Researching Dick Knowles
Explore the detail of Dick Knowles using the links below. We hope you find this information useful!
![]() | Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 15993 people with the Knowles surname? In that year Knowles was ranked number 240 for popularity in the UK. |
Good news! There is already a One Name Study on the Knowles surname.

The name Dick means "form of RICHARD - strong like a ruler, powerful" and is of Teutonic origin.
Records of Dick Knowles on Ancestry
Ancestry is a major source of information if you are filling out the detail of Dick Knowles in your family tree. With over 30 billion records and 100 million family trees to search, Ancestry is one of the key websites to visit to help you trace your family tree back in time. Free trials are normally available and are a good way to fill out a lot of your tree quickly.
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Ancestry.com Global records search results for Dick Knowles. |
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Ancestry.com US records search results for Dick Knowles. |
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Ancestry.co.uk UK records search results for Dick Knowles. |
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Ancestry.ca Canadian records search results for Dick Knowles. |
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Ancestry.com.au Australian records search results for Dick Knowles. |
DNA
Sometimes you can run into a brick wall in your tree and you just don't have enough evidence to make that next step back in time. If you are lucky then you may find some previously undiscovered Knowles ancestors. Additionally, the modern DNA test can give you a breakdown of your ethnic mix - you may be surprised at the results!
Have you reached a brick wall in your Knowles Tree?
Birth, Death and Marriage Records for Dick Knowles and the Knowles Genealogy
Birth, Death and Marriage records are often the best method of making the links to the Knowles Genealogy that will form part of your family tree. Although records vary from country to country, they are normally the most formal record of a person's relations. From the sources listed below it will be possible to locate a birth record and, from that record, a birth certificate may be obtainable which is likely to list the names of the parents, therefore taking you back another generation. A marriage certificate may also list the names of the respective fathers of the bride and groom which may then help you to find them earlier in life on a census record enabling you to fill out more detail in the Knowles family tree.
Search Parish Records for Dick Knowles at Find My Past.
Investigate for the UK registered births, marriages and deaths of Dick Knowles using the FreeBMD database.
Look at Genealogy Bank for Dick Knowles records.
Check out MyHeritage for Dick Knowles information.
Explore the LDS Database for records about Dick Knowles.
Research the Knowles surname using fold3 Military Archives and view images of original Knowles Military records.
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 18193 people with the Knowles surname in the UK? Knowles is now ranked number 297 for popularity in the UK. |
Knowles Genealogy Databases
Another way to build your tree quickly is to use the research other people have already done. This can help to confirm or refute your own deductions - however, be wary of taking this data at face value as other researchers may not have been as meticulous as you. Always try to back up deductions with some definitive sources rather than relying too heavily on others.
Investigate the WikiTree database for user contributed records for Dick Knowles.
Study MyTrees for information on the Knowles family and people looking to contact living Knowles relations.
Study One Great Family for Knowles records submitted by people who are already researching the Knowles Family Tree.
Find Dick Knowles from Ireland on findmypast.ie
Knowles Forums
There are a number of forums which are dedicated to rearching particular surnames. These can be good places to share your findings and also to tap into the knowledge that others may already have. These can sometimes be a good way of finding living relations as these tend not to show up on the other sources of information for privacy reasons.
Research the Knowles surname using Genealogy.com forums .
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 36459 people with the Knowles surname in the USA? Knowles is ranked number 145 for popularity in the USA. |
Miscellaneous Knowles Databases
Investigate the Ellis Island Database for information on Dick Knowles. This database contains over 25 million immigration records detailing passengers arriving in the United States of America.
Some Famous People called Dick Knowles
Dick Knowles
Sir Richard Marchant Knowles (20 May 1917 – 18 February 2008) was a British politician known for his work in local government in Birmingham. He led the Labour Party administration on Birmingham City Council from 1984 to 1993.
Knowles was brought up in Kent and worked in the building industry from the age of 14. After brief service in the Royal Engineers during World War II, he became a builder and shipbuilder in 1941. In 1950 he became a trade union organiser in the building trade, working in Sevenoaks, Dover, Leeds and eventually ending up in Birmingham.
From 1971 he became national organiser of the Co-operative Party and began to consider a career in local government. He was elected to Birmingham City Council in 1972 and was swiftly made Chairman of the Planning Committee. In 1974 he was elected as an Alderman and moved on to the Policy Committee, of which he was a member for three years until the Labour Party lost power. He also served on West Midlands County Council from 1973 to 1977.
In 1980 Knowles returned as Planning Committee chairman for two years. He was promoted to be Labour group leader and became Leader of the Council in 1984 when Labour won control.
Knowles played a key role in the transformation of Birmingham city centre during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was influential in bringing about the International Convention Centre and Symphony Hall on Broad Street, which were to prove hugely important in the regeneration and reinvention of the city.
He was Knighted in 1989. Knowles was sued in 1990 by John Hemming over a leaflet which Hemming considered libellous; although Knowles had not written the leaflet, he had helped distribute it door-to-door. Lacking the resources to defend the case, Knowles agreed to pay damages of £1,000 to charity plus Hemming's legal costs.
Knowles stood down from the leadership in 1993, being succeeded by Theresa Stewart and was made Lord Mayor of Birmingham in 1994. He was defeated for re-election to the council in 2000.
On 2 May 2007, the then British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, paid tribute to Dick Knowles's contribution to the regeneration of Birmingham, during Prime Minister's Questions at Westminster.
Mr Blair said: "He is somebody who did an immense amount for Birmingham. One of the reasons Birmingham is such a vibrant and thriving European city is because of the work Dick Knowles did.".
He was still politically active as a governor of University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust well into his eighties.
Knowles died of bladder cancer, aged 90. His son, Bill Knowles, added that his father had lived "a very full and complete life".
The Knowles stand, one of four stands for spectators at Alexander Stadium is named after him.
Source: Dick Knowles, Wikipedia, The Free EncyclopediaOther names that sound a bit like Knowles
Family names can get corrupted over time, particularly where literacy was not as good. The following list contains some names that have similar sounds so you may want to also look at one or two of the more likely possibilites.
Knoales Knoles Knolls Knowlys Nalasco Nalls Naulls Neales Nealis Neallis Neelis Nehls Neils Neilus Neles Nelis Nelisse Nelius Nelk Nelles Nellies Nellis Nellius Nelsey Neolcke Neuls Nials Niles Nilles Noailles Noales Noelcke Noelk Noiles Noles Nollsch Nolz Nowells Nowels Nyles





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