OLD PLYMOUTH . UK
www.oldplymouth.uk
 

©  Brian Moseley, Plymouth
Webpage created: January 21, 2020
Webpage updated: May 01, 2021

        

WHO WAS WHO IN OLD PLYMOUTH

THOMAS LOCKYER (1756-1806)

Thomas Lockyer, who was reputed to have been born and baptised at Uffculme, Devon, in 1756, married Miss Ann Grose at the Anglican Church of Charles on November 2nd 1777.

They had children as follows:

Nancy Miles Lockyer was baptised at the Ancient Parish Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle on October 18th 1778.

Thomas Lockyer was baptised at the Ancient Parish Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle on May 26th 1780.  SEE Thomas Lockyer (1780-1854).

Nicolas (sic) Lockyer was baptised at the Ancient Parish Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle on July 23rd 1781.  SEE Nicholas Lockyer (1781-1847).

Ann Marshall Lockyer was baptised at the Ancient Parish Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle on November 8th 1782.

Edmund Lockyer was baptised at the Ancient Parish Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle on August 17th 1784.  SEE Edmund Lockyer (1784-1860).

Orlando Lockyer was baptised at the  Ancient Parish Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle on August 4th 1787.

William Lockyer was baptised at the Ancient Parish Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle on August 4th 1787.

Eliza Maria Lockyer was baptised at the Ancient Parish Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle on August 5th 1792.

Jane Edwards Lockyer was born on June 2nd 1793 and was baptised at the Ancient Parish Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle on July 15th 1803.

Charles Christopher Lockyer was on born January 19th 1795 and was baptised at the Ancient Parish Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle on July 15th 1803.

Henry Frederick Lockyer was born on April 8th 1796 and was baptised at the Ancient Parish Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle on July 15th 1803.

Thomas Lockyer described himself as a "Sworn Broker".  As an example of the things he was offering for sale just before his unexpected death take his advertisements in "Trewman's Exeter Flying Post, or Plymouth and Cornish Advertiser" dated Thursday July24th 1806: 'the handsome fast sailing French private ship of war "L'Intrepide", 61 feet 2 inches length on deck, 17 feet 6 inches breadth, 7 feet 4½ inches depth in hold, Nearly new, has a neat figure head, and well calculated for a privateer, or dispatch vessel; a prize condemned to the Find revenue cutter, commanded by Thomas Murray Allen, Esquire, now lying in Catwater, and there to be delivered'.  Her 'warlike stores' were also on offer.

Also available for purchase from Thomas Lockyer at the London Inn on Friday August 1st 1806 was the "L'Aimable Germaine", 'burthen about 80 tons, and well calculated for any trade where burthen is required; a prize condemned to his majesty's ship Santa Margaretta, Wilfin Rathbone, Esquire, commander.  Now lying in Sutton Pool, and there to be delivered'.  Also available for export, or "exportation" as Mr Lockyer termed it, were about 220 hogsheads of red wine; 9 pipes of brandy, 8 hogsheads of brandy and 3 quarter casks of brandy, 'the entire cargo of the said ship'.

Finally in that issue of the "Flying Post" was an advert for a sale at the London Inn on Friday August 8th of the Spanish ship "San Pables", 'copper-bottomed, sails remarkably fast, is well calculated for a private ship of war, and armed ship, or or for any trade where dispatch is requisite; her hull and flores are in good condition, and she maybe sent to sea at an easy expense; a prize condemned to his majesty's ship of war Fame commanded by Graham Moore, Esquire.  Now lying in Catwater, and there to be delivered'.  Furthermore you could buy its entire cargo, which consisted of Sugar, Cocoa, Jallap, Allspice, Sarsaparella, Corten Eleuthere, Frankincense, Cuchineae, Indigo, Bark, Hides in the hair, Campeachy Logwood, and 1 bale of Plase.  Edmund Lockyer was acting as an agent for this sale.

Thomas Lockyer was very successful and apparently made a good fortune.  He invested some of this in erecting Wembury House on the site of an earlier manor house in the Parish of Wembury.  He had only just retired from business and moved his family in to the House a month previous when he met with a fatal accident on his way home from Plymouth on the evening of Monday August 3rd 1806.  The horse of his private gig was frightened by a cow by the side of the road and took fright.  In taking off at full gallop it jerked the gig and threw Mr Lockyer violently on to the roadway.  Suffering from a lacerated calf of his leg, Mr Lockyer lay there for some time until discovered by his servant and some others on their way home from work.  They took him to the home of Captain Bulteel where medical assistance was immediately rendered.  However, on the following morning it was found that 'mortification had begun to take place', as the "Exeter Flying Post" described it.  It does not say if he remained at Captain Bulteel's home or was transferred to Wembury House.  Mr  Lockyer died on the Saturday morning, August 8th 1806.  He was only 50 years of age.  He was buried in a vault at Wembury Parish Church on Friday August 15th 1806. 

His widow, Mrs Ann Lockyer, was buried at Wembury Parish Church on December 14th 1820.