Hilda
Born: Address:- ?
Married:- 12th July 1924 to Benjamin-(Ben)-Rayner-Knights:
at St Marks: Hall Road: Lakenham:- Entry 376
At the time of marriage Benjamin-Rayner-Knights
was age 25 and a Coal Trimmer ? address given
61 Rackham Road
Witnesses:- Robert-Knights (Father) Blacksmith,
Edward-Taylor (Father) Labourer, Alfred-Smith-Knights
and Emma-Sopia-Taylor (Sister)
Hilda (Taylor) and Ben lived
on Rackham Road: Norwich.
1911:
Census - 114 Goldwell Road, Norwich
Edward Taylor - Head - age 41 - Ladour,
Mustard - born Norwich, Norfolk
Emma E. Taylor - Wife - age 42 - born
Norwich, Norfolk
Maude Emma Taylor - Daughter - age 20
- Mustrd Hand - born Norwich, Norfolk
Edward John Taylor - Son - age 19 - Shop
Assistant - born Norwich, Norfolk
Flourence H. Taylor - Daughter - age
17 - Tailoress - born Norwich, Norfolk
Arthur Edward Taylor - Son - age 15 -
Box Labolar - born Norwich, Norfolk
John Thomas Taylor - age 14 - Errand
Boy - born Norwich, Norfolk
Emma S. Taylor - Daughter - age 12 -
Scholar - born Norwich, Norfolk
Ether M. Taylor - Daughter - age 11 -
Scholar - born Norwich, Norfolk
Hilda Taylor -
Daughter - age 9 - Scholar - born Norwich, Norfolk
Willaim E. Taylor - Son - age 8 - Scholar
- born Norwich, Norfolk
Dorothy K Taylor - Daughter - age - Scholar
- born Norwich, Norfolk7
Ernest C. Taylor - Son - age 5 - Scholar
- born Norwich, Norfolk
Gertrude W. Taylor - Daughter - age 3
- born Norwich, Norfolk
More on Benjamin
Rayner Knights
Benjamin's
father and grandparents
1881: Census - 1, Waterlane,
Little Plumstead Blofield Norfolk
Rayner Knights - Head - Married - age
57 (1824) - Ag Lab - born Deopham, Norfolk
Charlotte Knights - Wife - age 55 (1826)
- Ag Lab Wife - born Forncett St Mary, Norfolk
Robert Knights
- Son - Single - age 27 (1854) - Ag Lab - born
Forncett St Mary, Norfolk
Horatio Knights - Son - Single - age
21 (1860) - Ag Lab - born Forncett St Mary,
Norfolk
Alfred Knights - Son - age 14 (1867)
- Ag Lab - born Forncett St Mary, Norfolk
Horace Knights - Son - age 4 (1877) -
born Norwich, Norfolk
Benjamin's
mother
1881: Census - 2, Long Rd,
Great Plumstead Blofield Norfolk
Benjamin Smith - Head - Married - age
62 (1819) - Railway Gate Keeper (Level Crossing
Man) - born Alburgh, Norfolk
Mary Smith - Wife - age 58 (1823) - born
Campsall, Yorkshire
Charles Smith - Son - age 15 (1866) -
born Wortwell, Norfolk
Martha Smith
- Daughter - Single - age 22 (1859) - Dressmaker
- born Alburgh, Norfolk
Mary Smith - Grand Daughter - age 7 (1874)
- Scholar - born Wortwell,
Norfolk -
is this Matha's daughter?
Benjamin's
parents
1884: Marriage record - Robert Knights
married Martha Smith at Blofield - Jun
quarter (4b 373)
1900:
Birth record - Benjamin Rayner Knights
at St. Faiths - Jun quarter (4b 93)
1911: Census
- 61 Rackham Road Norwich Norfolk
Robert Knights - Head - married 27 years
- age 56 (1855) - Gardener - born Forncett St
Mary
Martha Knights - Wife - age 52 (1859)
- born Alburgh
Alfred Smith Knights - Son - Single -
age 21 (1890) - Baker - born Sprowston
Benjamin Rayner Knights
- Son - Scollar - age 10 (19010 - School - born
Old Catton
More on Children
1/ Hilda L.
Knights
1946: Hilda married Allen
L. Pampling at Norwich - Jun quarter (4b
452
Hilda and Allen had children:
1/ Joan D Pampling
born 1947 at Norwich - Jun quarter (4b 1165)
2/ Christine A. Pampling born 1949 at Norwich
- Mar quarter (4b 836)
3/ Michael A. Knights born 1951 at Norwich
- Sep quarter (4b 784)
2/ Joan Knights:-
Born 1926:- Joan just aged 15 was killed in
an air raid on Batson & Webster's shoe factory
in the September of 1942. It was not Joan's
turn to work but went in on that Saturday morning
so her sister could spend some time with her
future husband Alan, home on leave from the
services. She never returned. - It
was reported that when her body was found Joan
did not have a mark on her. - She had been living
with her parents at the time at 61 Rackham Road
1942:
Joan died:- age 15
Eastern Evening
News
Tributes to a smashing girl
by DEREK JAMES - 16 August 2007 15:10
Joan Kinghts, aged 15, with
her parents Hilda and Ben and sister Hilda.
This is the happy-go-lucky tomboy who went to
work in Norwich on a Saturday morning so her
sister could spend some time with her future
husband Alan, home on leave from the services,
and never returned.
Joan Knights was killed when the shoe factory
she was working at, Batson & Webster, received
a direct hit. She died alongside George Smith,
the 43-year-old machine room foreman, in September
1942.
Last month I told how George's son, Ron Smith,
had asked for a plaque remembering the pair
to be put up at the new St Edmunds Wharf development
in Fishergate where the factory once stood.
The developers Tiger Hill agreed but Ron said
he would love to find friends or relatives that
Joan had so he could tell them she was finally
being remembered.
“I wondered if any of your readers could
help. I cannot find anyone who knew Joan,”
he said.
The response following my story was extraordinary
with my friends and members of her family getting
in touch to say how pleased they were that Joan
was finally being remembered.
The studio photograph of Joan was taken at Jerome's
famous studios in Norwich in 1941, the year
before she was killed.
The other picture is of Joan with older sister
Hilda. They both worked at the Batson &
Webster shoe factory after leaving school.
The pictures come from their cousin Derek Roe,
a former Lakenham boy, who now lives at Hethersett.
And other pictures come from Carole Fowler (Thouless)
who shared a home with the family in Rackham
Road.
“I was born in July 1942 and apparently
Joan looked after me before her death,”
she said.
“I couldn't quite believe it when I saw
your story. I am so pleased that Joan is being
remembered after all these years. It is marvellous,”
said Derek, now 80.
“We came from a large family. Her mother
and my mother were sisters. We would always
spend Christmas Day and Boxing Day together,”
he recalled.
“Joan was a smashing girl. A real, happy-go-lucky
tomboy who loved playing with us boys at Lakenham.
The last time I saw her was when we bumped into
each other in Red Lion Street. Then we heard
she was killed. We were all heartbroken,”
said Derek.
And he said that it had been Hilda's turn to
work that day but Joan said she would go in
so her sister could spend some time with her
then boyfriend who was home on leave.
Her parents were Ben and Hilda Knights. He worked
for Betts, the coal merchants, and the family
lived at Rackham Road in Norwich. And Derek
said he remembered that sister Hilda's husband
was later honoured after he drove a petrol tanker
away from a fire.
Joan Kathleen
Knights 1942 - Killed by enemy action
In loving memory of Joan Kathleen
Youngest beloved daughter of Benjamin
& Hilda Knights
Killed by Enemy Action Sept. 5th 1942
Aged 15 years
Loved and always remembered
And of Benjamin Rayner Knights
Died 9th January 1953
Aged 54 years
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- Website
Joan Kathleen
Knights
Rank: Civilian
Date of Death: 05/09/1942
Age: 15
Regiment/Service: Civilian War Dead
Reporting Authority: Norwich County Borough
Additional Information: Daughter of Benjamin
Rayner Knights, and Hilda Knights, of 61 Rackham
Road. Died at Batson and Webster's Shoe Factory,
Fishergate.
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3146326/KNIGHTS,%20JOAN%20KATHLEEN
*****************************************************
I’m proud to share
name of my hero dad - by DEREK JAMES - 21
August 2007
The scene at Frazier’s
Joinery after it was hit, claiming four lives
on September 5, 1942. If you look closely you
can see people on the right – it gives
you an idea of how large the factory was.
He was a young man who came to Norwich to escape
the bombing… and was killed as he was
working at a city factory on a Saturday morning.
His name was Kenneth George
Belding, and four months after his death his
son was born and named after the father he never
met.
“I am very proud
to share his name,” said Kenneth, who
lives at Caistor St Edmund.
My stories about that
savage bombing raid over Norwich on September
5, 1942 provoked enormous interest and prompted
so many calls and letters.
It all started when Ron
Smith told of his campaign to have a plaque
put up on a new development of homes at Fishergate
where the Batson & Webster shoe factory
once stood.
His father George Smith
had been killed in the same raid, along with
a 15-year-old girl called Joan Knights. He appealed
for anyone who knew anything about Joan to get
in touch.
So many of you did.
Although it was 65 years
ago people have never forgotten young Joan,
who was killed when a bomb fell in the courtyard
at the factory - demolishing a cycle shed, blowing
a car into the street and flinging cycles on
a roof.
A fire-watcher's brick
look-out post was blown over trapping a number
of workers. George, a foreman and special constable,
and Joan were killed and 14 others injured.
Victims included Kenneth
Belding, who came to Norwich to escape the London
bombing.
But there were more deaths at Frazier's Joinery
Works at St Martin's Palace Plain by the river
where production was in full swing that fateful
Saturday morning when raid 36 of the war happened.
“I was very interested
to read your article as my dad was killed,”
said Kenneth.
His father was a Londoner
who signed up for the Army at the start of the
war. He had part of his big toe amputated and
wasn't fit for service. He was discharged so
he came to Norwich to escape the bombing.
Despite arriving during
the dreadful Blitz year of 1942, he met and
married Vera, got himself a work in the joinery
works and the couple found a home in the city.
Then Vera discovered she was having a baby.
Kenneth never lived to
see his baby.
“His body was recovered
from the river a week later. My granddad had
to identify the body and he could only do this
because of the big toe being missing,”
said Kenneth.
There were a total of
four workers at the joinery works that Saturday
and anther man who lost his life was Stephen
Toole, aged 39.
One of his three daughters,
June Rose, said it came as quite a shock to
see the photograph of the works following the
hit as she had never seen it before.
“I understand that
my father had gone into work on that Saturday
morning to help a young apprentice,” said
June.
She was eight years old
at the time and remembers an official, maybe
from the factory, calling at their house at
lunchtime that Saturday to break the news to
her mother.
“My two sisters
and I were not allowed to go to our father's
funeral,” she added.
She understands that her
father had been also been a fireman helping
to put out the fires as Norwich burned that
year and that the fire
service was represented at his funeral.
During the same raid bombs
also fell on the Magdalen Street area causing
shoppers to run for their lives and a another
bomb fell on Leamon's furniture factory in Calvert
Street. The premises had previously been gutted
by fire and this time the outside walls came
crashing down.
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