Francis Locke Sr.
Francis Locke Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Francis Locke |
| Born | 1722 Ireland |
| Died | 1796, age 74 Mill Bridge, North Carolina |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | French-Indian War
War of Independence
|
| Rank | Siege of Ninety-Six |
| Spouse(s) | Anna Brandon |
| Relations | Matthew Locke, brother; Francis Locke Jr., son |
Francis Locke Sr. (1722–1796) was a plantation owner, businessman, politician, and a participant in the
Personal and family life
Francis Locke was born in 1722 in Ireland. He was the son of John and Elizabeth Locke. When he was still young, the family emigrated to Lancaster, Pennsylvania Colony, where Locke grew up. After his father died in 1744, his mother married John Brandon, who eventually moved the family to Anson County, North Carolina Colony. That area of the county was later split off as Rowan County, North Carolina.[1][2]
Locke settled a plantation near Salisbury, in Rowan County, in 1753, on 640 acres of land he had purchased from his step-father. He and his brother, Matthew Locke, ran a regional transportation company with several wagons based out of the plantation.[1]
In the 1760s and early 1770s, Locke was an
Locke married Anna (née Brandon) Locke. They were the parents of four sons and three daughters. Son, Francis Locke Jr., became a Congressman and superior court judge.[1]
Military career
During the
Revolutionary War service:[4]
- Lt. Colonel, in the Rowan County Regiment of the North Carolina militia (1775)
- Colonel over the 1st Rowan County Regiment of the North Carolina militia (1775-1776)
- Colonel over the 2nd Battalion of Volunteers in the Halifax District Brigade of the North Carolina militia (1776-1777)
- Colonel over the Rowan County Regiment of North Carolina militia (1777-1782)
- Colonel over the 1st Rowan County Regiment of North Carolina militia (1782-1783)
Ramseur's Mill
On June 18, 1780, Rutherford learned that a large force of
The battle, in which muskets were sometimes used as clubs because of a lack of ammunition, was fought between "neighbors, near relations, and friends".[8][9] At first, the battle went Locke's way. When the battle turned against the Patriots, however, Locke ordered a retreat, but Dickey stubbornly refused to retreat from the superior force, and instead sought higher ground, and dug in. Following this, most of Locke's men returned to the battle, flanking the Tories. Dickey is credited with turning the tide of battle. The action delayed the Loyalists long enough for Rutherford's forward detachment to arrive and force the Loyalist surrender. The defeat so badly demoralized the mid-southern Loyalists that they could never organize again in that region.[8]
Other action
Locke also was involved in engagements at
Death
Locke died in early 1796,[3] and is buried in the Thyatira Presbyterian Church cemetery, Mill Bridge, North Carolina.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Brawley, James S. (1991). "Francis Locke". NCpedia.com. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
- ^ Powell, William S. Powell (ed.). Dictionary of North Carolina Biography,(6 volumes). University of North Carolina Press.
- ^ Archive.org; accessed January 2016
- ^ Lewis, J.D. "The American Revolution in North Carolina, Francis Locke". Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ Moore, John Wheeler (1880). History of North Carolina: From the Earliest Discoveries to the Present Time, Volume 1. Alfred Williams. p. 266.
- ^ Note:The rendezvous site is now beneath the impounded waters of the Cowens Ford dam (which forms Lake Norman).
- ^ Ramsour's Mill Archived 2012-10-30 at the Wayback Machine; webpage; Lincoln County History online; accessed January 2016
- ^ a b c Letter, written by Maj. William A. Graham, 1904; "The American Revolution in North Carolina—Battle of Ramseur's Mill;" Carolana.com; accessed January 2016
- ISBN 978-0-7864-0783-5.; p. 154
External links
- Colonel Francis Locke at Find a Grave