Michael Lok

Michael Lok (c.1532-c.1615) was an English merchant and traveller, the main backer of Martin Frobisher.

Life

He was a younger son of the mercer Sir William Lok. He was kept at school until 1545, when he was thirteen. His father then sent him to Flanders and France. After seven years in Flanders he went in 1552 to Spain, following his business as a merchant, and there and at Lisbon saw the trade of the Spanish West Indies, and the East Indies. During 24 years he travelled, and was captain of a ship of one thousand tons trading in the Levant.

In the course of his voyages he met Martin Frobisher, and in 1576 entered into the scheme for the voyage to the north-west, supplying many of the necessaries at his own cost. When the Cathay Company was formed in March 1577, Lok was appointed governor for six years. The venture, however, entirely failed, and in January 1579 he had to petition the privy council for relief and assistance. In June 1581 he was again petitioning the privy council, from the Fleet Prison, condemned at the suit of William Borough to pay for a ship bought for Frobisher's last voyage, though he claimed the debt was not his; he was also bound for a larger debt of the Cathay Company. In 1614–15 he was still being sued for a debt for stores supplied to Frobisher's ships.

In 1587–8 Lok was in Dublin, and in 1592 went out to Aleppo as consul for the Levant Company for four years. After two years, however, the appointment was summarily cancelled, by the intrigues—as Lok asserted—of one Dorrington, in the employment of Sir John Spenser, alderman of London. He claimed the full amount of his salary for the four years; but in 1599 he was still claiming it. On 29 June 1608 Lok wrote to Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury sending him intelligence of the warlike preparations of the king of Spain.

Works

An essay, An conveniens sit Matrimonium inter Puellam et Senem from 1583, might imply that he was meditating a third marriage in his old age. He also translated into English part of Peter Martyr's Historie of the West Indies, which was published in 1612.

Family

Lok married, first, Joan, daughter of William Wilkinson, sheriff of London. She died 1571, leaving several children, of whom eight are named in her will (dated 9 February 1570–1, proved by Lok 6 April 1571). He married, secondly, Mary (or Margaret), daughter of Martin Perient, treasurer to the army in Ireland, widow of Cæsar Adelmare (d. 1569), and mother of Sir Julius Cæsar the judge. In 1579 Lok described himself as having a wife and fifteen children.

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Lok, Michael". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 

Persondata
Name	Lok, Michael
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Short description
Date of birth	1532
Place of birth
Date of death	1620
Place of death