General Matthew Locke

A Patriot of the American Revolution for NORTH CAROLINA with the rank of BRIGADIER GENERAL. DAR Ancestor # A070976

Matthew Locke (1730 – September 7, 1801) was a general during the American Revolutionary War, a wagon driver, and a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1793 and 1799.

Personal and early Life

Locke was born to John Locke (1700, England –c.1744, Lancaster, Pennsylvania) and his wife Elizabeth (c.1705, England –1760, Rowan County, North Carolina) in the north of Ireland, from where his family migrated to Pennsylvania, where his father died. His mother and siblings migrated to North Carolina and settled in Anson County, North Carolina (in an area now part of Rowan County). He was married to Mary (née Brandon) Locke (b. 1735) sometime around 1749 in Rowan County. He married a second time to Elizabeth Towers Gostelowe in 1798.[1][2]

Locke was the brother of Francis Locke, and the uncle of North Carolina Senator Francis Locke, Jr. He was the great-great-great-grandfather of Arkansas Representative Effiegene Locke Wingo.[1]

Government and military service

Locke was named treasury commissioner of the Province of North Carolina in 1771. He was elected a member of the Rowan County Committee of Safety on August 8, 1774 and to the committee of secrecy, intelligence, and observation of Rowan County on September 23, 1774. Matthew Locke was a Colonel in the Rowan County Regiment of militia from 1775 to 1783 during the American War of Independence. He was also a Brigadier General (Pro Tempore) over the Salisbury District Brigade of militia in 1779, as well as the paymaster of troops.[2][1]

Political career

Locke was a delegate to the North Carolina Provincial Congress at Hillsborough in 1775 and at Halifax in 1776 when the State Constitution was approved. He served several terms in the legislature, including periods in the North Carolina House of Commons from 1777 to 1781, the North Carolina Senate from 1781 to 1782, and in the House of Commons again from 1783 to 1792. Locke was a delegate to the 1789 state Constitutional Convention Locke was a delegate to the 1789 state Constitutional Convention called to consider ratification of the United States Constitution. Locke voted against ratification.[1]

Affiliated with the United States Democratic-Republican Party, Locke was elected to the 3rd United States Congress in 1792 and served for three consecutive terms (March 4, 1793 - March 3, 1799).[1]

Later life

Locke married Philadelphia widow, Elizabeth Towers Gostelowe, in 1798,[3] before being defeated for re-election.

After retiring from Congress, Locke was engaged as a planter and was an extensive landowner; he died in Salisbury, North Carolina on September 7, 1801, aged 71 years.[4] He is buried in the Thyatira Churchyard, near Salisbury. Wikipedia

US Congressman. During the Revolutionary War, he was a brigadier-general of the state troops. He served over ten years in the State legislature before being elected for three terms as a United States Representative from North Carolina (1793-1799) - (bio by: Evening Blues)

• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8078741 ;
• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Aug 16 2016, 18:50:31 UTC

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• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Jan 3 2017, 3:38:20 UTC

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• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Jan 3 2017, 3:38:20 UTC

Locke married Philadelphia widow, Elizabeth Towers Gostelowe, in 1798,[1] before being defeated for re-election.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Locke_(U.S._Congress)

• Census: Rowan County, North Carolina
  • Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Jan 5 2017, 4:50:40 UTC

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GEDCOM Note

LOCKE, Matthew, (1730 - 1801) LOCKE, Matthew, (uncle of Francis Locke, and great-great-great-grandfather of Effiegene (Locke) Wingo), a Representative from North Carolina; born in the north of Ireland in 1730; immigrated to the United States and located in Rowan County, N.C.; engaged in transportation by wagon; treasury commissioner of the colony of North Carolina in 1771; elected a member of the safety committee of Rowan County on August 8, 1774, and of the committee of secrecy, intelligence, and observation of Rowan County on September 23, 1774; member of the Provincial Congress at Hillsboro, N.C., and Johnston Court House in 1775; served as paymaster of troops in the Salisbury District in 1775; member of the Colonial Congress at Halifax in 1776; delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1776; member of the state house of commons 1777-1781; brigadier general of North Carolina troops during the Revolutionary War; served in the state senate in 1781 and 1782; again a member of the state house of commons 1783-1792; delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1789 called to ratify the Federal Constitution and voted against ratification; elected as an Anti-Administration candidate to the Third Congress and reelected as a Republican to the Fourth and Fifth Congresses (March 4, 1793-March 3, 1799); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1798 to the Sixth Congress; engaged as a planter and was an extensive landowner; died in Salisbury, Rowan County, N.C., September 7, 1801; interment in the Thyatira Churchyard, near Salisbury, N.C