My Genealogy Hound

James P. McKnight was born in Tennessee in 1834, and is a son of Elam and Teresa (Lane) McKnight, native Tennesseans. The mother moved to Illinois with her parents, and was living there at the time of her marriage. The father was a tanner and farmer, and was moderately prosperous financially. The mother died in 1849, and Mr. McKnight married Mrs. Harriet Collins, she being a near relative of John A. Logan. To them were born two children. Ten children were the result of his first marriage. Mr. and Mrs. McKnight were members of the old Presbyterian Church, but before the father’s death, which occurred in 1863, he joined the Christian Church. After his death his widow moved to Arkansas, where she now resides. Our subject was reared on a farm and lived in Middle Tennessee until twenty years of age. Six years later he went to Obion County and started a tannery, which he operated successfully, in partnership with an uncle, for about six years. In 1862 he married Margaret E., daughter of McQuincy and Sarah Ward. She was born in 1841, and became the mother of ten children, one son being dead. In 1866 Mr. McKnight moved to Gibson County and located on his present farm of 228 acres of land, which is under good cultivation. He is a Democrat, and a member of the Christian Church. His ancestors were previously from Scotland.