Selected Biographies

Jackson, Alfred – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 12.8.1878.[1]  Parents: William Jackson (Agricultural Labourer) and Charlotte [née Boreham] (Horsehair Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to William Charles Jackson [b1874] and Dennis Jackson [b1883]; also, uncle of Alfred Hugh Jackson [b1908] and brother-in-law of Charles Drury [b1874], George Drury [b1876] and Robert Drury [b1890].  Home: Liston Lane, Long Melford (1881), Park Terrace, St Marys Street, Long Melford (1891 and 1901), Hall Street, Long Melford [1914], Barrow Hill, Acton, Suffolk (1939).  Occupation: Agricultural Labourer (1901 to 1939).  Married: Jane Drury in 1907.  Service Record: Before 1908 Alfred served for three years with 2^nd [Volunteer] Battalion, Suffolk Regiment.  He attested on 23.11.1914 as Pte.2771 and was promoted and renumbered after 1916 as L/Cpl.240742 with 2/5^th Battalion, Suffolks.  On 14.5.1918 he was transferred as Pte.586735 to 665^th Agricultural Company, Labour Corps, and issued with a Silver War Badge and discharged in May 1919 due to sickness.  His record suggests that he was engaged on Home Service duties only.[2] Died: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk in 1950.

Jackson, Alfred Hugh – Born: Liston, Essex in 1908. Parents: Horace Jackson [Cowman] and Violet Evelyn Mary [née Cook]. Family Connections: Nephew of William Charles Jackson [b1874], Alfred Jackson [b1878] and Dennis Jackson [b1883]. Home: Place Farm, Liston, Essex (1911), Spitalbrook, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire (1921). Married: Daphne Gladys Cornell in 1934. Service Record: Alfred enlisted as Flying Officer N^o.127035 with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, posted to 297 Squadron based at RAF Stoney Cross in Hampshire as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner.  Died: Killed with the rest of the crew when his Armstrong Whitworth Albermarle crashed on 10.10.1943, the plane having suffered from engine failure soon after taking off.[3] He is buried in St Augustine Churchyard, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire.[4]

Jackson, Charles Nunn – Born: Sandon, Hertfordshire in 1887.  Parents: Charles Nunn Jackson (Farmer) and Rebecca [née Soames].  Family Connections: Brother to George Gainsford Jackson [b1882] and Francis Alfred Jackson [b1893].  Home: Wyddial, Hertfordshire (1891 to 1901), Bridge Street Farm, Bridge Street, Long Melford (1911), Hill Farm, Chevington, Suffolk [1925], Rolphs Farm, Boars Tye Road, Rivenhall, Essex [1930].[5]  Occupation: Milkman and Stockman on the family farm (1901 to 1911), Farmer [1925].  Service Record: At the Melford Military Service Tribunal in March 1916 Charles applied for exemption from conscription, which was refused.  The case appears to have gone to the Appeals Tribunal in Bury St Edmunds because when the Melford panel sat in October the decision again was to refuse exemption, however a further appeal may have been lodged, as in March 1917 the Tribunal again refused exemption.[6]  His conscription should have followed shortly after, although no definitive military record has been found.  Died: Braintree, Essex in 1933.

Jackson, Dennis – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 21.5.1883.[7]  Parents: William Jackson (Agricultural Labourer) and Charlotte [née Boreham] (Horsehair Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to William Charles Jackson [b1874] and Alfred Jackson [b1878]; also, uncle of Alfred Hugh Jackson [b1908].  Home: Park Terrace, St Marys Street, Long Melford (1891), South Denes (Royal Artillery) Barracks, Yarmouth, Norfolk (1901), Park Terrace, St Marys Street, Long Melford (1911), 1 Woollards Gardens, Long Melford (1939).  Occupation: Agricultural Labourer (1911), Labourer for T. Theobald and Sons [1917].  Married: Mary L. Howe in 1918.  Service Record: Dennis enlisted in 1901 as Pte.5327 with 3^rd [Militia] Battalion, Suffolk Regiment.  He re-enlisted in 1901 as Gnr.7120 with N^o. 14 Company, Royal Garrison Artillery, serving in Malta and Ceylon before his discharge in 1906, being ‘found medically unfit for further service’.[8]  At the Melford Military Service Tribunal in August 1917 his employer T. Theobald and Sons applied for his exemption, which was refused.[9]  His conscription should have followed shortly after, although no definitive military record has been found.  Died: Sudbury, Suffolk in 1953.

Jackson, Francis ‘Frank’ Alfred – Born: Wyddial, Hertfordshire on 2.4.1893.[10]  Parents: Charles Nunn Jackson (Farmer) and Rebecca [née Soames].  Family Connections: Brother to George Gainsford Jackson [b1882], Charles Nunn Jackson [b1887]; also, brother-in-law of John Lionel Cockle Keeble [b1884], Claud Cyril Keeble [b1891] and Lawrence Victor Keeble [b1895].  Home: Wyddial, Hertfordshire (1891 and 1901), Bridge Street Farm, Bridge Street, Long Melford (1911), Hill Farm, Chevington, Suffolk [1925], Hooks Hall Farm, Boxted, Suffolk (1939). Occupation: Assisting on the family farm (1911), Farmer (1939).  Married: Ida Florence Keeble in 1924 [see below for service details]. Service Record: Although no definitive military record has been found, Frank may have been commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Service Corps on 24.11.1917.[11] Died: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk in 1971.

Jackson, George Gainsford – Born: Sandon, Hertfordshire on 11.4.1882.[12]  Parents: Charles Nunn Jackson (Farmer) and Rebecca [née Soames]. Family Connections: Brother to Charles Nunn Jackson [b1887] and Francis Alfred Jackson [b1893]; also, brother-in-law of Ida Florence Keeble [b1892]. Home: Wyddial, Buntingford, Hertfordshire (1891 and 1901), Bridge Street Farm, Bridge Street, Long Melford (1911), Hill Farm, Chevington, Suffolk [1925], Hall Farm, Pentlow, Essex (1939). Occupation: Assisting on the family farm (1911), Farmer [1925] to (1939). Married: Edith Sarah Double in 1916. Service Record: At the Military Service Tribunal in March 1916 George applied for exemption for himself and his brother Charles.  They ran the family farm of 178 acres, 28 of which was in pasture.  Before the War they had seven men, but now they are reduced to two men and a boy to milk 18 cows and run a milk round.  Exemption was granted to George; his brother Charles was refused.[13]  It is not known if George’s certificate remained valid until the end of hostilities, however no definitive military record has been found has been found to suggest otherwise.  Died: Sudbury, Suffolk in 1983.

Jackson, William Charles – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 22.11.1874.[14]  Parents: William Jackson (Agricultural Labourer) and Charlotte [née Boreham] (Horsehair Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to Alfred Jackson [b1878] and Dennis Jackson [b1883]; also, uncle of Alfred Hugh Jackson [b1908].  Home: Liston Lane, Long Melford (1881), Park Terrace, St Marys Street, Long Melford (1891), 114 Westfield Road, Hornsey, London [1915].  Occupation: Factory Hand (1891), Soldier [1894 to 1906], Navvy [1915].  Married: Ellen Allen [widow] in 1915.  Service Record: William enlisted in 1892 as Gnr.1270 with the Suffolk Artillery, Eastern Division, Royal Artillery, transferring in 1894 as Gnr.1688 to 38^th Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, serving in Gibraltar from 1894 to 1902.  He re-enlisted on 19.4.1915 as Pte.1885 with 19^th [Service] Battalion [2^nd Public Works Pioneers], The Duke of Cambridge’s Own [Middlesex] Regiment.  On 14.2.1916 he was transferred to 25^th [Reserve] Battalion, Middlesex then on 1.9.1916 to 100^th [Training Reserve] Battalion.  By June 1917 William had been transferred again, as Pte.G88014 to the Labour Corps and in 1918 he was again on the move, this time as Pte.134478 to 673^rd [Home Service] Company, Labour Corps, before being moved to the Army Reserve in February 1919.  His record shows that he was engaged on Home Service duties only.[15]

Related Biography

Keeble, Ida Florence – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 21.9.1892.[16]  Parents: John Thomas Keeble (Postmaster of Long Melford) and Elizabeth Durwin [née Smith].  Family Connections: Sister to John Lionel Cockle Keeble [b1884], Claud Cyril Keeble [b1891] and Lawrence Victor Keeble [b1895]; also, sister-in-law of George Gainsford Jackson [b1882] and Charles Nunn Jackson [b1887]. Home: Post Office, Hall Street, Long Melford (1901), 226 High Street, Lewisham, London (1911), Hooks Hall Farm, Boxted, Suffolk (1939). Occupation: Draper’s Shop Assistant (1911). Married: Francis Alfred Jackson [see details above] in 1924. Service Record: Although no definitive record can be found Ida may have served as a Nurse with the Voluntary Aid Detachment during the First World War. Died: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk in 1965.

Notes – [1] Baptism Register 6.10.1878, Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford.  [2] Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363], Service Medal and Award Rolls, First World War, Silver War Badge [WO 329] record [ref: B212636] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].  [3] For more details see https://aviation-safety.net/ and https://www.rafcommands.com/database.  [4] Commonwealth War Graves Commission.  [5] UK Census and the Electoral Roll.  [6] For the Tribunal’s rulings see Suffolk and Essex Free Press 15.3.1916, 11.10.1916 and 28.3.1917.  [7] Baptism Register 1.7.1883, Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford.  [8] Chelsea Hospital British Army Service Record [WO 97] up to 1906.  [9] For the Tribunal’s ruling see Suffolk and Essex Free Press 1.8.1917.  [10] 1939 Register for Melford Rural District in Suffolk and Death Index.  [11] For notice of his possible commission see the Supplement to the London Gazette 13.12.1917 p13036.  [12] 1939 Register for Halstead, Essex.  [13] For the Tribunal ruling see Suffolk and Essex Free Press 15.3.1916.  [14] Baptism Register 7.2.1875, Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford.  [15] Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363].  [16] 1939 Register for Melford Rural District in Suffolk.