He provides no source for that death date and the reason that he had difficulty in providing more details about the player could be because a player from Scotland, James Brown Knott (1825─1890), temporarily assumed the name Hubert while in the USA.

The details:

1849 Harrwitz, at Glasgow CC, plays blindfold against consulting partners Tilghman and Knott. (CG has this game.)

1850 James B. Knott on Council of Glasgow CC, as shown in report of the club's Annual General Meeting. (Glasgow Herald, 9 September 1850, p4.)

1851 J.B. Knott on Council of Glasgow CC, as shown in AGM report. (Glasgow Herald, 10 March 1851, p6.)

1851 census: James B. Knott (26), Professor of Music, living at 17 Cambridge Street, Glasgow with several siblings.

1854 Hubert J.B. Knott married Emma Remsen Pine at New York on 17 October 1854.

1854 a chess problem (No. 11) by J.B. Knott appeared on page 207 of the New York Journal for July─December 1854. (Google Books)

1854 There was published 'My Glenwood Home,' with music by Hubert J.B. Knott and words by W. Seaman Beare (an anagram of which is, incidentally, 'be aware names'). (Google Books)

1855 another chess problem, by 'Mr Knott of the Glasgow Chess Club,' appeared on page 247 of Frank Leslie's New York Journal 1855. (Google Books)

1855 census for New York State, Ward 4, Brooklyn, King's County, taken on June 7, there appears: Hubert Nott (30), born Scotland, a teacher of music, resident for two years at current address. Emma Nott (21), wife, born King's County, NY.

1857 The book of the 1st American Chess Congress 1857, and newspaper reports, refer to one of the competitors being Mr Hubert Knott (Brooklyn).

1859 Reports show that during Paul Morphy's visit to the Brooklyn Chess Club on June 16, 1859, he played two games with 'Mr H. Knott,' giving the odds of his Queen's Knight and winning both games.

Chess databases, including CG, give Knott's games from the 1857 New York congress, and at least one of the odds games against Morphy on June 16, 1859, but no later games.

Return to Scotland
1859 'James B. Knott, lady, and daughter' are cabin passengers on the S.S. Glasgow, which arrived on the Clyde on 6 September, having left NY on 24 August.

1861 Scotland census: James B. Knott (35), a photographic artist, is at 7 Hill Square, Edinburgh with his wife Emma (26), and daughters Zella (5) and Edith (1).

Further information about his 'new' profession is at http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/pp_i/pp...

1863 Knott's wife, Emma Remsen Knott, died 6 December 1863 at Edinburgh. Parents listed as George Washington Pine, merchant, deceased, and Portia Charlotte Pine, m.s. Cheetam.

1890 James B. Knott died 3 June 1890 at 9 Antigua Street, Edinburgh; his profession was shown as teacher of music.

Family history details at https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/fami... (ancestry tree)

No mention if him joining the Edinburgh Club,
though Antigua Street is pretty central, a five minute walk away from the premises where the club usually met. I checked the membership book and the sub payers book.

He may have fallen victim to the sinister looking and unforgiving 'Black Ball' box.

https://www.redhotpawn.com/imgu/blo...

We know of one potential member who was not allowed in just after WWII.

Each member was given a ball you placed your hand in the hole and dropped your ball into the left box (no) or right box (yes) see picture link above.

However the name rings a bell. I may have seen a Knott problem when going through the clippings (I recently used a Knox problem in my blog from that era, maybe that is where I'm at and it's not Knott!)

I also saw complete lists of players taking part in the many sided East of Scotland v West of Scotland matches. He could be mentioned in one of the 1871 - 1889 events. https://www.chessscotland.com/docum...

There was a Hubert Knott problem composer, Meson's has 26 problems (mates in 2) but all are dated from 1909 to 1919 so not our guy. (of course these could published after his death and Meson are using just the one source but very unlikely.)

http://www.bstephen.me.uk/meson/com...

They also have a George J Knott with two problems 1884 and 1889

http://www.bstephen.me.uk/meson/com...

Edward Winter, in CN 3828, invited readers to help identify those in a group photograph. https://www.chesshistory.com/winter...

Some confusion is unavoidable, because two 'extras' were included, Hammond and Colonel Mead, the latter having a resemblance to Knott.

An image of Knott (shown as R. Knott) was also given in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper of 31 October 1857.www.chessarch.com/excavations/item.php?a=1&sourc- e=Frank_Leslie's_Illustrated_Newspaper&date=1857- .10.31