Life History

Notes

• The name Charley appears on his gravestone in Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas.  There is an oddity in the names of Oregon and Dora Knowlton's children here.  One son is reported as Robert, and another as Robert Oregon.  This pattern also occurs in the next generation, when John Benjamin Butler and Ida Knowlton name sons Oregon Benjamin and John Benjamin.  This pattern is also found in other families in the 1700s and 1880s, in the US and the UK.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 1 June, St Charles, District 2, page 2, Hse/Fam #12
  Knowlton, O  W M 32 Married Farmer AR Conn NC [born abt 1848]
  Knowlton, Dora  W F 32 Wife House Keeper AL VA AL [born abt 1848]
  Knowlton, Mary  W F 10 Dau At School AR AR AL
  Knowlton, Ida  W F 7 Dau At School AR AR AL
  Knowlton, Lelia  W F 2 Dau AR AR AL
  Knowlton, Robt  W M 4mos Son AR AR AL [born Jan 1880]
  
  There also appears to be a confusion on one child, reported by some as two children. Mary Nell Burnett reported two sons, Robert and Charles.
  --  http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=52589&id=I389
  
  David Lee reports the same two children, but reports that Robert's nickname is Charlie.  This would seem to match the Charley whose grave is found in Mt Pleasant Cemetery.
  --  http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dlee-pobox&id=I1474
  
  Mary Nell reports no wife for either the Robert or the Charles she reports.  David reports Robert's wife as Bessie (last name unknown).  The wife of Charley on the family gravestone is Bessie.  This makes another strong match.  The date of Robert's death is reported by David Lee as 1959, the same date shown on Charley Knowlton's gravestone in Mt Pleasant Cemetery.  Mary Nell Burnett did not have a date of death for either the Robert or the Charles she reported.  The date of birth Mary Nell has for Robert is "Abt 1880."  Charley's gravestone says 1880.
  
  The 1880 census reports "Robt" as "Age 5 months, born in Jan."  In later censuses David Lee finds only Charles:
  
  1.  1920 Census, Arkansas, Arkansas County Page 226B, Line 59, Family 137
  Charles Knowlton, Head, Male, White, Age 39, Widowed, Born in Arkansas, Father born in Mississippi, Mother born in Alabama, Farmer, General Farm
  
  2.  1930 Census, Arkansas, Arkansas County Page 203A, Line 46, Family 12 Charles Knowlton, Head, Male, White, Age 51, Widowed, Married 26, Born in Arkansas, Father born in Mississippi, Mother born in Alabama, Farmer, Cotton Farm
  
  It appears that Robert and Charles are two names for the same person.  It seems best accounted for as one child with the name Robert Charles, who went by the nickname Charley.  His brother Robert Oregon also went by his second name, Oregon, no doubt desiring to avoiding the confusion of two brothers with the same name.  We have found no gravestone for any other Robert Knowlton in the Mt Pleasant Cemetery where so many of his family are buried.  There is only Robert O(regon) Knowlton, Jr, while his father's gravestone has only the middle name he went by, Oregon.
  
  No spouse has been found for any Robert Knowlton except for the grave of Robert O, Jr, and Emmie Knowlton.  It seems Robert Charles is found in Charley, husband of Bessie.  Additional corroboration of this is found in the entries of two other researchers.
  
  David M Raper reports a child named Charles (born "abt 1881), but no child Robert.  No other information is provided about Charles Knowlton.
  --  http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=draper2&id=I175
  
  Sarah Ingram reports a child named Robert (born "abt 1881), but no child Charles.  No other information is provided about Charles Knowlton.
  --  http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=sarahc_ingram&id=I26273
  
  All this evidence seems to indicate one son named Robert Charles, as I report here.
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  Charley Knowlton, Age 23 (born abt 1880)
  Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
  Bessie Black, Age 18 (born abt 1885)
  Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
  Marriage 1 Nov 1903 Arkansas County
  Marriage License Date 31 Oct 1903
  
  1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 14 April, Prairie Township, District 12, page 1A, Hse/Fam #4
  Knowlton, Charly Head  M W 30 2nd Marriage Married 7 years AR MS AL Farmer Owns Farm [b abt 1880]
  Knowlton, Bertie [Bessie] Wife F W 24 Married 2 children/2 living AR AR AR [b abt 1886]
  Knowlton, Belle Dau F W 8 AR AR AR [b abt 1902]
  Knowlton, Florence Dau F W 1 AR AR AR [b abt 1909]
  
  In the 1920 and 1930 censuses, Charley is reported as a widower with 4 children.  His mother is living in his household.  In 1930 he is the head of the home with his youngest child and his widowed mother in the household.
  
  1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 5 February, Prairie Township, District 16, page 7B, Hse #131, Fam #137
  Knowlton, Charles  Head  Rents M W 30 Widowed AR MS AL Farmer (abt 1890)
  Knowlton, Ida B Dau F W 13 Single AR AR AR (abt 1907)
  Knowlton, Florence L Dau F W 10 Single AR AR AR (abt 1910)
  Knowlton, Helen Dau F W 8 Single AR AR AR (abt 1912)
  Knowlton, Jake M Son M W 5 Single AR AR AR Farm Laborer (abt 1915)
  Knowlton, Dora Mother F W 73 Widow AL VA TN (abt 1847)
  
  1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 7 April, Prairie Township, District 1-24, page 10B, Hse #11, Fam #12
  Knowlton, charles Head Rents M W 51 Widowed Married at age 24 AR MS AL Cotton Farmer
  Knowlton, Jacob Son M W 16 Single AR AR AR
  Knowlton, Dora Mother F W 83 Widow Married at age 18 AL AL AL
  
  1940 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 15 April, Chester Township, District 1-5, page 6B, Dirt Road West of Hwy 44, Hse #107, Owns, $1000, Farm
  Knowlton, Charley Head M W 60  Grade 0 b Arkansas Same House in 1935 Farming
  Knowlton, Lina Wife F W 58  Grade 8 b Arkansas Same House in 1935
  
  U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
  Charley Knowlton
  Birth 27 Jan 1880 St Charles, Arkansas
  Father Oregon Knowlton
  Mother Dowd Hewitt
  SSN 429449482
  Jun 1944 Name listed as CHARLEY KNOWLTON
  
  U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
  Charlie Knowlton
  Age 62
  Birth 27 Jan 1880 Saint Charles, Arkansas, USA
  Residence Tichnor, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  Contact Mrs Lina Knowlton, Tichnor
  (back)
  5' 11" 130 lbs, Hazel Eyes, Black/Gray Hair, Light Comlexion
  Registered  27 April 1942, DeWitt, Arkansas County, Arkansas

Sources

• 1. RootsWeb ID: I389 -- Oregon Knowlton
  • Name: Name: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=52589&id=I389;;
• 2. RootsWeb ID: I1474 -- Robert Knowlton s/o Oregon
  • Name: Name: http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dlee-pobox&id=I1474;;
• 3. 1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 1 June, St Charles, District 2, page 2, Hse/Fam #12
• 4. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
• 5. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
• 6. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
• 7. Gravestones of Arkansas
• 8. 1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 7 April, Prairie Township, District 1-24, page 10B, Hse #11, Fam #12
• 9. 1940 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 15 April, Chester Township, District 1-5, page 6B, Dirt Road West of Hwy 44, Hse #107, Owns, $1000, Farm
• 10. 1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 14 April, Prairie Township, District 12, page 1A, Hse/Fam #4
• 11. Arkansas, Marriage Index, 1933-1939
• 12. 1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 5 February, Prairie Township, District 16, page 7B, Hse #131, Fam #137
• 13. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
• 14. U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2
• 15. U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
• 16. RootsWeb Trees