| I'm indebted to Sheila Robson for allowing me to use the
above copy of this fabulous water colour that she commissioned from
local artist Ken Jones. Sheila now owns one of the cottages within Blue
Row and has created a really good, informative web site showing the History
of the Blue Row Cottages, and I would encourage everyone to visit
there to see old photographs of Blue Row and learn more about where one of our ancestors, William Knibbs
lived.
William Knibbs was born in the village of Swerford in 1822, the illegitimate son of Sarah Knibbs of Swerford. His father was William Harris and so far as I'm aware William and Sarah were never married. Willam was baptised as William Knibbs Harris and we know that for many years, he chose to use the surname of Harris. He was using the name William Harris when he married Emily Davis from Salisbury, Wiltshire, and we know that his oldest daughter Caroline Harris was born in Salisbury in 1846. In 1851, we can see record of William, his wife Emily and
daughter Caroline recorded in the census, living in Swerford. At that
time they were using the surname of Knibbs. The earliest record we have
of them living at Blue Row was in 1853 when he was recorded as a yearly tenant, paying an annual rent of £3. The latest record we have of William and his wife living at Blue Row
was in the 1891 census returns. Blue Row Cottages were built in 1806 and Sheila recently celebrated the 200th anniversary with a party in the garden for neighbours and former residents.. |
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