Enjoying exhibits on Wild Bill Hickock and Diners of Route 66 at the History Museum on the Square…

Our 132nd consecutive Annual Reunion returns to the traditional in-person format! Our focus this year is on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s branch of the family. The fun happens August 5-7 in Springfield, Missouri. Reunion details have been posted. Reproduction of a cabin the Ingalls family lived in for several years…

Why are there no records of John’s and Nathaniel’s arrival in Portsmouth, NH? Usually, there are ship passenger records. Not for Puritans in England during the 1640’s, 1650’s and 1660’s. King James did not want his church “purified” by these malcontents many of whom were successful businessmen. The wealthier you were, the better for the King’s taxation so successful Puritans could not receive permission to leave from him. Poorer Puritans could only have permission to leave if they had a “certificate of conformity” (a loyalty certificate) from their minister. Many arrivals to Puritan New England were hoping to worship in peace according to their own ideas and so came without permission. Only those legally leaving England were recorded. [See: Samuel R. Gardiner, History of England, From the Accession of King James to the Outbreak of the Civil War, 16.3-1642, vol. 8, p. 167 & 169. Also: Daniel Wait Howe, The Puritan Republic of Massachusetts Bay in New England, p. 9.]…

Led by Vice President Chris Locke, the committee met by zoom to review proposals from travel companies for the reunion in London in 2024. The other members are Michael Hanson, of the William Locke of Woburn, MA clan, and Sally Kiel, and Don Hayes of the John Locke clan. In all, six companies were contacted with only two willing to respond with customized proposals to meet our intention to visit Locke-related sites. One company is quite expensive, beginning in the $9000.00 per person range, while the other offering nearly the same services began at half that price. The committee will make a full report and recommendation to the Executive Committee at its next meeting on March 27.   St. Mary Matfelon, formerly the White Chapel, 1n 1755. This is the second building on the site where Capt. John and Nathaniel Locke are believed to have been baptized. This was replaced by two more buildings and the last was destroyed Dec. 27, 1940 during the Blitz.…

A committee has been working on this idea for some months. The survey sent to the members was overwhelmingly positive. Imagine meeting at the park where the White Chapel stood when Capt. John Locke and his brother Nathaniel were baptized. There are several Lockes still buried in the area. We are now looking into travel agencies to design the tour package. Watch for more information as it is prepared!…

Francis Harrington Glidden, a descendant of Capt. John Locke of Rye, sometime seaman and merchant, turned to varnish and made history. In 1866 he started as a varnish salesman, and in 1875 started his own varnish company that turned into the Glidden Varnish Company, making varnishes for furniture, pianos, carriages and wagons. He built it into the largest varnish company in the world. He remained the president of the company until he was 85.  …