6.

William KEMPSTER was born c. 1819 in London, England. birth calculated from death cert. William was a Cooper. He married Margaret KNIGHT on 2 Dec 1844 in Holy Trinity Church (Garrison Church) Sydney.⁸ V1844219 29/1844 Married by Banns. William died on 7 Aug 1905 in 33 Bullanaming Street, Redfern, Sydney, NSW. Heart disease, chronic bronchitis, old age 1905/10376. William was buried on 8 Aug 1905 in Rookwood Cemetery Anglican.

The England 1841 census has a William Kempster , cabinet maker, 25,sharing accomodation at Cleveland St., Marylebone, St. Pancras, London.

His marriage to Margaret Knight was in 1844 at the 'Garrison Church'.

The NSW Government Gazette indicates a William Kempster was at Fort Street in 1847. In 1857 he was the victim of an assault outside the "Hit-or-Miss Hotel", Windmill Street.

Cox's Sydney PO Directory 1857 has a William Kempster, cooper, 25 Windmill St.(From Argyle St. to Lower Fort St.) Also a Kempster, cooper, 25 Windmill St.

Various relevant sketches, maps of the vicinity are available in 2 books about the area. A compilation of early family names from the Sydney Assessment Rolls, indicating relevant addresses has been made including Kempster. It seems that the early years 1845-48 were at Windmill Street and at Philip Street 1861-67. Sands Directory 1858 has a William Kempster, cooper, at 30 Windmill St. And a Sands 1865 Directory places William Kempster, cooper, at 76 Phillip St. On 19th June, 1868, William Kempster, "for many years" foreman of the "City Cooperage", purchased the business from the Estate of the late Charles Chapman. The SMH in 1868 noted that William Kempster and Frederick Palmer were fined 10 shillings each for allowing their horses to stray in the streets. A notice was placed in the SMH in 1870 by father William Kempster regarding debts contracted by son John Henry. This indicated the business was named "City Cooperage", George Street. Funeral of grandson William George Gordon in 1870 was noted to to leave from his Grandfather's address, 243 Castlereagh St, Sydney.In 1872 William was called to give expert evidence as a cooper,in a court case. In 1875 Sands Directory has William, cooper, at 246 castlereagh St.This directory also has a William Kempster, cooper, at Erskine St. Perhaps this is the son.William's address, as a ratepayer in Macquarie Ward, in 1879 was 241 castlereagh St.

The SMH in 1894, various dates, reported the voluntary bankruptcy of a William Kempster, boarding house keeper, 143 castlereagh St. Whether this is William senior or junior is uncertain.There was also another William Kempster born in Sydney in 1819, died 1906, who was unmarried.

Death certificate has '56 years in NSW' which makes arrival 1849, but his marriage was in 1844.

Unclaimed letters in NSW Govt. Gazettes 1847

His Death certificate says he had 2 male children deceased.

Burial witnesses John Thomas Brand, G Dangar

Headstone has age 86, so birth c.1817 perhaps.

William was a member of 'Loyal Mariners Rest No. 925 GCOOF Lodge a/c to a funeral notice.^{1,2,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27}

7.

Margaret KNIGHT, daughter of William KNIGHT and Elizabeth LEMMON, was born in 1822 in Liverpool, England. calculated as baptism date. Margaret was baptised on 13 Apr 1823 in St. Nicholas, Liverpool, England.²⁸ She was a Domestic Servant.²⁹ She died on 12 Dec 1900 in Sydney Hospital, Sydney, N.S.W.²⁷ 1900/114488 Cardiac failure, chronic bronchitis. Margaret was buried on 13 Dec 1900 in Rookwood Cemetery Anglican.²⁷ Headstone with husband.

Margaret was listed in 1841 census as living at Rodney Street, Toxteth Park. With uncle Simon Lemon and family, listed as Family Servant.

Simon, 46, Shipwright; Mary, 38, wife; Ann, 14,; Elizabeth, 12; George, 9; Henry, 7; James, 5; Edward, 1;and Margaret Knight. All born Lancashire.

Margaret could not write (according to her wedding cert.) She arrived in Australia on the ship "William Sharples" on 29.1.1842, aged 17 (Would have been 19 a/c to baptism date). For the journey to Australia Margaret had been placed in the care of Michael Riley, his wife and family by her father. Michael was 47, a farm servant, born Roscommon. Margaret was described as a domestic servant, native of Liverpool, who could not read or write. After her arrival she was engaged by Mrs. Moore, George St. Sydney, at 12 pounds per annum, for 3 months.

She was married to William Kempster, a cooper, in 1854. Unclaimed letters in NSW Govt. Gazettes (Mrs MA, Mrs M Kempster) 1854, 1852

According to NSW Government Gazettes, Margaret was acquitted of assault on a female neighbour in 1857. In 1869 she was victim of theft by her servant, and although she prosecuted her, Margaret paid her fine. And in 1871 Margaret was a witness in a trial about a brothel in her neighbourhood, Castlereagh St. In 1892 she was the victim of theft again.

Her address in 1899 was 112 Riley St as informant son John's death.

Her Death certificate says late of Bullanaming St., Redfern (by 1934 this was re-named Renwick St.)

Death cert says 2m, 1f deceased chn.

Granddaughter Isabel Brand 33 Bullanaming St (from death cert)

Burial witnesses FJH Walton, Thomas McCarthy

Sydney Morning Herald reports her death: Margaret Kempster, beloved wife of John Kempster, aged 76 years

Also: Grandmother of Mrs. White, Martha, Nellie and Hugh Gordon.

Also grandmother Mrs. E. Knight, Mr/s J Brand, Mr. GW Gordon, Mr/S AJ Winkworth

2 years after her death husband William inserted a memoriam in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Her headstone was rediscovered by RK in November 2006. Details on SAG Rookwood C^{1,9,26,27,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36}D

William KEMPSTER and Margaret KNIGHT had the following children:

8.

William KNIGHT,^{37 38} son of Daniel KNIGHT and Margaret WILLIAMS, was born on 20 Sep 1789 in St. Nicholas, Liverpool, England. He was baptised on 24 Nov 1789 in St. Nicholas. He was a Mariner. He married Elizabeth LEMMON on 1 Apr 1820 in St. Peter's Church, Church St., Liverpool, England.^{39 40} by Banns.

There existed a number of people by the name of William Knight in Liverpool between 1800 and the late 1800's and it has been difficult to reliably identify William and his family, particularly in the early 1800's. However some facts exist. Crosbie St., Liverpool was given as the residence and William's occupation was given as mariner in all of the children's baptisms, over 10 years, 1820-1830. neither he nor his wife could write, evidenced by their signing the marriage document with a cross. And William was alive in 1842 as daughter Margaret's immigration documents indicate. Other information is less reliable.

We do know that, living in housing in Wapping by the Liverpool docks was very basic, unsanitary and rough. A later description is "In 1803, the whole district as far as Parliament Street, and beyond, was covered with streets, and to a great extent with houses. The bane of Liverpool, the erection of narrow unwholesome court-houses was here suffered to a most pernicious extent. Various changes have taken place and much of the property has been removed for commercial purposes and public improvements, but the original vice still clings to the locality, rendering almost abortive the adoption of effectual sanitary measures". Crosbie Street maps show Roperies (rope works) adjacent to street in 1801. "Crosbie Street is the site of the ropery of Messrs. Crosbies and Siddalls." By the 1833 maps Crosbie Street, in the Wapping area of Liverpool docks, had been converted to a goods train station. "The construction of the Wapping railway tunnel commenced in 1827 and encompassed Crosbie Street as an end terminal of the famous Liverpool to Manchester Railway Line. The Liverpool and Manchester Railway began in Liverpool at Wapping, very near to the Queen's Dock. A part of it extended to Crosbie Street and ended at the junction of Liverpool Road and Water Street in Manchester at the terminus (passenger station at the end of the line). The original goods station was built at Wapping Station opposite the Kings Dock in Liverpool and was connected to the main line of the Liverpool to Manchester Railway." William's son William was born in 1827 and George in 1830, residence Crosbie Street, adjacent to this construction, presumably. "The Railway Station, now extending from Wapping to Park Railway Lane along Crosbie Street, was established after the tunnel was st constructed in 1831. From its modest commencement it has gradually enlarged its borders to its present gigantic dimensions. "(1875). Crosbie street had disappeared under Wapping Goods station, but reappears as Kings Dock Street in the present day.

Another major event which may have affected this family was Cholera. "Asiatic cholera reached Britain for the first time in late 1831, with the main epidemic occurring during 1832. The disease caused profuse diarrhea, severe dehydration, collapse, and often death. There was widespread public fear, and the political and medical response to this new disease was variable and inadequate."A cholera epidemic was evident again in 1849 and crosbie Street was heavily infected.Living in court housing was very unsanitary and Crocbie Street in 1849 had 24 courts in a short street. An article "The court and cellar dwelling: The 18th century origin of the Liverpool slum" focuses on Crosbie Street, where the Knight children were born. "The courts on this street are fairly typical of those added in the areas of working-class accretion during the 1780s. Crosbie Street has been selected for this reason and because of its reputation for a degree of squalor and immorality which singled it out for mention on several occasions during the public health agitation of the 1840s. " Sanitary provision was minimal even eighty years after construction (Table II), there being on average one privy to six houses (Figure 10). The privies listed in 1863 were earth middens and not water closets, there being few street sewers until the 1850s. Furthermore, the front houses were without yards and the inhabitants of these houses had to use the privies and ashpits of courts. As the council did not take on the responsibility of court cleansing until 1846, the state of these areas which served between 60 and 100 people can be appreciated only by reading the eye- (and nose-!) witness accounts of the middle-class visitors. Cleansing even by the inhabitants was made almost impossible by the lack of paving, the ground consisting of earth or cinders."

And regarding population density "At the microlevel these densities can be translated into yards per person and in 1841 Fir Court, containing 118 inhabitants, had 1,1/3 square yards per person and Oak Court 1,1/4 square yards per person."

The 1841 census does not indicate that the family were living together anywhere in Liverpool, although various names of family members are scattered amongst other families. No verifiable information, however.

Liverpool census in 1851 has a William Knight,lodger at Frederick St., Court 25. He is a mariner, a widower, born Liverpool,age 60 or possibly 40. Living with 2 mariners wives and their 2 children. If it is our William Knight, then his wife has died or something else between 1830 and 1851, and William was born around 1791.^{9,41,42,43,44,45,46,47},

12.

Isaac LEMON⁴⁹ was born in 1750.³⁷ Age 69 given on burial transcript. Isaac died in 1819 in Liverpool.⁶¹ He was buried on 13 Jan 1819 in Liverpool, St. Thomas.^{37 61} He married Elizabeth REYNOLDS.

Isaac Lemon is the first and only Jewish ancestor in the Knight family that we know of.

Isaac was born in 1750, calculated from his burial transcript. He was part of the Jewish community in Liverpool according to the "Records of the Jews in Liverpool", 1899. This document identifies from Gore's Directory 1790 Isaac Lemon, broker, 11 Bridge street as Jewish. The "Records" say about the Jewish community "We find that in 1780 they assembled for worship in a small house in Turton Court, near the present Custom House, and probably were for the most part persons engaged in vending new and second-hand wares to the seafaring population." It postulates that around 1800 there may have been about 100 Jews in Liverpool. This is reinforced by "Settlers arrived in the mid 18th century and there is a record of an early synagogue in Stanley Street in 1753. Jews soon established a niche supplying chandlery and general provisions to the local seafaring quarter, while sending out hawkers into the local communities with cheaper goods."

According to Gores Directory of Liverpool Isaac Lemon was a broker living at 47 Crosbie Street.

In the 1801 census the family lived in Crosbie St. front of house, 1 family, 5 male and 3 females. The Knight family were also living in Crosbie Street.

According to daughter Elizabeth's baptism record and son Martin's christening document, Isaac was a broker. Abode at that time was Crosbie St. His address at his death was still at Crosbie Street.

He died in 1819 and was not buried in a Jewish cemetery but in St. Thomas, Church of England^{37,48,62,63,64}.