William James Knowles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William James Knowles
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| Born | 29 January 1832 Fenagh, near Cullybackey, County Antrim, Ireland
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| Died | 5 May 1927 (aged 95) Ballycastle, County Antrim, Ireland
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| Relatives | Matilda Cullen Knowles (daughter) |
William James Knowles (born January 29, 1832 – died July 5, 1927) was an amazing Irish archaeologist. He wasn't a professional, but he spent all his free time exploring ancient sites. He helped us learn a lot about how people lived in Ireland thousands of years ago.
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Who Was William James Knowles?
William James Knowles was born in a place called Fenagh, near Cullybackey, in Ireland. This was on January 29, 1832. His parents were Jane and James Knowles. William was their oldest son.
He received his education at home. As a young man, he worked as a land agent in Ballymena. This meant he helped manage large areas of land for wealthy families. He also taught evening classes. He taught science and farming in towns like Cullybackey and Portglenone.
How Did He Start in Archaeology?
William loved nature and history. In 1873, he started the Ballymena Naturalists' Field Club. Two years later, in 1875, he founded the Ballymena Archaeological Society. These groups helped people learn about local history and nature.
He married Margaret Spotswood Cullen. They had five children together: three daughters and two sons. His daughters, Margaret and Matilda, later helped him with his work.
Discovering Ancient Ireland
William James Knowles spent all his spare time on archaeology. He was one of the first people to dig in the sand dunes along the coast of Ulster. He found very important sites from the neolithic (New Stone Age) and mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) periods.
What Did He Find?
At a place called Portstewart, he uncovered ancient settlements. These sites showed how early people lived and used tools. He also explored Tievebulliagh, near Cushendun. This was a factory where people made stone axes a very long time ago. These axes were made from a special rock called porcellanite. Axes from Tievebulliagh have been found all over Ireland and Great Britain!
William was a pioneer in studying flint tools from the Stone Age in Ulster. He collected a huge number of these ancient tools. Unlike many others at the time, he was very careful. He dug slowly and wrote down everything he found. This careful work helped later archaeologists understand his discoveries better.
Working with Other Scientists
In 1878, William helped a group called the British Association for the Advancement of Science. He was the secretary for their committee that dug in sandhill sites. They later wrote a report about their findings.
In 1883, he became a member of the Royal Irish Academy. This is a very important group for scholars in Ireland. He was also a member of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland and the Royal Anthropological Institute.
He wrote more than 70 papers about his discoveries. His daughters, Margaret and Matilda, drew pictures for these papers. He published these articles between 1877 and 1907.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1924, William James Knowles retired from his work. He decided to sell his amazing collection of over 50,000 archaeological and geological items. He sold them at a famous auction house called Sotheby's.
William James Knowles passed away on July 5, 1927. He was buried at a place called the Craigs, near Cullybackey.
His daughter, Margaret, painted a portrait of him. This painting is now kept at the Ulster Museum. His careful work helped us understand the ancient history of Ireland much better.
Images for kids
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A portrait of William James Knowles.
