Alexis Albert Knaggs

GEDCOM Note

Alexis Knaggs, who was the youngest child of George Knaggs and Elizabeth
Chen Lyons, and grandson of George Knaggs 1st, was born at River Raisin
(Monroe), in 1802. His first avocation was that of an Indian trader, and
he worked as a clerk for one off his uncles. In Detroit he became
acquainted with Archange Morin. Daughter of Isadore Morin and Archange
Meloche, who lived on what is now known as the Church farm. Morin was a
tanner and his residence and tanner y was on land which fronted on the
Detroit River, a short distance above Bell er's Hotel on Jefferson Avenue,
where the shops of the Detroit Yacht and Powe r Co.'s works are now
situated. Aalexis married Archange Morin in Ste. Anne' s Church, in 18225
and their first children were twins, who were born on Sept ember 6, 1825
at the Morin dwelling on the river.
When very young, the twins were left in the care of Elizabeth Lyons,
daughter of George Lyons, an Engli shman and a merchant in Detroit and
Elizabeth Chene. The latter, after the de ath of George Lyons, married
George Knaggs.
Elizabeth Lyons was a maiden lad y of a serious turn of mind, who took
great interest in church work and educa tion. She taught in the Ste. Anne
Church school, on the River Road, near the foot off Eighteenth Street,
Detroit and was there at the time of the surrende r of Detroit in 1812.
She subscribed more than she could afford for the erect ion of Ste. Anne's
Church, at the corner of Bates and Larned streets, and eve n scaled fish
at the river fisheries to earn more money for that purpose. Bei ng a
half-sister of Alexis Knaggs, she adopted his twin children, Elizabeth
and Archange Knaggs, and they lived with her until they were grown up.
Eliza beth Lyons, with Miss Elizabeth Williams, sister of John R.
Williams, and Mis s Moonique Laabadie, who afterward married Antoine
Beauble, conducted a schoo l which stood on the east side of Randolph
Street between Larned and Congress streets where Chope's carriage factory
and laundry are now situated. She liv ed with her twin nieces in the same
building.
She afterward removed to a hou se on the south side of Jefferson Avenue,
where the Biddle house now stands, the second house east of Randolph
Street, and here her niece, Archange was ma rried to Henry Berthelet in
1844. Miss Lyons afterward went to live with Mrs. Antoine Beaublen, whose
house stood on Jefferson Avenue, where the Sacred He art Convent now
stands, and there her niece, Elizabeth Knaggs was married in 1850 to
Charles J. Trombley, the nephew of Antoine Beaublen and the business
manager of his estate.
Alexis Knaggs settled on a farm in Erie Township, Mon roe County and also
owned a 130-acre farm in Redford Township, Wayne County. Little is
remembered of his personality. Peter Trabbic, Erie Township, an
octogenarian, who is his son-in-law, says that during the flush times
that pr eceded the Panic if 1837, Alexis purchased an island, which is
still called Knaggs Island, in Erie township on the shore of Lake Erie
and afterward sold it for a profit of some $5,000. The island contains
about 70 acres of good la nd. Alexis Knaggs died in 1855 on his farm in
Erie Township. He and Archange Morin had 11 children.