ABSTRACT
Locke was born on 29 August 1632 at Wrington, Somerset, into a family of very minor – indeed marginal – gentry, and grew up in Pensford, a village seven miles south of Bristol. On his arrival he began keeping a journal, a practice that he was to continue until the end of his life. In later years the number of entries grew smaller, especially after 1689, but the volumes covering the years in France make it possible, for the first time in Locke's life, to construct an almost day-by-day account of his movements and activities. Locke exhibited a wide-ranging curiosity about aspects of French life. Locke was to live at Oates for the remainder of his life, though for the next few years he was forced to spend quite long periods in London attending to government business. Locke spent the early months of 1695 at Oates, working on a new project.
