John Lock – 9 Cemetery Road

In 1911 John, aged 13 years, is listed as the youngest child of John and Mary Lock. They lived at 9 Cemetery Road, a 4-roomed house. His father was a wheelwright. His parents had been married for 25 years and had had 8 children, one of whom had died. Three of his sisters were also living at home: Bertha aged 20 years who worked in the Steam Laundry; May aged 18 years and Amy aged 15 years.

There is something of a mystery about John. In 1901 the family including Bertha, May and Amy were living at 2 Cemetery Lane. There were 2 older sisters but the youngest member of the family aged 3 years – the same age as John would have been – is called Albert. As there was not a John in 1901 nor an Albert in 1911, it seems likely this was the same person.

In Stamford is not uncommon for an enumerator to use the first name when the family call a boy by his second name however in this case it appears that John reverts to being Albert because ‘Stamford in the Great War’ does not have a John Lock but there is an Albert who enlisted in 1916 and served in the Army Service Corps. There is also an Albert Lock who married Kathleen Hager in Stamford 1923. John and Albert may not be the same but this is the most likely explanation.