The Lock family

The most recent Lock ancestor in my family tree is my 6x Great Grandmother, Elizabeth Lock who lived in the fenland village of Soham in Cambridgeshire. However, her father appears to have been living in Westminster, Middlesex (as it was, now London), England.

Lock family of Westminster?

I've only seen one piece of evidence so far, and that is the marriage in 1749 of my 7x Great Grandparents, the fantastically named Phineas Lock and his wife Elizabeth Powlter of Stanstead Mountfitchet in Essex, England, at St. Michael's Church in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire. There in the elaborate writing of the handwritten register it reads "Phineas Lock of St. James Westminster".

Whilst I can see other Lock name-holders (most notably, a Fanny Lock marrying in 1741), I have yet to research this part of my tree to see whether Phineas originated from Westminster, or whether he just happened to live there.

There are other Phineas Locks closer to home - with a marriage of one in 1715 in Thetford, in Cambridgeshire's neighbouring county of Norfolk.

The family move to Soham

After marrying in Bishops Stortford in 1749, the family swiftly appear in Soham, Cambridgeshire, by the August of 1750, when they christen their first child Frances Lock at St. Andrew's Church. Sadly she, and their next child, son Phineas Lock would not survive their childhood.

In 1753, their daughter, and my 6x Great Grandmother Elizabeth was born, followed by sister Frances Lock, but by August 1761, their mother had died.

This left Phineas with two young daughters to care for, and so after three years, he re-married to Ann Sturgeon in Soham, and added two more children to the family.

By 1772, the year of Phineas' death, he is noted as an 'innholder', although sadly the name of the inn remains a mystery for now.

My 6x Great Grandmother went on to marry my 6x Great Grandfather and local man Jonas Taylor, therefore ending my Lock ancestry.

Lock family connections

The Lock family are only known to link to my Taylor family so far, although their presence in a number of locations that play a role in my ancestry may well see them connect again as research continues.