Short Biography of James Locke

7 JAMES LOCKE, [9] m. SARAH CUTTER, Dec. 5, 1700, the dau. of Richard Cutter of Cambridge, who emigrated to America with his wf. Elizabeth, and who m. wid. Frances Amsden, for a 2. wife, whose maiden name was Perryman. Mrs. LOCKE was b. Aug. 31, 1673 and d. (???). He d. Dec. 11, 1745, a. 68. His father, in his will, says, "with refference to my son James Locke I lett him go to work for himself to gett something to begin the world with, and also gave him about thirty pounds in money, to help him purchase his land and build upon it, so that I have given him his full portion already, and now I give him ten shillings more as a token of my love."

In 1699, Sep. 9, he purchased of James Converse, 46 acres in Wob. "near a place called the Pine Mountain;" "bounded, South East by ye Woodland of Henry Gardner and Josiah Johnson, North East by ye Woodland of Josiah Johnson, North West by ye Woodland of John Carter, and South West partly by Cambridge line and partly by Woodland of John Carter." Also "twenty acres of swamp bottom, so called, with the liberty to take it up for himself, where the top is his own, according to an order of the Town of Woburn."

In 1715 he purchased of Josiah Johnson, ten acres of Woodland, bounded South Westerly on Cambridge and Lexington lines, North Westerly on said James Locke, North Easterly on land in possession of Widow Garner [Gardner ?] and South Easterly on Charlestown line. The following is from the Woburn Town Records, May 17, 1700. "Then layed out to James Locke of Woburn, 23 acres and a half where the top is his own already, at a place called Pine Mountain, on the South side thereof, near Cambridge line; bounded by the Woodland of Josiah Johnson East; South by ye Woodland that was Matthew Johnson's and Sam. Blodgett's, and the said James Locke's Woodland elsewhere, twenty acres thereof upon Samuel Converse's account, and three acres and a half given him by the proprietors of this town of Woburn, at their meeting, April 22, 1700." These tracts of land constituted the beginning of his homestead, and here he built his first house, a short distance from the house of his gr. gr. son Jonathan Locke, who resides near the West line of Winchester, formerly Woburn.

Mh. 7. 1708-9, James Locke was chosen "haward," and again, Mh. 3, 1711-12; and Mh. 3, 1717-18, Surveyor of Highways, and Mh. 2, 1718-19, Constable. "Feb. 12, 1719-20, reconed with Constable James Locke and he having paid into the Selectmen and their orders, with an order to Mr. Cotton when paid œ10.1.0, the full of the list of the Town Rates committed to him to collect. Discharged in full thereof." (Wob. Rec.) Jany. 1745-6, his son James of Hopkinton was appointed Administrator on his estate — Inventory œ1370. Oct. 1747, the Commissioners appointed by the Court to make a distribution of his estate, made a Report which was sanctioned by the judge. One third of the Real Estate was set off to the widow, and the other two thirds to his son Jonathan; he giving bonds to pay the other heirs their share, viz. to James — œ146.6.8, to heirs of dau. Hannah Pierce, deceased, œ60.3.4, to daus. Sarah, wife of William Jones, Ruhamah Bond, [formerly Whittemore,] Phebe, wife of Daniel Brewer, Rebecca, wife of William Munroe, and Mary, wife of John Wright, each œ55.3.4. The Pro. Rec. also show, that, James had previously rec'd œ24, Hannah œ25, Jonathan œ8, and Sarah, Phebe, Ruhamah, Rebecca and Mary, each œ30. At the settlement Jonathan was allowed œ280, for services rendered after he was twenty-one.

Source: "Book of the Lockes: A genealogical and historical record of the descendants of William Locke, of Woburn. With an appendix containing a history of the Lockes in England, also of the family of John Locke, of Hampton, N. H., and kindred families and individuals" ¹⁴⁹⁸