Joseph Locke was born at Attercliffe, near Sheffield, on 9 August 1805. Following an education at Barnsley grammar school, in 1823 he was apprenticed to George Stephenson as a pupil engineer. He continued to work for Stephenson after his apprenticeship ended, and was appointed as one of Stephenson's assistants in the construction of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Locke went on to work with Stephenson on the first trunk railway line, the Grand Junction Railway between Birmingham and Warrington. Locke's work on the survey impressed the Grand Junction Railway's directors who offered him the job of building the line. This caused friction in Locke's relationship with Stephenson, and a compromise of dividing work on the line between the two men was agreed. After Stephenson left the project in August 1835, Locke took sole control of the construction of the line. Locke's work on the Grand Junction established his reputation for good engineering combined with economy and speed of construction. His other work included the construction of the main line from London to Southampton (1836–40), the line between Sheffield and Manchester (1838–40) and the Greenock, Paisley, and Glasgow line (1837–41). In 1840, Locke formed a partnership with John Edward Errington, with whom he constructed lines in Lancashire and Scotland.

Locke moved to the manor of Honiton, Devon in 1847, and was Liberal MP for the borough of Honiton from 1847 until his death.

Locke died suddenly at Moffat, near Dumfries, Scotland, on 18 September 1860.