William Knapman was a hotel owner, brewer and businessman in the young colony of South Australia. He founded the hotel owning firm of Knapman and Son which survived past the mid-20th Century. His descendants included four of South Australia's most famous sportsmen, a well-known pianist and numerous publicans.
History
William Knapman was born in Devonshire, England, served an apprenticeship as a carpenter, and on 9 October 1853 married, at St. Andrew's Church, Plymouth, Charlotte Bowden, daughter of a farmer of Christow, near Exeter. They emigrated to South Australia on the Taymouth Castle, arriving in 1854. He worked as a carpenter until 1859, when he was the builder and first licensee of the Lord Exmouth Hotel on LeFevre Peninsula, now the suburb of Exeter. In 1860 he leased George Coppin's "White Horse Cellars" hotel and theatre at the corner of Commercial Road and St. Vincent Street, Port Adelaide. After seven years he was in a position to purchase the property, and converted the theatre to a brewery. In 1873 he built the Port Pirie Hotel in Port Pirie, managed by his son-in-law Samuel Wills. In 1876 Knapman and his family moved to Port Pirie, where his wife managed the Port Pirie Hotel. In 1880 Maria Knapman, presumably William's sister, took over the Pilot Boat Hotel, Port Pirie. In 1895, having remarried after the death of Charlotte, he and his family moved to his residence "Canonteign" at the corner of Cannon Street and The Minories, Port Adelaide, where he died in 1908, survived by his widow, four children, 22 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Around 1912 Knapman and Son contracted with South Australian Brewing Company to supply beer to its hotels, and the Cannon Brewery was closed down and became the Commercial Chemical Company.
Family
William Knapman married Charlotte Bowden. He married again, in 1895 to Mary, the widow of Thomas Barret Brown; their residence was "Canonteign", corner of Cannon Street and The Minories, Port Adelaide. Their children included:
Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Knapman married Samuel Wills on 24 February 1871. Their children were Fred Wills of Unley Park, Sydney Wills of Norton Summit, Percy Wills of Underdale, Amy Wills of Glenelg.
William Henry Knapman was born at the Lord Exmouth Hotel, Le Fevre Peninsula, and educated at Thomas Caterer's school, Norwood. He married Grace Amy Wills on 3 September 1876. Ran Crystal Brook Hotel c. 1878. He married again to Elizabeth Agnes Rieken on 21 October 1885. Lived Napier Street, Exeter. "Children William, Percy, Amy, Stanley, Bertie" In 1875, he took over management of the Crystal Brook Hotel from Benjamin Wills, just a few months after building was completed, which he relinquished in 1879 to take control of his father's brewery. He died in 1900 of a bowel disease. His family included:
Alfred Ernest Albert "Alf" Knapman married Ellen "Nell" Jellett on 29 May 1895, ran Port Pirie Hotel from 1893, Producers Club Hotel Grenfell Street from 1907
Charlotte A. "Lottie" Knapman married George Ritchie on 25 October 1899
Maria Knapman, sister of William Knapman sen. of Port Adelaide, married James Smith of Prospect Farm near Port Pirie around January 1885. His previous wife Mary died 6 December 1882 aged 39, leaving five children. His third wife, Monte Kate Smith and two small daughters survived him.
Another William Knapman
William Henry Knapman emigrated from Exeter, Devon. and is included here to avoid confusion with the more prominent Knapman family.
William Henry "Harry" Knapman of Prince Street Alberton, later Coburg Road, Alberton; with S.A. Railways, married Clara Alice Gubbins of Yongala on 23 January 1889.
The Knapman hotels
William Knapman built and ran Lord Exmouth Hotel, LeFevre Peninsula 1859–1862 William Knapman leased then owned White Horse Cellars, Port Adelaide 1860–1876. It was later named Black Diamond Hotel by Duncan Reid, previously captain of one of Henry Simpson's Black Diamond ships. William Knapman built then ran Port Pirie Hotel 1876–1893 A. E. A. Knapman Port Pirie Hotel 1893–1902 Maria Knapman ran Pilot Boat Hotel in Port Pirie 1880–1886 J. G. W. "George" Knapman ran Howe's Hotel, Port Pirie 1885–1892 J. G. W. "George" Knapman was licensee of Railway Hotel, Solomontown, Port Pirie 1893–1899 J. G. W. "George" Knapman was licensee of Franklin Harbor Hotel, Port Lincoln 1900–1901 Benjamin Wills was briefly licensee of Crystal Brook Hotel 1875 W. H. Knapman ran Crystal Brook Hotel 1875–1878 The company Knapman and Son continued to own and operate South Australian hotels until 1973, when it was taken over by the Lion Brewing and Malting Co.
