Harry Jackson

1881 - 1962


Harry and his second wife Ruth in 1924.

Harry was born in Tideswell on 14th November 1881 ⁽¹⁾, the youngest child of George and Mary. His mother died when he was just 4 ⁽²⁾, so by the time of the 1891 census, he was living with just his father, sister Sarah Jane (who was the "house keeper" in her mother's absence), and brother John ⁽³⁾. By the 1901 census, Harry had left school and was working as a labourer in a stone workes. Sarah Jane and John had left home, but sister Delilah had moved back in with her husband and baby ⁽⁴⁾.

Harry married Elizabeth Ellwood from Litton, on 24th November 1902, at which time he called himself a "quarryman", so he was obviously still at the stone works, but had maybe become a little more than a general labourer ⁽⁵⁾. They set up home in Litton where their only daughter Dorothy was born on 4th March 1905 ⁽⁶⁾, and their only son Cyril followed three years later on 26th May 1908 ⁽⁷⁾, a few months after Harry had joined the railway as a labourer ⁽¹³⁾.

The next chapter in Harry's life is a little unclear, but family tradition has it that he discovered that Elizabeth was pregnant by another man (a Mr Cartledge from either Tideswell or Litton), and she was thrown out of the family home. She is said to have died giving birth to the child (named Iris), and been cremated a pauper in Stockport ⁽⁷⁾ (I remember Iris from my childhood, but I have so far been unable to confirm any details of the story).

Whatever the facts of the split from Elizabeth, they were seperated by the time of the 1911 census ⁽¹¹⁾, at which time Harry, who was then working as a platelayer on the railway, was lodging at a house in Cressbrook with his son Cyril, whilst his daughter Dorothy was staying with his cousin, once removed, Harriet Hall in Tideswell ⁽¹²⁾.

In 1920 he was promoted to a sub-ganger at work, and he married again in the summer of 1921 - this time to Ruth Littlewood ⁽⁷⁾⁽⁸⁾. By the time of his daughter Dorothy's marriage in 1925, they had moved to Litton Slack ⁽⁹⁾. He seemingly spent the rest of his life there, but very little more is known of him other than the fact that he was a member of the Oddfellows, and he retired in March 1950 ⁽¹³⁾. He died in the Royal Hospital in Sheffield on 8th June 1962 ⁽¹⁰⁾.

1. Birth Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell states:

   When and where born	Name	Sex	Name and surname of father	Name, surname and maiden surname of mother	Occupation of father	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered
   Fourteenth November 1881 Tideswell	Harry	Boy	George Jackson	Mary Jackson formerly Gilbert	Railway labourer	George Jackson Father Tideswell	Twenty eighth November 1881

2. Death Certificate from Registration District of Sheffield states:

   When and where died	Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered
   Twelfth August 1886 Tideswell RSD	Mary Jackson	Female	49 years	Wife of George Jackson a Railway Labourer	General debility of long standing with Pulmonary Degeneration Certified by Thomas H Parke M.R.C.S.	Clement Jackson son present at the death Tideswell	Thirteenth August 1886

3. Census of 5th April 1891 reads:
   Place: Town End, Tideswell
   

   George Jackson	Head	Widr	55	Railway Labourer	Employed	[Derbyshire], Abney
   Sarah Jane Do	dau	Single	20	House Keeper		Do, Tideswell
   John Do	son		17	Engine Tenter	Employed	Do, Do
   Harry Do	son		9	Scholar		Do, Do

4. Census of 31st March 1901 reads:
   Place: Gordon Road, Tideswell
   

   George Jackson	Head	Widr	63	Railway Labourer	Worker	[Derbyshire], [Tideswell]
   Harry Do	Son	S	19	General Labourer Stone Work	Worker	Do, Do
   Delilh Naden	Daur	M	23			Do, Do
   Evan Naden	Grandson	S	under one month			Do, Do
   John Naden	Son in law	M	24	Lime Stone Quarryman	Worker	Do, Buxton

5. Marriage Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell states:

   1902 Marriage solemnized at the Parish Church in the town of Tideswell in the County of Derby

   When married	Name and Surname	Age	Condition	Rank or Profession	Residence at the time of marriage	Father's name and Surname	Rank or Profession of father
   Nov: 24 1902	Harry Jackson	21	Bachelor	Quarryman	Gordon Road	George Jackson	Plate layer
   	Sarah Elizabeth Ellwood	20	Spinster	-	Litton	Charles Ellwood	Watchman Midland Ry

   Married in the Parish Church according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church after banns

   in the presence of Charles Ellwood, Ethel Furniss

6. Birth Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell states:

   When and where born	Name	Sex	Name and surname of father	Name, surname and maiden surname of mother	Occupation of father	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered
   Fourth March 1905 Litton	Dorothy	Girl	Harry Jackson	Sarah Elizabeth Jackson formerly Ellwood	Limestone Quarrier	Harry Jackson Father Litton	First April 1905

7. Information from living relatives.
8. The indexes to the marriage registrations indicate that Harry Jackson and Ruth Littlewood's marriage was reqistered in Chapel-en-le-Frith in the 3rd quarter of 1921.
9. Marriage Certificate from Registration District of Bakewell states:

   1925 Marriage solemnized at the Primitive Mthodist Chapel, Market Street, Tideswell in the District of Bakewell in the County of Derby

   When married	Name and Surname	Age	Condition	Rank or Profession	Residence at the time of marriage	Father's name and Surname	Rank or Profession of father
   27th June 1925	Victor Arnold Sheldon	25 years	Bachelor	Railway Assistant Controller	Cressbrook, Litton	William Sheldon	Overlooker at Cotton Doubling Mill
   	Dorothy Jackson	20 years	Spinster	Cop Winder at Cotton Doubling Mill	Litton Slack, Litton	Harry Jackson	Railway Platelayer

   Married in the Primitive methodist Chapel according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Primitive Methodists by Certificate

   in the presence of Harry Jackson, Maggie Robinson

10. Death Certificate from Registration District of Sheffield states:

    When and where died	Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered
    Eighth June 1962 Royal Hospital Sheffield	Harry JACKSON	Male	80 years	of Litton Slck near Millers Dale Railway Platelayer (retired)	Pulmonary embolism due to venous thrombosis in the legs due to carcinoma of the Prostate Certified by Alan P Lockwood Coroner for City of Sheffield after post mortem without Inquest	R. Jackson Widow of deceased Litton Slack near Millers Dale Buxton	Twelfth June       1962

11. Census of 2rd April 1911 reads:
    

    Robert Ponsomby

    Head

    52

    Married

    Black Smith

    Limestone Works

    Worker

    Derbyshire, Bakewell

    - Robert's wife and children -

    Harry Jackson

    Boarder

    29

    Married

    Platelayer (Railway)

    Midland Railway

    Worker

    Derbyshire, Tideswell

    Cyril Jackson

    Boarder

    2

    Derbyshire, Tideswell

    Number of Rooms: 6
    Postal Address: No 64 Top Cottages, Cressbrook, Derbyshire
12. Census of 2rd April 1911 reads:
    

    Harriet Hall

    Head

    60

    Widow

    Cotton Reeler

    Cotton Mill

    Worker

    Derbys, Tideswell

    Laura Hall

    daughter

    23

    Single

    House work

    Derbys, Tideswell

    Dorothy Jackson

    Visitor

    6

    school

    Derbys, Litton

    Number of Rooms: 4
    Postal Address: Condliffe Terrace, Tideswell, Derbyshire
13. Ledger giving the service history of employees of the Way & Works department of the Peak Line between Buxton and Ambergate. Transcribed by Glynn Waite of the Rowsley Association. Entry reads:

    Surname	Forenames	D.O.B.	Date entered service	Home station	Marital status	Address	Notes
    Jackson	Harry	14/11/1888	23/3/1908	Monsal Dale	Married	Lower Terrace Road, Tideswell. Changed to Litton Slack near Millers Dale, and later to Slack near Cressbrook.	Joined as a Labourer. Promoted to Sub-Ganger 'A' 01.01.1920. Transferred from Chinley Section to Matlock Section 06.10.1941. Retired 19.03.1950. Member of the Oddfellows.