Knipe

[Bev Kirby]

Please can I have as much background as possible about the surname KNIPE. I am researching a small family of Knipe's in the Cumberland England area. I have gone back as far as my g/g/g/grandfather, a Thomas Knipe who married in Plumbland in 1815, although he was resident in CrossCanonby at the time of his marriage.He was a Husbandman/Farmer/Yeoman and died in 1844 in Maryport aged 59- so must have been born somewhere around 1783.At the time of his marriage, another Knipe , Eleanor, married a William Curwen in CrossCanonby in 1816. I also have a record of Thomas' son John and he is 5'10 1/2 tall- very very tall for an Englishman of that period-sallow,brown eyes and black hair.Any help would be much appreciated as this Thomas Knipe cannot be linked to any KNIPE family in England between 1700-1800. Thank you!

[Christina Skagerborg]

Bev,
Do you know that he had Swedish roots? There are quite a few soldiers with that name, search here (in English as well) http://soldat.dis.se/soldater.php The word knipe is the same as knipa and has several meanings: mountain, a type of tool, predicament.  
 
Good luck!
Christina

[Kristina Gunnarsdotter]

Knipa is also a sea bird, goldeneye.

[Bev Kirby]

Thank you for your replies-sorry about the delay in getting back but I have been out of the office until now.
I honestly do not know if Thomas Knipe had Swedish roots- but I have exhausted the English Knipes- wills etc and cannot tie him in with any English Knipe line. All I know is his son was very tall for an Englishman and whoever Thomas was , he married very well, so was obviously a good catch!
Another thing that made me think Scandinavian was a Knipe family in Westmorland whose farm was called Flodder- and I found Knipes on IGI from an area called Flodda. All rather vague but I ahve to explore every possibilty now.
Regards
Bev