Locke was, indeed, William Locke's son. Of the father of the latter we know no more than that, whilst himself manager of a coal-mine at White-lane, in the neighbourhood of Sheffield, he was sufficiently esteemed and possessed sufficient interest to be able to procure for one of his sons, John Locke, the appointment of manager of a colliery at Kipa, a village situated some six or seven miles from Leeds. In this colliery John Locke ultimately became a partner. That his reputation and in?uence remained unimpaired, we are enabled to gather from the fact that a few years later he obtained for his other son, William, the father of Joseph Locke, a similar situation at Attercliffe, in the neighbourhood of Sheffield.