I was given the date of this marriage by a man named M Thomas from his own research. They were married by a Presbyterian minister and John's name was recorded as "Nipps".

Witnesses were recorded as William BUTSON and Neomi NIPPS. Neomi, unless I have it totally wrong, is most probably John's younger brother Nehemiah Knibbs who we know emigrated to America with the family in 1830.

We don't know just when John emigrated from the US to Canada, but the 1851 census identifies that his wife Delilah was born in Ontario. I am therefore guessing that he emigrated as a single man, married her and that Eliza was their first daughter. I've therefore guessed that he must have emigrated in about 1836 which is when he married.
We know that his parents emigrated from Deddington, Oxfordshire, England in1830 and they settled at Niagara, New York, USA. John was just 13 years old at that time. Niagara sits on the border between Canada and the USA and it seems that families often drifted from one side to the other.
__________

From the 1851 census for Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada:

1851 census 246 page 013 line 10
@@ca.on.ontario_county.uxbridge_township film C11742 lds0349230
10 KNIBBS John m 34 Eng EMeth farmer married
11 KNIBBS {?} Delilah f 34 Ont EMeth married
12 KNIBBS Eliza Ann f 13 Ont EMeth "supposed" written beside age 13
13 KNIBBS Caleb m 11 Ont EMeth "supposed 11"
14 KNIBBS Naoma f 7 Ont EMeth"supposed 7"
15 KNIBBS Ellen f 2 Ont EMeth
__________

Again, in 1861 still living at Uxbridge Township:
KNIBBS John m 45 Eng Episcopal_methodist farmer married
KNIBBS {?} Telila f 46 Canada none married
KNIBBS Kaleb m 19 Canada none labourer
KNIBBS Naomi f 16 Canada none
KNIBBS Ellen f 11 Canada none
KNIBBS M. E. f 8 Canada none
__________

We can see this John who can be seen living in Ontario, Canada at the 1871 census

Federal Census of 1871 (Ontario Index)

KNIBBS , JOHN
Sex: Male
Age: 55
Birthplace: ENGLAND
Religion: Primitive Methodist
Origin: ENGLISH
Occupation: FARMER
District: ONTARIO NORTH ( 049 )
Sub-district: Uxbridge ( A )
Division: 3
Page: 60
Microfilm reel: C-9975
Reference: RG31 — Statistics Canada

KNIBBS John m 55 Eng PMeth English farmer married
KNIBBS {?} Dlilah f 56 Ont PMeth English married (Dlilah origin first written USA, changed to ditto English)
KNIBBS Meomie f 24 Ont PMeth English
KNIBBS Ellen f 20 Ont PMeth English
KNIBBS Martha E. f 17 Ont PMeth English
__________

Then we see just Delilah as a widow living at Uxbridge, Ontario North, Ontario in 1881 at the home of her son Caleb:
Caleb KNIBBS Male English 38 O Farmer Weslyan Methodist
Dalia KNIBBS W Female English 64 O Weslyan Methodist
L. Martha KNIBBS Female English 24 O Weslyan Methodist
__________

The Canadian County Atlases produced between 1874 and 1881 show John as a land owner in 1877:
He was listed as J NIBBS, and owned 50 acres of land in the township of Uxbridge, Ontario.


See a copy of a Map of the Uxbridge Township
Beware that the file is quite large so not ideal for slow speed dialup.
John's land is marked with a blue rectangle. I've also marked with a red rectangle, the land close by belonging to A Hilts and W McLaren. We know John's wife was a Hilts before they married. John's sister Mary Ann also married a man named Hilts. John's daughter Naomi married a man named McClaren.
__________

I am told that John's death is recorded in the Ontario Death Registrations - 1878 - 10210. His cause of death is listed as consumption of 5 years duration, and that he had been in failing health for 25 years.

The Hilts family was originally from the Mohawk Valley area of New York State where they'd lived for many generations. They are descended from Palatine Germans who settled in that area in the early 1700's. They left the area after the revolutionary war. We don't know for sure where Delilah fits into the Hilts family, but one theory is that she may well be a daughter of George Hilts' first marriage, before he married Mary Ann Knibbs.
__________

From the 1881 Uxbridge census returns living with her son and daughter:

KNIBBS? Caleb m 38 Ont WMeth English farmer
KNIBBS? {?} Dalia f 64 Ont WMeth English widow
KNIBBS? E. Martha f 24 Ont WMeth English
__________

In 1891, we see Delilah still living at Uxbridge Township, Ontario, Canada with her son Caleb:
KNIBBS Calib m 48 Ont Eng Ont Meth farmer
KNIBBS Delia f 70 widow mother Ont US US Meth
KNIBBS? E. Martha f 24 Ont WMeth English

According to the 1891 census, both of Delila's parents were born in the USA. I'm told they were Godfried Hilts and Catherine Baker, but there is some uncertainty about that.
__________

Delilah's death is registered at the Ontario Death Registrations. It mentions that she'd suffered from paralysis for 3 years.

Written next to her age in the 1851 census for Uxbridge, Ontario, it says "supposed 13".

Written next to his age in the 1851 census for Uxbridge, Ontario, it says "supposed 11".
__________

We can see Caleb in 1881 living at Uxbridge, Ontario North, Ontario with his mother and sister:
Caleb KNIBBS Male English 38 Ontario Farmer Weslyan Methodist
Dalia KNIBBS W Female English 64 Ontario Weslyan Methodist
L. Martha KNIBBS Female English 24 Ontario Weslyan Methodist

The word English relates to their Ethnic origin, and Ontario to where they were born.
__________

In the 1891 census for Ontario County, Uxbridge Township, still with his mother and sister:
Knibbs Calib M 48 M Head Ont England Ont Methodist Farmer
Knibbs Delia F 70 W Mother Ont US US Methodist
Knibbs Martha F 25 S Sister Ont England Ont Methodist

Martha would have been aged about 35.
__________

Caleb was unmarried.

Martha first appears in the 1880 census when she is listed living with with her brother Caleb and her mother in Uxbridge County, Ontario. She is still seen to be living with them in 1891.
__________

Martha could be seen living with her sister Ellen La Fraugh at York District, Ontario, Canada at the 1901 census. She was aged 35 and unmarried. There is a little confusion surrounding when she was born. It seems unlikely that she will have been born in 1865 (calculated from her age given in the 1901 census) as her mother would have been 50 years old at the time of her birth. Interestingly, her age is also listed as 10 years younger than it really was in the 1881 census.

Martha's age at death is given as 58 years 10 months and 4 days, and shows her date of birth as 29 Sep 1853.
__________

Martha is buried at Goodwood Cemetery, Uxbridge Township, Ontario, Canada.