Charles Frederic Knight (1849-1929), the fourth of five children (and youngest surviving) of Joseph Knight and his first wife, Sarah (née Cotterill), was born at Badsey on 8th July 1849. He was baptised in St James’ Church, Badsey, on 16th September 1849.
At the time of the 1851 census they were living in a house on the High Street (present-day No 11A), Badsey, which had previously been owned by his grandfather who had died in 1847. Charles’ mother died in October 1851 when he was just two years old, and his father married again a year later to a widow, Esther Cook (née Crump). They went to live at a house now known as The Wheatsheaf Inn, Badsey, where Esther ran a grocer’s shop.
At some stage in the 1850s, Charles emigrated to Ontario, Canada, with his father, step-mother and siblings (Ann Elizabeth, Joseph and Sarah Sophia). Shipping records for this period are not available but 20th century census returns have a column for emigration date – Charles stated 1854 whilst his brother, Joseph, stated 1859.
Charles married Adelia Fox in 1870 at Gosfield Township, Essex County, Ontario. They had eight children: Arthur Grant (1870-1951), Herbert Oswald (1871-1928), Almeron (1875-1875), Cora Bell (1876-1896), Margaret (1877-1878), Lena May (1878-1898), Angus Romain (1881-1935) and George Gladstone (1885-1939).
At the time of the 1871 census, Charles and Adelia and their first two children were living in Gosfield Township, next-door to Charles’ father and step-mother. On the other side lived Leonard Fox (possibly Adelia’s brother) and family.
Charles and Adelia remained in Gosfield Township for the rest of their lives. Adelia died in 1917 and was buried at Graceland Universalist Cemetery, Essex County. At the time of the 1921 census, widower Charles had his son, Angus, and family living with him in Gosfield South Township; the census states that he became a Canadian citizen in 1915.
Charles died at Olinda, Ontario, on 27th June 1929; he, also, was buried in the Universalist Cemetery.