Click here for my most updated research on the Descendants of James B. Knox Sr. as of 8/7/2017.



Georgia Marriages to 1850 shows that on September 4, 1843 in Columbia County Georgia, James B.Knox Jr. married Rebecca Adams. James and Rebecca must have been divorced/separated sometime between 1847 which William was born and 1860 when we find them living separately.

According to “Georgia, Marriages, 1808-1967” on the LDS site, James B. Knox married Mrs. Julia A. Skipton on March 10, 1862 in Hancock County, Georgia. Julia was the widow of David Skipton (born Oct 16, 1827 in Georgia and died December 8, 1856. David is buried in Sparta Cemetery, Hancock County, Georgia.)

In 1850 Wm Knox is living with his grandfather William Adams in Columbia Co (Wm and wife Hester)

1850 Census – Georgia, Cobb County
David Skepiton 23 GA
Julia Skepiton 18 TN
George W. 5 GA
Margarette m. Clark 9 GA
Sarah Groke 1 GA

1860 Census – Georgia, Hancock County, Not Stated
J. B. Knox 38 NY Mechanic
Living with J. W. Green

1860 Census – Georgia, Hancock County, Mayfield June 6
32 34 J. A. Skipton 27 F
G. W. Skipton 15 M
M. Clark 17 F

1860 Census – Georgia, Webster County, Southern District
W. Adams 65 VA Real Estate value 4000 Personal Property 16200 Farmer
Hester 55 All others GA
William F 20
Rebecca Knox 29
Mary 14
William R 11

1860 Census – Georgia, Webster County, Southern District
J. W. Eastis 47 Birthplaces blank – presumed GA $1000 personal property
Malissa 20
Martha 17
Henry H. 12

1870 Census – Georgia, Webster County, Preston
Estis, John W 57 GA Blacksmith $225 real estate $600 personal property
Rebecca A. 42 GA

1870 Census – Greene County, Georgia – Militia District 160 James Knox W 50 Carpenter NY
Julia Knox W 39 Keeping House TN
Catherine Horton B 6
GA
Clark, Mollie W 23 House Keeper GA

1880 Census – Greene County, Georgia – Union Point
James B. Knox W 60 Architect NY Scotland NY
Julia A. Knox W 50 Wife Tenn Tenn Tenn
Margaret Clarke W 30 Adopted Dau(?) Tenn Tenn Tenn
Henry D. Smith B 23 Day Laborer GA GA GA

1900 Census – Greene County, Georgia – Union Point
Knox, Julia A Head W F Jan 1838 62 Wd 0 kids 0 living GA GA GA Dry Good Merchant can read and write
Clard (yes d), Mollie M sister in Law W F Oct 1853 46 S GA GA GA Sales woman can read and write

1910 Census – Greene County, Georgia – Union Point
Knox, Julia A. Head F White 79 Wd 39 yrs married 2 children 0 living TN, TN, TN
Clark, Margaret Sister In Law F White 66 Single GA, GA, SC

This would have James and Julia married in 1861. This would infer that Rebecca and James were divorced/separated between July 1848 (William conceived) and 1861 when he remarried.

James obit states he was an architect and contractor. The only reference to this that I can currently find is an article stating that James was a contributor it the magazine Southern Culivator. This states there were designs by Hancock County planters “such as John Bonner’s ‘Southern Plantation Barn’ and James B Knox’s ‘Georgia Gin House.’ ”

A History of Emory University page 161-162: Bonnell had received his baccalaureate degree from Emory in 1871, and after spending a year in the study of law at Harvard, he acceptioned a teaching place at Union springs Institute in Alabama. There he remained until elected to the Emory faculty. He was an indefatigable student and an enthusiastic and thorough teacher. The panic of 1873 caused a drop in the total enrollment, including the Academy, from 196 in 1872 to 155 in 1874 and 156 in 1876. Income was further reduced by the action of the trustees in 1874 awarding two free scholarships to each presiding elder’s districk in the North Georgia, South Georgia, and Florida Conferences. As a consequence of panic, scholarships, and the tuition exemptions, only thirty-five students were paying tuition in 1874-75. This situation, together with the necessity of erecting new buildings, forced the salaries to a figure below $1,000 for at least a part of the administration. Among the graduates under President O. L. Smith who later came into prominence, were James K. Hines, first honor man of ’72, who became justice of the Supreme Court of Gerogia; E.E. Dowman, ’73, who became one of the presidents of the College; W. A. Keener, ’74, who taught law at Harvard and Columbia, and from 1891 to 1901 was dean of the Columbia Law School; and W. A. Candler, ’75, a president of Emory and a bishop of the Southern Methodist Church.65 The main building, erected at such great sacrifice under the administration of President Pierce, was condemned as unsafe in 1871, and in 1872, only twenty years after the cornerstone was laid, it was taken down. Bishop Pierce, who himself had raised practically all the money for that building, again took up the task of equipping the College with adequate buildings, although he was at this time carrying on his work as an active bishop. At commencement, 1873, he reported that a contract had been made with James B. Knox for the erection of four buildings, for the amount of $42,000. The contractor was to use whatever material could be salvaged from the old buildings. Pierce said that he had already collected and paid $5,000, and had $10,000 on subscription. A year later Language Hall and another recitation building were finished, and in another year Science Hall and the Prayer Chapel were built. President Smith reported to the trustees at commencement, 1875, that, “The Buildings projected under the plan of reconstruction adopted by the Board two years since, are now occupied, and give the college a better outfit for the work of instruction than she ever had at any time in the past.” The Board profuse in its appreciation of the wonderful work of Bishop Pierce as their special agent in raising the funds for the buildings. It was indeed no small achievement to build four substantial buildings at a cost of $42,000 in such difficult years as the early seventies.

James B. Knox is on Greene County Will Book 6 page 259 1899 Julia A. Knox in listed 1914 Will Book 6 page 446

Greene County Georgia Deaths 1860-1918 by Fred W McRee, Jr. states: On Saturday morning September 9, 1899 the spirit of Major James Bement Knox took it's flight to the God who gave it, surrounded by his devoted family, his physician, a few of his intimate friends and his old body servant of many years standing. Major Knox was born in the State of New York October 25, 1819 and was within a few weeks of his four score years. At the age of his fifteen years he came with his parents to Georgia and settled in Columbia County, near Thomson. For the past thirty years he has been a resident of Union Point and was an architect and contractor by profession, and many are the dwellings and business houses in this and other sections of the State that bear the impress of his hand. He gained the confidence of all who had business with him by his upright and honest dealings and as a citizen he was public spirited and did all he could as .............(promoted?) the general welfare. As a friend he was genial, kind, and faithful. His dust reposes in the bosom of the adopted State.

References:
History of McDuffie County, Georgia
Ancestry.com
Greene County Georgia Deaths 1860-1918 by Fred W McRee, Jr.



James and Julia (Clark) Knox Will
James and Rebecca (Adams) Knox Marriage