A Letter from Thomas Jackson, baker, born Bristol [?] ca 1824-1830

Discussion in 'Bakers' started by Thomas Jackson, Jan 14, 2014.

  1. Thomas Jackson

    Thomas Jackson New Member

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    Dear Sir or Madam,

    Allow me to introduce myself and tell my story of a long, long time ago.

    I am Thomas JACKSON, a baker by trade, who may have been born in Bristol, or perhaps London, between 1826 and 1830 or thereabouts. I died in 1888 in Victoria, Australia, so my memory isn't too good now. My gt-gt-gt-granddau is trying to find my baptism record and she's been working, on and off, on tracing my life for over 32 years now. I think it's time to help her and bring her some luck for a change. Perhaps you know something or can help fill the gaps in my memory?

    What I can recall and have made available to my 3xgt gdau is this:-

    I arrived in Melbourne, Victoria, on 3rd Jan 1862 on the "Chariot of Fame", having left Liverpool, Lancashire, on the 7th Oct, 1861. I said I was 31, and that may or may not have been correct, when I was recorded on-board. No other JACKSONs were on board.

    I don't remember when I arrived in Liverpool, nor from where.

    I married in Melbourne on 20 Jun 1863 to an Irish lass, in a Catholic Church. The marriage certificate says I was 33, born in Bristol to Charles (a haymaker, or staymaker ?) and Anne JACKSON (no maiden surname for my mother was recorded). I said I was a widower with no children and that my first wife had died in 1854. To my eternal shame, I don't remember her name nor when or where my late wife and I married, nor precisely when, where and why she died.

    My new wife and I moved to New Zealand within a few months of our marriage, and our first child, a daughter, was born there in 1864. Her birth was not registered, but she was baptised. We returned to Melbourne by mid-1866 when our first son was born. He was followed by three more girls. Two of my baby girls died in infancy and tragically my wife died in early 1874.

    I was the informant for all but one of my Victoria-born children, and I said on all of the certificates that my birthplace was Bristol, England. My age seems to vary a bit, so here's a summary of what my ggg-gdau has seen:-

    Event Date of Event Date of Reg Age Approx Birth Year Remarks
    Passenger list ?? Oct 1861 ?? Oct 1861 31 1829-1830
    Birth of son 28 Jun 1866 24 July 1866 36 1829-1830
    Birth of dau 02 Mar 1868 ?? Mar 1868 40 1827-1828 My mother-in-law was the informant this time
    Birth of dau 11 Jan 1871 09 Feb 1871 42 1828-1829
    Birth of dau 05 Aug 1873 22 Sep 1873 48 1824-1825
    My death 30 Oct 1888 [tba] 62 1825-1826

    I moved from Melbourne to Williamstown by 1877 after a little bother with flour substitution in my bread - I had to compensate myself for the burial of my wife and two girls somehow - and I remained there until my death in late 1888.

    My son said on my death certificate that I was born in London, but the only places I remember in England are Bristol and Liverpool.

    My son also gave me the middle name Rasmus upon my death. I'm not sure where he got that from, because I've never used it, but he gave that name to one of his sons as a middle name.

    Another puzzle is that he said my parents were Thomas Charles JACKSON and Anne nee BROWN. I really am no longer sure about that, but anything is possible.

    No notices of my death or funeral were placed in 'The Argus' newspaper. My children were still young, aged only 24, 22 and 17, and had no spare money to spend on such luxuries. I do wish, though, that I'd placed notices for my late wife. She had a large family in Melbourne, her mother, two sisters and some cousins of sorts had all come out from Ireland, and a notice about her life and background would have solved some mysteries for our descendants.

    I was buried in the Independent section of the Williamstown Cemetery. No headstone is on my grave, just a marker.

    Foolishly, I did not leave a Will, and no grant of Probate, naturally, nor of Letters of Administration were taken out in my estate. No notices of my intestacy were published in the Victoria Government Gazette in late 1888 or early 1889.

    My religious affiliation has been varied, to say the least. Here's a summary of what denominations the family has been recorded under:-

    Year Event Denomination Remarks
    1863 Marriage Roman Catholic I said I was a member of the R/C Church, but I think I may have fibbed so my wife and I could marry
    1864 Baptism Roman Catholic Eldest daughter
    1870 Burial Roman Catholic Son
    1873 Burial Roman Catholic Second daughter
    1874 Burial Roman Catholic Third daughter
    1882 Marriage Roman Catholic Eldest daughter Like her mother, she married a non-Catholic
    1888 Burial Independent Mine, can't remember who chose the plot & denomination
    1906 Burial Independent More on that, below
    1923 Burial Roman Catholic Eldest daughter
    1937 Burial Methodist Son
    1950 Burial Presbyterian Third daughter

    My 3xgt granddaughter discovered today that there is someone else in my grave; Caroline Clara JACKSON, who died in mid-1906, aged 82. Her parents' names are said to be Unknown, but the people in the Cemetery Office confirmed she was my sister! Now I know why I chose the name Caroline for my first daughter.

    My g-g-g-gdau tried to order that death certificate today, but the payment process was playing up, so neither of us currently know if the order went through or if she will have to try again. I will have to leave it with her to resolve; I don't understand these computer devices...

    Caroline Clara might have been born in 1823 or 1824, but given she had not married and the informant did not know her parents' names, my sister may have been born anywhere between 1818 and 1830.

    My sister left a partly illegible signature on my wedding certificate, so she too was in Victoria by mid-1863. Either she arrived after me or a while beforehand, which I don't recall, but I know she wasn't on the ship with me. I arrived as an Unassisted migrant and my 3xgt gdau has not yet found her in either the Unassisted or Assisted Passenger lists.

    The 1841, 1851 and 1861 Census records of England and Wales are steadily being worked through, as access to the indexes and records at the local library and LDS FHC allow, but I haven't yet been positively identified in any of them.

    The GRO BDM Indexes in FreeBMD have been thoroughly combed, looking for my marriage and my first wife's death, but the indexes aren't detailed enough to make this really possible.

    FamilySearch has snippets of useful information, but the parish register coverage is still very patchy for London, Gloucestershire and Somerset, amongst other UK Counties.

    So, has anyone come across any records mentioning a Thomas JACKSON, baker, born circa 1824-1830, possibly in Bristol, but possibly in London, who had a sister named Caroline and whose father may be Charles or Thomas and his mother Ann, or Anne, or Anna, or Hannah or Annie?

    Any clues will help me to rest in peace, and will help my poor g-g-g-granddau get over this major hurdle in researching my origins. I'm as keen as she is to know.

    Looking forward to hearing from you if you can help,

    Yours faithfully,

    Thomas JACKSON, baker
    b. ca 1824-1830, d. 1888
     
    arryboy, Gwyneth, Bay Horse and 7 others like this.
  2. Blackmogs

    Blackmogs Moderator. General Dogs(cats)body. Staff Member

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    Hello Thomas and welcome to the forum. I too have Jacksons plaguing me but not in the areas you mention. I have had a look through a CD produced by the Bristol and Avon FHS which covers the Bristol Diocese baptismal registers 1813-1837. There are only 2 Thomas' and they don't have parents with the names you mention. There is a Caroline, daughter of Thomas and Hannah, baptised 26.9.1830 at St Philip Jacobs which might be too late for you. There are no other Jackson children of Thomas and Hannah in that parish. I think I found this Caroline in the 1851 census HO107 2461; 364; 38 living in Wales. There is a Thomas child in that household aged 8. Again too late for you I fear. good luck with this search.

    ps: Would you be kind enough to put your location on your profile? It saves members sending you off to look in daft places! :)
     
  3. dizzyme

    dizzyme Well-Known Member

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    Hi Thomas and welcome!

    There is a Jackson family Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, which maybe worth looking at.

    HO107/353/12/40/17

    William Jackson 45 Labourer
    Hannah Jackson 40
    Caroline Jackson 15 Dressmaker
    Daniel Jackson 15 Labourer
    Thomas Jackson 12
    Emma Jackson 9
    Hester Jackson 8
    Honnor Jackson 6
    Ann Jackson 2

    All born in county.

    courtesy crown copyright
     
  4. dizzyme

    dizzyme Well-Known Member

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    On Ancestry there is a baptism for a Caroline Jackson, at Holy Trinity Church, Bristol.

    DOB: 06 June 1828. Bapt: 21 Oct 1846 age 18 years. Parents: Charles Jackson & Ann.

    There is no image of the original register and no occupation given for Charles.

    Karen
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2014
  5. dizzyme

    dizzyme Well-Known Member

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    Also in the Victoria, Australia, Assisted & Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839 - 1923

    Miss Caroline Jackson
    Est birth yr: 1830. Age 30
    Arrival: Date: 30 Jan 1860
    Arrival Port: Port Phillip Bay, Aust
    Dept Port: Plymouth
    Ship: Owen Glendower.

    Also this:

    Carolina Jackson
    Est birth yr: 1830. Age: 27
    Arrival Date: 20 Aug 1857
    Arrival Port: Melbourne, Aust
    Dept Port: Plymouth
    Ship: Undaunted (rather apt for their voyage and the future unknown!!!)
    Nationality: English & Welsh.

    Karen
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2014
  6. gillyflower

    gillyflower Always caring about others

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    Hello and welcomeC|:-) I too have Jacksons in my tree but sadly not the Jacksons you are looking for.There are quite a few trees on Ancestry they seem to list what you have recorded but are fairly vague in detail with my non favourite word of about!
     
  7. gillyflower

    gillyflower Always caring about others

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    Not sure if this is any good or not. Baptism - Thomas Jackson 11/12/1829 parents Thomas and Ann Jackson Poplar All Saints Tower Hamlets
     
  8. Eve

    Eve Well-Known Member

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    Hello and welcome Thomas and ggg granddaughter. Very much enjoyed the story of your life so far. I'm sure that with such an industrious and determined descendant your life will soon be well documented. Good luck with your search.
    Lesley
     
  9. Thomas Jackson

    Thomas Jackson New Member

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    Hello everyone, Thomas JACKSON here again (once more being channelled by his 3xgt-granddaughter.)

    We wish to say we have been overwhelmed with the information and suggestions provided by so many very kind and helpful readers of this service. My 3xgt g-dau will follow them up this coming weekend, when her LDS FHC re-opens and she can access the Census records again. Thank you very much everyone.

    One helper wanted to know where we live, so we aren't sent off on daft excursions, or words to that effect. Fair enough. I'm firmly plugged into the ground in Williamstown Cemetery, on the coast a little outside the City of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and have been there since late 1888.

    My curious descendant is based in the outer Melbourne suburbs.

    She is a member of the GSV and also uses the SLV, the LDS, the local Council libraries and the PROV facilities, along with various on-line resources, as frequently as possible. She has been doing family history research since early 1981, specialises in One Name Studies and complicated research, and has been jolly helpful to a great number of people on-line and in person in that time.

    I'm one of two long-term mysteries that have her stumped, but we are now much more confident that this mystery will be cracked by the end of this year. Fingers crossed. I would really, really, really love to know who my parents were, where I was born, or at least baptised, how many siblings I have (or should that be had ?), and most of all who my first wife was and the reason she died so young, God rest her soul and that of my lovely second wife and my baby girls.

    Now for some good news. We wish to say we have an update for everyone.

    My sister's death certificate was obtained, after some technical difficulties with the Vic BDM Registry on-line service, last week. (I still don't understand electricity and these computational machines...) My married daughter, Caroline, was the informant. She didn't know my parents' names, but she said my sister was born in Bristol, so that is more likely to be where I was born, or at least grew up. (I think London is a Furphy, but everything needs to be checked, and that lead will be followed up.)

    My daughter also said my sister had been in Victoria for 52 years, placing her arrival in the 1853 or 1854 range, with a little leave for expansion in the range to be included. This is far earlier than I thought, assuming it is correct.

    The Assisted Passage Index in the PROV site has a couple of possibilities b/w 1839 and 1863 inclusive

    Family Name Given Name Age Month Year Ship Book Page
    JACKSON CAROLINE 18 OCT 1854 NELEUS 11 99
    JACKSON CAROLINE 27 AUG 1857 UNDAUNTED 13 10

    The former lady would have been born ca 1835/1836, while the latter lady was born ca 1829/1830. Both are a bit young to be my sister Caroline, but many ages were incorrect in shipping records. And in death certificates, for that matter.

    The Unassisted Passage Index only starts in 1852, so the opportunity for an earlier arrival to be discovered is not available on the PROV site. Early shipping records do exist, but mostly in printed form dating back to the late 1970s and up to the mid-1980s, so they are often battered and have parts missing, which is a nuisance. Still, they will be searched.

    There are no likely arrivals in 1852, but the following ones to 1863 are worth examining, given the sex of the emigrant is not specified in the index.

    Family Name Given Name Age Month Year Ship Port Fiche Page

    JACKSON C 18 JUL 1853 RICHARD F 012 002
    JACKSON S 38 JUL 1853 RICHARD F 012 002
    JACKSON S 41 JUL 1853 RICHARD F 012 002
    JACKSON —- MISS 30 JAN 1860 OWEN GLENDOWER B 173 006

    The two ladies in question in these results were born circa 1835 and 1830, but they may have fibbed to qualify for passage, so they will be checked, too.

    Caroline's approx arrival year also means she may be in the 1851 Census, but not in the 1861 Census, of the UK. Caroline will be in the 1841 Census as well, aged about 16 or 17, but possibly recorded as 15 if her age was rounded down.

    My sister was buried, according to the rites of the Methodist church, with me in the Independent section of the cemetery, so the advantage of having a grave with room to spare seems to have been more important than being buried with other Methodists. (This was probably due to the major recession of the 1890s, which I and my business only just avoided.)

    The Methodist link suggests the Non-Conformist records of Bristol and nearby should be concentrated on when my 3xgt-granddaughter visits the Record Office there later this year. That's a good lead! :)

    That's it for now, but I'm sure my poor descendant, who will keep ferreting for more information, will keep you all informed when more details turn up.

    Thank you once again, one and all, for your suggestions and input, and I look forward to telling you exactly who I am in the coming year (or longer if necessary, but I hope not!)

    Yours sincerely,

    Thomas JACKSON
    Baker of Bristol Gloucs., and Melbourne, Victoria, ca 1850-1888.
     
    busyglen, Twix, Eve and 3 others like this.
  10. Twix

    Twix Member

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    Dear Thomas

    I loved reading your story and am sorry that your memory was failing you. I'd love to hear whether you ever found out anything more about your mysterious past? Do tell!

    With kind regards.

    Twix
     

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