Background
He was born at Braunton, Devon, on 14 April 1787, the fourth child of Richard Knill, a carpenter (died 15 December 1826), and Mary Tucker (died 1826).
He was born at Braunton, Devon, on 14 April 1787, the fourth child of Richard Knill, a carpenter (died 15 December 1826), and Mary Tucker (died 1826).
In 1804 he enlisted as a soldier, and was shortly afterwards bought out by his friends. He became a student of the Western Academy at Axminster in 1812, and under the influence of a sermon by Doctor Alexander Waugh, volunteered for missionary work. He was accepted by the London Missionary Society, and embarked for Madras 20 April 1816.
There he engaged in English services for the schools, soldiers and residents, while studying the native languages.
His health soon failed, and he was sent in September 1818 to Nágarkoil in Travancore, where, after suffering from the cholera, he returned to England 30 November 1819. A cold climate was recommended, and he sailed on 18 October 1820 for Saint St. Petersburg, intending to proceed to Siberia as a missionary.
A school was opened for the children of foreigners, and a mission to the sailors at Kronstadt (the harbour used by the navy about ten km from Street St. Petersburg) established. He returned to England in August 1833to obtain funds for erecting a larger church in Saint St. Petersburg.
On 1 January 1842 he settled down as congregational minister at Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, where he remained until his removal to Chester in 1848.
During his last days he preached in the Chester Theatre for twenty Sunday afternoons. He died at 28 Queen Street, Chester, England on 2 January 1857.
On the persuasion of the British and Americans, he consented to remain in that city, where he laboured successfully, and obtained the support of the emperor and the royal family.He also met various members of the Russian nobility including several of the Golitsyn family especially Prince Aleksandr Nicolaevich Golitsyn who served as President of the Russian Bible Society.