Sir William Jackson, 1st Baronet
| Sir William Jackson, 1st Baronet | |
|---|---|
| Born |
William Jackson 28 April 1805 |
| Died | 31 January 1876 |
| Residence | Birkenhead |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Industrialist, railway entrepreneur and Liberal politician |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Hughes |
| Children |
Henry Mather Jackson Thomas Hughes Jackson |
| Parent(s) | Peter Jackson Sarah Mather |
Sir William Jackson, 1st Baronet (28 April 1805 – 31 January 1876) was an English industrialist, railway entrepreneur and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1847 and 1868.
Jackson was the 7th son of Peter Jackson of Warrington and his wife Sarah Mather. His father was a surgeon, man-midwife and pharmacist and a respected member of the business community of Warrington, but died in 1811 leaving his large family impoverished. Peter Jackson had been the seventh son of an enterprising Middlewich businessman, James Jackson and his wife Martha Pickmore. The family, hailing from Cheshire, was originally called Oulton, but became 'Jackson' through marriage with a woman of property in the 17th century. Jackson's mother was descended from the Mathers of Lowton whose family included Cotton Mather and Richard Mather.
Jackson was sent to work at an ironmongers in Ranelagh Street in Birkenhead before he was twelve. There he had the chance to read and develop his own education, as well as buying up the shop when the business went bankrupt. The shop was only a few doors away from the home of the artist William Daniels. Jackson became a generous patron of art in Birkenhead and originated the associate of artists. Jackson became an African merchant trading in palm oil and made his first fortune by 1832. He played a major part in the development of Birkenhead and was one of the principal originators of the Birkenhead Docks. He was chairman of Birkenhead Improvement commissioners from 1842 to 1846 and invited Joseph Paxton to Birkenhead to design a park. Jackson's marriage to Elizabeth Hughes in 1828 was instrumental in his early fortunes as his father-in law, Thomas Hughes owned the Woodside Ferry and had various industrial interests in the locality. He and his older brother, John Somerville Jackson, went into partnership and gradually bought up land in and around Birkenhead. his interests in the locality led him into partnership with the celebrated Thomas Brassey, and with the financial help of Frederick Huth, the partnership of Jackson, Brassey, Peto and Betts was born. More of an ideas man than an engineer, Jackson was the salesman of the partnership. This created friction but made Jackson another fortune. His interests diverged to Newspapers ( he was heavily involved in the London press at one time, collieries ( he went into partnership with Robert Stephenson on his project at Claycross in Derbyshire) and heavy industry (metal and locomotives, as well as into politics.
...
Wikipedia