William Jackson (11 October 1832 – 29 September 1889), generally known as Major Jackson, was a 19th-century Member of Parliament in the

Waikato region Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, t ...

of New Zealand.

Early life

Jackson was born in 1832 in Providence Green,

Green Hammerton Green Hammerton is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the A59 road, west of York and east of Harrogate. Along with nearby Kirk Hammerton, the village is served by railway stati ...

, near

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor at ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

, England. He was the son of Samuel Jackson (1806–1858), a brewer and

yeoman Yeoman is a noun originally referring either to one who owns and cultivates land or to the middle ranks of servants in an English royal or noble household. The term was first documented in mid-14th-century England. The 14th century also witn ...

who owned and farmed his land, and Sarah Jackson (née Hughlings; 1807/08–1836), the daughter of a Welsh revenue collector. His mother died when he was four. He had three brothers and a sister; all but one of the brothers emigrated to New Zealand. His parents had married on 24 March 1828. His oldest sibling was his sister Ann (30 April 1829 – 9 August 1859). She died three days after giving birth to her first child. His eldest brother was

Samuel Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...

, who studied law, was called to the bar in 1853, and emigrated to

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

in 1856, where he became a prominent lawyer. William himself was the third of the children; he was born on 11 October 1832 and baptised a month later on 12 November. Thomas (2 December 1833 – 15 November 1906) was the next sibling. He became a mariner and also emigrated to New Zealand. His youngest brother,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

(4 April 1835 – 7 October 1911), remained in England and became a prominent

neurologist Neurology (from el, νεῦρον (neûron), "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the brain, the spinal c ...

. He emigrated to Australia in 1857 to join the

Victorian gold rush The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. It led to a period of extreme prosperity for the Australian colony, and an influx of population growth and financial capita ...

. Sometime later, he went to New Zealand to join two brothers who were already there. His wife was Bridget.

New Zealand

In New Zealand, Jackson first farmed in Mangatawhiri, then Rangiaohia,

Kihikihi Kihikihi, a small town located in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand, serves as a satellite community of Te Awamutu, five kilometres to the north, and lies 35 kilometres south of Hamilton. The 2018 New Zealand census recorded ...

, and then

Papakura Papakura is a southern suburb of Auckland, in northern New Zealand. It is located on the shores of the Pahurehure Inlet, approximately 32 kilometres south of the Auckland CBD. It is under the authority of the Auckland Council. Papakura is a M� ...

. When the

Invasion of Waikato The Invasion of the Waikato became the largest and most important campaign of the 19th-century New Zealand Wars. Hostilities took place in the North Island of New Zealand between the military forces of the colonial government and a federation ...

commenced, Jackson organised a local militia that became known as Jackson's Forest Rangers, and he was commissioned as Major Jackson. When militia stole a

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

flag, his wife hid it under her dress, wearing it as a petticoat. In retaliation, Jackson's house was burned down twice. He represented the

Waikato Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City ...

electorate from to 1875, when he retired. He then represented the electorate from to 1889, when he died. As a politician, it is said that he was as vigorous as he had been as a militia leader. During his times in parliament, he supported the

Stafford Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies about north of Wolverhampton, south of Stoke-on-Trent and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 70,145 in t ...

and Atkinson Ministries. Jackson went missing during a voyage on the SS ''Rotorua'' en route from

New Plymouth New Plymouth ( mi, Ngāmotu) is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, Devon from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. ...

Onehunga Onehunga is a suburb of Auckland in New Zealand and the location of the Port of Onehunga, the city's small port on the Manukau Harbour. It is south of the Auckland CBD, city centre, close to the volcano, volcanic cone of Maungakiekie / One Tree ...

. He disappeared during the night of 29/30 September 1889, and it is assumed that he got sick, went on deck and fell over board. The Jacksons had no children.

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, William 1832 births 1889 deaths 19th-century New Zealand politicians Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Military leaders of the New Zealand Wars New Zealand farmers Unsuccessful candidates in the 1884 New Zealand general election New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates People from the Borough of Harrogate English emigrants to New Zealand People lost at sea