Monday, January 30, 2012

What is Lock's Given Name??

J. W. P. Lock was one of the organizers of the secret society known as the Peace Party. In the account of his trial, Diamond (Diamond, pg 66) refers to Lock as "I. W. P. Lock." But, Anderson, one of the witnesses for Lock's trial, calls him "Wm Lock."  McCaslin (Tainted Breeze, pg. 78, 87, 105, 200) refers to Lock as "Leander W. P. Jacob Lock."  Was his name Leander or Jacob or William or all of the above?  Census records, a marriage record and Diamond's account all list him with only initials -- "J.W.P. Lock"
Note: the “I” in Diamond's account is most likely a “J” that was a transcription error. The first witness in Lock's trial is I. H. Mounts, who is also referred to as Jackson H. Mounts. So, it stands to reason that the “I” in Lock’s name is also a misspelling and should be “J. W. P. Lock”. “J” and “I” are often transcribed wrong by inexperienced transcribers.

It appears that McCaslin combined two people together to come up with the name of "Leander W. P. Jacob Lock."  There is a JWP Lock in the 1850 Lamar County, Texas census. He was a 29 year old native of Tennessee. A family headed by Leander Locke is also found in the 1850 Lamar census. As shown from the census records below, they are definitely two separate individuals. But, they could possibly be related.
The Lock referred to Diamond's account would be the 29 yr old farmer, JWP Lock listed in 1850 Lamar County.  He was living with his wife, Deannah, and two daughters.  The value of his real estate was $1688.

1850 Lamar County Texas Census, Precinct 8, Page 458, Line 29, 458/458

The above Lock is also recorded in the 1850 Agricultrual Schedule for Lamar County, Texas. This time his first given name is recorded: Jacob P. W. Lock. This is the only offical record found so far with his give name of "Jacob" recorded.



 Leander Lock also living in Lamar County in 1850.
1850 Lamar County Texas Census, Precinct 6, Page 293, Line 1, 363/363, Farmer; Leander Lock, White Male, age 39, b. Tennessee, his wife, Sarah, and 5 daughters.  This same Leander Lock can be found in the 1860, 1870 and 1880 census records for Lamar County, Texas. So, he cannot be the Lock who was hanged in Gainesville in 1862.

JWP Lock's wife, Deannah, died sometime between 1850 and 1853, although probably early in 1853.  The 1850 census with wife, Deannah, lists two daughters, Emily (b. 1841) and Ann (b. 1849).   Lock gets married again on 5 June 1853 to Evaline Dale in Lamar County, Texas.  The name on the marriage record is J. W. P. Lock. The 1860 census with wife, Evaline, lists two daughters, Diana (b. 1853) and Arazona (b. 1858).  The older two daughters are not listed and it is not known if they are still living.  Could daughter Diana be a daughter from the first wife, Deannah?  Could she have died giving birth?

In 1860, Lock is living in New Mexico Territory with his family. He may have left Texas after the shooting  (described below).  In the 1860 census, Lock is a 38 year old miner living at the Pino Alto Gold Mines with his wife, Eveline, and two daughters. Four boarders are also living in the household.


1860 Census Pino Alto Gold Mines, Dona Ana, New Mexico Territory

McCaslin (pg 105) states that Throckmorton asserted that Leander W. P. "Jacob" Lock, whom he identified as the leader of the "Association," had been acquitted of murder several years earlier in Lamar County."
Throckmorton may have been referring to the following murder in Grayson County, Texas (Dallas Weekly Herald, 22 June 1859).
Transcription of above
"The Sherman 'Texian' records the killing of Howard W. Hales, in the county of Grayson. He had had some difficulty with his wife, who left him and took refuge with at her father's house, to which she was followed by her husband. On reaching the house, Hales made some hostil demonstrations against the family, he was shot at from an outhouse by two young men named Lock, nephews of Mrs. Hales father, sixty or seventy buckshot taking effect, and killing him instantly."
Note: Name may be Harrell instead of Hales.  See below news article.

Another newspaper article, that refers to the above shooting.  This is probably where the confusion over Lock's give name came from. 


Conclusion:
All records indicate that Jacob W. P. Lock was the man who died in the Gainesville Hangings.
His full name may be Jacob William P. Lock.  Leander Lock is a seperate person and is not the man who was hanged at Gainesville.
The parents for Jacob W. P Lock are not known at this time.  If and how he might be related to Leander Lock of Lamar County, Texas is not known.
Any additional comments or information would be appreciated.  Thanks.

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