"The Extended Family of HARRY JAY KNOWLES of Austin, Texas"
I first started this research in 1963 upon entering college, my grandparents were still alive at that time as well as 2 great-grandfathers. Over the next couple of years I talked extensively with them all about their memories of their youth and families. When I transferred to the University of Texas at Austin in 1965 the work took on a different light and a need for speed, family members had begun to die. I discovered the UT archives and quickly devoured them. I then moved my work to the State of Texas archives in the Texas Land Office on the Capitol grounds where I poured through miles of microfilm in that pre-computer, but mountainous information storage center. I found previous TREES connected to the family, some created over a hundred years ago, and Military Records, and many local histories from around the country to aid me. In the 90's the computer changed everything, I had access to the world's records and suddenly with the ability to cross-index tons of information I began to leap lightyears ahead in my research. What had once been dead ends at a Civil War courthouse burning, or a Rotterdam boat dock, or the Family Bible lost in the San Francisco Earthquake, now proved to be only minor stumbling blocks, easily stepped around. Europe (long a stone wall before me) opened her doors to me, with my sudden ability to access libraries in Scotland, Ireland, and other countries. In the mid-nineties my younger brother, an uncle, and a second cousinfinally began doing independant research and I networked with their findings on odd family branches, adding their info to my own 35 years of research. I now have over 8500 names in the greatly extended KNOWLES FAMILY TREE that stretches to the earliest of European roots and I'm still at it. Below you will find a small sampling of the work completed to date. There is a book on the family viewed from the genealogical perspective of my son Harry. Within it several different main branches are explored. Also there is a trip outlined back thru the generations to the mid-500's, just one of several possible routes back to the Middle Ages that I have discovered. Also this book looks into our relationship to the notorious outlaw dynasty that was to be the James-Younger Gang of the mid 1860's-80's and the Dalton-Doolin Gang of the late 1880's-90's. When I was 12 or so my Grandmother Knowles (Madeline Trowbridge) told me tales of this relationship and it sparked my lifelong interest in Genealogy. Included below are 5 genealogy reports on different side branches of our widespread Tree. I wish I could post several others, but 5 is all that is allowed. These checkout: The Waggoner Ranching Empire of Northwest Texas, The Wharton Steel Dynasty, the wonderfully well connected Trowbridge Family, the Colonial Hopkins/Whipple Privateers, and the Massacre at Parker's Fort during the early years of the Texas Republic, and Yes the Knowles Family of Austin is tied to them all. I hope you enjoy reading about them all as much as I had fun putting it all together for you. JARRELL JAY KNOWLES | "The Extended Family of HARRY JAY KNOWLES of Austin, Texas" Updated July 26, 2001 |
Jarrell Jay Knowles P.O.Box 180011 Austin,Texas 78718-0011 A-United States 512-467-8747 [email protected] | |