very long time. Most of the farmers who had land and started from scratch [including] the Knox family had a street named after them. "

Thompson Alexander Knox and Martha James' childrens were: Eva Bell Knox, born October 16, 1901, died December 26, 1901 (buried Mesa City, Mesa, Arizona, USA); Anna "Florence" Knox, born November 2, 1904, died June 19, 1997, in Mesa, Arizona; Orval Alexander Knox, born February 6, 1907, died May 19, 1983, Chandler, Arizona; John "Stanley" Knox, born August 24, 1910, died August 23, 1986 in Mesa, Arizona, USA; and Kenneth Wendall Knox, born October 16, 1914, died August 18, 2002.

The Mesa, Arizona, Tribune, copied to the Kemptville Weely Advance of February 26, 1920, reports the 20th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Johnston C. Dobson of Saskatchewan. Johnston Dobson and his wife customarily spent their winters in Arizona, returning to their Saskatchewan farm for the summers. The report of the celebration follows:

"Thirty-one members of the Dobson family attended the 20th wedding anniversary jubilee of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Dobson held last Saturday a the home of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Dobson in Chandler. Their home is in Canada.

...

Among those attending were: ... T. A. Knox and family. Mr. Knox lived in the same Canadian town with J. C. Dobson before coming to Chandler. ..." 
ContributorsCreated : 2011-06-07 14:52:51 / From original database

Last Updated : 2011-06-07 16:16:23 /

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Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  4 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
14750 KNOX, Annie1877SCT, LKS, Glasgow Jun 1886 : Buenos Ayrean CAN Quarriers  
14749 KNOX, Thompson Alexander1873ENG,    , Glasgow Apr 1886 : Buenos Ayrean CAN Quarriers  
6052 KNOX, William1896ENG,     Oct 1904 : Bavarian CAN Barnardos  
22417 KNOX, William1893ENG,     Jul 1903 : Tunisian CAN Unknown Catholic Group