HENRY JACKSON, PIONEER OF MARITIME RADIO

Henry Bradwardine Jackson
Cynthia Dillon

Some of the members present at our October 1993 meeting, a question and answer session, may have noticed my ears prick up when Kath Wright, our late membership secretary, said she had been scanning the 1881 Naval Census records for any reference to local men. She had found one Lieutenant, born Barnsley, aged 26, serving in V Agincourt (presumably the V refers to Queen Victoria), one Henry B. Jackson. Members may have noticed my rising excitement when Mr Cooper, a fount of local knowledge, said that he would be Henry B. Jackson, Admiral of the Fleet during the 1st World War and the son of William Jackson of Beevor Hall.

Now, I knew that William Jackson's son Henry, had followed him into the linen trade. I knew, because Henry Jackson had married Jane, daughter of Charles Tee, a branch of my husband's family. However, Henry and Jane had baptised a son, Henry Bradwardine Jackson (Bradwartline according to the baptismal register and Bradwardine according to 'Who's Who'). The last reference I had to this young man was as a scholar, at home at the rectory in Darfield. How did a boy born just about as far from the sea as it is possible to get in England, choose the Navy for his career?

Perhaps it was as well he did, for investigation proved that in the Navy, Henry Bradwardine Jackson rose as high as it was possible to rise. His influence throughout the First World War was immense; The decorations collected a most impressive list; his impact on scientific developments in the Navy no less commendable.

Members may wish to know more of this son of Barnsley of whom they can be justifiably proud. A résumé of his life would read as follows:-

1855 21 Dec Born in Barnsley into a family whose lineage can be traced back to Sir Jno Jackson, Knight of Edwardthorpe (now Edderthorpe) Darfield and Hickleton; c 1580.
1861 Educated at home by a governess. Later educated at Chester and at Stubbington House, Fareham
1868 Dec At the age of 13, joined the Royal Navy
1878/79 Junior Lieutenant on board the Active on the African Station. Took part in the Zulu War.
1881 Lieutenant on board the Agincourt.
1881 Appointed to HMS Vernon, Torpedo School ship at Portsmouth.
1890 Jan Promoted to Commander
1895 In command of the Defiance, Torpedo School Ship at Plymouth.
1896 Jun Promoted to the rank of Captain
1897 Appointed Naval attaché in Paris
1899 Given command of the torpedo depot ship Vulcan.
1901 Elected as a fellow of the Royal Society in recognition of his work in the field of Wireless Telegraphy.
1902 Appointed Assistant Director of Torpedoes at the Admiralty.
1903 Captain of Vernon.
1905 Appointed Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy.
1908 Appointed to command the Third (afterwards known as the Sixth) Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean.
1910 Represented the Admiralty at the International Conference on Aerial Navigation in Paris.
1911 Assumed the direction of of the newly created Royal Navy War College at Portsmouth, training First World War Staff Officers.
1913 Appointed Chief of the War Staff at the Admiralty.
1914 War Nominated Commander in Chief, Mediterranean, but instead of taking over that command, he was retained at the Admiralty.
1915 May Selected to succeed Lord Fisher as First Sea Lord.
1916 Dec Appointed President of the Royal Naval College at Greenwich.
1919 Jul Advanced to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet.
1917 -1919 Served as Principal Naval Aide-de Camp to King George V.
1924 Jul Retired from the Royal Navy.
1929 Jul Died at his home, Salterns House, Hayling Island. Buried in the neighbouring Churchyard. Memorial Service held in Westminster Abbey.



In 1890, Henry Jackson had married Alice Mary Florence, eldest daughter of Samuel Hawksley Burbury F.R.S. The marriage was childless.


sas1

I think you might find that the ' V ' Agincourt refers to ' Vessel ' rather than Victoria.

cheers
Bookworm