The Knight Era, 1836-1858
7 June 1836
James V. Knight purchased from Peter Elliott for $672
Book N, pp 2
The lot that was sold to Knight fronted 147.5' on Harrison Street, and was 79' deep.
This is roughly half the size of the original lot, and included the house on the corner of 7th & Harrison.

• William Oakey also purchased a portion of Lot 175 from Peter Elliott also on 7 June for $700, but only after Elliott purchased a strip of land, generally 2'1" wide and 100' long off of Lot #173 from Caleb Johnson for $50. Because of the odd shape of this lot, it is presumed that there was a structure built on the section to be purchased by Oakley, and Elliott had to make the transaction with Johnson to make it legal.
  • William Tudor Yancey, an attorney, purchased the lot from William Oakley (Oakey) on 10 June 1841. When originally researching the deeds, Scott Smith made an error and tracked this lot as being the Elliott House, when in fact it was the lot behind the Elliott House, which was split off by Peter Elliott. While the Yancey family is tied to the original property of the house, they are not directly tied to the house itself, as originally thought.
• Back in 1824, John Curle bought 17.5' of Harrison Street frontage from Elliott for $50. Curle owned the lot next to Elliott, so he may have needed this extra space for a structure.
• These two transactions left the Elliott House property as described above, going from a full 1/2 acre lot (fronting 10 Poles, or 165' on Harrison Street) in 1814, to a lot about half that size in 1836.

On November 3, 1835, James V. Knight of Stewarts Town, Tyrone, Ireland, born in 1797, migrated in 1818, intends to settle in Lynchburg (Lynchburg, Virginia Hustings Court. Chancery Law & Order Book. Justices. August 1835-August 1838)

Real Estate Transactions up to 1854 (there were others after 1854, but they are not documented here:

James V. Knight as Grantee
Date	Grantor	Book, Page	Description
10/23/1830	Samuel Schoolfield	K 191	Lot cor 13th Alley & 10th St.
10/23/1830	Samuel Schoolfield	K 192	Lot 11th Alley & Adj. Lot
5/31/1831	William Graves	K 268	Pt. Town lot 187 & 175
7/7/1836	Peter Elliott	M 352	Lot cor 7th St. & 3rd Alley
1/31/1844	Henry Dunnington, Comr.	P 476	Pt City Lot 11
12/4/1846	Thomas A. Dixon	Q 399	Lot Cor 7th St. & 6th Alley
James V. Knight as Grantor
2/10/1836	Lucy Thomas	N 19	Lot 11th Alley & Adj. Lot
2/29/1836	William Dornin	M 269	Lot Cor 1st Alley & 10th St.
11/3/1839	Sarah Lewellen	O 96	Lot 10th St.
7/14/1841	William T. Yancey		Lot 3rd Alley, bet 7th & 6th
3/15/1851	John P. Knight	S 331	Lot 6th Alley nr 7th St.
3/17/1851	William D. Miller	S 332	Lot nr cor 7th St & 6th Alley
3/15/1854	John Tyree	T 412	Lot cor 11(?)

Land Tax Records 1829-1860

Funeral Notice

The funeral services of the late Mrs. James V. Knight will take place, at the residence of her husband, on Diamond Hill, at 4 o'clock, pm, on Saturday the 23d. The friends and acquaintances are invited to attend.

 

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Death of an Old Citizen

Mr. James V. Knight, an old an estimable citizen, died at his home on Diamond Hill Monday night, after a brief illness. He was stricken with paralysis several months ago, since which time his health has gradually failed. Mr. Knight was born in Tyrone county, Ireland, in the year 1796, and was for many years a prominent manufacturer of tobacco in this city. He was a man of noble and generous impulses, and esteemed by the entire community.

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Funeral Notice

The funeral services of the late James V. Knight will take place this (Wednesday) evening at 4 o'clock from the residence of W.D. Miller on Diamond Hill. The friends of the family are invited to attend.

 

Tribute of Respect from the Lynchburg Tobacco Association

At a called meeting of the Lynchburg Tobacco Association, held June 9th 1874, the following preamble and resolutions were adopted:

Whereas, It has pleased the Allwise Providence, to remove from amongst us in the maturity of age, Mr. James V. Knight, a member of our association;

Resolved, That we recognize in the deceased, one whose patient industry, and quiet and unobtrusive deportment had won for him the respect and kind regard of all who knew him.

Resolved, That we deeply sympathize with the family in this visitation of Providence; that we will in a body, attend his remains to their last resting place and that Massrs. Samuel McCorkle, Samuel Younger, John W. Carroll, Thomas H. Allen, M. Chambers and Jas. A. Ford, be appointed to act as pall-bearers for the occasion.

Resolved, That a copy of this preamble and resolutions be sent to each member of his family, and also to our city papers for publication:

Jas. A. Hamner, F.M. Dunnington, A.D. Read, Committee. On motion, the meeting then adjourned. John Clark, Chairman. John Holms Smith, Secretary.

Tombstones at Presbyterian Cemetery, Grace Street, Lynchburg

• James Vernon Knight, Native of Stewart Town, County of Tyrone, Ireland. 78 years old

• Mahala Knight. [wife of James V. Knight] 61 years

• John P. Knight [son of James Knight] Died at Petersburg, October 8th 1863

• William D. Miller, Husband & Father. Died 3/9/1877 56 years

  • James V. Miller, Son of William D. & S.E. Miller, died 3/31/1865, Petersburg, 18yo

  • Daniel Warwick Miller, Son of William D. & S.E. Miller, 8/15/1855-3/6/1858

  • Charlie S. Miller, "our son", died 4/1/1876, 22 years

  • William Hall Miller, aged 11 years

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