by Karen Yvonne Hamilton, 2025

LAST UPDATE: 7/8/2025. This page is still being researched. Subscribe for updates.

James Alexander Sr Knowles was born in 1735 in Long Island, Bahamas, the son of John.  

James Knowles was a mixed race plantation owner on Long Island, The Bahamas. He was born c. 1723-1735 in an unknown location (likely Eleuthera) to John Knowles, listed as white or European, and an unknown African woman or woman of African descent. He is sometimes listed as being born on December 20, 1733 since that is when he was baptized at Christ Church Cathedral in Nassau. The priest who baptized him noted that he appeared to be about ten years old.

James is believed by some Knowles researchers — generalists, not Bahamian-specific researchers — to be a third-great-grandson of Damon Knowles, previously of Southampton Tribe, Bermuda, but no substantial evidence for this claim has ever been shown. For that line to be true, it would require him to have a different father than John.

  • Damon Knowles, Sr. (1600 Bahamas – 1660 Bahamas) and Ann Graye (abt 1611 England – 1667 Bermuda).
  • Damon Knowles, Jr. (1635 Bermuda – 1690 Bahamas) and Hester Wells (1635 Bermuda – 1673 Bermuda).
  • Robert Knowles Sr. (1660 Bahamas – 1715 Bahamas) and Elizabeth Valentine.
  • Robert Knowles Jr. (1685 Bahamas – 1745 Bahamas) and Elizabeth Fennell.

                CHILD – Samuel (John) Knowles

One Knowles document lists Sir Charles Knowles as the Governor of Jamaica from 1749-1752. His son, Charles, Jr. became an admiral in the Royal Navy like his father before him. Again, this has not been verified but is noted here for you to speculate.

Samuel (John) Knowles was the son of Robert Knowles, Jr. and Elizabeth Fennell and there are several ‘spouse’ listings for him (none of them verified). First, he married or lived with an unknown African woman, possibly one of the slaves on the plantation and had three children. Then, he married Ann (unknown surname). Finally, he married Hetty Williams, and James Alexander is listed as their progeny. 

BAPTISM

James was baptized at Christ Church Cathedral in Nassau in 1733. Due to his racial background, his baptism was logged in the registry reserved for mulatto children. The priest who baptized him noted that he appeared to be about ten years old. It was not unusual for white plantation owners to dally with their slaves, resulting in children of mixed race. There remain many of these mixed race descendants in the islands today.

1733 • Christ Church Cathedral Nassau Bahamas. Due to his racial background, his baptism was logged in the registry reserved for mulatto children. The priest who baptized him noted that he appeared to be about ten years old.

Many of the original plantation settlers came to Long Island during and after the American Revolution as Loyalists to the British crown. What remains of the plantations today are built of stone. The original homes had thatched roofs. The settlers raised cattle and sheep and farmed. Since the southern settlers did not come bringing their cotton plantations until the 1790s, it is possible that James came from the Loyalist settlers.  James appears to have taken over the plantation after John’s death. During his early adult years, he is listed on various documents as a “labourer in cotton” and “roper”.

FIRST MARRIAGE

He married Patience Darville and they had five children together. They were married in 1755 at Christ Church New Providence, Bahamas. Both were designated as “mulatto” (Christ Church Records).

James’ marriage record, from Christ Church in Nassau, designates him as being from Long Island, Bahamas. His fourth child, Thomas, is listed as being born on Long Island, but his other full siblings were born in either Nassau or Long Island; records are unclear. Since his father was clearly listed on James’ baptismal record as being from Eleuthera, it seems likely that James was born in Eleuthera and then moved to Long Island later in life.

CHILDREN

  • John, b. December 29, 1756 in Nassau
  • Elizabeth, b. May 12, 1759 in Nassau
  • James Alexander Jr., b. December 12, 1761 in Nassau
  • Thomas, b. 1766 in Nassau, d. 1833 on Long Island
  • Samuel, b. March 16, 1769 in Nassau

Little is known of Patience, where she came from and whether she died, or they divorced is unknown.

James married Hannah Campbell on October 7, 1777 at Christ Church Cathedral in Nassau. James is listed as mulatto on the marriage certificate. One family story says that Hannah was from Scotland and shipwrecked off Long Island after running away after being accused of stealing some of the wool that she made in a factory in Scotland. She was stranded on one of the cays off the island for three days and survived by drinking the dew off the lilies growing there. The story goes that James, while out on his boat, found her there and rescued her. 

They lived at the plantation where they had eight children together.

James Alexander, Jr. was baptized in 1812. Hannah Campbell is listed as James Knowles’ wife but not as the child’s mother. His mother was Patience Darville.

Derbyshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1812

CHILDREN

  • Abraham, b. c. 1778
  • Alexander George Knowles, b. bet. 1779-1781
  • Charles, b. c. 1782
  • Mary (Rattray), b. 1782, d. 1856; married name Rattray
  • Joseph Alexander, b. December 2, 1782 at The Crossing, Long Island, d. c. 1850
  • William, b. c. 1784, d. September 28, 1862 on Eleuthera
  • George Richard, b. February 12, 1786
  • Ann Susannah, b. c. 1790; married name Rahming
Believed to be Ann Susannah Knowles

James and Hannah’s son, George Richard, had at least one child, a son, with one of his father’s slaves, a mulatto girl named Charlotte.

In 1824, Hannah gave three of the slaves to her son, Joseph as a gift. Boatswain was 58, Charles was 48, and Bella, a Creole, was 28.

By the 1782 birth of Joseph Alexander, James was decidedly living on Long Island. He also appears as a signatory on a December 23, 1796 letter from the planters of Long Island to the Lieutenant Governor.

DEATH

James died in 1806 at The Crossing, Long Island, The Bahamas.

His estate inventory included 

  • 50 slaves (one freed upon his death); 
  • 24 cattle, 2 hogs (and their pigs), 2 horses (and one colt); 
  • 4000 wt seed cotton and 1000 wt clean cotton, plus two cotton machines; 
  • and a large number of home furnishings and supplies. 
Hannah Knowles Deed of Gift to her grandchildren, Mar 29, 1825, Long Island, Bahamas.

The entire estate was appraised at five thousand and sixty-nine pounds two shillings and eightpence (5069.2.8). In dollars, this is roughly $640,702.33 in 2023.

Hannah lived on the plantation for another 25 years. She died in 1828 at the plantation. 

In the baptismal record below, the dates listed in parentheses are yet to be determined. Mary was born in 1782 and died in 1856, so was she baptized as an adult? And I have not found Alfred listed as a child of Patience or Hannah.

Baptisms solemnized in the Parish of Kennington in the County of Surrey in the Year 1853. London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1923

SOURCES

Ancestry .com; Cheshire, England, Parish Registers, 1538-1909; Derbyshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812; England & Wales, Christening Index, 1530-1980; England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975; London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1917