John Lok facts for kids

John Lok was an English sea captain and merchant. He is known for leading a trading trip to the Guinea area of Africa in 1554. An account of his journey was later published in 1572.

John Lok was the son of Sir William Lok, a well-known London merchant. He was also a distant relative of the famous philosopher John Locke (1632–1704).

John Lok's Family

We don't know the exact date John Lok was born. He was one of nineteen children! His father was Sir William Lok, a rich merchant from London. His mother was Katherine Cooke.

John had many brothers and sisters. Some of his full siblings included:

• Dorothy Lok, who was married twice.
• Katherine Lok, who was also married twice.
• Rose Lok, who became a Marian exile (someone who left England for religious reasons).
• Henry Lok, who was a merchant and the father of the poet Henry Lok.
• Michael Lok, another merchant, who was married twice.
• Elizabeth Lok, who had many children with her first husband. She later married Nicholas Bullingham, who was a bishop.

His Trading Voyages

Map from c.1736 of the Guinea region to which Lok travelled in 1554

In 1553, John Lok traveled to Jerusalem.

A year later, in 1554, Lok was the captain of three ships. These ships were named the Trinity, the Bartholomew, and the John Evangelist. They set sail on a trading trip to the Guinea coast of Africa.

The ships left England on November 1. They sailed past Madeira and the Canary Islands. They reached the coast of Africa at Cape Barbas. The crew then traded down the coast, stopping at different places.

The journey to Africa took about seven weeks. The return trip was much longer, taking twenty weeks. Sadly, twenty-four sailors were lost during the voyage.

What They Traded For

The ships brought back many valuable goods to England. This included over 400 pounds of gold. They also carried 36 barrels of Guinea pepper. In addition, they brought back 250 elephant tusks. They even had an elephant's skull that was so big, one person could barely lift it!

John Lok's ships also brought five Africans from what is now Ghana to England. The plan was for them to learn English. This way, they could act as interpreters for future trading trips to Guinea.

A man named Robert Gaynsh, who was a master on one of the ships, wrote about this voyage.

Later Plans

Later, in 1561, some London merchants wanted Lok to captain another voyage to Guinea. However, John Lok decided not to go. He mentioned that the ship was not in good condition. He also felt it was not the right time of year for such a journey. The voyage still happened in 1562, but without Lok as captain.

John Lok is believed to have died in France. We do not know the exact date of his death.

Marriage

John Lok married Margaret Spert. She was a cousin of Sir Thomas Spert. It is believed that John Lok did not have any children.