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Created by Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851), the artist; acquired by John Fleming Leicester, first Baron de Tabley (1762–1827), Cheshire [1]; [sale, Phillips, London, March 15, 1809 (lot 7, ‘Byfleet Abbey’) (unsold)] [a]; purchased at auction by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769–1830) at Christie’s, London, July 7, 1827 (lot 19, ‘Thames Lighter at Teddington’) in "The very choice collection of modern pictures, which have constituted the very distinguished and universally admired gallery of that accomplished and truly spirited patron of the arts, the Rt. Hon. Lord de Tabley, deceased" [2][b]; purchased at auction by "Pinney" [3] at Christie’s, London, May 15, 1830 (lot 117, ‘A Canal Scene, with Barges; from the collection of Sir John Leicester’), in "The valuable collection of paintings by ancient and modern masters of Sir Thomas Lawrence" [c]; acquired by Pall-Mall Gallery, London, by 1835 [d]; purchased at auction by John Allnutt of Clapham Common, London (1773–1863) [4] at Christie’s, London, March 19–21, 1838 (lot 214, ‘The Lock; glowing effect of sunset’), in "Italian, French, Flemish, Dutch, and English pictures, forming the Pall Mall Gallery" [5]; ...; acquired by Charles Henry Macdonald, of Handsworth (1830–1863) [6]; [sale, Christie’s, London, May 19, 1855 (lot 77, ‘Newark Castle’) (unsold)]; [sale, Christie’s, London, May 23, 1857 (lot unknown, ‘Newark Castle’) (unsold)]; purchased at auction by "Gregory" at Christie’s, London, June 5, 1858 (lot 51, ‘Newark Abbey’), in "English pictures, of the highest class" [e]; ...; acquired by Henry McConnel (1801–1871), of Cressbrook [7] [f]; ...; purchased at auction by Thos. Agnew & Sons, Ltd., London, at Christie’s, London, May 22, 1869 (lot 86, ‘Newark Abbey on the Vey’), in "A Valuable Assemblage of Modern Pictures and Water-Colour Drawings" [8]; privately purchased by Thomas Woolner RA (1825–1892), London, May 24, 1869 [9][g]; ...; acquired by Kirkham Daniel Hodgson (1814–1879), London [10][h]; by descent to his son, Robert Kirkman Hodgson (1850–1924), London [11]; purchased by Thos. Agnew & Sons, Ltd., London, May 3, 1893 [i]; privately purchased by James Orrock RI (1829–1913), London, June 24, 1893 [12][j]; purchased by Thos. Agnew & Sons, Ltd., London, May 18, 1901 [k]; privately purchased by Sir Charles Clow Tennant, first Baronet (1823–1906), June 4, 1901 [13][l]; by descent to his son, Christopher Grey Tennant, second Baron Glenconner (1899–1983); by descent to his son, Colin Christopher Paget Tennant, third Baron Glenconner (1926–2010); purchased by Thos. Agnew & Sons, Ltd., London, 1961; purchased by Paul Mellon (1907–1999), 1962 [m]; by whom given to the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut, 1981.

Notes:
[1] John Fleming Leicester, first Baron de Tabley, was an English politician, patron, and artist.

[2] Sir Thomas Lawrence was the fourth president of the Royal Academy. He served as one of the executors of the first Baron de Tabley’s will.

[3] "Pinney" may refer to London art dealer Bernard Pinney or William Penney, Lord Kinloch (1801–1872), a Scottish judge and writer of religious poetry and prose. The name "Pinney" or "Penney" is listed as the buyer of this painting at this auction, though it is not completely certain if this is the dealer Pinney or Lord Kinloch.

[4] John Allnutt was a notable arts patron and collector, acquiring his wealth through the wine industry. He was a prominent collector of J. M. W. Turner. John Allnutt either purchased the work at this auction or it was bought in at auction and later sold to Allnutt.

[5] The sale took place over three days, with this painting listed on March 20, the second day. W. Davison was the director of the Pall-Mall Gallery, and he is provided as the seller. Although the painting was bought in, it was exhibited again at the gallery in 1837 as no. 179 (‘The Lock Sunset’).

[6] Charles Henry Macdonald, sometimes annotated as John Macdonald, was a solicitor who listed the painting for sale over several consecutive years until his death. In some provenance entries, Macdonald is annotated as being "of Cressbrook." However, this is likely an error. The only instances in which Macdonald is denoted as being "of Cressbrook" are entries in which later owner Henry McConnel is not acknowledged. In these cases, the similarity of their surnames may have led to a conflation of the two owners.

[7] Henry McConnel (1801–1871) was a cotton manufacturer and art collector, who was once described in The Times as "the pioneer of art collecting in Lancashire." McConnel extensively collected Turner paintings and commissioned Keelmen Heaving in Coals by Moonlight (1835).

[8] The sale's catalog erroneously states that it had been purchased at Lawrence's sale by John Allnut.

[9] Thomas Woolner was one of the founding members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood as an English sculptor. He owned the painting until at least 1872 since he lent the painting to the Royal Academy for an exhibition of old masters that year. The painting was no. 145 (‘Newark Abbey, on the Wey, Surrey’) in the catalog.

[10] Kirkman Daniel Hodgson was an English member of parliament, merchant, banker, and arts patron who acquired a few works by the artist in his lifetime, which were inherited by his son, Robert Kirkman Hodgson. [11] Robert Kirkman Hodgson, the son of Kirkman Daniel Hodgson, was an English member of parliament and an arts patron.

[12] James Orrock was a Scottish artist and collector who owned several works by the artist, who he greatly admired in his lifetime.

[13] Sir Charles Clow Tennant, first Baronet, was a Scottish politician and businessman. From around 1880 on, William Agnew of Thos. Agnew & Sons frequently purchased works for his collection. He served as trustee of the National Portrait Gallery, London, and of the National Gallery, London, the latter post of which he held until his death.

Citations:
[a] Burton B. Frederickson, ed., The Index of Paintings Sold in the British Isles during the Nineteenth Century: 1806–1810, vol. 2, no. 1 (Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1990), 55.
[b] James Christie, A catalogue of the very choice collection of modern pictures, which have constituted the very distinguished and universally admired gallery of that accomplished and truly spirited patron of the arts, the Rt. Hon. Lord de Tabley, deceased, at no. 24, Hill Street, Berkely Square (London: Mr. Christie, 1827), 4. https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/orbis:13669759
[c] James Christie, A catalogue of the valuable collection of paintings by ancient and modern masters of Sir Thomas Lawrence ... : comprising highly interesting specimens of the talent of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Wilson, Barrett, West, Fuseli, Opie, Cosway, Westall, Thompson, Owen, Howard, Sir George Beaumont, Jackson, Wilkie, Turner, Etty, Danby, Bonington, and Sir Thomas Lawrence : also of celebrated Italian, Flemish, and Dutch masters ... : which (by order of the executor) will be sold by auction, by Mr. Christie, at his great room, 8, King Street, St. James's Square, on Saturday, May the 15th, 1830, at one precisely (London: Mr. Christie, 1830), 9. https://archive.org/details/catalogueofvalua00chri_49
[d] Pallmall Gallery, "Permanent Exhibition and Sale of Ancient and Modern Pictures, Drawings, and Other Works of Art" (London: C. & W. Reynell, 1835), p. 13, no. 201, "The Lock--Sunset"
[e] Martin Butlin and Evelyn Joll, The Paintings of J.M.W. Turner (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1984), 51, 118, no. 65, pl. 75.
[f] Alfred George Temple, Catalogue of the Loan Collection of Pictures and Drawings by J. M. W. Turner, R. A. (London: Corporation of London Art Gallery, 1899), 34, no. 18. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Catalogue_of_the_Loan_Collection_of_Pict/qQpBAAA