I am still confused about the whole compass thing. Isn’t that one of the items, along side a knife and a few other things, that Richard brought to Locke when he was just a boy and asked him if any of them were his?

Emily Annabeth Locke became pregnant while she was fifteen. His grandmother referred to the man she was dating at the time as being twice her age. If this were confirmed as Anthony and taken literally it would make him born as early as 1924 and as old as 80 when he died.

From season 5, episode 1 (Because You Left):

As Locke lies barely able to move, Richard arrives holding a torch and a first-aid kit. Richard removes the bullet from Locke’s leg, explaining that he (Locke) told him where to come – or rather will tell him. Richard gives John a compass that he must give back to Richard the next time he sees him, saying “I won’t recognize you.” He also tells John that the only way to save the Island is to get those who left to come back, and in order to do that, he will have to die.

From season 5, episode 3 (Jughead):

Striding into camp and demanding to see Richard, Locke causes a commotion, particularly angering the man whom he had kept prisoner. Locke hopes to continue where he left off with Richard in his conversation, but Richard does not recognize him or know his name.

…

Locke meets with Richard, now holding the compass that Locke gave him. Richard asks how Locke got the compass. Locke says that Richard will give him the compass in the future and that Richard will also refer to Locke as their leader. Richard explains that their leaders are chosen by a “very specific process” and that it starts at a “very very young age”. Locke asks the year and is told 1954. Locke says that he will be born in two years (May 30, 1956) in Tustin, California and invites Richard to come meet him. Locke then senses that time is about to shift and urges Richard to tell him how to get off the island. Before he can get an answer there is another time shift.

We see Richard visit Locke when he’s born, five (to test him and see if he’s ready to join him on the island) and later trying to recruit him through a science camp when he’s 17. This occurs in season 4 (Cabin Fever) before we see the events that setup the meetings in the first place. Hope that clears it up

As for Widmore, we have to believe that he talk with Jacob; I don’t see a reason to think otherwise, especially since nothing else was shown contrary to that. Jacob sent him there to use Desmond for the exact reason we saw in the finale, to remove the plug in the heart of the island, which simultaneously started the island’s destruction and stripped the man in black of his powers (making him mortal). Pulling the plug released electromagnetism, hence the test to verify Desmond could survive the exposure and likely one of the factors to Jack’s death.

Oh, and word has it that the man in black’s name is really Samuel. Would it have killed them to have included this ultimately moot detail and not go on thinking that everyone called him Brother for 40 years? Bah.

Anthony Cooper is definitely Locke’s father, which is why he is conned into giving his kidney to him. Anthony Cooper knew that his son would be a match to donate a kidney.