Joseph KNIBBS, son of Nathaniel KNIBBS and Elizabeth KERRICK , was born bef. 04 May 1800 in Oxfordshire, England. He married Hannah BENNETT 28 August 1826 in Duns Tew, Oxfordshire, England. He died 08 December 1874 in Albany, New York, USA. Hannah BENNETT, daughter of John BENNETT and Elizabeth UNKNOWN , was born 07 February 1808 in Duns Tew, Oxfordshire, England. She died 11 August 1881 in Athens, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, USA.


Children of Joseph KNIBBS and Hannah BENNETT are:
1. James KNIBBS, b. bef. 05 October 1827 See James KNIBBS & Rhoda A. HARVEY OR James KNIBBS & Emma LAWS
2. Elizabeth Ann KNIBBS, b. bef. 08 November 1829
3. George KNIBBS, b. bef. 25 December 1831
4. Cornelius KNIBBS, b. bef. 09 February 1834 See Cornelius KNIBBS & Rosmand C UNKNOWN

Marriage Notes for Joseph KNIBBS\Hannah BENNETT:

Banns read at Somerton, Oxfordshire, England in Jul 1826 identifying that Hannah Bennett was from Duns Tew, Oxfordshire.


Notes for Joseph KNIBBS:

Whilst as yet, we have no immigration or patriation papers for Joseph in New York, the information that Ana Knibbs-Rizzo has turned up in her enquiries is conclusive evidence that it was Joseph Knibbs of Somerton, Oxfordshire, England who emigrated to New York with his family. It is known from the Somerton PR transcript that Joseph had at least 4 children, James, Elizabeth Ann, George and Cornelius (the latter bap. Feb 1834). He is believed to have emigrated from England to New York in 1840.
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We believe that Joseph and his oldest son James emigrated to new York in the 1840's, leaving his wife Hannah and other children in England, probably until he'd settled, found work and somewhere to live. In 1841, we can see Joseph's wife, daughter Elizabeth Ann and son Cornelius all living in England. Hannah and Cornelius were living at Somerton and Elizabeth Ann was living with Joseph's sister Kitty Payne.

Ann Knibbs Ag Lab Wife
Cornelius Knibbs 7
Mary Knibbs 40 Pauper

I'm not quite sure who the Mary Knibbs was that was living with Ann but I suspect it would have been Joseph's sister.
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A Declaration of Intention was submitted by Joseph on 3 November 1846, Book 8 Page Number 174.
It can be seen that Joseph applied for Naturalization at Albany, New York, USA on 29 March 1849.
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It is understood that Joseph lived at the Albany Medical College, New York with his family, and on 13 Aug 1850, in the City of Albany, Ward #10, he is listed as:

Joseph Knibbs, 50, Janitor at Albany Medical College
Anna Knibbs 40
Cornelius Knibbs 16 Clerk
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It can be seen at the 1870 census return that Joseph was living at Albany, New York USA:
Locality: 10-WD ALBANY M593-Roll: 900 Page: 5 State: NY
Joseph KNIBBS 70 Janitor MC England
Anna KNIBBS 67 Keeping House England
James KNIBBS 7 New York

I believe that James is their grandson, the son of Cornelius Knibbs although I note that he was recorded as being at home with his parents when the census was taken.
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Joseph Knibbs is commemorated at the Albany Medical Hospital in New York for his faithful service as a janitor there for 30 years. There is an extremely large plaque in the hallway of the hospital which says:

Joseph Knibbs
Faithful Janitor during nearly 30 years
Died Dec 8, 1874
Erected by the students of 1874

Joseph was either extremely important or well thought of as his plaque is the same size as that of the hospital founder, and even bigger than some of the famous doctors' plaques.
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On the same topic, I found an article produced by Fr. Robert deLeon, CSC on 18 May, 2003, at the following web site of the
Holy Cross Family Ministries

Fr Robert tells how, many years ago, he recorded a quotation from an unknown source into his now old and well worn notebook:
"This is what I would want to be above all - God�s love with skin on."

He recalls his posthumous encounters with two men which reminded him of that quotation. One of those encounters was with our Joseph Knibbs. Fr Robert wrote of a time when he was leaving the Albany Medical College via a maze of unexplored corridors, where a dozen portraits of centuries old graduating classes line the walls, when a large marble plaque caught his eye inscribed "Joseph Knibbs, the faithful janitor during nearly thirty years, died Dec. 8, 1874. Erected by the students of 1874. "The walls of the College abound with portraits and plaques of medical worthies, with photographs of graduating classes vying for what space remains. But no memorial so caught his attention as this singular one to a faithful janitor now dead so long. What was it that inspired a graduating class to honor him, he wondered? What lessons about doctoring had this janitor taught? No clues remain to provide answers, only this singular plaque. While the tangled arms of the college corridors remember hundreds of physicians, professors, researchers and students, a singular janitor taught quiet lessons to medical students for nearly thirty years.


In the spirit of their founder, Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, CSC, and under the sponsorship of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Holy Cross Family Ministries serves Jesus Christ and His Church throughout the world by promoting and supporting the spiritual well-being of the family.
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Joseph was buried in the Albany Rural Cemetery, New York, USA but was moved in 1939 when the cemetery was converted into a city park. He is now buried in Albany rural cemetery, lot 30 section 92.
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From:

Find A Grave


Birth: 1800, England
Death: 1874, USA
He was a janitor at Albany medical college for nearly 30 years. There is a huge plaque erected in his honor hanging in a hallway at Albany Medical college. He and his wife Hannah was buried in a cemetery that now is Washington Park. They were dug up and moved to a unmarked grave at Albany Rural Cemetery in the 1939's. He and Hannah are buried in a Knibbs-Westfield plot Lot 30 section 92 in an unmarked grave.

Burial:
Albany Rural Cemetery
Loudonville
Albany County
New York, USA
Plot: 30 section 92

Record added: Aug 1 2001
By: Ana Rizzo


Sources for Joseph KNIBBS:

  1. Oxfordshire Parish Register - Somerton,

Notes for Hannah BENNETT:

Hannah was baptised in Duns Tew, Oxfordshire, England, the daughter of John and Elizabeth
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We believe it's Hannah who appears in the 1841 census living with her son Cornelius, her mother Elizabeth and her husband's first cousin, Mary Knibbs, living in the same household at Somerton, Oxfordshire, England.
Ann Knibbs 30 Ag Lab Wife (born in the county)
Cornelius Knibbs 7 (born in the county)
Mary Knibbs 60 Pauper (born in the county)
Elizth Bennett 60 seamstress(?) (born in the county)

Hannah's husband and older son had emigrated to New York in 1840, presumable leaving Hannah, Cornelius and their daughter Elizabeth in England until things were in place.
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Hannah appears in the 1880 Federal Census living at Schenectady, New York with her grand-daughter Martha Knibbs. Martha is also listed as being with her parents at Troy at the census.
They were staying at the house of a family named LINDLEY:
Mary LINDLEY Self W Female W 60 ENG Farming & House Keeping ENG ENG
Lillian May LINDLEY Dau S Female W 15 NY Home ENG NY
William I. FOX Other S Male W 14 MA Farm Laborer NY CT
Anna KNIBBS Other W Female W 67 ENG ENG ENG
Martha KNIBBS Other S Female W 15 NY School ENG NY
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Albany Rural Cemetery has the following information about Hannah:
Hannah Knibbs
Born England
Died Athens, Pennsylvania
Resided in Schenectady, New York
Died Aug 11, 1881
71 years old
Died of paralysis
Lot 30 section 92
Knibbs-Westfield Plot
Unmarked grave

Sources for Hannah BENNETT:

  1. Oxfordshire Parish Register - Somerton,
  2. Oxfordshire Parish Register - Duns Tew,
  3. Troy Times,

Notes for Elizabeth Ann KNIBBS:

Baptism records for Somerton show Elizabeth Anne being the daughter of Joseph & Ann rather than Joseph and Hannah. Positioning of the baptism between the other children of Joseph and Hannah, as well as there being no known Joseph and Anne at Somerton at that time, it's considered to be an error in the register.
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We can see Elizabeth in 1841, living with her aunt Kitty 'Catherine' and uncle John Payne at Whitfield, Northamptonshire. Kitty was a sister of Elizabeth's father, Joseph Knibbs.
John Paine 30 farmer - born in the county
Catherine Paine 30 - not born in the county
Elizabeth Knibbs 11 - not born in the county
George Gackins 14 - born in the county
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We don't yet know what happened to Elizabeth. We know her father Joseph emigrated to New York in about 1840, levaving his wife and children in the UK until he was settled there. Elizabeth's mother and brother Cornelius remained in Somerton until joining Joseph in New York, and as we see above, Elizabeth stayed with Joseph's sister Kitty.

The next time we see a record of the Jospeh's family is in 1850 living at Albany, New York, but Elizabeth didn't appear to be with them. She may well have joined them in America and maried before 1850, or alternatively, she may have remained in England.

Sources for Elizabeth Ann KNIBBS:

  1. Oxfordshire Parish Register - Somerton,

Notes for George KNIBBS:

We don't know what happened to George Knibbs. We know his father Joseph and older brother James emigrated to New York in about 1840, leaving George's mother Hannah, his brother Cornelius and sister Elizabeth living in England until he was ready for them to join him.George would have been 9 years old at the time but we can see no sign of him in England.

We see that George wasn't with the family in Albany, New York in 1850. Maybe he joined them in New York but was married before 1850. Maybe he stayed in England, but there is also the possibility that he died in infancy, although I've seen nothing to confirm that.

The 1880 US census shows just one George Knibbs who was born in England and living at Binghamton, Broome, New York, but we know for sure this wasn't him.
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One theory is that he did indeed join the family in New York and married at a relatively young age (before 1850) to a girl named Elizabeth with whom he had five children between 1852 and 1861. There was an Elizabeth Knibbs listed in the 1880 census, a young widow, keeping house at District 3, Fishkill, Dutchess, New York. We have no record of her husband's name but do know that he was born in England.
Elizabeth KNIBBS Self W Female W 53 NY Keeps House NY NY
Annie KNIBBS Dau S Female W 23 NY Wks Carpet Mill ENG NY
Hattie KNIBBS Dau S Female W 19 NY Wks Carpet Mill ENG NY
George J. KNIBBS Son S Male W 21 NY Wks Carpet Mill ENG NY

This shows that the birthplace of the children's father was England but it's pure conjecture that there's any connection.

Sources for George KNIBBS:

  1. Oxfordshire Parish Register - Somerton,