Joseph Knight, Jr.
Born 21 Jun 1808 Halifax Windham, Vermont
Married 22 Mar 1832 Kirtland, Ohio to Betsy Covert
Died 3 Nov 1866 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
painting of Joseph Knight Jr. made in 1831 by unknown artist at Colesville, New York
father of
Martha Ann Knight Van Orden b 11 Jun 1833
grandfather of
Julia Ann Van Orden Carpenter b 5 Oct 1857
great grandfather of Frank Carpenter b 9 May 1886
great great grandfather of Ora Carpenter Omerza b 7 Aug 1912
great great great grandfather of
Emerick Jay Omerza b 14 Apr 1942
Joseph Knight Jr. with saw in hand
Joseph Knight Jr. visits the cobbler's shop and waits for an order.
Photos of
Joseph Knight Jr. from
Knight Family Website
Crossed the plains in 1850 Benjamin Hawkins Company
Departure 5 Jun 1850
Arrival Salt Lake Valley: 9 Sep 1850
Joseph Knight, Jr. History
transcribed from a handwritten history
copy obtained from Daughter of Utah Pioneers
Joseph Knight, jun. Born in Halifax, Windham Co, Vermont. 21 June 1808.
My father moved to Chenango Co, York state in December 1808. In a few years he bought farm on the Susquehannah river, in Broome Co., 20 miles above the great bend, built a grist mill and two carding machines. I was raised to work in them. My father bought three other farms and hired many hands; in 1827 he hired Joseph Smith; Joseph and I worked and slept together: my Father said Joseph was the best hand he ever hired, we found him a boy of truth, he was about 21 years of age. I think it was in November he made known to my father and I, that he had seen a vision, that a personage had appeared to him and told him where there was a gold book of ancient date buried, and if he would follow the directions of the angel he could get it, we were told it in secret; I being the youngest son, my two older brothers did not believe in such things; my Father and I believed what he told us, I think we were the first after his father’s family; he went to see for them, but did not go as he was told so he could not get them, as my Father has given the particulars I will skip over; at last he got the plates, and rode in my Father’s wagon and carried them home.
I left my Father, purchased a building spot adjoining my Father’s and began to work for myself, and nearly ready to build a large house. Joseph had commenced to translate the plates, he told my father he wanted fifty dollars; my Father could not raise it; he then came to me, the same day I sold my house lot and sent him a one horse wagon. Father and I often went to see him and carry him something to live upon: at last Oliver Cowdery came to write for him then he got along faster. After many trials and troubles he got it wrote off: by this time my Mother and many of my relations believed; the book of Mormon was printed. The church was organized April 6, 1830 with six members, my Father was not there. Oliver was baptized by Joseph, then Oliver baptized Joseph the ?Hyrum? Smith, Peter Whitmer, Samuel Smith, David Whitmer. then a few others, they came to Colesville in May 1830 where we lived, and Oliver baptized my Father’s family and a few of my relatives, when we were going from the water, we were met by many of our neighbors, pointing at us and asking if we had been washing sheep: before Joseph could confirm us he was taken by the officers to Shenango Co for trial, for saying that the Book of Mormon was a revelation from God; my father employed two lawyers to plead for him and cleared him; that night our wagons were turned over and wood piled on them, and some sunk in the water, rails were piled against our doors, and chains sunk in the stream and a great deal of mischief done. Before Joseph got to my Father’s house he was taken again, to be tried in Broome co, Father employed the same lawyers who cleared him there; four weeks passed before Joseph could get a chance to confirm us, then we had the greatest time I ever saw, the house was filled with the Holy Ghost which rested upon us.
In the fall of 1830 we had a revelation to go to the State of Ohio, the persecution was so great that my Father and Joseph started in the Winter, with my sleigh, which cost me fifty dollars: the rest of us staid till Spring and sold what property we could; Hyrum Smith was with us: the 1st April I started on foot and alone to tell some of the brethren on the road, who had joined through the fall and winter.
In 1831 we met at Ithaca and came to Buffalo together and stopt there on account of ice. I and a few others started on foot to prepare a place in Ohio; we travelled 40 miles, went on board a steamboat, landed at Fairport near the mouth of Grand river; we went to Kirtland, Ohio, and commenced preparing houses on a brother’s land who had a thousand acres, my folks cam on, they were called the Colesville church; we planted and sowed a great deal; the ? was ? out of the church for bad conduct; his name was Simon Copley, he then began to persecute us and we had to leave his farm and pay sixty dollars damages to fitting up his houses and planting his ground. We then had a revelation to go to the western line of the States: we arrived at Independence, Jackson Co, Missouri, 25 July 1831, we found one family names Joshua Lewis living there. Oliver Cowdery, Parley P. Pratt and one or two others had come before us preaching; as we came by water, we had no tents, and my father and I slept in a hen coop two weeks, till we got a shelter. In about 2 weeks my mother died on the west side of the Big Blue, I helped to make her coffin and bury her: a day or two before her death Joseph and several others came preaching by the way, a few hours after her death a revelation was given [see sec. 19. page 200 Doctrine & Covenants].
When we got houses I went to work by the day to get mill stones and iron, for we had eaten our grain whole for the want of mills. I built the first mill in Jackson Co, that was built in the church; then I made the furniture and fixed up the first printing office in Independence; then put of the shelves and counters for the first store. As soon as we got comfortable, a mob tore down the printing office, strewed the goods out of the store many gathered around my mill to save it; I ground corn and fed the meal to the Saints: the battle of the Big Blue was fought about a mile from my mill, I heard the guns, the first that was fired at the Saints in that country: at last we had to leave and go we knew not where; some went west, some east, some north, some south. I kept grinding for and feeding the Saints till the 1st Dec 1833 when I left, being the last. I had witnessed women and children walking most all hours of the night barefoot on the frozen hubs of ground, and crying from the effects of cold.
I went into Clay Co with meal and flour which the Saints used till all got houses where I was, here I went to work by days work and helped to feed them. I and my brother Newel bought a piece of land and built another grist mill; it was not quite finished when another mob was at our heels. The church had then to move south beyond any inhabitants, 50 miles from where I lived. I went in July 183? and left my mill in Clay Co in the hands of the mob, not getting as much as the stone and ?bolt cost ?
I built me a house in Far West, labored very hard got comfortable by 183?, bought considerable land, about 61 acres, saw many privations; the nesct summer I was taken sick and came very near dying; the first I knew there was another mob against us, which was very numerous and we had to leave the state, I sold one piece of the land in the fall of 1835 and got a horse and wagon which I lent to the committee to use till all the Saints were out of the State, but I never got them again; I gave up all my lo? prosperity to help the poor, I staid till the first of April 1839? when I started with my family with a borrowed team, one wagon, and a widow’s family with me. I drove 100 miles and stopped near Keytesville and sent the team back which hauled the last family out to where I was, viz: Abel Lamb’s, I then came to Quincy Ilinois, and went up to Lima, in Adams Co, built me a house and there went to work by day’s works to support my family. The nesct spring I moved to Nauvoo and built me a house where I went to work for a man named Mikesell who was building a steam mill and then landed mills of nights, tending the mill engine and fire alone, but did not get all my pay. The nesct winter I worked on the Toland or ? o land chopping wood. I cut 22 cord of hard wood and corded the most of it ready to boat over the nesct summer, but when I sent for it, it had been taken away. Bro Joseph Smith councelled me to move to La Harp and tend mill for Stephen Markham which I did until 1844 when another mob assembled, the Saints in Nauvoo were all under arm, provisions scarce and I sent them some flour andmeal which was given to the Saints. I afterwards sent 200 lbs of Pork? to them. Joseph and Hyrum Smith went to Carthage and were murdered by the mob June 27.
I was ordained a Priest at La Harp and in January 1846 I was ordained a High Priest in the Temple under the hands of Isaac Morley and C. C. Rich
Joseph Knight’s incidents of history from 1827 to 1844
Aug 16 1862 compiled from loose sheets
This document bears the signature of Joseph Knight
more information on Joseph Knight, Jr. available through links in previous post on this Blog for Joseph Knight Sr.
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