Lucy Flucker Knox

Lucy Flucker Knox
Born (1756-08-02)August 2, 1756
Boston, Massachusetts
Died June 20, 1824(1824-06-20) (aged 67)
Thomaston, Maine

Lucy Flucker Knox (August 2, 1756 – June 20, 1824) was an American revolutionary. Born under the British government, as daughter of colonial officer Thomas Flucker and Hannah Waldo, daughter of Samuel Waldo. Lucy joined the American Army under the Influence of Henry Knox. After their marriage, Lucy moved around with Henry and lived on the military camp. She accompanied Henry Knox until he retired from the army in 1794.

Early life and education

She was born into a wealthy family of privilege as the daughter of the Provincial Governor of Massachusetts. Lucy's father, Thomas Flucker, holding office under the British government wanted Lucy to marry someone of a higher social status. However, in June 1774, Lucy married Henry Knox. Her parents disowned her because Henry was a merchant-class suitor at the time. Her family then fled for London once Boston has fallen, she would proceed to never see her family again.[1][2][3]

Lucy Knox was fortunate enough to be born into a wealthy loylist kind family which gave her access to home-school education and an extensive amount of resources at the house library. Even for a woman of elite social class, she was always regarded as someone with "extensive reading". In fact, Lucy Knox was a frequent visitor to Henry Knox's boostore and that's where the couple first met.[4][5]

Life during the Revolutionary War

During most of the Revolutionary War, Lucy and her husband were apart. Unfortunately, unlike other officers' wives she was wasn't able to get as many visits to the war camp. The reasoning behind Lucy Knox not receiving as many visits as other officers' wives as that she had already gave up already she had (her family) for this patriotic cause and therefore her husband was reluctant to her visiting and witnessing all the suffering. Even though they were separated for such a long time, Lucy and Henry didn't let their love die out and were connected through letters they sent each other. Their letters are kept at the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. They provide a first-hand view of one of the closest people to General Washington as well as an insight into the life of a war-hero spouse.[6][7][8]

Personal life

Lucy Knox had fallen in love with a revolutionary war patriot Henry Knox, who was born into poverty in Boston in 1750. Despite her father's wish of she marrying a man with higher social status, Lucy Knox followed her own heart. She met Henry and fell in love with Henry when he was working at a bookstore in Boston.

References

  1. ↑ "Women of the American Revolution - Lucy Knox". www.americanrevolution.org. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  2. ↑ Sandham, W. (1925). General Henry Knox: After Whom Knox County, Illinois, Was Named. Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society (1908-1984), 18(2), 436-439. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40187203
  3. ↑ Defiant brides : the untold story of two revolutionary-era women and the radical men they married. Boston: Beacon Press. 2012. ISBN 9780807001172.
  4. ↑ "Knox, Lucy Flucker (ca. 1756-1824), to Henry Knox | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History". www.gilderlehrman.org. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  5. ↑ Carol., Berkin, (2005-01-01). Revolutionary mothers : women in the struggle for America's independence. Knopf. ISBN 1400041635. OCLC 54826129.
  6. ↑ Knox, Lucy (April 13, 2009). "Wife of Revolutionary War Patriot Henry Knox". History of American Women. Archived from the original on April 4, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  7. ↑ Anita, Silvey (2010). Henry Knox:Bookseller, Soldier, Patriot. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 13–16. ISBN 0547505876.
  8. ↑ "Knox, Henry (1750-1806), to Lucy Knox | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History". www.gilderlehrman.org. Retrieved 2017-02-02.

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