Knight, William “Billy” “Sunny Billy” “Prof.”
Unknown
William Knight was born around 1868 at Nanpean, Cornwall, England. He died of tuberculosis on October 8, 1915 in Keremeos. His funeral was held in Princeton – his pallbearers: Perley Russell, Phillip Y. Smith, Mike Gaynor, George Freeman, George Wardle and Sam Pearce.
He came to the Similkameen area in 1898. He had an interest, with Charles Day, in the Lucky Pair group on Whipsaw Creek.
He had a mining claim called “Invincible” on Kennedy Mountain which was eleven miles south of Princeton. It adjoined the Ingersole Belle mining claim recorded May 23, 1898.
In April 1900, he purchased a lot on Bridge Street, in Princeton, planning to build a residence.
He ran an Academy of Music in Princeton which he would close for the summer (1902). He was an accomplished flutist and played with the local orchestra and band in the early days. He also played the (left-handed?) piccolo. The band was organized under his leadership in 1912 but was suspended with the war.
He moved to Keremeos for his health in early 1915.
See pictures P.975.47 Green Album, Princeton Pioneer Days.
Princeton 100 Years, page 21; Princeton BC (1979) – Laurie Currie, page 20; F.W. Groves notebook; Similkameen Star, April 28, 1900, page 5; April 19, 1902, page 1; October 15, 1915, page 1 (obituary); Princeton Star, April 25, 1929, page 1