The Knowles Story

Closing

Why They Came

by Dave Jordan

Americans and Canadians are nations of immigrants and occasionally we wonder who were our immigrant ancestors, where did they come from and why did they come. If you are in our Knowles or Black lines, a review of Our Knowles Family Web Pages can narrow down who your immigrant ancestors were and where they were from. The question Why Did They Come? is a little harder since generally the answers aren't written down. Helping our plight, though, is that people generally don't move from place to place without a lot of thought and the reasons they move tend to be just a few. Below is the information that has been collected for our Knowles and Black families.

  1. William Wallace Knowles William Wallace Knowles was born in Kildrumferton, Cavan County Ireland in 1848. In the late 1860s and early 1870s he managed his father's farms in Ireland but about 1872 he immigrated to Montreal, Canada and became a policeman. In 1873, he volunteered for the newly formed North West Mounted Police. After his three-year tour out west was complete, he returned to Montreal and married Isabella Black in January 1877. It appears from his testimonial letters that he was doing well as a farmer in Ireland but the letters give a hint that he was trying to do something else. After his immigration, he never farmed again so it is likely he wished a different kind of life. His application letters to the North West Mounted Police indicate an interest in Irish police methods, so perhaps he dreamed of a police position in Ireland and couldn't get it. After his time in the Northwest Mounted Police, he became a Montreal policeman and then with his wife, they began a tailoring business. It appears that William may have started a series of work related visits to Chicago between 1884 and 1886. However, Isabella stayed in Montreal as daughter Muriel was born 20 Mar 1886 in Montreal and Wilfred was born 14 Mar 1887, probably in Montreal. By 1887-1888, it appears that the entire family had moved to Chicago. It is not known why he left Montreal. It appeared that his business was doing well, but at the time Chicago was well known as a fast growing dynamic city and William may have seen even more opportunity. There is also some evidence that he may have been recalled into the Northwest Mounted police due to some disturbances in the Canadian West and this may have also entered into his decision. William and family would have traveled by railroad from Montreal to Chicago.
  2. Thomas and Margaret Black Thomas and Margaret Black were the parents of Isabella Black. They were born in Ireland and immigrated to Montreal about 1850. This was the time of the great potato famine and this could have been the reason they immigrated like so many other Irish at the time.
  3. Isabella Black Knowles Isabella Catherine Black was born in 1853, possibly in Ireland or Quebec. If she was born in Ireland, then she immigrated to Canada with her parents. In 1877 she married William Wallace Knowles. She then immigrated with William and her 3 children to Chicago about 1887.
  4. Elizabeth Black Shannon Elizabeth Black was born about 1864 in Montreal to Thomas and Margaret Black. From an 1888 letter to her, it appears that she immigrated to Chicago with or shortly after the Knowles came in 1887. By 1888, she is learning the dressmaking business for the Knowles tailoring business on the south side of Chicago. She was unmarried when she arrived in Chicago and most likely she and was looking for a change and perhaps a little adventure. In May 1891 she married Richard Shannon. Elizabeth would have traveled by railroad from Montreal to Chicago.

In summary, Thomas and Margaret Black were the first of our group to immigrate to Canada. It is thought this was about 1850. The Irish potato famine was the most severe in the few years just before 1850 and this is the likely cause of their immigration. Many years later, about 1872, William Wallace Knowles immigrated to Montreal and married their daughter, Isabella. William most likely immigrated to Canada seeking work opportunities other than farming and perhaps a little adventure, which he found in the North West Mounted Police. About 1887, William and Isabella Knowles and their family, and Isabella's sister Elizabeth left Montreal and immigrated to Chicago.

Notes
  1. Initial Web Publication Date: 4/1/2003
  2. Modified:
  3. Desktop Master file: Stories_Knowles