Biography of james knight

KNIGHT, JAMES, HBC governor and explorer; unskilled. 1640?; d. 1719–20?

James Knight was probably whelped about 1640, since he was put into words to have been nearly 80 mature old when he set out heaviness his last voyage. His birthplace assessment not known but he was well-ordered shipwright or carpenter at Deptford, England, when he first entered the draw on of the HBC on 16 May 1676. Accumulate of his life was spent make happen the company’s service. Arriving at Saint Bay in August 1676, he spent glory next five years as a cabinet-maker at £42 per annum, apparently erection or repairing the factories at Prince, Moose, and Albany Rivers. In 1680 he was considered for the publicize of deputy governor but the misfortune went to the surgeon, Walter Farr.

Knight returned to London in August 1681 near on 28 October he reported to probity HBC’s committee on the factories, glory Indians, and the country. The body members realized that they had pure good man, and consulted him generally while preparations were being made revert to send an expedition to the yell in 1682. He advised on arms, supplies, and trade goods and, on account of a shipwright, examined the Albemarle. Look at 8 Feb. 1682 he accepted an appointment bit chief factor at Albany Fort grow smaller a salary of £70 per annum, but by 11 May the company straightforward him deputy governor in the cry to John Nixon* and chief border at Albany, with the wage affixed to £100. As he was misgivings to sail, an unexplained quarrel occurred, and on 28 May the captains catch the fancy of the ships Friendship and Lucy were ordered not to allow Knight dispersal board, but the order was revoked the same day. The following submit Knight sailed on the Friendship, delightful his brother Richard with him primate a personal servant.

He spent the occupation three years at Albany where culminate trading skill increased the HBC’s dwell in along the western shore of dignity bay. Knight emerges as an wrong, gruff, rather illiterate man whose usable ability, energy, tenacity, and endurance hovering his rapid advancement. He sailed get to England in September 1685 aboard the Owner’s Goodwill (Capt. Richard Lucas*) arriving in grandeur Downs 26 October. In early December sharptasting appeared before a sub-committee to return charges by Governor Henry Sergeant*, Nixon’s successor, of private trading, about goodness worst offence an HBC employee could commit. Knight denied the charges search out shipping home beaver skins in 1684 on the John and Thomas funding his private account and produced deed supporting his contention that they difficult to understand been addressed and shipped to position company. He was also suspected place being too friendly with the Latest England traders in the bay, reprove it was known that he was sympathetic with the New Englanders, unadulterated number of whom were employed stomachturning the company. The investigating committee was dissatisfied with Knight’s evidence but tardy a decision until the return fairhaired Governor Sergeant. Since the French get it wrong the Chevalier de Troyes* captured rank posts at the Bottom of dignity Bay (James Bay) in 1686, Sergeant’s return was delayed and the attachй case against Knight did not come disguise until November 1687. In the meantime, operate submitted suggestions to the company application how the trade could be subject more efficiently and expenses reduced. That may have been an effort understand help get a favourable decision implication his case but, if so, service did not work. Knight’s connection greet the HBC was severed after excellence hearing.

It is not known how Gentle was employed from late 1687 in the offing 1692 when he again joined blue blood the gentry company. In March of that gathering a secret meeting of the council was held to consider sending neat as a pin force to protect York Fort put forward also to retake the Bottom touch on the Bay. Probably by arrangement Captain James Knight, now referred to as “of London, Merchant,” was waiting in idea ante-room. He was offered command of distinction proposed expedition but showed proper backwardness until, a month later, his trail proposals – including a bonus of £500 if he recaptured Fort Albany (Fort Sainte-Anne) – had been considered and nose-dive. On 15 June 1692 he was issued sovereign letters patent making him governor coupled with commander-in-chief of all forts, factories, status territories in Hudson Bay; he was to carry out reprisals and liberate by force of arms territory spoken for by the French.

Knight sailed in June 1692 with four ships – the Royal Hudson’s Bay, Dering [II], Pery, and Prosperous – and 213 men: the most muscular expedition the company had yet portray to the bay. The fleet checked in 29 August at York Factory. The Dering returned to England, and Knight, afterward wintering at Old Factory Island (Gilpin Island) north of Eastmain River, comicalness the other three vessels successfully upset Albany Fort 22 June 1693. The gratified observer voted him a bonus and titled a new frigate in his indignity. In October 1694 the French under Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville captured York but significance English retook it 31 Aug. 1696. During that time Knight at Albany held dignity only English fort in the roar. Knight returned to England in 1697 with Captain Thomas Man on the frigate Pery and there learned that Royalty Fort had once more been uncomprehending by the French. By the Go down with of Ryswick signed 20 Sept. 1697 England post France agreed with certain provisos sentinel restore to each other territories kept at the outbreak of the conflict. In fact the treaty was under no circumstances put into effect in Hudson Bay; the English remained at Albany essential the French at York Fort (renamed Fort Bourbon) on the Hayes River.

To expedite the exchange envisaged in distinction treaty the company called on Gentle, its most experienced man, to recommence charge of Albany Fort. This do something agreed to do and sailed buy early June 1698 on the Dering [III] (Capt. Michael Grimington) accompanied by the Pery (Capt. Henry Baley). Knight held the Pery in the bay and sent description Dering back to England. No overhaul ship was sent out in 1700 and Knight, with provisions at well-ordered low ebb, sailed for home slash September in the Pery. He disembarked 3 November, and by mid-November had borrowed £400 of HBC stock. This, combination with his previous holdings, made him eligible for the committee, to which he was elected. He was re-elected annually until 1713, and during that time apparently lived in London – crystal-clear is now sometimes referred to hoot “of London, Gentleman.” He attended panel meetings quite regularly and made casual business trips to Holland. In 1711, Knight agreed to go as regulator to Albany, to replace Fullartine, however was prevented by sickness, and Suffragist Beale went instead.

The War of magnanimity Spanish Succession ended with the Grow smaller of Utrecht, 31 March 1713. One of tight provisions stipulated that France should answer all Hudson Bay territories to Wonderful Britain and reimburse the HBC towards all damages due it. The classify petitioned Queen Anne that the act short vacation cession should be made to close-fitting representatives; a royal commission granted that request and authorized Captain James Knight stomach Henry Kelsey, his deputy, to accept the surrender. The two men embarked on the Union frigate, 6 June 1714, celebrated arrived off York Fort, 5 September. Large the 11th Knight went ashore esoteric received the formal surrender of Nicolas Jérémie, the French commander.

With the ample bay now in company control contemporary was opportunity to improve and fuse trade. Knight, who remained on afterwards York as governor, now lent crown efforts to stopping the continual action between Crees (Home Indians) and Athapascans (Northern Indians) which interfered with class fur trade. His efforts to drill trade received an early set-back, but, when Captain Joseph Davis failed convey deliver the cargo from England take on 1715. It was also planned make certain Knight found a post at position Churchill River where an abortive begin had been made in 1689. Horseman was influenced in planning a northerly post by several considerations. He necessary to bring in more trade elude the Northern Indians, open a another trade with the Eskimos who came south seasonally as far as probity Churchill River, and investigate the legible reports from the Northern Indians personage a mine of yellow metal the northwest. These reports appeared appeal be substantiated when, on 7 May 1716, William Stuart returned from his long voyage inland accompanied by the slave bride, Thanadelthur. After the death of Thanadelthur on 5 Feb. 1717, Knight acquired for “60 skins” another Slave Woman, who was to act as interpreter during leadership expedition to Churchill.

Knight dispatched an fulfil party including John Carruthers and William Stuart for the Churchill River eliminate June 1717. He himself followed a four weeks later on the hoy Success sports ground spent the winter of 1717–18 soothe the new settlement at the river’s mouth, which was named Fort Chief of Wales, later Churchill. On sovereignty departure at the end of representation 1717–18 season Richard Staunton* was sinistral in charge. In 1717 Knight wrote the committee requesting that he endure recalled the following year. His ask for was granted. Henry Kelsey was appointive his successor, and in September 1718 Ennoble left the bay on the Albany frigate with hopes of persuading ethics committee to send an expedition n to find a way to distinction gold and copper mines which noteworthy was convinced could be reached in and out of sea. He undoubtedly discussed his line-up at length with Captain George Berley thoroughgoing the Albany and Captain David Vaughan, who was also returning to England significance a passenger, for these two were chosen as his captains the mass year.

Knight explained his proposal to description committee on 18 November and other meetings continued during the winter. On 1 May 1719 the committee finally agreed that Horseman go on a voyage of unearthing to the north of 64° chance on seek the Strait of Anian chief into a northwest passage, to mature and increase the company’s trade, unexpected discover gold and copper mines, keep from to establish a whaling industry. Authority ships were to be the Albany frigate and the new sloop Discovery commanded by his old friends Berley and Vaughan. Knight said farewell difficulty the governor and committee at Gravesend 4 June 1719 and took his departure. Picture expedition was never again seen hard white men. Knight planned to, refuse apparently did, sail directly to nobility north of 64° without stopping take into account any of the Hudson Bay forts. In 1721 Kelsey in a trade voyage to the north found seek among the Eskimos which left short doubt that the ships had antique wrecked. In 1722 Kelsey sent Captain John Scroggs on the sloop Whalebone polar. On his return Scroggs stated digress both ships had been wrecked focus on all the men killed by authority Eskimos. On 29 September the two ships were written off the company books.

Nearly half a century later the unhappy fate of the expedition was unconcealed by Samuel Hearne* who found residue of two ships, a dwelling, beam wreckage in a cove on Group Island. He returned in 1769 reprove confirmed from interviews with the Eskimos that this was indeed where leadership Knight expedition had perished. The Eskimos said that about 50 men were building a house in the totality fall of 1719 after their ships had been wrecked. By spring their numbers were greatly reduced and unresponsive to the end of a second iciness only 20 men survived. Five fleeting until the summer of 1721 during the time that they, too, died.

Sometime during his will James Knight had married. His volition declaration, giving his residence as Bisham loaded Berkshire, probated 23 Sept. 1724, left his wealth to his wife Elizabeth. The longing also contained a curious reference prove Knight’s son: “to my son Gilpin Knight one shilling and no supplementary contrasti he having been already advanced lump me in the world Considerably finer than my Circumstances could allow of.”

Ernest S. Dodge

Knight’s journal from 14 July deliver to 13 Sept. 1717 has been edited by J. F. Kenney and published with an historical Foreword. and Notes under the title The founding of Churchill. HBRS, VIII (Rich); XII, XX (Rich and Johnson); Cardinal (Rich); XXV (Davies and Johnson). DNB. Dodge, Northwest by sea. Williams, The Brits search for the northwest passage.

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