Night-Knight

By Yvette Taylor Stewart

    Obedient Night (b. 1804 North Carolina, d. Dec. 25, 1883 Conyers, Rockdale Co., GA) was widowed with four children when this family migrated to Georgia from North Carolina in 1835.  Most sources show this last name spelled as Night and later changed spelling to Knight.  Research done to date has not proven her maiden name or the name of her husband.  However, because of naming trends in those days, there is possibly some connection to a Sampson Knight family found in Rockingham Co., NC in the late 1700’s.

The family settled in the Rockdale area of Newton County.  In 1841, Obedient Night is documented in the Newton County Public School Lists as having two children in the Smyrna School House in Rockdale District.  During that year, she taught children in the Newton County Rockdale District and was paid five cents a day for 216 days making a total of $10.80. [ [1] ]  Obedient and her children joined Smryna Presbyterian Church, Conyers, GA in 1843[ [1] ].  She is buried in Old Conyers Cemetery in downtown Conyers, Rockdale Co., GA.

The known children of Obedient Night:

(I)  Sampson D. Night (b. Jan. 12, 1823 North Carolina; d. Aug. 5, 1898 Conyers, Rockdale Co., GA) m. (1) Susannah Hollingsworth (b. Oct. 23, 1825, Laurens Co., SC; d. 1892 Conyers, Rockdale Co., GA) in Newton County, GA Sep. 18, 1843. Susannah was the daughter of Moses Hollingsworth and Elizabeth Rogers.  She is buried in the Old Conyers Cemetery in Conyers, GA.   The Hollinsgworth family migrated to the Smyrna area of Newton (now Rockdale) Co. area in the 1820s and 1830s and were among the founding members of Smryna Presbyterian Church and Smyrna School in the Rockdale District.  Sampson and Susannah had one child, Mary Jane Night (b. Sep. 4, 1844, d. date unknown) m. Hugh L. White (b. Mar. 18, 1838, d. Feb. 11, 1912). Sampson Night was well known in Conyers and an active member of the community and the Presbyterian Church in Conyers.  He m. (2) Annie Davidson July 4, 1894, Rockdale Co., GA.[ [1] ] He is buried with his mother and other family members at the Old Conyers Cemetery in Conyers, GA [[1] ]

(II) William Jackson “Jack” (K)Night  (b. Dec. 20, 1828 North Carolina; d. Nov. 2, 1910 McDonough, Henry Co., GA) m. Martha Hollingsworth (b. Mar. 18, 1831Laurens Co., SC;  d. Dec. 31, 1922 McDonough, Henry Co., GA) in Dekalb Co., GA Oct. 5, 1848.  Martha was the daughter of John and Rebecca Bailey Hollingsworth. William J. Knight served with Company B 18th Georgia Regiment C.S.A during the Civil War. He was shot on his left hand and all fingers had to be amputated.[ [1] ] He and his family lived in the Conyers area until c.1879 when they moved to Henry County.  He purchased a home and land in District 11 Lot # 6 & 7 from Notley Warren and Rachel Selfridge Maddox.  This location today is at Hwy. 155 North and Knight Dr. in McDonough.   The Knight family farmed cotton on this land. William Jack Knight was  blind for the last eighteen years of his life.[ [1] ]  Jack and Martha Knight are buried, along with other family members, in the family cemetery located on the property. [ [1] ] William “Jack” and Martha Hollingsworth Knight had the following children:

(1) Emily J. Knight (b. Jan. 21, 1850 Newton Co., GA; d. Apr. 1, 1889) m. T.J. Henderson in Newton Co., GA Sep. 2, 1869. She is buried at Knight Family Cemetery in McDonough, Henry Co., GA. (2) Amanda “Mandy” Fanny Knight (b. Feb. 11, 1854 Newton Co., GA; d. May 3, 1928) m. Samuel Tyre Orr.  They are buried in Knight Family Cemetery, McDonough, GA. (3) Martha M.  “Radie” Knight  (b. July 17, 1856 Newton Co., GA; d. Dec. 4, 1940 Atlanta, Fulton Co., GA) m. William M. Taylor in Rockdale Co., GA  Feb. 20, 1873. They are buried in Knight Family Cemetery, McDonough, GA.  (See Taylor family information written by Yvette Taylor Stewart). (4) Wesley Dowell Knight (b. June 15, 1859 Newton Co., GA; d. June 29, 1943) m. Susan Augustus Elliott in Henry Co., GA Jan. 3, 1885.  Buried at Knight Family Cemetery, McDonough, Henry Co., GA (see Knight - First Families of Henry County, GA vol.1 page 399). (5) Joel Jefferson Knight (b. Nov. 11, 1861, Newton Co., GA; d. May 6., 1944  McDonough, Henry Co., GA) m. Mary Watts “Mollie” Elliott in Henry Co., GA 1884.  Both buried at Timberridge Presbyterian Church cemetery. (see Thomas Stocks Elliott - First Families of Henry County, GA vol. 1 page 222).(6) Nealey Ann Knight (b. May 18, 1865, Newton County, GA; d. March 26, 1938 McDonough, Henry Co., GA) m. Seaborn H. Cathy in Henry County, GA Dec. 27, 1887. They are buried in Knight Family Cemetery, McDonough, Henry Co., GA). (see Cathy - First Families of Henry County, GA vol. 1 page 110-111). (7) William Henry Knight (b. June 30, 1867; d. June 17, 1892).  He is buried in Knight Family Cemetery McDonough, Henry Co., GA. (8) Rebecca Ophelia Knight (b. Nov. 30, 1869 Newton County, GA; d. Feb. 25, 1948 McDonough, Henry Co., GA) m. William R. Steele in Henry Co, GA Nov. 3, 1887. (see William Pair - First Families of Henry County, GA vol. 1 page 532). [ [1] ]

(III) Malinda Teracy Night (b. Dec. 13, 1830 North Carolina; d. Nov. 4, 1907) m. George W. ollingsworth (b. Nov. 12, 1829; d. Feb. 4, 1903) in Newton Co., GA July 18, 1849. George was the son of Aaron and Ruth Rogers Hollingsworth.  Both are buried at Smyrna Presbyterian Church in Conyers, Rockdale Co., GA.

(IV) Jane Night (b. Feb. 10, 1833 North Carolina; d. Sep. 14, 1907) m. Joseph Hollingsworth (b. Aug. 10, 1834; d. date unknown). Joseph was the son of Aaron and Ruth Rogers Hollingsworth