John Edward KNIBBS\Margaret WICKS

A 5 generation photograph taken in 1967 showing John Edward Knibbs (seated) then aged 95, his son Milton George Knibbs standing on the left, and his grandson, John Milton Knibbs. The two children are John Edwards great-great-grandchildren.
__________

Death Residence Localities are given as Burlington, Farmington, Lake Garda and Unionville, all in Hartford County, Connecticut, USA.

John is buried at Greenwood Cemetery, Avon, Hartford County.

The LDS gives Unionville as John's place of birth.
__________

John appears in the 1900 census for Meriden Connecticut:
John Knibbs Head Mar 1872 Carpenter Connecticut
Florence Knibbs Wife Mar 1867 Connectucut

The census states that they'd been married for 3 years and had no children at that time.
__________

John appears again in the 1910 Farmington CT living just four households from his brother Joseph Wesley:
John Edward Knibbs, age 37, married 13 yrs, occ carpenter
wife-Florence, 42, one child, one survives
son Milton, 6, bn CT
__________

And again in 1920 at Farminton CT:
John C Knibbs Head 47 Connecticut Carpenter-house
Florence Knibbs Wife 52 Connecticut
Milton Knibbs Son 16 Connecticut Carpenter-house
__________

1930 Farmington CT:
John E. Knibbs ,57, owns home, real estate value $ 8000.00 occ carpenter
wife-Margaret A. age 55 bn CT
__________

In 1940, we see John living at Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut, next door to his son Milton:
John Knibbs Head Wid 67 Building Contractor
__________

From the Farmington Valley Herald, September 17th , 1942:
KNIBBS IS GIVEN 1 YEAR; SENTENCE IS SUSPENDED
John E. Knibbs, 70 years of age, of Unionville, was given a year's suspended sentence by Superior Court Judge James E. Murphy here Tuesday after he pleaded nolo contendere to a charge of criminal negligence. Two men on a motorcycle were killed last May 18 when their machine hit the rear of the elderly mans truck on Cedar Street at the intersection of Maple Hill Avenue, Newington. Knibbs at first denied he was at the scene, State's Attorney Hugh M. Alcorn declared, but investigation produced three witnesses who said he failed to obey a stop sign on Maple Hill Avenue and entered Cedar Street. The motorcycle struck the rear of the truck then lunged on until it hit a tree 113 feet beyond.
__________

From the Farmington Valley Herald, 7 Deptember 1967:
Knibbs Spry 95
FARMINGTON — J. Edward Knibbs oldest resident in town observed his 95 birthday at an open house held at the home of his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Milton Knibbs, of West District Rd Saturday. Mr. Knibbs. a native of West District where he has always lived. vies a carpenter and with his brothers had done much early building in the town. Of late years he had centered much of his work on cabinet making.
__________

Our gratitude goes to the members and volunteers at Find A Grave web site for recording the details, in memory of John Edward.
__________

Historical Notes:

1. Adjacent to the Carnegie Library building in Farmington is a cobblestone church built in 1926 (23 School Street) by the Methodist Ecclesiastical Society and constructed by builder John E.Knibbs. The building was used as a church from 1926 until 1967, when the congregation built a new church in Avon. The building’s original stained glass windows were removed and installed in the new church. Unique in style, the building features a T-shaped plan with a parapet false front. Certain details give the building an Arts and Crafts style, such as the cobblestone surfacing, gable extensions, and open arch on the parapet peak in which originally rested a bell donated by Fred Broadbent, local manufacturer.
The building is now owned by the Town of Farmington and is used as Farmington Youth Center.

2. The Greater Middletown Preservation Trust has recorded the house at 108 West District Road, Farmington, as a "Building of Historical or Architectural Importance" due to its Colonial Revival-style appearance.
It was built in 1926 by John Edward Knibbs. He had recently married Margaret (Weiks) Adams in June of that year, and this house may well have served as their residence. In 1929, he sold the house to his son, Milton George Knibbs (a Carpenter by trade). Milton lived ere with his wife Ruth until 1961.

3. The Historic Barns of Connecticut web site refers to a barn at Red Oak Hill Road, Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut that was modified at some point of it's life by "neighbor and farmer" Edward Knibbs. We know that John Edward Knibbs was a carpenter and he lived at Farmington, so quite probably, these modifications were made by him.

4. The Greater Middletown Preservation Trust has recorded the house at 100 West District Road, Farmington, as a "Building of Historical or Architectural Importance" due to its Colonial Revival-style appearance.
It was built in 1922 by the then widower, John Edward Knibbs. on a parcel of land purchased from lizabeth and Flora Wilcox. He married the widow, Margaret Weiks Adams four years later. John resided in this house until his deathin 1971 at the age of 99.

5. Another house recorded by The Greater Middletown Preservation Trust is 34 West District Road, Farmington. It was built in 1907 by John Edward Knibbs on a one acreplot of land he purchased from John P and Frances Lewis. In 1908, he quit-claimed the house to his wife, Florence E Root Knibbs. She sold it shortly before her death in 1920.

6. The Old Stone School House at Farmington was originally built by a man named Jerry Hill and several other local men in 1790, using stone drawn to the site by oxen. By 1872, a new frame school was built further west of the stone school. By 1875, the stone school was sold to a man named Simon Manus, an ex-slave, who lived there. Later in 1875, Simon sold it to a group called the West District Ecclesiastical Mission who then named it the West District Hall. It was used as a Sunday School until 1912
John Edward Knibbs .erected the annex in 1912, matching the fieldstone and providing a kitchen area.

7. Grouten's Farm, at 189 at Red OakHill Road, Farmington, was built c.1800, and has been farmed by four generations of the Grouten family, using the large barn built with timber from the narby Town Forest and milled at the town saw mill. New barns and sheds were added over the years, some of them built by neighbour farmer and carpenter, John Edward Knibbs (1872-1972), who also built additions to the House.
__________

Our gratitude goes to the members and volunteers at Find A Grave web site for recording the details, in memory of John.