Show ContentsKneebone History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Kneebone family

The surname Kneebone was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat early in their history.

Early History of the Kneebone family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kneebone research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1469, 1623, 1642, 1681, 1692 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Kneebone History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kneebone Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Kneebone, Knebone and others.

Early Notables of the Kneebone family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Anthony Kneebone, a prominent 18th century landholder in Cornwall


Kneebone migration to the United States +

A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Kneebone:

Kneebone Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Robert Kneebone, who settled in America in 1753
Kneebone Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John and Elizabeth Kneebone, who arrived in New York in 1842
  • Elizabeth Kneebone, aged 20, who arrived in New York, NY in 1842 1
  • John Kneebone, aged 23, who landed in New York, NY in 1842 1
  • Mr. Phillip Kneebone, (b. 1808), aged 34, Cornish settler departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Triton" arriving in the United States on 11 May 1842 2
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Kneebone, (b. 1810), aged 32, Cornish settler departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Triton" arriving in the United States on 11 May 1842 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Kneebone Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. Richard Kneebone, (b. 1879), aged 21, Cornish miner, from Camborne, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Majestic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 20th September 1900 en route to Arizona, USA 3
  • Mr. Richard Kneebone, (b. 1855), aged 48, Cornish engineer, from Hayle, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 24th May 1903 en route to Calumet, Michigan, USA 3
  • Mr. Israel Kneebone, (b. 1864), aged 39, Cornish miner, from Hayle, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Cedrick" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 5th September 1903 en route to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA 3
  • Mr. James Henry Kneebone, (b. 1882), aged 22, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 29th October 1904 en route to Butte, Montana, USA 3
  • Mrs. Janie Kneebone, (b. 1878), aged 27, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Braddock, Pennsylvania, USA 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kneebone migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Kneebone Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. George Kneebone, (b. 1806), aged 43, Cornish carpenter from Helston, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Sir George Seymour" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 14th May 1849 4
  • Mrs. Grace Kneebone, (b. 1805), aged 44, Cornish settler from Helston, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Sir George Seymour" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 14th May 1849 4
  • Mr. Phillip Kneebone, (b. 1834), aged 15, Cornish carpenter from Helston, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Sir George Seymour" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 14th May 1849 4
  • Mr. Frederick Kneebone, (b. 1837), aged 12, Cornish settler from Helston, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Sir George Seymour" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 14th May 1849 4
  • Miss Emily Kneebone, (b. 1840), aged 9, Cornish settler from Helston, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Sir George Seymour" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 14th May 1849 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kneebone migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Kneebone Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • F. Kneebone, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Balaklava" in 1864
  • Mr. Edgar Kneebone, (b. 1865), aged 18, Cornish labourer departing on 29th December 1883 aboard the ship "British Queen" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 17th February 1884 5

Kneebone migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 6
Kneebone Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Joseph Kneebone, who sailed to Barbados in 1684

Contemporary Notables of the name Kneebone (post 1700) +

  • Rachel Kneebone (b. 1973), English artist
  • Henry "Harry" Kneebone (1876-1933), Australian journalist, author, editor and politician
  • Ron Kneebone, former Australian rules footballer
  • Alfred Francis Kneebone (1905-2004), Australian politician in the South Australian Legislative Council, Minister of Railways in 1965, Labour and Industry and Minister of Transport 1965-1968
  • Sean Kneebone, Australian actor, known for Rush (2008), Tangle (2009) and Carla Cametti PD (2009)
  • Tom Kneebone CM OOnt (1932-2003), New Zealand-born, Canadian actor, known for Counterstrike (1990), A Judgment in Stone (1986) and The Luck of Ginger Coffey (1964)
  • Nova Peris- Kneebone (b. 1971), Australian Olympic athlete


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  2. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
  3. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  4. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
  5. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Wellington 1872-1880 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nz_wellington.pdf
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies


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