Thomas Meakin Lockwood was born in Whitechapel, London, England on 21 November 1829 and was articled to the architect and Borough Survey of Brighton Philip Causton Lockwood (1821-1908) from 1851. From 1855 to 1862 he worked as a draughtsman for various architectural offices, including Thomas Mainwaring Penson (1817?-1864) and George Woodhouse (c.1829-1883). He commenced independent practice in Chester in 1862.
In 1892 Lockwood formed a partnership with his sons, William Thomas Lockwood, also known as Thomas William Lockwood (1863-1942) and Philip Henry Lockwood (1864-1939) as T. M. Lockwood and Sons. Lockwood and his practice principally designed residential properties in Cheshire, Shropshire and North Wales.
Lockwood was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1887. He died in Chester, Cheshire on 15 July 1900.
Lockwood's most notable building was The Cross at the junction of Watergate Street, Eastgate Street and Bridge Street, Chester built in 1888 in the mock Tudor style. Other buildings by him included the Presbyterian Church in Holt, Wrexham, Wales (1865); a school in Harthill, Cheshure (1868); the Town Hall in Whitchurch, Shropshire (1872); the Independent Chapel in Cecil Street, Chester (1872-75); 20 Bridge Street, Chester (1873); 5-7 Eastgate Street, Chester (1874); Northgate Church in Chester (1874); Northgate Church in Chester (1874-75); Court No. 2, Chester Castle, Chester (1875-76); a boathouse for or the Grosvenor Rowing Club in Chester (1877); Mold Police Station in Mold, Flintshire (1881); The Red House in Hawarden, Flintshire (1883); Whitefriars Lodge in Chester (1885); Grosvenor Museum in Chester (1885-86); 39 Kennedy Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire (1885-86); 3 Upper Northgate Street, Chester (1886); The Cumbers, Hanmer, Wrexham, Wales (1887-88); 1 Bridge Street, Chester (1888); 2–4 Eastgate Street, Chester (1888); 31 Eastgate Street, Chester (1889); 24–26 Commonhall Street, Chester (1889); Park Hall inOswestry, Shropshire (1889); four cottages for the staff of Browns of Chester at 2-5 Old Hall Place (c.1889); Hawarden Gymnasium in Hawarden, Flintshire (1891).
For later work see Lockwood & Sons.
Armstrong, Barrie and Armstrong, Wendy. The Arts and Crafts movement in the North West of England: a handbook. Wetherby, England: Oblong Creative Ltd., 2006
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001