Thomas Edmund Knox was born on 16 Mar 1820, the son of Admiral Hon. Edmund Sexton Pery Knox and Jane Sophie Hope-Vere. His grandfather was Thomas Knox, 1st Earl of Ranfurly. Young Thomas Knox entered the army as an ensign on 26 Jan 1838 and rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel on 17 Sep 1858, in command of the 67th South Hampshire Regiment. He led them in the campaign in China, the action at Sinho, the taking of Tongho and led the storming party across the main ditch at the taking of the inner Taku Fort, in which action 77 officers and men of the 67th were killed or wounded. He was at the surrender of Peking, mentioned in despatches by Sir Robert Napier, ‘ for having led the wing of his regiment at the taking of the Taku Forts in the most spirited manner… among the first to enter after swimming the ditch.’
In October 1864 Colonel Knox transferred to the 9th East Norfolks who arrived in China in February 1865, commanding them from 10 April 1865 until January 1873 despite the fact that he was promoted to major general in 1868. The 9th suffered from sickness in China and so the men were moved to Japan in March 1866. After two years there the regiment embarked at Yokohama, having been praised for ‘promoting good feeling between foreigners and the native population’ and sailed home to be stationed in Ireland. Colonel Knox relinquished command on 31 Dec 1872.
Captain Thomas Knox was married on 22 Oct 1846, to Lucy Diana Maunsell, and they had a daughter and four sons. He was Colonel of the Hampshire Regiment and the Norfolk Regiment, holding the latter appointment until he died on 27 May 1898.
1838 Ensign 26 Jan
1842 Lieutenant 24 June
1846 Captain 31 Jul
1852 Major 17 Aug
1858 Lieutenant-Colonel 17 Sep
1863 Colonel 24 Jan
1868 Major General 28 Oct
1881 Lieutenant-General 8 May
1881 General 1 Jul
1888 Colonel Hampshire Regiment 1 Nov
1893 Colonel Norfolk Regiment 15 Dec
