Dr John Lockman’s career as a canon at St George’s spanned nearly half a century, from 1758 to 1807. Such a long career was bound to leave a mark on the College. He frequently appears in the Chapter Acts being appointed to act for the Dean, and holding the offices of Treasurer and Steward.
Lockman’s family had a royal connection; his father had come from Hanover and worked for King George II, while Lockman himself was the Clerk of the Closet to George IV (while he was Prince of Wales). Lockman also liaised with King George III in the restoration of St George’s Chapel. He was particularly concerned with the windows, and proposed the East Window to be a painted glass window, as well as collecting all the old stained glass from the rest of the Chapel and rearranging it in the West Window. He was also involved with decisions about the stained glass elsewhere in the Chapel.
He married Elizabeth Seare and they had two daughters, Anna Maria (born 1764) and Caroline (born 1766). However, Elizabeth’s health was not good, as on 3 May 1765 it was recorded in the Chapter Acts that the Dean and Canons had agreed that ‘as Mr Lockman is obliged to go abroad for some time on account of Mrs Lockman’s state of health he be excused residence’, meaning that he would still receive his stipend – a regular payment or salary – even though he could not carry out his duties.
It is not clear what happened to Elizabeth. There is no record of her burial at Windsor, and she is not mentioned again. Lockman’s daughters, however, do appear. On 23 May 1778, the tithes of Rill Mow in Devon were granted to Anna Maria and Caroline, both of Drayton Beauchamp, Buckinghamshire. In November that year, Anna Maria married Edward Barker (not at St George’s). After that, Caroline appears alone as leasing property from the Dean and Canons in Devon, both Rill Mow and Fluxton Mow up to 1808. These are both in the parish of Ottery St Mary, which in 1764 Lockman had visited on College business. There does not seem to be a family connection to Devon otherwise.
By 1806, Dr Lockman is described as ‘disabled by age and infirmity’ and therefore was unable to keep up his residence at St George’s. Chapter agreed that they would not take advantage of this and would not make him forfeit his stipend.
Lockman died on 26 December 1807 and was buried on 4 January 1808 in the south aisle of St George’s Chapel. His daughters erected a memorial tablet to him in the Bray chantry chapel, near to where he was buried.
The final mention of the Lockman family is from 1828, when Chapter received a letter from Richard Sharman (of Windsor), Caroline Lockman’s executor. He asked for permission to open Dr Lockman’s vault for Caroline’s funeral in four days’ time. Permission was granted the same day.
There is one other burial associated with the Lockman family: Mary Field, described in the burial register as a ‘servant of Mrs Lockman’, who was buried in the Dean’s Cloister in 1814. The inscription on her ledger stone reads:
In Memory of MARY FIELD, 57 years a faithful Servant in the family of the late Revd DR LOCKMAN. Canon of Windsor and Master St Cross: She died…of May 1814. Aged 81 Years.
In 2007, Caroline Lockman’s coffin was discovered while repairs were being made to the floor of the Chapel.