The earliest Knappers on this website are recorded in Talke and Audley Staffordshire.
Pictures below are left - St James Church Audley, centre - a sepia drawing of St Martins Talke by Thomas Peploe Wood in 1841and right a drawing of Talke Pits (this is from the internet and was not sourced). Note in the background of the Talke Pitts drawing is the Wedgwood monument built in 1850 in memory of John Wedgwood a local colliery owner 1760-1839.
The Condliffe Connection
William and Mary's third child was born in 1765 and called John, he married Martha Stephonson on 28th May 1785 at St Martins Talke. John and Martha's second child was called Fanny (Frances) Knapper who went on to marry Benjamin Hancock on 8th April 1811 at St James Audley. Benjamin and Fanny had a daughter Ann Hancock who married William Henry Condliffe, son of John Condliffe and Mary Poole. Therefore the Knapper family tree is linked directly into the Condliffe family tree. There are 400 Condliffes including William Henry in our family tree.
The move to Barthomley
William Knapper's first child Edward born in 1757 married Elizabeth Thursfield in St Bertolines Barthomley Chehsire on 1st January 1781. Elizabeth was the daughter of William and Mary Thursfield of Haslington. Edward was a Husbandman when he married. It is not known when Edward moved to Barthomley, however he had six children and they were all christened at St Bertolines. The births were at Barthomley, Englands Brook and Ingleshaw of Englands Brook, Englands Brook in now known as Englesea Brook and is in Barthomley. Edward was buried at St Bertolines at the age of 90 in 1847.
The move to Congleton
The third of Edward and Elizabeth Knapper's children was called John and he was christened at St Bertolines on 3rd April 1786. The next record of John is when he married Hannah Oakes at St Bertolines on 31st December 1810.
John and Hannah had seven children, most were born in Wheelock Cheshire, John the sixth born was christened in Sandbach which is close to Wheelock. It appears that the move to Congleton was some time between 1825 and 1841 when John and Hannah and their family appeared in the 1841 census in Buglawton, Cheshire. Almost all of the Congleton Knappers are descendants of John and Hannah.
John was living in Mill Street Buglawton in 1841 and 1851, he did not appear there in the 1861census. John died aged 84 on the 21st April 1870 in Havannah Street Buglawton. His occupation was given as Farm Labourer, he was buried at St John's Buglawton two days later.