Researching Lock family - hitting a brick wall

[clisleno1]

I hope someone can help me with this mystery.
My great great grandfather was Alfred Lock. He was born around 1854 in Bridgwater, Somerset. However, I’m struggling to find a birth record.

I have a copy of Alfreds marriage certificate, whom he married Rachel Stocker in 1874 in Widnes, Lancashire. It gives Samuel Lock as his fathers name, who works as a Cordwainer.
The problem I have is that Samuel does not exist in any historical record except what’s on the marriage certificate. The trace to his father ends at this point.

To track down his mother, I dug a bit deeper into Alfreds family and I noticed that Alfred had a son named Frederick Thomas Lock. What I found interesting was that Frederick appears in the 1881 census with his grandmother Mary Ann Lock. They lived in Widnes at this time.

I thought I was getting somewhere, since I found Alfreds mother. She was born around 1821 in West Bagborough in Somerset. But as I tracked through the previous census, I couldn’t help but notice that she listed her status as unmarried. Not only that, she appears in the 1851 census at Bridgwater, living with her sister Jane Lock. This is where I am confused.

So she has a sister with the same surname, has a few children but no father mentioned on the census, works as a Laundry woman. And now there’s some made up guy with a made up job written on my ancestors wedding certificate. This makes no sense.

Further research shows that both Mary Ann and her sister Jane born in West Bagborough had a record of birth, and their mothers name was Mary Lock. But she was listed as a spinster. And Jane married James Cording in Bridgwater in 1855. There, her father was listed as John Lock.

Can anyone help me out here? From what I’ve gathered, Alfred has a father named Samuel Lock, a mother named Mary Ann Lock, with no proof of marriage, an aunt on his mums side named Jane Lock, his maternal grandfather named John Lock, and maternal grandmother named Mary Lock who happens to be a spinster at the time of giving birth.

Can somebody please help me unLOCK this mystery?

[bbart]

Welcome to Rootschat!

Alfred had a son named Frederick Thomas Lock. What I found interesting was that Frederick appears in the 1881 census with his grandmother Mary Ann Lock. They lived in Widnes

Just to add the confusion, there is also a son of Mary Ann listed on this census named Thomas.  There is a birth registration which fits him at the GRO that indicates mmn as Lewis..

LOCK, THOMAS        LEWIS     
GRO Reference: 1859  D Quarter in BRIDGWATER  Volume 05C  Page 468

[goldie61]

welcome to Rootschat from me too 

I've read through this  a few times to try and make sure I understand it.

I have had one like this in my tree (as I'm sure many people have).
It had me confused for many, many years!

I think it boils down to what you said - the father of Alfred Lock, Samuel Lock, named on Alfred's marriage certificate, is made up.
You say Alfred's son Fredrick Thomas Lock is living with his grandmother Mary Ann Lock in 1881, and you seem to have found her, unmarried, prior to this.

So Mary Ann Lock would seem to be Alfred's mother, and to cover up the fact he, Alfred, was illegitimate, has said his father was Samuel Lock. Well, we have no idea if this is a story she made up, or whether Alfred made him up as a name to put on the marriage certificate, but at all events, if you can find no trace of him whatsoever, I'd suggest this is what may have happened.

It would seem the same thing carried on backwards to the next generation if both Mary Ann and her sister Jane were born to a Mary Lock, again a spinster.
It occurs to me how do you know she was a spinster?
Have you found her in the Census?

Have you seen the baptism entries for Mary Anne and Jane?
What do they say about their parentage?

[bbart]

The strange thing is, it seems Mary Ann had several children that she raised, yet Alfred never appears with her.  If his son hadn't been staying with her on one census, there would be no trace to her whatsoever.  Frustrating to say the least.

In the 1851 census, Mary Ann is the head, and has two sons, Edward age 9, and James age 9 months.  There is a GRO for James, indicating he was illegitimate by the "dreaded dash" for mmn.   James dies a month later, as "son of Ann".  I did not find a GRO birth for Edward.

So far, no luck finding a Mary Ann and Jane together with parents in the 1841, but they may well have been on their own by then.

[goldie61]

Let's go back to the beginning.

Have you checked out the Albert Lock born March quarter Bridgwater?
Volume 05C page 453 on the GRO.
What does it give as the father's name?
It says mother's maiden name Webb, but it seems you really need to know who the father is named as.

[avm228]

Let's go back to the beginning.

Have you checked out the Albert Lock born March quarter Bridgwater?
Volume 05C page 453 on the GRO.
What does it give as the father's name?
It says mother's maiden name Webb, but it seems you really need to know who the father is named as.

Albert Lock is with parents Thomas and Hannah in Spaxton in 1861, aged 6.

But we need an Alfred rather than an Albert

[Milliepede]

Could Alfred have been the Henry Simon Lock born to Mary Ann Lock in Jun 1853?

Baptism 27 Jun 1853 Bridgewater mother spinster.

Henry is with mother in 1861 along with Edward - could Edward have been the William Lock born around the same time (Jun 1841) also with no mothers maiden name.

Can't explain the changes of name or even if they are the same children but certain things match up to be worth a second look.

[Ayashi]

He could potentially have been registered under a father's surname if the mother pretended to be married to him at the time of registration. Unfortunately the GRO doesn't allow for no surname input to check generally for Alfred mmn LOCK births.

[clisleno1]

Thanks for your suggestions.

I find it odd that Alfred would have made up his fathers name on a marriage certificate, and given him a specified job such as cordwainer.

Unless he never really knew who his fathers last name was. Maybe he knew him as Samuel, who worked as a cordwainer. Or maybe he did know him but changed his surname to match his own.

I guess it really is a mystery after all.