Matthew Locke (
fl.
''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...
1660–1683) was an English administrator, holder of the post of
Secretary at War from 1666 to 1683, when he sold it.
Locke was clerk to the "Irish and Scottish Committee" set up in 1651, and later gave evidence against
Henry Vane the Younger
Sir Henry Vane (baptised 26 March 161314 June 1662), often referred to as Harry Vane and Henry Vane the Younger to distinguish him from his father, Henry Vane the Elder, was an England, English politician, statesman, and colonial governor. He ...
who was on it. He was a nephew of Sir Paul Davis, also concerned in Irish business as administrator, and was then private secretary to
George Monck. He was related also, at some distance, to
Robert Southwell.
After the death of Monck (who had become the Duke of Albemarle) in 1670, Locke transformed the role of his secretaryship. It took on a significant share of military movement and supply orders. Locke's tenure consolidated the administrative role of the post.
The secretaryship was bought from Locke in 1683 by
William Blathwayt, who had royal backing.
Notes
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Locke, Matthew
English politicians
17th-century English civil servants
Chief secretaries for Ireland