Person:John Locke (1)

John Locke settled in New Hampshire about 1640. He was a farmer and carpenter, and reportedly built the first church in New Hampshire. He was also a Captain in the Militia. While working his homestead in Rye he was killed by Indians. The Indian was shot by his son, who was helping his father at the time. The lot of land which his house stood has been reserved by the town and enclosed by a stone wall. A monument to him exists in Rye that reads "In memory of Capt. John Locke who came from England to the shores about 1640. He was killed by Indians August 26, 1696 at the age of 70 years, while reaping his fields in Locke Neck "this town"."

The same area has a placard telling about the area. "Locke's Neck. Named for Captain John Locke who settled here before 1665 with his wife Elizabeth Berry. Born in London in 1627, he landed in Portsmouth, NH and according to tradition framed the first meetinghouse there about 1654. As a Captain of Militia, he was noted for his defensive actions against hostile Indians. He was killed here August26, 1696 by Indians as he worked in his fields with only a sickle for defense. His sons and grandsons were instrumental in the creation of the Parish of Rye in 1726." [Erected by the Locke Family Association1984] This area has been called Joselyn's Neck, Locke's Neck and Staw's Point. In 1978 Rye's annual town meeting officially named this are Locke's Neck in honor of the pioneer family.

Baptised in London, September 16, 1627. Killed by Indians 8/26/1696. According to Locke, p. 1, John is very likely Thomas Locke's son based on information in the London White Chapel Register. Thomas had two sons, John and Nathaniel, who were baptized in London and it is very likely that they are the two Lockes of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. There is no record of the arrival of John and Nathaniel. Elizabeth and John lived for a time in Portsmouth, though he probably settled on this land in 1666 without permission of the town. Later, they settled on Jocelyn's (Locke's) Neck in what is now Rye.

From Locke, p. 6,7: "He was noted for the daring and success with which he fought the Indians, foiling their many attempts to destroy the settlers, hence was correspondingly hated by them. On one of their raids from the east, landing on the coast near Locke's Neck, they concealed their canoes in the bushes and went inland to surprise their intended victims. Locke discovered the canoes and cut generous slashes in them where the cuts were not seen at first glance. The Indians returning from their murderous expedition, pushed off only to find themselves sinking, thereby losing nearly all their plunder, stones, and arms and making it necessary for them to escape overland, suffering many hardships and losing some of their band. Later, a party of eight came from the eastward with the express purpose of killing Locke and, surprising him as he was reaping grain in his field, mortally wounded him with his own gun, which he had left against a rock at some distance away. They then returned without doing further damage. One account says that when the Indians ran up to scalp Locke, the latter had strength enough left to cut off the nose of one with the sickle he had been using; which act was seen by one of his sons who had secreted himself in the grain."

In reference to the killing of John Locke, Roy, p. 5, says: "Years afterwards, his son met a noseless Indian in Portsmouth. While they both recognized each other, we know not what ensued."

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Locke, Arthur Horton. A history and genealogy of Captain John Locke (1627-1696) of Portsmouth and Rye, N. H., and his descendants: also of Nathaniel Locke of Portsmouth, and a short account of the history of the Lockes in England. (unknown: unknown, 1916?).
2.   Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1860-1862)
   3:102-103.