William Knapman

William Knapman (4 December 1830 – 24 June 1908) 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.

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 1883 he moved the brewery to Cannon Street, dubbed it the "Cannon Brewery", and converted the property into a block of shops).

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" (perhaps named for Viscount Exmouth's mansion in Exeter, England) at the corner of Cannon Street and The Minories, Port Adelaide, where he died in 1908, survived by his widow, four children (Alf and Samuel Knapman, "Polly" Wills and "Lottie" Ritchie), 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.

William Knapman (4 December 1830 – 24 June 1908) married Charlotte Bowden (c. 1835 – 30 May 1892). He married again, in 1895 to Mary (c. 1851 – 29 October 1939), the widow of Thomas Barret Brown; their residence was "Canonteign", corner of Cannon Street and The Minories, Port Adelaide. Their children included:

Maria Knapman (c. 1843 – 14 August 1899), sister of William Knapman sen. of Port Adelaide, married James Smith (c. 1847 – 21 April 1908) 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.

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