John Knill | |
|---|---|
 A 1777 painting of Knill | |
| Born | 1 January 1733 Callington, Cornwall, England |
| Died | 29 March 1811 (aged 78) London, England |
| Resting place | St Andrew's Church, Holborn, London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, Collector of Customs |
| Known for | Knill's Monument and associated ceremonies every five years |
John Knill (1 January 1733 – 29 March 1811) was an English attorney who served as the Collector of Customs at St Ives, Cornwall, from 1762 to 1782.
Knill is primarily remembered for having his own memorial constructed, a 50-foot-high (15 m) three-sided granite obelisk[a] known as Knill's Steeple (also known as Knill's Monument or "The Steeple"), which still stands.[1] It was sited on the summit of Worvas Hill with views over St Ives Bay with intention that he should be interred in a vault within it; however, he was laid to rest in London.[2] Slightly eccentric,[3]: 25 Knill left money and specific instructions in his will for a celebration to be held in St Ives every five years, which continues and was most recently observed in 2021.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ "St Ives John Knill Ceremony". calendarcustoms.com. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
- ^ "Tregenna Castle Hotel: Its Scenery, Neighborhood, etc.—Knill's Monument". The Cornishman. Vol. 1, no. 10. Penzance. 19 September 1878. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2023 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
noticewas invoked but never defined (see the help page).