Catherine was the 7th of 10 children of George & Sarah Williams, all baptised at Lyme, Dorset between 1817 & 1837. Catherine was baptised on 11 Jan 1829.
In the 1841 census, Catherine age 12 was at Church Street, Lyme, with George Williams 40 Ag Lab, Sarah 45, Charlotte 20, Rachel 15, Ellen 15, George 13, Frederic 10, William 7, Thomas 4, Jane 1.
In the 1851 Census at East Street, Bridport (schedule 29) is John Knight, Head, Hotel Keeper, with his wife Sarah and 5 children, 7 servants and 4 travellers. Among the servants are Kitty Williams, U, 22, Underwaitress, born Lyme and William Locock, U, 31, Under Ostler, born Bridport.
William and Kitty obviously enjoyed each other’s company in the summer of 1851 because they married on 29 September at Dorchester St Peter and their son William was born only 7 months later.
Their first child William George was born on 27 April 1852 at Church Street, All Saints, Dorchester. As the Birth Certificate gives the time of birth, 8h 30m AM, it was probably a multiple birth, but we have found no other record to confirm this. On 13 May 1852 Catherine only registered one birth, making her mark in place of signature on the Birth Certificate as she had done on her Marriage Certificate.
In the 1861 census at Kiln Lane, St Austell in Cornwall, Catherine Locock is entered as a widow, age 28, pauper, born Dorset, Lime Regis with 5 children: William 9 Scholar born Dorset Lyme Regis, Sarah Ann 6 Scholar born Cornwall, St Germans, Elizabeth Jane 4 Scholar, born Cornwall, St Austell, John 3 Scholar born St Austell, Clara 1 born St Austell. (in fact Catherine was 32, and son William was born in Dorchester, so we need to check out the rest of the information she gave!)
Husband William had died very recently, on 31 March 1861, at Kiln Lane, St Austell, from Chronic Bronchitis, age given as 47 on his Death Certificate.
In 1866, Catherine and her children were back in Dorset at Bridport. On 16 April, Catherine gave her consent (by making her mark) on son William’s application form to join the Royal Navy. (Once again the wrong age was given, this time for William whose date of birth was recorded in Naval Records as 12 October 1851 for the rest of his life).
On 5 Dec 1866, Catherine married again at Bridport Independent Chapel:
Abraham Tibbs, 54 years, widower, Labourer, residence Bridport, father John Tibbs (deceased) Weaver, and Catherine Locock, 40 years, widow, residence Bridport, father George Williams, Butcher’s Labourer. Abraham signed and Catherine made her mark, in the presence of Mary Jane Forcy & Samuel Ward.
Abraham & Catherine Tibbs had 2 daughters: Leah born Q3 1867 and Bessy born Q1 1870.
The 1871 Census shows them at Ellen’s Row, East Street, Bridport:
Abraham Tibbs, Head, Mar,61, Yarn Bleacher, born Dorset, Burton Bradstock.
Catherine Tibbs, Wife, Mar, 44, Laundress, Dorset, Lyme Regis.
Sarah Ann Locock, Daur, Unm, 19, Mill Hand, born Bridport.
Elizabeth J Locock, Daur, Unm, 16, born Bridport.
John Locock, Son, Unm,14, Twine Finisher, born Bridport.
Clara M Locock, Daur, 12, Scholar, born Bridport.
Leah Tibbs, Daur,3, Scholar, born Bridport.
Bessie Tibbs, Daur, 1, born Bridport.
(Sarah, Elizabeth, John & Clara were actually born in Cornwall)
Leah Tibbs died in 1874 at the age of 6.
Sarah Ann Locock was married in Q1 1876.
Elizabeth Jane Locock was married on 2 Jan 1876 to James Harvey at Unitarian Chapel Bridport.
In the 1881 Census, at East Street Bridport are:-
Abraham Tibbs 72, his wife Catherine 52, with daughters Clara Tibbs 19 Twine Spinner by hand, born Cornwall St Fossil and Bessie Tibbs 11 Scholar born Bridport. With them are 2 visitors: Ellen Taylor, Mar, 55 born Lyme Regis (Catherine’s sister?) John Locock, Unm, 22, Royal Navy Seaman, born Cornwall St Austell (Catherine’s son).
In Q4 1887 in Shepton Mallet Registration District, Clara Stagg Locock married James Theodore Brown.
In 1891 Census, at East Street Bridport:
Abraham Tibbs, Head, M, 81, Greengrocer, neither employer nor employed, born Burton Bradstock.
Catherine Tibbs, Wife, M, 59, - , born Lyme.
Bessie Tibbs, dau, S, 21, greengrocer’s daughter, born Bridport.
Thomas Button, Boarder, M, 76, Packman’s Asst, employed, born Hitchin, Herfordshire.
In the same building, 2 rooms were occupied by Francis Travers, Lodger, S, 64, Gardener, born Bradpole. 3 rooms were occupied by Edward Pratt, Head, S, 28, and his brothers Harvey 18, and Frank 20, all General Dealer, neither employer nor employed, born Colchester, Essex.
Bessie Tibbs married in Q2 1891.
The death of Abraham Tibbs, age 79, was registered in Q4 1892 Bridport.
It seems likely that Catherine then went to live with her married daughter Clara Brown in Shepton Mallett. That is where she died on 30 Mar 1894, at White Swan Inn, Kilon Street, Shepton Mallett.
The informant was her son-in-law James T Brown of the same address, present at the death.
The cause of death given on her Death Certificate was Gangrene of foot 3 months. Her age was given as 61 years. (It should have been 65, but one can hardly blame her daughter & son-in-law for the inaccuracy).