Sir John Jackson, 1st Baronet (30 December 1763 – 17 May 1820) was a British politician and businessman.

Early life

John Jackson was born on 30 December 1763 at

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...

. He was the second son of John Jackson, a surgeon, and Hannah Coverley. While little is known of Jackson's early life, he possibly was educated at Eton College from 1778. Jackson married Charlotte Spry, the daughter of Colonel

Joseph Goreham Joseph Gorham (sometimes recorded as Goreham, 1725–1790) was an American colonial military officer during King George's War and later a British army commander during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He is best known ...

, on 13 February 1797. The couple would go on to have four sons and two daughters.

Mercantile career

At an early point in his adult life Jackson served as a ship's purser. In around 1795 he was appointed secretary to Vice-Admiral

George Keith Elphinstone George Keith Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith (7 January 1746 – 10 March 1823), was a British naval officer active throughout the Napoleonic Wars. Career Early service George Elphinstone was the fourth son of Charles Elphinstone, 10th L ...

, the Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope, after the

Invasion of the Cape Colony The Invasion of the Cape Colony, also known as the Battle of Muizenberg, was a British military expedition launched in 1795 against the Dutch Cape Colony at the Cape of Good Hope. The Dutch colony at the Cape, established and controlled by th ...

. Jackson was still serving at the Cape in 1797, by then having taken responsibility as a navy agent for prize money on the station. Continuing to work under Keith, by 1800 Jackson had returned to England and was managing Keith's prize money in concert with William Fullerton-Elphinstone, Keith's brother. Jackson and Fullerton-Elphinstone were also registered as merchants, with a headquarters in Chandos Street, Cavendish Square. The partnership had seemingly dissolved by 1802, but Jackson continued on as a merchant and agent, now in Broad Street. He often worked in partnership with the insurance broker John Petty Muspratt, and continued as a merchant in Broad Street for the rest of his life. In 1803 Jackson put himself forward as a candidate to fill an empty seat on the court of directors of the East India Company (EIC), citing his previous experiences, but later withdrew.

Political career

Jackson was elected as member of parliament (MP) for

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

at the

1806 United Kingdom general election The 1806 United Kingdom general election was the election of members to the 3rd Parliament of the United Kingdom. This was the second general election to be held after the Acts of Union 1800, Union of Great Britain and Ireland. The general elec ...

, having spent a considerable amount of his own money to ensure this. As the Whig candidate in the election he most likely owed his selection to Keith, whose brother-in-law was the Whig election manager William Adam. Jackson supported the Ministry of All the Talents until it fell, condemning votes against Catholic relief. In April 1807 he again stood to join the EIC court of directors and, with the support of EIC chairman

Charles Grant Charles or Charlie Grant may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Charles Jameson Grant (), American editorial cartoonist * Charles L. Grant (1942–2006), American novelist * Charles Grant (actor) (born 1957), American actor * Charles Grant (dancer ...

, was successful. At the

1807 United Kingdom general election The 1807 United Kingdom general election was the third general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland. The third United Kingdom Parliament was dissolved on 29 April 1807. The new Parliament was summoned to meet on 22 J ...

he stood to be returned for Dover, being opposed by two supporters of the

Second Portland ministry This is a list of members of the Tory government of the United Kingdom in office under the leadership of the Duke of Portland from 1807 to 1809. Members of the Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped ...

. During his campaigning Jackson was forced to issue an affidavit that, despite his voting record on Catholic issues, he was not himself a Catholic. Jackson won the second of the two seats available for Dover, being beaten out by Charles Jenkinson by only six votes in a poll of over 1,200 people.

References

External links

* 1763 births 1820 deaths People from Kingston, Jamaica People from Hampstead Directors of the British East India Company Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Dover UK MPs 1806–1807 UK MPs 1807–1812 UK MPs 1812–1818 UK MPs 1818–1820 {{UK-baronet-stub