Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 31.djvu/273

 there in 1802, and delivered several courses of lectures to the students in natural history and chemistry between 1810 and 1816. In 1811 he was defeated in his candidature for the chair of natural philosophy, but was elected in 1816 to the professorship of natural philosophy in the Academical Institution, Belfast. In 1817 he received from Marischal College and University the degree of LL.D., and in the following year he published his chief work, entitled ‘Facts and Observations towards forming a New Theory of the Earth,’ Edinb. 1818, 8vo, being a series of desultory papers mainly on geological subjects. Knight returned to Aberdeen from Belfast in 1822, when he was appointed professor of natural philosophy at the Marischal College and University. His style of lecturing, says Professor Masson (Macmillan's Magazine, ix. 331), was characterised by much pungency, occasionally relieved by a ‘sarcastic scurrility which no other lecturer ventured on, and which was far from pleasant.’ Though his teaching was varied and interesting, its effect was greatly marred by the shallowness of his mathematical knowledge. Knight died at Aberdeen on 3 Dec. 1844, his class during the session 1844–5 being taken by Mr. Alexander Bain, afterwards professor of logic in the university of Aberdeen. He married, on 17 Sept. 1821, Jean, eldest daughter of George Glennie, professor of moral philosophy at Marischal College from 1796 to 1846. By her he had two sons and four daughters.

Besides the work mentioned above Knight published: 1. ‘Outlines of Botany,’ Aberdeen, 1813; 2nd edition, 1828. 2. ‘First Day in Heaven, a Fragment,’ London, 1820; a curious book, afterwards suppressed by the author. More important than any of his printed works are his eight volumes of manuscript collections relating to Marischal College, now in the library of the university of Aberdeen, which have formed the basis of the ‘Fasti Academiæ Mariscallanæ,’ edited by Mr. P. J. Anderson for the New Spalding Club. To these must be added some ‘Autobiographical Collections,’ now in the hands of relatives, which are full of racy criticisms of contemporaries. 

KNIGHT, WILLIAM HENRY (1823–1863), painter, was born on 26 Sept. 1823 at Newbury, Berkshire, where his father, John Knight, was a schoolmaster; he was articled to a solicitor in that town, but after having two pictures accepted by the Society of British Artists in 1844, abandoned the law, and in the following year came to London. He took lodgings in the Kennington Road, where he maintained himself by drawing crayon portraits while studying at the British Museum and in the schools of the Royal Academy. In 1846 he sent his first contribution to the Academy, ‘Boys playing at Draughts,’ which was purchased by Alderman Salomons, and from that year was a constant exhibitor; he also sent many pictures to the British Institution. Among his best works were ‘A Christmas Party preparing for Blind Man's Buff,’ 1850; ‘Boys Snowballing,’ 1853; ‘The Broken Window,’ 1855 (engraved in the ‘Art Journal,’ August 1865); ‘The Village School,’ 1857; ‘Knuckle Down,’ 1858; ‘The Lost Change,’ 1859; ‘An Unexpected Trump,’ 1861; and ‘The Counterfeit Coin,’ 1862. These titles indicate the character of Knight's art, which was limited to scenes of everyday life, with children prominently introduced. His pictures are of cabinet size, very delicately finished. He died on 31 July 1863, leaving a widow and six children. 

KNIGHT-BRUCE, JAMES LEWIS (1791–1866), judge. [See .]

KNIGHTBRIDGE, JOHN (d. 1677), divine, was the fourth son of John Knightbridge, attorney, of Chelmsford, Essex, by Mary, daughter of Charles Tucker of Lincoln's Inn (Visitations of Essex, Harl. Soc., vol. xiii. pt. i. p. 432). He graduated B.A. in 1642 as a member of Wadham College, Oxford, was translated to Peterhouse, Cambridge, on 3 May 1645, and five days later was admitted to a fellowship in place of Christopher Bankes of Yorkshire, who had been ejected (Addit. MS. 5874, f. 64). After resigning his fellowship in July 1659, he became rector of Spofforth, Yorkshire (ib. 5861, f. 267). In 1673 he proceeded D.D. (Cantabr. Graduati, 1787, p. 229). He died in the parish of St. Paul, Covent Garden, London, in December 1677 (Probate Act Book, P. C. C., 1677). By his will (P. C. C. 57, Reeve) he gave 40l. to the common fund of Wadham College, and the same sum to Peterhouse. He also gave to the master and fellows of Peterhouse as feoffees in trust his fee-farm rent of the manor of Heslington, near York, a house in the Minories, London, 7l. a year from his land in Chelmsford called Little Vinters, and another house and land, upon condition that they paid 50l. annually to a professor of moral theology or casuistical