WARD & LOCK Ward and Lock started their own firm on Midsummer's Day 1854. The Locks were an influential Dorchester family and George Lock's father had married Eliza Galpin making George Lock (1832-1891) first cousin to Thomas Dixon Galpin, later to make his name with Cassell, Petter and Galpin. Ebenezer Ward (1819-1902) was a manager for the Illustrated London News publishers' book business. The two were introduced by Thomas Galpin and Ward Lock was launched with a £1000 loan from George Lock senior, the articles of partnership being signed June 23rd 1854. After initial friendly [1] relations and support, contact between the two cousins was broken when Galpin and his partner, George William Petter, took over Cassell's to found a rival business partnership. From 1891 until c.1897 James Bowden was a partner and the company traded under the name Ward, Lock and Bowden Ltd. Ward and Lock guides first appeared in 1886-87 and included a number of small maps of towns ...