Thomas William Jackson

Unit and service number not found

An anonymous soldier

Thomas Jackson is one of the men named on the Bottesford ‘church list’ of WW1 Servicemen.

Family background

Thomas William Ward Jackson was born in 1885, and baptised on the 2nd August at East Allington, Lincolnshire. He was the second child of John and Mary Ann Jackson. John Jackson senior was born in Broughton Clays, close to Brant Broughton, in 1859. His mother, Mary Ann Jackson nee Ward, was born in Peterborough in 1866. They were married on the 15th April, 1883, at Fletton, Peterborough, and had at least ten children.

In 1891, the Jackson family was living on the High Street at Brant Broughton, Lincolnshire. John Jackson (senior) was a brick maker. There were four children. The oldest was eight years old John Robert, born in Peterborough.

Then came Thomas, aged 6, and Ruth, aged 4, both born in Allington, Lincolnshire, The youngest was Horace, aged two, who was born in Woodstone, Peterborough.

In 1901, the family lived at Stragglethorpe Brickyard, Lincolnshire. His father was still a brickmaker. The census displays some confusion about nearly everyone’s place of birth, but it is clear that there were now additional children: as well as John, Thomas and Horace, there was Joseph (aged 8), Ann (aged 6), Ruby (aged 2) and a 1 month old daughter, all were born in Stragglethorpe. There is no mention of Ruth, who may have died as a child. Thomas was now 15 years old.

In 1911, John Jackson, brick and tile maker, and his wife Mary Ann Jackson had come to Bottesford, and lived in Retford Cottages on Chapel Street. With them were four children: Ruby (12), Elsie (5), Florry (5) and baby Arthur. None of the other children were at home. In particular, and the whereabouts of Thomas, now 25 years old, have not been identified.

Military service record

Thomas William Jackson’s service record has not been identified. He may have joined the Royal Engineers, but no evidence of this has been found.

After the war

A Tom Jackson lived on Queen Street, Bottesford, in the 1960s in one of the cottages that were demolished during this decade.

A Thomas William Jackson born in 1885 died in the Grantham area in 1968.

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