Open main menu

William Hyer Knowles

Revision as of 15:07, 27 May 2007 by Dscosson (talk | contribs) (will flesh this out more later)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)


William Hyer Knowles was a prominent Pensacolian businessman.

William Hyer Knowles
Born December 27, 1857
near Pensacola
Died 1939
Occupation Banker
Religion Episcopalian
Spouse Mary Davis Ellis
Parents Peter H. and Josephine Hyer Knowles
Children Ellis Knowles
Josephine Knowles Seligman
Jeannie Knowles Fay
Peter Knowles
William Hyer Knowles, Jr.

William was born to Peter H. and Josephine Hyer Knowles near Pensacola on December 27, 1857. He was educated in private schools in Pensacola, and later briefly attended the University of the South in Tennessee, but did not earn a degree. In 1876 he entered the banking firm of Knowles and Brent, in which his brother L. P. Knowles was already engaged with Francis Celestino Brent. The firm was at some point renamed F. C. Brent and Company and was later merged into the First National Bank.

Knowles was married on November 25, 1885 in Newbern, North Carolina to Mary Davis Ellis, whose father served as the governor of North Carolina in 1861.