Robert Lockwood (bef. 1600 - bef. 1658)

Born before 18 Jan 1600 in Combs, Suffolk, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Susanna (Norman) Ferris — married about 1634 in Massachusetts [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 11 Sep 1658 at about age 58 in Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut Colony

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Robert Lockwood migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 4, p. 308) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Robert Lockwood

Note of Caution: "An Atrocious Lockwood Blunder"

An 1889, the genealogical work about this family, Descendants of Robert Lockwood. Colonial and Revolutionary history of the Lockwood family in America, from A.D. 1630, by Holden and Lockwood, contains major mistakes and has lead to problems in understanding the lineage of the Lockwoods in America.^[1]

Apparently the surviving children of Edmund Lockwood, brother of the subject of this profile, were assigned to Robert instead of Edmund. Donald Lines Jacobus wrote an article published in the The American Genealogist, 1954, entitled "An Atrocious Lockwood Blunder."^[2] Unfortunately not everyone has been informed, even now, about the problems in the 1889 book. The errors have been repeated and propagated in many other works, and now are infecting many of the databases available online. Jacobus cautions us with a "warning against accepting the statements of this book as authentic without thorough investigation and verification."^[2] This is an appropriate warning in regards to any secondary source in genealogy, but it is especially essential in regards to the Lockwoods.

Origin

Robert Lockwood was baptized on January 18, 1600/1, at Combs, Suffolk, England, the son of Edmund Lockwood.^[3][4] His mother is assumed to have been Alice Cowper.^{[citation needed]}

Associations

Edmund Lockwood, brother.^[3] Robert was executor of Edmund's estate in 1635, and gave permission for the church of Watertown to appoint Governor John Haynes and Simon Bradstreete to give the minor children unto the care of such persons as they thought meet.^[5] Edmund's widow married 2nd to John Masters. Edmund had resided at Cambridge before his death. Prior to 1639, Robert Lockwood sold to John Masters "five acres of marsh at the oyster bank near the river" [Ca TR 53]. This land probably belonged to Edmund prior to his death. Also, we know that in late 1636 to early 1647, the size of property granted was based on number of family members, and Robert had two extra persons in his family. These were the two orphaned children of Edmund's first marriage, (her name is unknown). One was Edmund's son, Edmund Lockwood, and the other is unidentified.^[3]

Nicholas Knapp's "Homestall" was an adjoining property to Robert's.^[4]

Nicholas sold all his holdings at Watertown on May 6, 1646, while Robert had done so a week earlier, on April 30, 1646, and to the same men, Bryan Pendleton and Edward Garfield.^[3] They both removed to Stamford in 1646.^[3]

Immigrated to Watertown

Robert arrived at Massachusetts Bay Colony sometime before 1634, probably in 1633, judging by the pattern of his landholding at Watertown, and possibly with his brother, Edmund, in 1630 (ship unknown).^[3] He was designated a freeman of Massachusetts Bay at Watertown 9 March 1636/7, so he was certainly also a member of the Watertown Congregational church (membership was required for freeman status).^[4] His son, Jonathan, was born in Watertown 10 September, 1634.^[3] His wife, Susanna was in Watertown for several years by that time, and his brother, Edmund, arrived in 1630. Therefore it is entirely possible that Robert immigrated earlier. He may have even traveled with his brother. The year is set at 1634 only because we have solid documentation for it.^[3]

Family

Robert married, by 1634, to Susanna Norman, the daughter of Richard Norman.^[3]

Robert and Susanna had eleven children:^[3]

1. Jonathan Lockwood, born Watertown, Massachusetts, 10 Sept 1634
2. Deborah Lockwood, born Watertown, 12 October 1636
3. Joseph Lockwood, born Watertown, 6 August 1638
4. Daniel Lockwood, born Watertown, 25 March 1640
5. Ephraim Lockwood, born Watertown, 1 December 1641
6. Gershom Lockwood, born Watertown 6 September 1643
7. John Lockwood, born say 1646
8. Abigail Lockwood, born say 1648
9. Sarah Lockwood, born say 1650
10. Sarah Lockwood, born Fairfield, Connecticut, "27 February 1651[/2?];" may have mar Abraham Adams
11. Mary Lockwood, born say 1654 mar Jonathan Husted

After Robert's death, Susanna married Jeffrey Ferris, and she died at Greenwich on December 23, 1660.^[3] Jeffrey Ferris was made guardian of the minor children after the death of Robert.^[5]

Property at Watertown, Stamford and Fairfield

Robert was granted or purchased land many times while in Watertown. In the Composite Inventory, he held eight parcels. Examples include:^[3]

July 25, 1636, Robert was granted a thirty-five acre lot out of the "second division" at Watertown.[WaBOP 4]

February 28, 1636 he was granted six acres.

In the allotting of land on June 26, 1637, Robert Lockhart received six acres in Watertown.

In 1643, the town decreed that "all that had not Farmes laid out formerly shall take them by ten in a Division ... allowing 13 Acres of upland to every head of Persons and cattle," and Robert was assigned 130 acres.^[4]

In 1645, Robert sold a small parcel, and on April 30, 1646, he sold all his holdings at Watertown to Bryan Pendleton and Edward Garfield. Robert removed in 1646 to Stamford and to Fairfield in 1650.^[3]

On 21 May 1657 Robert was appointed Sergeant of the Fairfield train band.^[3]

Estate

Robert died without having left a will. The court appointed his widow, "Susanna Lockwood" administratrix of the estate. Nine children received bequests: Jonathan, the eldest; Joseph; Daniell; Epraim; Gershom; John; Abigall, who married John Barlowe; Sarah; and Mary, who later married Jonathan Hewsteed. Daughter Deborah, who had already received her portion. The Inventory of Robert Lockwood's estate was taken on September 1, 1658.^[6] He is described as "Robert Lockwood deceased in Fairfield." His estate was worth £464, with £110 in real estate.^[3] He may have died suddenly; besides not leaving a will, some property transfers were left unfinished and were addressed by the court.

DNA

McDonald's article combines Y-chromosome STR analysis of seven testers with traditional genealogy. The testers have patrilines to Robert Lockwood passing through his sons Jonathan and Joseph. Altogether, the data confirms biological connections between several dozen of Robert's male descendants, including the connections between Robert and sons Jonathan and Joseph. Robert's 111-marker haplotype can be assumed to be the modal haplogype for the group in the Lockwood surname project at FTDNA.

Sources

1. ↑ Frederick A. Holden and E. Dunbar Lockwood, Descendants of Robert Lockwood. Colonial and Revolutionary history of the Lockwood family in America, from A.D. 1630 (Philadelphia, Pa. : Printed privately by the family, 1889), 1-6 (Robert Lockwood); digital images, InternetArchive. Caution: Incorrect genealogy as to particular descenants, see Jacobus (1955), by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Donald L. Jacobus, "An Atrocious Lockwood Blunder," The American Genealogist, 31 (1955):222-24; digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14} Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume IV, I-L (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2005), 308-315 (Robert Lockwood); digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} Historical Society of Watertown, (1894) Watertown records comprising the first and second books ... Watertown, MA: Fred G. Baker Pr., Archive.org (Lands, Grants, and Possessions, Pages 4,6,9,12,15,25,82)
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Schenck, Elizabeth H., The History of Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut, from the Settlement of the Town in 1639 to 1818: 1639-1700 (Page 392) New York: S.P., 1889, accessed May 15, 2014.
6. ↑ Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9049/images/007627300_00030). Connecticut, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999 [database on-line], Fairfield, Probate Records, Vol 1-5, 1648-1750, image 30. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.Original data: Connecticut County, District and Probate Courts. (Free shareable image from Ancestry.com: https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/26092774?h=87d5f3&utm_campaign=bandido-webparts&utm_source=post-share-modal&utm_medium=copy-url) Record is not indexed. The record book was damaged by fire.

See also:

• Dutchess County, NY: The Settlers of the Beekman Patent Vol 8 page 186
• Anderson, Robert Charles. (Dec 2004) "Robert Lockwood of Watertown, Stamford and Fairfield: English Ancestry, New England Connections and Children's Marriages," Connecticut Ancestry. Connecticut Ancestry Society, Inc., (Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 119-130).
• Betts, Frederic H., 1888. Thomas Betts, of Guilford and Norwalk, and his Descendants. (based on the work of Caroli Wyllys Betts, deceased) page 39
• Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988: Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook). Ancestry.com
• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 11 October 2020), memorial page for SGT Robert Lockwood (14 Jan 1600–11 Sep 1658), Find A Grave: Memorial #159242802, citing Tomac Burying Ground, Greenwich, Fairfield County, Connecticut, USA ; Maintained by Mookie (contributor 47515129) .
• Eva Firestone, Mead-Clark Genealogy, 1946. p.78 Cited as a reference in Torrey's marriages for dtr Deborah.
• Edgar Bullard, Bennett and Allied Families...(p. 31) 1931. Cited as a reference in Torrey's marriages for dtr Deborah.
• Jacobus, Donald Lines. The Gershom Lockwoods of Greenwich, Conn. "The American Genealogist" (1955) Vol. 31, Page 224: Shows the correct genealogy of the seven descendants of Robert Lockwood all with the name "Gershom Lockwood".
• McDonald, Capers W. "Descendants of Robert¹ and Susanna Lockwood of Massachusetts and Connecticut" The Genealogist, Vol. 36 No. 1 (2022) 3–31.