EARLY LOCKS/LOCKES OF PA AND ROWAN CO., NC Research by Mary Jane Steinhagen, Elaine Oakes, and John E. Abernathy, Jr. has resulted in the following findings. The administrative bond of John Lock (no e) found at the Lancaster Historical Society Library, Lancaster, PA given below was signed by Francis Lock (no e). It is noted that the Orphans Court Record 1742-1749, Index L Intestate, gives only the following: "Locke, John 1744 (Bond at Lancaster County Historical Society)." The bond was in an ordinary manilla folder with loose papers, including correspondence from researchers, at the Historical Society Library. The administrative bond and inventory are missing from the court house. The inventory is not complete and too difficult to include in this posting. Copies of both can be obtained by writing to: Lancaster County Historical Society, 230 North President Ave., Lancaster, PA 17603 Administration Bond of Elizabeth & Francis Lock, 1744, John Lock, deceased. "Know all men by these proposals that we Elizabeth Lock widow & Francis Lock, Thomas McGuire & McNeely, Yeoman, all of the County of Lancaster and province of Pennsylvania are held & firmly bound unto Peter Evans Register General for the probate of will & granting Lic.? of Administration in & for the said province & the Counties of New Castle Kent Sussex on Delaware in the sum of one hundred & thirty pounds lawful money of this province to be paid to the sd Peter Evans his lawfull attorney Executors Administor assigns to which payment well & truly to be made we bind our selves our heirs Executors & administrators legally & severally firmly by these presents sealed with our seals & dated this thirtieth day of October an Dom 1744. The condition of the above obligation is such that if the above bound Elizabeth Lock & Francis Lock administrators of all & singular the goods chattels rights & credits of John Lock aforsd - deceased do make or cause to be made a true & perfect inventory of all & singular the goods rights chattels & credits of the sd decd which have or shal come to the hands possession or knowledge of the said Elizabeth & Francis or into the hands or possession of any other person or persons for them and the same so made do exhibit or cause to be exhibited into the Register Generals office in Lancaster County on or before the thirtieth day of November next and the same goods chattels and credits of the said deceased at the time of his death or which at any time after that come to the hands or possession of the said Elizabeth and Francis or into the hands or possession of any other person or persons for them do well and truly administer according to law and further do make or cause to made a true and just account calculation or reckoning of the sd administration on or before the thirthieth day of October which will be in the year of our Lord 1745 and all the rest and residue of the goods chattels & credits which shal be found remaining on the sd administrators audit? (or acc't?) the same being first examined & allowed by the Orphans Court of the said County shal deliver & pay to such person or persons - Respectively as the said court by its Decree or Sentence shal limit and appoint and if it shal hereafter appear that any last Will & Testament was made by the said deceased and the Executor or Executors therein named shal exhibit the same into the Registors office making request to have it allowed & approved accordingly If the Said Elizabeth & Francis Lock - being thereunto required shal render & deliverup the sd letters of administration approbation of such Testament being first had & made in the said office Then this Obligation to be Void or Effects be & remain in full force & virtue. Eliz a O Lock Francis Lock Thomas McGuire" Sealed & Delivered in the presence of } James Wright Jno? Wright (Someone may have signed for Elizabeth and the O may her mark although there is no notation that it is her mark. There is a space between Eliz and the a and the a is higher meaning an abbreviation of Elizabeth rather than Eliza. Her name was obviously Elizabeth since that is what was in the text. Words with ? after them indicate that the text was difficult to read, could not be positively identified, and that what is given is our best guess). The administrative bond proves that Elizabeth, the widow of John Lock, did not marry John Brandon until after 13 Oct 1744. It is likely that they married before going to NC but no record of the marriage has been found. The signature of Francis Lock who signed the administrative bond of John Lock is the same as the signature on Rowan Co., NC, records for the marriage of : 1. his daughter, Margaret Lock to George Gibson, 2. his sister Elizabeth Lock to John Johnston, and, 3. Agness Lock to Jacob Nichols. It is worth noting that besides Francis Lock, Jacob Nichols signed the document for John Johnston's marriage to Elizabeth Lock and that John Johnston signed the document for Jacob Nichols marriage to Agness Lock, that George Lock signed both documents, and the date of both was 17 May 1762. None of the Lock signatures had an "e". The following related info is provided. Marriages of Rowan Co., NC, 1753-1868, by Rev. Brent Holcomb, gives: p 151 George Gibson & Margaret Lock, 17 May 1780; Francis Lock, bondsman; p 211 John Johnston & Elizabeth Lock, 17 may 1762: Francis Lock, George Lock, bondsman; and, p 298 Jacob Nichols and Agness Lock, 17 may 1762; Francis Lock, George Lock, bondsmen; John Johnston, witness. Our research has found two Locks, Agness and William, who have apparently not been identified and who have not been shown in previous research. Agness is possibly a widow or daughter of an unknown Lock, who may be related to George and Francis Lock. Since Francis and George Lock, sons of John Lock b abt 1695, signed her marriage bond there is also the possibility of Agness being another daughter of this John Lock. Her husband, Jacob Nichols died in Iredell Co. before 15 May 1797. On that date the Pleas & Quarter Sessions Court ordered to issue to Agnes Nichols, Joshua Nichols, & John Nichols on the estate of Jacob Nichols, Esq. deceased and to lay off & let a part of one year's provision for Agness Nichols wife & relict of Jacob Nichols. There is an unidentified William Locke on the 1757 Rowan County Tax List. (Web address ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/nc/rowan/taxlists/tax1759.txt). There is a possibility of him being a prior husband of Agness, or, he could be related to John Lock, b abt 1695, possibly even another son, but this is merely speculation. Known children of John Lock were Francis b abt 1722, John born abt 1728, George b abt 1729, Matthew b abt 1730, Margaret b abt 1731, and Elizabeth b abt 1742. These dates are approximate but even so there is a large gap between Margaret and Elizabeth and there could have been other children. Again we emphasize that these are only speculations and should be considered as such. They are offered in hopes that others might have further information and assist in the research. Francis Lock, the son of John who signed the administrative bond was probably the oldest son, born about 1722 rather than 1732 as some state. If born in 1722 he would have been 21 or 22 and of legal age to sign it, whereas he would have been only 11 or 12 if born in 1732 and younger than two or three other brothers. If the others were older and of age, it would seem they would have signed the bond rather than Francis. The following info shows that there is uncertainty regarding the birth date of Francis and that the administrative bond is probably the most reliable source found to date for estimating it. Although Francis died in 1796, a marker for his grave was placed later after the death of his son, Francis, who in his will dated 20 Nov 1820 stated: "12thly It is my will & desire that a marble slab be purchased and placed over the grave of my father and mother, one for my brother Matthew & wife, Francis and Alexander Penny, my sister Anne and myself with such inscriptions on each as my Executor may think proper and to be paid out of the sale aforesaid or any other monies he may have devised from my estate." There is a military marker and an obelisk in Thyatira Cemetery, near Salisbury, Rowan Co., NC, with inscription "Col. Francis Locke, N. C. Mil. Rev. War" next to the tombstone for Francis Lock which was probably placed there in response to the son's will and desire. However there are NO DATES ON EITHER. Apparently the executor did not know the dates, did not feel they were important, or for some other reason did not have them included. John Scott and John Giles were the executors. Lookin' for Lockes', Nov 94, gives - Col. Francis Locke retired to his plantation in Rowan Co., NC in 1784. It has been said that he is buried in Thyatira Cemetery, but this is disputed. The late John P. Gibson of Concord, a great-grandson of Locke, stated that "the burial was in the Carriker Springs section nine miles from Concord on the Salisbury Road and no one seems able to locate the grave." The lack of a date on the tombstone or other proof, leaves the administrative bond as probably the most reliable source for estimating Francis' birth, i. e., abt 1722. It is acknowledged that some books give a later date but none provide a source. If other researchers have proof for his birth date it would be welcomed. We hope the above in helpful to other Locke researchers, especially descendants of Francis, and that it will aid in finding the answer to Franicis' date of birth, who Agness Lock and William Lock are, and other questions. Mary Jane, Elaine, and John.