"Knock" and "Kill", two rather violent words, are the anglicised representations of cnoc (a hill) and cill (a church). A "bump" on a flat surface has an apparent exaggerated elevation, and apart from sliabh (a mountain), mullach (a summit), ardan (an elevated place), beann (peak), etc., Ireland was perceived by its early inhabitants, as a very hilly place indeed. Almost 2,000 of its townlands have Knock as the first element of their names. Indeed Knock is the name of 20 townlands found in Ireland's four provinces.
The Co Dublin book of the Civil Survey 1654-56 shows Richard Pentiny, Irish Papist, on 50 acres at Knock in the parish of Balrothery. "There is on ye premisses one stone house and foure tenements, a small orchard and a small grove of Ashes valued to be worth one hundred poundes." The Co Meath book shows Matthew Penteny of Cabragh, Irish Papist, with 146 acres there, and 70 acres in Taragh. The 1659 Census lists Edward Penteny, gent, as Titulado of Skinners Row in Dublin city, and in Co Meath, Mathew and James Penteny Tituladoes of Tara(gh) and Surgalstown, respectively. Pentony was then among the principal Irish names in the barony of Duleek.
Pentheny or Pentony first appeared in Co Meath in the 12th century, and has since been continuously in Cos Meath, Louth and Dublin. Originally Repenteny, from a place in France, its abbreviated form came into use at the end of the 14th century. Almost all the 41 entries of this name in current telephone directories are indeed in Cos Meath, Louth and Dublin. There are four North of the Border.
Nicholas Delabar stated in his Will of 1476 that he wished to be buried in the church of Balrothery. Among other bequests, he left 10s. to Reginald Penteney, chaplain. Owners of Land of One Acre and Upwards (1876) lists Patrick Pentony, Commons, Navan, with 10 acres, and Thomas, Plattin, Duleek, with 38.
Though Basil Cottle's The Pen- guin Dictionary of Surnames lists the surname Knock, it is not to be found in Mac Lysaght's Surnames of Ireland, or indeed any other work on Irish surnames. And for good reason: judging by telephone directories entries, it appears that the name is extinct in Ireland. But NO! There is a single Knock entry in Co Down. Cottle says that this means "hillock, hump", Irish and Scots Gaelic, but also Germanic (later sometimes meaning "sandbank"), locality, or places in Scotland and Westmoreland. Almost certainly some of the numerous persons in Ireland bearing the English surname Hill were originally Cnoc.
In 1311 John and Stephen Cnok were among the jurors in a case of theft at Santry, and Stephen was among the jurors in 1314 in cases in Coolock and Ballyboghill. Another man who made his Will in 1476, and asked that his body be buried in the Church of St. Peter, Balrothery, was Richard Whytakrys, Bremore, parish of Balrothery. As his executrix he appointed his wife, Rosina Knoc. Knock names a townland in the parish of Balrothery. Some time between 1529 and 1534 Walter the Miller granted to William de Wincester and Agnes, his wife, all his land in Tircknoc, "which is his by inheritance and was his father's formerly".
"It lies from the water called Doder as far as the land of Fithcaith on the south and the land which was that of Bertram of Knoc on the west and water called Sadoyle on the east." This Knoc we have not located. Tircknoc (?Tiknock) was in the parish of Taney, and the river Sadoyle had the alias Oinnchy. And Fithcaith? The current Ordnance Survey map shows Fettercairn House in that locality, but Fettercairn is a place-name in Scotland.
A fiant of 1566 listing pardoned persons had in their midst John Knock, labourer, of Faithlyk (Faithlegg), Co Waterford. Knock and Knack were listed among the principal Irish surnames in the combined baronies of Ida, Igrin and Ibercon in neighbouring Co Kilkenny.
In 1622 the Mayflower of Lon- donderry with a company of eight, and one passenger, on the way to London, was boarded near the Isle of Wight by a man-of-war of La Rochelle, who took a small barrel of beer from them. As they continued their voyage they found, about Gore End, that the rudder was not well hung. One who made a deposition on the matter was John Knocke of Culmore, mariner, aged about 27.