Benjamin Knell (1834-1915)

Yes, we DO have a stowaway in the family! Benjamin was the 7th child of John Corke Knell and Rhoda Fry, born 21 December, 1834.   As a 13 year old boy, Benjamin Knell and his 19 year old brother, Robert, wanted to sail to America but were lacking funds. They made their way from Southampton, Hampshire, England to Liverpool where they sneaked on board  the ship called the James Pennel.  Then off to America they sailed.  

You see, 9 months earlier, his parents had heard and accepted the gospel.  Soon after the family was baptized, they desired to join the saints in America. There was not sufficient money to pay for the entire family to travel together so it was decided that the 2 brothers would go first. 

"The ship sailed the next morning, arriving in New Orleans Oct. 21^st 1849.  Two days later, they boarded the river boat, Uncle Tom for St. Louis.  There they worked at a pork house for 5 months where they met Lorenzo D. Young who helped them make plans to cross the plains. They herded sheep for him until the middle of May, then headed West, driving a herd of 400 sheep across the plains on foot.  Sept. 2, 1850, they arrived in Salt Lake City footsore and weary but happy."



Benjamin had a most unexpected surprise as he sat in the great tabernacle in Salt Lake City for General Conference of 1854. He heard Brigham Young make an announcement from the podium calling "Benjamin Knell to serve as a missionary to the Hopi and Navajo Indians in Southern Utah for 2 years". He left his farm in Kaysville, Davis County  to head south.   His service was based in the town of Harmony.  In the fall of 1856 he was visited  again by Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball who assigned him to a group of 6 men who were to establish a settlement in the Pinto Valley.

It seems as though Benjamin was destined to befriend the Indians the remainder of his life, as once again he received a call to serve.  This time, "in the fall of 1858 he and 9 other men were called to accompany Jacob Hamblin on a mission to the Moquis Indians on the east side of the Colorado River.  Eventually only 4 white men remained, Benjamin being one of them."

"After several weeks the Indians held council and decided that if the men were really their friends as they claimed to be, they would each marry one of the Indian maidens and become a member of the tribe.  The white men said they could not do this." The chief did not take it kindly and told them they were to leave immediately.  "It was mid-winter but an Indian friend helped them plan their escape.  He stationed his horse far away from the camp for the white men to use.  The 4 men left during the night time.  Their clothes became soaked as they forded the Colorado River.  Before they could gather enough firewood for a fire big enough to dry themselves, their clothes had frozen to them.  In the Kanab Forest the snow was waist deep.  The few pieces of dried meat they had been able to get from the Indian camp was soon gone. They chewed their moccasin strings as they moved on; this they thought eased the hunger pains.

"They took turns riding the bony gaunt horse.  Once they were successful in killing a crow, which they shared. But at one point they were so desperate for food that they had to kill the horse and use its flesh for food.  At last they reached St. George, haggard, fatigued, and emaciated but gave thanks for their safe arrival.  The 4 men went back to Pinto where Benjamin continued his work, fencing, plowing, planting, and harvesting while continuing to work among the Paiute Indians.  By this time Pinto was a thriving settlement."

That spring he  went to Kaysville to visit his brother, Robert.  He had hoped to convince Robert to relocate to Pinto. While in Kaysville he met Ann Green (Thompson) a young widow.   It wasn't long before the 2 were married (11 October, 1861) and Benjamin took his new bride and her 2 young boys back to Pinto. 

"Benjamin and Ann Knell together made a happy home.  He continued to prosper in the area throughout his whole life.  He was industrious, thrifty, and frugal.  He couldn’t tolerate wastefulness.  He would often say, 'Waste not, want not.' "

He was asked one time why he continued living in Pinto instead of going on to California where he might enjoy more comforts and have an easier life.   His response was simple, yet profound: 

“Brigham Young called me down here to do missionary work  and I never did receive a release, so I have stuck!" 

Excerpts taken from “I Remember Grandpa Knell” by Virginia Knell Tooke; Life Sketch of Benjamin Knell p. 289, by Rulon Knell.

the "Relative Connection":  Benjamin is Grandma Nevada Adams' grandfather