James Drew Locke 1786-1872

Church St. Cemetery (aka Rood’s Head Cemetery) gravesite of James and wife Frances.

Born: May 14, 1786 in Lockeport, Nova Scotia

Died: April 26, 1872 in Lockeport, Nova Scotia

Spouse: Frances “Fanny” (Strickland) Dane m. about 1811 in Lockeport, Nova Scotia, b. 1790, d. April 24, 1872. Her father is John Strickland.

Children: Elizabeth Frances (Locke) Dane, b. 1814

James Locke, b. 1817, d. May 1, 1832. (see below)

Bethia West (Locke) Longhurst, b. August 27/28, 1819, d. August 14, 1913 (see below)

Henry Ryder Locke, b. 1822 d. January 8, 1874 (see below)

Sarah McLaren (Locke) Cann, b. November 30, 1825, m. Lyman Cann, d. 1909 buried in Mountain Cemetery, Yarmouth

Mary Cann (Locke) Boucher, b. October 3, 1828, d. October 7, 1856 (see below)

Father’s name: Jonathon Locke of Lockeport, Nova Scotia

Mother’s name: Mary E. Ryder of Lockeport, Nova Scotia

Sibling: John Locke

Abigail (Locke) Churchill

Mary (Locke) Craig

Elizabeth Locke

Priscilla Locke (Never married)(Grave marker below)

Samuel Locke

Notice that James and his wife died just two days apart. To date I have not found any evidence of an event or disease that would explain that. I suppose that it is possible that there was no event. If anyone knows something more, please contact me at: jrkho5@sbcglobal.net. Town of Lockeport Councillor Howard Roszell and his wife, members of the Ragged Islands Historical Society, suggest a flu epidemic, though they do not have any documentation to support this. They have noticed in their studies that this was a common occurrence in that time period. Laura at the Shelburne County Genealogical Society Research Centre & Library observed in her files that there were many notes of people having died at sea in this area in late March of that same spring suggesting that there was a heavy storm season.

Following the death of James and Fanny, daughter Frances and her husband Thomas Dane, returned to Lockeport, Nova Scotia from Appleton, Wisconsin, to settle her parent’s affairs. This included the sale of James’ parcel of land to Enos C. Locke, son of John Locke and Mary Harlow. I have a photocopy of the deed with the sale dated June 11, 1872 in the amount of $505.00. The property roughly falls within the bounds of current day Crest and South Streets extending to James Street. The original home is no longer present. This would also have been the house mentioned by Leona (Dane) Briggs in A Bit Of Grandma's Life as the one where they we searching for buried treasure and hidden coins. There is another Lockeport property on Hall St. that James sold to brother Samuel’s grandson Henry Locke in the mid-1800’s.

2 homes are currently found on the former property of James and Frances Locke, both built after the sale.

The big, old trees prevent a clear view. A former home of Samuel Locke is across the street on Crest Street.

As mentioned in A Bit Of Grandma's Life , the buried treasure was eventually found as they were preparing to raze the home after James and Elizabeth’s death. James Locke Neller, possessed one of the coins and has given his coin to one of his grandsons. It was given to James by his Aunt, Caroline Hamilton (Briggs) Mathie.

Front and back of coin found in James and Elizabeth’s house.

Dr. James Locke Neller and grandson Locke presently possess the coin.

Pictures from the Church Street Cemetery in Lockeport, also referred to as Rood’s Head Cemetery due to its proximity to that point of land.

Left: Priscilla Locke, sister to James, died Aug. 12, 1885 aged 96 yrs.

Right: Henry Ryder, son of James and Frances Locke, who died Jan. 8, 1874 aged 31 yrs

Point to note: Henry Ryder Locke, son of James, is also mentioned at the old Locke Burial Ground and having died in 1810. This is certainly not the same child. Did James have a son using the same name a year before he married Elizabeth Strickland that may have died an infant?

James’ children, James, Bethia, Henry, and Sarah, are listed in the Shelburne County School District # 6 School Returns of 1831. However, note that the father’s names between the children of James and his brother John are reversed in the listing.

Son James marker in the Church Street Cemetery reads as I’ve quoted in the caption of the photo.

Above: “In memory of James Locke, who departed this world March, 1832, aged 12 yrs”

This group in Church Street Cemetery is of Peter Strickland’s family, whom I believe is brother to Frances (Strickland) Locke.

Left: Peter Strickland

Right: Eliza, Wife of Peter Strickland, died Aug. 15, 1851, aged 36 yrs.

Left: In memory of Lydia __?__, dau of Eliza and Peter Strickland, who died Mar. 28, 1849

Right: Unknown child’s grave adjacent to Peter and Eliza Strickland’s markers.

Daughter Bethia West Locke married George Nickerson Longhurst on September 22, 1843. He was born in New York on September 4, 1813. Their children are Catharine, George N. (jr.) and Bethia W. Father George was lost at sea aboard the Trident near the islands of Trinidad in November of 1847. Mother Bethia died October 14, 1913 aged 94 yrs. And in another example of intertwining families, George Longhurst’s sister, Bethia W. Longhurst marries Jonathon Locke, son of James’ brother John Locke. Daughter Catherine marries Edward A. Capstick. Edward, Catherine, and their daughter Grace are buried in Lydgate Cemetery near Lockeport. I have some more regarding these families, but please also see Ann Capstick’s website for more in depth information.

Left: Bethia West (Locke) Longhurst monument and Right: small marker nearby in Lydgate Cemetery near Lockeport.

Left: Bethia and George’s son George N. Longhurst, Jr. and Right: his wife Annie, also in Lydgate Cemetery

Marker in Lydgate Cemetery for Edward A. Capstick 1840 - 1924, wife Catherine 1845 - 1938, and daughter Grace 1870 - 1919.

Daughter Mary Locke married Charles Boucher. There is an LDS contributor that has a Charles Boucher of Lockeport marrying Mary Locke, also of Lockeport, in 1845 in Lockeport. The LDS contributor notes no children and cites Charles as born in 1824 and Mary in 1826. My copies of various family bibles and other material do not support this. In Church Street Cemetery in Lockeport we find markers for a son and his wife. I’ve also found a Joseph and Mary Boucher having married and emigrated from Canada to Wisconsin about 1872, they do appear in the 1880 US Census.

Left: In Memory of Mary Cann, wife of Charles Henry Boucher who died Oct. 7, 1856, aged 28 years

Right: In Memory of Charles Henry, son of Charles Henry & Mary Boucher, died May 17, 1856, aged 2 years & 10 months

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