Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 31.djvu/344

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a journalist. Sir Walter Scott, Professor Wilson, and others befriended him, and Scott frequently gave him substantial pecuniary relief. His convivial habits undermined his health, and he died at Edinburgh of paralysis, 12 Nov. 1825.

Besides a prose ‘Visit to Dublin’ and a Christmas tale, ‘Mariamne, or the Widower's Daughter,’ Knox published ‘The Lonely Hearth, and other Poems,’ 1818; ‘The Songs of Israel,’ 1824; and ‘The Harp of Zion,’ 1825. His lyrics are graceful and thoughtful. Scott thought Knox in ‘The Lonely Hearth’ superior to Michael Bruce, and ‘Mortality,’ in ‘Songs of Israel,’ was a favourite with President Lincoln. A complete edition of Knox's poems appeared in 1847.

[Sir Walter Scott's Journal as in text; Lockhart's Life of Scott, vi. 152, ed. 1837; Rogers's Scottish Minstrel, vol. iii.]

T. B.


KNOX, WILLIAM (1762–1831), bishop of Derry, fourth son of Thomas, first Viscount Northland, a title now merged in the earldom of Ranfurly, was born 14 June 1762. At the age of about sixteen he entered Trinity College, Dublin, where in 1781 he graduated B.A. In 1786 he became rector of Pomeroy in the diocese of Armagh, after which he obtained the rectory of Callan in the diocese of Ossory, and became chaplain to the Irish House of Commons. On 21 Sept. 1794 he was consecrated bishop of Killaloe in St. Peter's Church, Dublin, by the Archbishop of Dublin, assisted by the Bishops of Limerick and Kilmore. In 1803 he was translated to the see of Derry, where he was enthroned on 9 Sept. of that year. During his tenure of this diocese he became widely known for his philanthropy and benevolence, and was held in high esteem by people of all denominations. He died in London on 10 July 1831. He published several sermons. Knox married in 1785 Anne, daughter of James Spencer, esq., by whom he had twelve children, eight daughters and four sons. His eldest son, James Spencer Knox, D.D., was father of Sir Thomas George Knox [q. v.] George, the third son (1799–1881), was lieutenant-colonel in the Coldstream guards.

[Cotton's Fasti; Burke's and Foster's Peerage.]

T. H.


KNYFF, LEONARD (1650–1721), painter, born at Haarlem, on 10 Aug. 1650, was third son of Wouter Knyff, painter, by his second wife, Lydia Leenderts of Delft, widow of Jacob Bas of Haarlem. Knyff was known as a painter of birds and animals. He came to England about 1690, and settled in Westminster. He devoted himself in England to topographical drawing and painting, and made many drawings in Westminster and its vicinity. He is known principally by the series of bird's-eye views of palaces and gentlemen's seats in Great Britain, drawn by him and engraved by his fellow-countryman and neighbour in Westminster, Johannes Kip [q. v.], for vol. i. of ‘Britannia Illustrata,’ or ‘Nouveau Théâtre de la Grande Bretagne,’ published by Mortier in 1708. Knyff does not appear to have contributed to the later volumes. These drawings, though stiff and uninteresting as artistic productions, are of great archæological value. A good specimen, ‘The North Prospect of Windsor Castle,’ is in the possession of Mr. John H. Arkwright (Eton Loan Exhibition, 1891). Knyff died in Westminster in 1721. His collection of pictures was sold by auction in May 1723.

[Vertue's MSS. (Brit. Mus. Add. MSS. 23069, 23073); Vander Willigen's Artistes de Haarlem; Walpole's Anecdotes of Painting, ed. Wornum.]

L. C.


KNYVET or KNEVET, Sir EDMUND (d. 1546), sergeant-porter to Henry VIII, was the second son of Edmund Knyvet of Buckenham Castle, Norfolk, by his wife Eleanor, sister of Sir James Tyrrell, knt. Sir Thomas Knyvet [q. v.] was his elder brother. One Edmund Knevet was grand-nephew of the mother of Dean Colet; he is believed to be the ‘Edmund’ who received religious instruction from the dean and was a legatee under Colet's will in 1519 [see Colet, John]. The sergeant-porter married Joan, daughter and heiress of John Bourchier, lord Berners [q. v.], and thus came into possession of Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk. In 1524 Knyvet is mentioned as sergeant of the king's gates, and in 1536 was made in addition keeper of the king's woods in Rockingham Forest. He was also receiver of the revenues of the royal domains in Denbigh, North Wales. Numerous grants of land were made him by Henry VIII. Early in 1541 Knyvet struck Thomas Clere, a Norfolk gentleman, and retainer and friend of the Earl of Surrey, so as to draw blood within the tennis-court of the king's house. A recent statute had adjudged the penalty of losing the right hand to any one guilty of such an offence. At first both Knyvet and Clere were arraigned on 28 Feb. 1541, and bound in a recognisance of five hundred marks each to attend the privy council daily till dismissed. On 27 April they were formally accused and were committed to the porter's ward to await trial. On 10 June Knyvet was arraigned before the king's justices at Greenwich, and found guilty by a quest of gentlemen and a quest of yeomen of maliciously striking Clere. He was condemned to lose