Born at
Leeds on 24 May 1829, he was elder son of Joseph Knight, a cloth merchant from
Carlisle, and Marianne, daughter of Joseph Wheelwright. He was educated at
Bramham College near
Tadcaster. Joining his father in business at age 19, Knight began collecting books. With
Alfred Austin, his junior by six years, he helped to found a
Mechanics' Institute at Leeds, at which he lectured on literary subjects. On 7 April 1854 he lectured on
The Fairies of English Poetry to the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society. At Leeds, too, he made the acquaintance of
William Edward Forster, who stayed at Knight's house while he was parliamentary candidate for the constituency in 1859. Knight seconded Forster's nomination. In 1860 Knight moved to London as a journalist. He found early employment as dramatic critic for the
Literary Gazette, through a chance meeting with the editor
John Morley. He then concentrated on writing about the contemporary stage. In 1869 he succeeded
John Abraham Heraud, as dramatic critic of the
Athenæum, and retained the post for the rest of his life. In 1871, during the
siege of Paris, Knight used his influence to secure the invitation to the
Comedie Française to act at the
Gaiety Theatre in London. He also acted as dramatic critic for the
Sunday Times,
The Globe, and for the
Daily Graphic from 1894 to 1906. In London Knight moved in literary and dramatic circles. Early associates included
John Westland Marston and
Sebastian Evans. At Marston's house he met authors and playwrights;
Thomas Purnell introduced him to
Swinburne, to whom and
Dante Gabriel Rossetti he became close. Knight contributed the causerie signed "Sylvanus Urban" to the ''
Gentleman's Magazine from 1887 till near his death, and he was a reviewer of general literature for the Athenæum
. In July 1883, on the death of Henry Frederic Turle, he became editor of Notes and Queries'', and retained the position for life. A bohemian and clubman, he was a leading member of the
Arundel Club; after 1883, when he was elected to the
Garrick Club (3 March), he was mainly found there. On 4 July 1905 the dramatic profession entertained him, as the oldest living dramatic critic, to dinner at the
Savoy Hotel.
Sir Henry Irving took the chair, and
Benoît-Constant Coquelin and
Gabrielle Réjane were among the guests. On 4 May 1893 Knight was elected
Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. A book collector through life, he twice had to sell up, on the second occasion in 1905. He died at his house, 27 Camden Square, on 23 June 1907, and was buried on the eastern side of
Highgate cemetery. A posthumous portrait in oils by Margaret Grose was presented to the Garrick Club in 1912 by Knight's friend
Henry Benjamin Wheatley. ==Works==