Rushden Research Group: Knight Fred

Eric Fowell, 2007

Memorial Garden - Fred Knight

The planting at the top was to be berberis and gorse.

At the bottom were to be three sycamores.

Rigth side is two Wellingtonias with a red maple between.

A fiurther Wellingtonia was to be centre of the circle.

Plan of the garden drawn by the town surveyor Mr Madin

This plan, drawn by Mr Madin, the town surveyor in 1908, was at 1/8th scale.

The cottages that were demolished

The corner & cottages around the garden

Fred Knight lived in the Old Rectory in Little Street. He was a Justice of the Peace, Captain of the Fire Brigade, a member of the Rushden Urban District Council and of the Baptist Church, and a shoe manufacturer with a factory in Park Road.

In 1897 Fred Built a large extension to his house, the part facing the road, somewhat dwarfing the Old Rectory behind. When some stone cottages were demolished opposite his driveway he asked Mr Madin, town surveyor, to draw up plans to put a garden on the site, and this was duly constructed at Mr Knight’s expense. It had an iron railing fence and seats where people would sit and pass the time of day with each other or chat to passers by.

When Mr Knight died in February 1933, it was maintained as a memorial to Fred.

His wife,
Elizabeth Marcia Knight
wrote poetry and published this little
book in 1911 entitled “Milestones”

Poem 1901

The Old Rectory in Little Street with the
Memorial Garden in the foreground.

Horses taking Fred Knight on his last journey in 1933


The crowd leaving the church for the cemetery	The firemen pass Ebenezer Terrace leading the crowd to the cemetery

A parade passes the memorial garden

Note: Only two Wellingtonia trees survive today (2020).

For two more pictures of the garden see No 99 & 100 Co-op Slides