Born: Thomas William Spink Locke was born in 1830 in Bury St. Edmunds.
Educated: His later life and career indicated that he was a well educated man.
Married: Thomas Locke never married.
Family: He had no children.
Home: In 1874 Thomas Locke gave his address as the Green House, Coatham. During the 1890s Col. Locke lived in Milbank Terrace, Coatham. His housekeeper and maidservant lived with him.
Known for: During the Crimean War Thomas Locke served as an army surgeon. He was a Surgeon-Major in the West Suffolk Militia. After moving to Coatham, he practised as a doctor for over 50 years and became well-known in the neighbourhood. In 1889 he became one of the directors of the Redcar Pier Company. In 1898 he became a magistrate and he played a large part in getting a court building for the town. Colonel Locke left £5,000 in his will to buy 24 acres of land for a public park in Redcar, now known as Locke Park. The park was opened in 1929, five years after Colonel Locke’s death.
Died: In 1924 Colonel T.W.S.Locke died in Coatham at the age of 94 and was buried in the churchyard of Christ Church, Coatham.
Further Information: “Redcar and Coatham: A History to the End of World War Two” Janet Cockroft (1976)