Samuel William Knaggs
Encyclopedia
Sir Samuel William Knaggs, KCMG
(25 December 1856 – 31 December 1924) was a British
colonial administrator.
Knaggs was born in Old Swindon
, Wiltshire
, England
, the second of the ten children of Robert Knaggs, a surgeon
, and Harriet Eliza Knaggs (née Wright).
Knaggs was sent to the Royal College, Trinidad, and entered the Trinidad Civil Service in 1876. In 1886 he was the secretary of the commission inquiring into the road system. In 1897 he was Acting Commissioner for Tobago
. He was appointed Chief Commissioner of Port of Spain
in 1899 and Receiver-General for Trinidad in 1901. In 1902 he was Acting Colonial Secretary
. In 1903 he was appointed Colonial secretary for Barbados
and in 1907 for Trinidad and Tobago
. He administered the Government of Barbados from 1907–1910, 1912–1913 and 1915–1916. He retired in January 1919.
Knaggs was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1908 and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 1920 New Year Honours.
In 1893, Knaggs married Violet Grey Harragin and they had a son and four daughters. Ruth Knaggs was born on September 8, 1893 and Phyllis Knaggs on November 22, 1895. Kenneth John Knaggs was born on January 9, 1897 and was killed in action near Cambrai
in France on March 16, 1918 whilst a Lieutenant
in the 4th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment and attached to the Royal Flying Corps
. Hilda Knaggs was born on August 9, 1898 and Dorothy on October 10, 1904.
Knaggs died at his residence in Barbados. His wife died on 28 February 1937 at 1 Perham Road, West Kensington
, leaving an estate of £
2,342.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(25 December 1856 – 31 December 1924) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colonial administrator.
Knaggs was born in Old Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the second of the ten children of Robert Knaggs, a surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
, and Harriet Eliza Knaggs (née Wright).
Knaggs was sent to the Royal College, Trinidad, and entered the Trinidad Civil Service in 1876. In 1886 he was the secretary of the commission inquiring into the road system. In 1897 he was Acting Commissioner for Tobago
Tobago
Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt...
. He was appointed Chief Commissioner of Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
in 1899 and Receiver-General for Trinidad in 1901. In 1902 he was Acting Colonial Secretary
Chief Secretary
The Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...
. In 1903 he was appointed Colonial secretary for Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
and in 1907 for Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. He administered the Government of Barbados from 1907–1910, 1912–1913 and 1915–1916. He retired in January 1919.
Knaggs was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1908 and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 1920 New Year Honours.
In 1893, Knaggs married Violet Grey Harragin and they had a son and four daughters. Ruth Knaggs was born on September 8, 1893 and Phyllis Knaggs on November 22, 1895. Kenneth John Knaggs was born on January 9, 1897 and was killed in action near Cambrai
Cambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
in France on March 16, 1918 whilst a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the 4th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment and attached to the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
. Hilda Knaggs was born on August 9, 1898 and Dorothy on October 10, 1904.
Knaggs died at his residence in Barbados. His wife died on 28 February 1937 at 1 Perham Road, West Kensington
West Kensington
- Commercial/education :Local business consists of small shops, offices and restaurants, with the Olympia Exhibition Centre nearby. Indeed, it is the mix of local shops that give the area its character....
, leaving an estate of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
2,342.