John Fea: The Lock Keeper

John Fea of Falkirk was born between 1767 and 1791. The 1841 and 1851 Scottish census documents give Crosskirk on the Island of Sanday, Orkney, as his birthplace. His parents, given on his death certificate, were John Fea, Seaman Royal Navy and ______ Sutherland. The lack of a precise date of birth is one of several factors that have hindered tracing John the lock keeper's lineage further back into his Orkney roots.

According to his obituary in the Falkirk Herald, he was a great-grandson of John Fea VII of Clestrain in Orkney. Unfortunately, the obituary cannot be relied upon in its entirety for accuracy and it has not been possible to verify the connection.

Parish records state that he was “irregularly married” to Elizabeth (Betty) Brown on 25th August, 1802 in Falkirk, Stirlingshire. Additional entries document that they had at least three children:

• John Charles Timmons Fea    b. 8th November 1806

• James Traill Fea    b. 5th December 1808

• Thomas Brown Fea    b. 18th June 1815

No details of birth or death have been located in respect of Elizabeth Brown.

There is quite a gap between the children, James and Thomas Fea, and the obituary indicates that they had five children.

Superficially the timing of both the marriage and the birth dates of the children appear to coincide with lulls in British naval conflicts of the time. Skirmishes of the Napoleonic Wars were waged from approximately 1793 until a temporary hiatus was reached about 1802, the same year as John and Elizabeth's marriage.

The obituary notes that he was 'pressed' back into naval service at a later date. He was certainly on the ship Indefatigible for a number of years and at an incident in 1804 when she was involved in the taking of three Spanish frigates, laden with gold and silver. After the seafaring life, he was employed by the Forth and Clyde Canal Co. for 48 years.

John Fea remarried on 21st February 1821 in Stirlingshire. His second wife was Catherine Thomson (b. circa 1800). At the time of the 1841 and 1851 census, they were living at Canal Lock No 6. According to the obituary, they had eight children. Five of these are documented on the 1841 and 1851 census entries:

• Alexander Fea    b. circa 1827

• Catherine Fea    b. circa 1829, Falkirk

• Helen Fea          b. circa 1831, Falkirk

• Simon Fea          b. circa 1833/35, Falkirk

• David Fea          b. circa 1833/35, Falkirk

John Fea died on 12th February 1862.

Allan Fea in “The Real Captain Cleveland”, which was published in 1912 writes:

“Old John” is still remembered as a locksman, and a daughter is said to be still living in Cleveland, Ohio. Her brother Alexander, who migrated to America in 1849, died there two years ago at the same age as his father. The sons of another brother who went to America, it is said, are now cow-boys. The Real Captain Cleveland, Allan Fea - p202

The daughter living in Ohio is thought to be Helen Fea, who married Alexander Winton.