Transcribed/Extracted by Laura Knight
Census Records from Images provided by USA National Archives and Records Administration. Washington D.C. extracted by myself from images on ancestry.com
I've extracted what limited information was available from each source and households (HH) are separated by double asterisks thus: ** and the name of the Head of Household (HH) on the record is in bold for ease of finding. I've gone over this several times, trying to catch all errors, but I can't guarantee that there are none; I just do my best at any moment. Also, as noted elsewhere, for ease of search/finding, I've most often converted names to the modern spelling and have frequently included how the name appears in the record and/or how the transcriber rendered it: (text: Knite, trans: Kite). Also note that I have excluded Northern State Knights. If someone else wants to collect the Northern Knights and arrange them as I have so I don't have to do any extra work, I'll be very happy to include them and give credit where it is due.
Even though the information is still very limited, at this point, the censuses are getting much longer and it has become impossible for one person to comb through the records with the thoroughness I would like; I do have a life outside of genealogy. Obviously, I focus more intensely on those areas where I know VA Knights moved to, but still, the population is growing fast and I can't guarantee exhaustive coverage though I am doing my best to net all Knights in whatever state I cover. In some of the newly settled areas, the censuses are still mercifully short and in some cases, I covered the entire sheet. When that is the case, I put the word "ENTIRE" at the end of the list.
1840 – TN Bedford - Federal Census - ** Allen Knight: 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 40-49, 2 males 20-29, 1 fem 15-19, 1 male 15-59,4 kids under 14, 11 slaves. ** Obadiah. William Knight (text: Night): 1 male 30-39, 1 fem 20-29, 4 kids under 9, 12 slaves. ** Gabriel B. Knight: 1 male 30-39, 7 slaves. ** Knight L. Heap.
1840 – TN Bledsoe - Federal Census - ** John Knight: 1 male 30-39, 1 fem 30-39, 1 male 10-14, 2 fems 5-9, 1 fem under 5, 1 male under 5. ** Eleanor Knight: 1 fem 50-59, 1 male 15-19.
1840 – TN Cannon - Federal Census - ** Ralph Knight: 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 30-39, 1 fem 15-19, 4 males under 14.
1840 – TN Cocke - Federal Census - ** Richard Knight: 1 male 30-39, 1 fem 30-39, 1 fem 60-69, 5 kids under 19.
1840 – TN Davidson - Federal Census - ** William Knight: 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 20-29, 1 male 15-19, 1 fem under 9. ** Allen Knight: 1 male 60-69, 1 fem60-69, 1 fem 20-29, 2 kids under 14. ** Peter Knight: 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 40-49, 6 kids under 19, 1 slave. ** Ephraim Knight: 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 20-29. ** James A. Knight: 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 20-29. ** Andrew P. Knight: 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 20-29, 3 kids under 9. ** Winfield Knight: 1 male 30-39, 1 fem 20-29, 1 male 20-29, 2 males under 5. ** Henry Knight: 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 20-29, 6 kids under 14. ** Nicholas Knight: 1 male 60-69, 1 fem60-69, 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 20-29, 1 slave.
1840 – TN Dickson - Federal Census - ** William J. Knight: 1 male 30-39, schoolmaster, 1 fem 20-29, 5 kids under 14, 3 slaves.
1840 – TN Dyer - Federal Census - ** Elizabeth Knight: 1 fem 40-49, 5 kids under 19, the youngest under 5.
1840 – TN Fentress - Federal Census - ** Zephaniah Knight (text: Night): 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 40-49, illiterate, 5 kids under 14.
1840 – TN Franklin - Federal Census - ** John Knight & James Knight: 2 males 50-59, 1 fem 20-29, 11 slaves. ** William B. Knight: 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 30-39, 6 kids under 14, 2 slaves. ** B.B. Knight: 1 male 30-39, 1 fem 30-39, 9 kids under 19, 7 slaves. ** Thomas Knight: 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 40-49, 1 male 20-29, 1 male 15-19, 1 fem 10-14, 2 fems 5-9, 7 slaves.
1840 – TN Giles - Federal Census - ** Kindred C. Knight: 1 male 50-59, 1 male 40-49, 2 males 20-29, 2 fem 50-59, 1 fem 15-9, 1 fem under 5, 11 slaves.
1840 – TN Greene - Federal Census - ** John Knight; 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 20-29, both illiterate, 4 kids under 5. ** Prudence Knight: 1 fem 30-39, illiterate, 2 kids under 9.
1840 – TN Hardeman - Federal Census - ** Elizabeth N. Knight: 1 fem 20-29, 1 fem 5-9. ** Lewis T. Knight: 1 male 30-39, 1 fem 40-49, 3 kids under 14, 14 slaves.
1840 – TN Humphreys - Federal Census - ** Joshua Y. Knight: 1 male 30-39, 1 fem 30-39, 6 kids under 14. ** Wade H. Knight: 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 40-49, 1 fem 20-29, 5 kids under 19.
1840 – TN Jefferson - Federal Census - ** David Knight: 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 20-29, illiterate, 1 fem under 5. ** Jacob Knight: 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 20-29, illiterate, male under 5.
1840 – TN Knox - Federal Census - ** Everette Knight: 1 male 30-39, 1 fem 30-39, illiterate, 6 kids under 19. ** Jeremiah Knight: 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 20-29, illiterate, 3 kids under 5. ** T.D. Knight: 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 30-39, 1 male 20-29, 7 slaves.
1840 – TN Madison - Federal Census - ** William Knight (trans: Kraght): 1 male 50-59, 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 40-49, 1 fem 20-29, 1 fem 15-19, 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 5-9, 4 slaves.
1840 – TN Maury - Federal Census - ** C.W. Knight: 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 30-39, 6 kids under 19.
1840 – TN McNairy - Federal Census - ** Winny Knight: 1 fem 40-49, 2 males 20-29, 1 fem 15-19, 1 male 15-19.
1840 – TN Meigs - Federal Census - ** Jacob Knight: 1 male 50-59, 1 fem 15-19, 1 fem 10-15. (p. 225) ** John Knight: 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 50-59, 3 slaves. (p. 228) ** James Knight: 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 20-29, 1 fem under 5. (p. 242) ** Levi H. Knight: 1 fem 70-79, 1 fem 60-69, 3 fem 30-39, 1 male 30-39, 6 kids under 14. (p. 241) ** Lewis Knight: 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 30-39, 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 15-19, 2 males 15-19, 4 kids under 9. (p. 233) Note: Jacob, John, Levi H., and Lewis Knight were in Rhea Co in 1830. Jacob and James were in Hamilton Co in 1850.
1840 – TN Perry - Federal Census - ** John W. Knight: 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 20-29, 1 fem under 5.
1840 – TN Rhea - Federal Census - ** Thomas Knight: 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 20-29, 1 male & 1 fem under 14. ** John Knight: 1 male 30-39, 1 fem 30-39, 2 fems 5-9, 1 male 5-9, 2 males under 5, 1 fem under 5. ** Note: This census is organized alphabetically. There were no Knights under “Night”.
1840 – TN Robertson - Federal Census - ** David Knight: 1 male 80-89, 1 fem 60-69, 1 male 15-19. ** Isaiah Knight: 1 male 30-39, 1 fem 30-39, 3 kids under 5. ** Paschal Knight: 1 male 30-39, 1 fem 20-29, 1 fem 60-69, 2 fems under 5. ** Thomas Knight: 1 male 30-39, 1 fem 30-39, 6 kids under 14.
1840 – TN Rutherford - Federal Census - ** James Knight: 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 50-59, 1 male 20-29, 1 male 15-19, 8 slaves.
1840 – TN Smith - Federal Census - ** Daniel Knight: 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 20-29, 3 kids under 9. ** Robert Knight: 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 20-29, 1 male under 5, 3 slaves. ** Thomas Knight: 1 male 30-39, 1 fem 20-29, 7 kids under 14. ** John E. Knight (text: Night): 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 15-19. ** Ellis Knight (text: Night): 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 40-49, 1 fem 80-89, 5 kids under 19, 2 slaves.
1840 – TN Weakley - Federal Census - ** John Knight: 1 male 20-29, 1 fem 20-29, 3 males under 5.
1840 – TN Wilson - Federal Census - ** James Knight: 1 male 40-49, 1 fem 30-39, 7 kids under 14. ** Sampson Knight: 1 male 30-39, professional engineer, 1 fem 20-29, 2 males under 5, 1 slave. ** Thomas Knight: 1 male 20-29, professional engineer, 1 fem 20-29.