"Booth" Was Not John Wilkes Real Last Name?

[Steve]

Thanks to Laurie for sending this short video about an amazing lock made by Johannes Wilkes in 1680. Could this be an ancestor of John Wilkes Booth?

CLICK HERE.

That's a pretty neat lock, thanks for sharing the video, Laurie.

Unfortunately, I have to put a little cold water on the subject of Johannes Wilkes being an ancestor of John Wilkes Booth. If you look closely at the inscription on the lock, it says that it was made in Birmingham, which was then in the county of Warwickshire. The Wilkes family that Elizabeth was from were all descended from an Edward Wilkes from the town of Albrighton in the county of Salisbury. See this link from a book about the radical John Wilkes:

https://archive.org/stream/lifeofjohnwil...3/mode/2up

Here is a link with images of silver candlesnuffers made by JWB's great-grandfather, John Booth:

http://www.petercameronantiquesilver.com...rs/143399/