The Day Book of Thomas Jackson (1775-1834)

Thomas Jackson (1775-1834), son of George Jackson and Elizabeth King, farmed at Lackenby all his life.  Over a period of years, he kept a Day Book, which was continued after his death by his son John (1808-94).

It is a book of notes and jottings (which may explain the spelling and punctuation) and covers a wide variety of subjects, including records of important family events, household accounts, details of court cases, and notes on farming matters.

There are many miscellaneous farming notes.  He jots down the recipe given him by Robert Thompson for a horse “bad in is wind”:

Robt Thompson Reseat [receipt]
        A Medison for a Horse Bad in is wind take 4 ounces of Garlic 4 ounces of Tax 4 ounces of Flour of Brimstone shread the Garlic small and mix it together into Balls size of a small nutmeg and give it every other Morning The Horse may work as usual

In 1806, he recorded the cost of a threshing machine:

1806  Feb 10    The following is an account of the expense of the Threshin Mushin that I Thos Jackson erected below Lackenby ………..£103. 3. 7

In 1809, five years after his marriage, he noted the costs of setting up house for himself.  Perhaps he and his wife Mary Lamb had so far been living at his father’s farm:

1809 Apr 6th
        To my […] in setting up House for myself
        To sundry goods at Stockton  £5 – 0 – 0
        To sundreys General Hale Sale   £11 – 19 – 5
        To sundrys at J Nesham Sale   £1 – 4 – 0
        To 1 Dozen of Knives  19s 0d
        To 5 Pairs of Blankets  £3 – 16 – 0
        To 4 of Do.  £2 – 16 – 0

July 27
        To Thos Wilson for a New Clock £5 – 3 – 0

He recorded local events:

Feb 19th 1810    Sir Charles Turner was Intird in the Family Volt at Kirkleatham after being brougt from Bath the place he died at whre he whas met at Guisbro by is Tennents and they all got there breackofts and got Hatbands and whas fond[?] till he came to Kleatham by Diferent People to the amount of three thousand upwards

June 10th 1813    I was sumas to appear at Guisbro on the Above Day a few Days before as a Jury man upon altering Guisbro Market Day from Friday to Tuesday when after hearing witnesses on boath sides the Jury came to give there Verdict out of 18 Jury Men 9 was for Friday and 9 for Tuesday they sat 16 Hours upon it and neither party would give way.  It was agreed upon Thos Rood of Marton for Tuesday men and Thos Nesham of Stockesley … on Friday Men to [de]cide the [Business] Thos Nesham return and said they had agreed for it to be altered to Tuesday to which where all sd to agree by us passing our word before whe would agree to what they did
        Thos Jackson

Thomas also used the Day Book to record important personal and family events.

He and Mary Lamb were married on 24 April 1804.  In March the next year he recorded the birth of their first child:

March the 16th 1805    Ann the Daughter of Thos & Mary Jackson Born at One a Clock in the Morning at Lackenby

Three years later, their son John was born:

July 9th 1808        John the Son of Thos and Mary Jackson Born at 12 a Clock at Day – Saturday

In December 1810, in some distress, he recorded his father’s death:

December 4th 1810    my Dear Father Geo Jackson Departed this life a Quarter past two a Clock in the afternoon on a Tuesday he had had a little pain in his Head for a week or two before but ailed not much till Friday Night before is Death when he begun with a Trimbling for an hour or two and then left him but wha[ ..] Powerly on Saturday when he got up but walked about the House he whas same on Sunday whe sent for the Doctor on Sunday after Noon who Blooded him and laid a Blister on is brest where he said he had a little pain he whas same on Monday as the other two Days I went on Tuesday Morning about 7 oclock to see him he said he thought he whas much the same but would get up he did at that time and sea[…]  easy till about 10 when he said he would lay Down which he did but never spoak after till he Died but when Eliz Robson asked him if he found Jesus presons [?] too him […] he said he did and prased the Lord in a low Voice but never whas the least uneasy but as though he whas a sleep but in Breath grew shoter and shoter till he Died without a Groan or strugle at Lackenby

His account of the death of his younger brother George in 1822, aged 46, is brief and poignant:

May 29th 1822 my Dear Brother Geo Jackson departed this Life betwest 2 and 3 aClock in the morning after being confined to is bead 10 Days with what is called a rumatic Fever which begun with a Cold and flew from one lim to another tell it all last seased on all the norbis of is body and is body begun to swell and put an end to is existance he was one of the kindest of Brothers to me it was a sever tryal as ave whe never much parted in our lives                 
Thos Jackson

Thomas also recorded practical matters.

John Jackson Annuities due Mar 9th and Sep 9th every year

presumably refers to annuities they were receiving under their brother’s Will.


He recorded making trips to Northallerton, York and London, all apparently connected with court cases he was undertaking mainly on behalf of Mr William Jackson, probably his landlord:

The following are sums I promised to Pay witness on the diffrent Tryals at York on Mr Jackson acct … they would not have gone
[Payments at 5 shillings per day to J Atkinson, J Buckton, Geo Webster, Geo Thompson]

On Wednesday 17 June 1812 I set of for London and arrivd at Mr Kings on Friday about 3 aClock upon the account of an Action at the Court of Kings Bench before Lord Ellingborough brought on by a Meggison Attorney of London Hatton Garden for non payment of Rent …

An interesting aspect of the Day Book is the evidence of the close interest he took in his uncle Captain Thomas King and his family. 

It is clear that the Kings kept up contact with their relatives in Cleveland, and that on at least one occasion one of Thomas King’s sons paid a ten day visit to his cousins in Lackenby:

March 15th 1815        Mr Thos King Junr set of for London by way of Stockton to Northallerton after having been with us 10 Days at Lackenby

Thomas noted the names of Captain King’s slave plantations in the West Indies:

Mr Kings Plantations Names below
Friendship & Divionshire & Schoontober & Sarah*

and he recorded the King family's addresses:

Thos King Esq    No 2 Falcon Square London
Wm King Esq    16 Sussex Square Hyde Park
Do. Counting House
Mr Kings Counting House  No 1 New Coach Broad Street London
do. Country Seat at Wandsworth Surrey
John Appleton's [Directions?] Demerara
Messrs Mr Clure Cummins & Co Barbados

Finally he recorded his uncle’s death in Bath:

January 19th 1824        At half past one aClock in the Daytime my Dear Uncle Thos King Esq departed this Life at No 9 Catharine Place Bath and … the account from is Son Thos King on the 27th of Jany

Note

* The Sarah Plantation eventually passed to Thomas King's eldest son William.  Records at Wilberforce House, Hull, include the punishment record for six months in 1828, showing that 32 men and women slaves were whipped, making a total of 499 lashes in all.  Wilberforce House has "a collection of letters from Caribbean plantations to the owners  T & W King of London, between 1826 and 1841" [Miss Grace Dixon]  and cf. here