John Locke (1832–1880)

Unsure of origin of photo

John Locke was born on 11 December 1832 in the rural parish of Ryhall, Rutland, the son of John Lock(e) and Sarah Burton. His arrival was swiftly followed by his baptism at the village church on 12 December 1832, where he was christened as the infant son of John and Sarah Locke. These early records place him firmly within the long‑established Locke family of Ryhall.

By the time of the 1841 census, eight‑year‑old John was living in Ryhall, recorded simply as a boy born within the county of Rutland. A decade later, the 1851 census shows him still at home, now eighteen and working as a farm servant, unmarried and contributing to the agricultural life that shaped so many young men of the region.

No record has yet been found for John in the 1861 census, but that same year marks a major turning point in his life. On 2 April 1861, he married Mary Ann Searle at Saint John’s Church, Paddington, Middlesex. This marriage drew him away from rural Rutland and into the expanding urban world of London.

By 1871, John and Mary Ann were living at 89 Bramah Road, Lambeth, where John, now thirty‑eight, was recorded as a grocer and the head of the household. Their growing family included several children:

• Emily Locke
• Albert William Locke
• Herbert John Locke
• Charles James Locke
• Rosalie Locke
• William Henry Locke

John’s life came to a close on 25 December 1880, when he died at Peckham Rye, London, aged forty‑eight. The Lincoln, Rutland & Stamford Mercury noted his passing, describing him as the second son of the late John Locke of Ryhall. He was buried on 30 December 1880 at Norwood Cemetery, Lambeth.

No.	When and Where Died.	Name and Surname.	Sex.	Age.	Rank or Profession.	Cause of Death.	Signature, Description, and Residence of Informant.	When Registered.	Signature of Registrar.
391	Twenty fifth December 1880 1 Merrow Cottages Avondale Road	John Locke	male	48 years	Merchants Clerk	Congestion of Liver Congestion of Lungs. Certified by H J Dwelly LRCP	M A Locke Widow of deceased Present at death Avondale Road Camberwell	Thirtieth December 1880	C W Gregory Registrar

His last will and testament was proved shortly afterward, on 15 January 1881, at the Principal Registry. Probate records describe him as formerly of 3 Leslie Place, Maple Road, Penge, but late of 1 Merrow Cottages, Avondale Road, Choumert Road, Peckham, employed as a foreman at a wine merchant’s. His personal estate was valued at under £500, and probate was granted to his widow, Mary Ann Locke, the sole executrix.

Throughout the records of his life, John appears occasionally under the variant spelling John Lock, a reminder of the fluidity of surnames in 19th‑century documents.