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Archiver > LOCKE > 1999-12 > 0945026892
From: "mjs" <>
Subject: [LOCKE-L] NEW INFORMATION RE: AGNESS LOCK OF ROWAN CO NC
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 14:28:12 -0500
Janet Carpenter, a fellow researcher of Rowan Co NC LOCKES, has sent a clear
copy of the marriage bond of Agness LOCK & Jacob NICHOLS dated
7 May 1762. We experienced a difficulty with a few of the words but with
Janet's clear copy we read (from the middle of the bond):
".....and a Certain Woman Agness Lock of said family." The 2 bondsmen were
George and Francis Lock so it is obvious that Agness was of that Lock
family. Heretofore, we have had no information as to who AGNESS might be.
Queries to our Locke rootsweb.list have brought no answers.
It is now felt that due to the information below that this Agness was
probably the daughter of George Lock of Iredell Co NC.
1. She was of an age to have been his dau. George's birth date is not known
for certain but he was surely born in the late 1720's or '30's. Since
marriage at that time was usually about age 16-18 for men, that makes his
marriage date probably in the 1740's - old enough to have a daughter married
1762. The official "coming of age" of a girl at that time was 15; this was
the birthday celebrated by the family for that purpose. Some were married as
young as 13.
2. GEORGE LOCK had a granddaughter named Agness. None of the other members
of the Lock family had a daughter or gr-daughter of that name that has been
discovered. The LOCK names were almost without exception names of English
monarchs or royalty; they were repeated over & over in each family until the
19th century.
3. The name of Agness likely came from George's wife's family - though that
has by no means been proven.
4. Geographical proximity makes it likely that Agness was George's dau.
a. George Lock resided in the part of Rowan Co that became Iredell in 1788.
Yet George came from there to the Rowan Co Ct House to sign Agness' bond.
b. Jacob NICHOLS was from the part of Rowan Co that became Iredell also.
It would seem, therefore, natural that Agness would meet and marry a man in
her own neighborhood, or nearby. If so, then she would have been from George
Lock's household.
5. If Agness had been a dau of John Lock 1 died 1745 PA, she would have been
near the ages of Francis, John, Gen Matt & George. Married in 1762 means
that she would have been in her late 20's or 30's. That would have been "a
great age" at that time & most unusual when women on the frontier were so
much in demand and especially a woman from a family of means.
6. Jacob NICHOLS was a man in very good circumstances himself; therefore he
and Agness were not in need of a gift of land at their marriage.
7. Not a great deal is known of GEORGE LOCK. His birth & death dates, burial
place, and names of children are incomplete. Since his children have not
been documented, it is possible for Agness to have been his child.
8. Writers and researchers from the 19th century have never mentioned Agness
as a daughter of John Locke 1 died 1745. Living descendants of this family
were available at the time of their accounts of the family and Agness was
never mentioned. After some 40-odd years research on this family, probably
all the accounts written have been copied and studied. There are errors and
conflicting information in the early accounts, especially as they had to do
with the arrival of the LOCK family in the colonies. There have been
omissions made by one and more authors - ie, General Matthew Lock is noted
with only 12 children, not 13 as is correct. However, it would seem that
someone at some time would have claimed descent from Agness as a dau of John
1 had that information been available and proven.
There seem to be no reason/s why Agness could NOT have been a daughter of
George Locke - & many plausible reasons why she was.
One exception to the above exists. We find a WILLIAM LOCK on the 1757 tax
list of Rowan Co. Although research regarding this man is incomplete at this
time, we have no other information from any source regarding him. To be on a
tax list in 1757, William would have been born by 1739 or earlier. (Men did
own land before age 21 at that time - although 21 was considered the legal
age, in Virginia at least). Therefore, this William was of an age to have
been a brother or cousin to Francis, John, Matthew, and George. There
certainly exists the possibility that William Lock and Agness (---) were
married, that William died between 1757 and 1762, and that Agness married
Jacob Nichols as a widow. A study of the marriage bonds signed by the clerk
of the 1762 period will need to be studied closely to see whether any of the
females obtaining bonds from Rowan Co are noted as "Widow Woman"! So far
this work has not been done.
The above is the current status of AGNESS LOCK. We are still looking for
"Mystery WILLIAM LOCK" born by 1739. Any information is welcomed!!
Mary Jane
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