Mary Ann Brown was born in Ludlow. Her family lived at 13 Holdgate Fee, where her mother ran a lodging house which was to provide income and be a pension fund in years to come. Her father,Thomas, was a labourer on the new railway which ran through the town. In 1876 Mary Ann married Edward Locket in Bridgnorth. His prior history is something of a mystery, since we’ve been unable to track any mention of him or his mother Jemima in any census before his marriage.
They were evidently not well off. Edward made a living as a general dealer. This could mean that he kept a shop selling assorted everyday objects. Or perhaps his sales were more ad hoc, conducted from the home rather than from commercial premises. Mary Ann brought in extra money from hawking. She most likely dealt in matches or flowers depending on the season.
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By 1885 Mary Ann and most of her family had moved to Nag’s Head Yard. At this time her eldest son was sent to his maternal grandmother's nearby, and the eldest daughter was staying with her paternal grandmother in Madeley.
It seems that the Lockets were not easy neighbours. Newspapers regularly reported them charged with being drunk and disorderly, 'throwing insults' and 'causing general disturbances' around Ludlow. Alcohol abuse was largely responsible for this behaviour, and the Lockets reflect a general trend amongst the working classes at this time. In 1876 every adult in Britain was estimated to be drinking an average of 34 gallons of beer per year!. In 1909 mary Ann's son Thomas was convicted of stealing wool. He claimed to have been so drunk at the time that he had no recollection of the incident in question.
The last we see of Mary Ann and Edward Locket is in 1909. According to local records they were both continuing to making a meagre living from hawking. |
