Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - An haifi John Knight a Dundee a watan Fabrairun 1747, ɗan Rear-Admiral Joseph Knight da matarsa, Jean Hay. A shekara ta 1758, yana da shekaru 11, ya bi mahaifinsa zuwa sabis tare da Royal Navy a kan jirgin HMS "Tartar", ya shiga cikin Raid a kan Cherbourg
wannan shekarar a lokacin Yakin Shekaru Bakwai. Knight ya kasance tare da mahaifinsa har tsawon shekaru biyar, har sai da ya koma karshen yakin a 1763 zuwa HMS "Romney" a tashar Arewacin Amirka. Daga Arewacin Amirka, Knight ya shiga cikin ayyukan bincike kuma ko da yake ya koma Turai bayan wasu shekaru, sai ya koma Arewacin Amirka a 1775 a farkon yakin juyin juya halin Amurka.