Hi,
I am trying to trace the family history of my late father THOMAS FRANCIS JACKSON said to have been born 20 April 1908 in Melton Mowbray. I am new to genealogy so please be gentle! My father was the illegitimate son of CHARLOTTE SERAPIS SOADY JACKSON who was born circa 1869 on HMS troopship Serapis. She died on 2nd Feb 1940 in Nottingham. My father had a sister (half-sister?), also illegitimate, called ELIZABETH HELEN BUCKENHAM nee JACKSON (UPDATE - LOCATED AS ELIZABETH ELLEN AND BIRTH CERTIFICATE SENT FOR) said to have been born in Melton Mowbray on 23 November 1891 (although I can find no record of her birth).
Charlotte Serapis Soady Jackson's parents were THOMAS JACKSON born in Harston circa 1846 and CHARLOTTE ? born in ST. HELIER JERSEY circa 1843. Charlotte Serapis Soady Jackson had an older brother called CHARLES EDW. LIDDELL JACKSON born in Portsmouth circa 1863. I did wonder whether Charlotte's maiden name might be LIDDELL or SOADY, the third names given to her son and daughter respectively as these do not sound like conventional forenames. Of course, this could be a total red herring. I should like to find out Charlotte's maiden name and wondered if you could offer any assistance in this endeavour please.
Charlotte from St Helier seems to have died (less likely divorced) sometime between 1881 and 1890. In the 1881 census she is living with her family at 101 Park Street Lenton Nottingham. She is 38, a laundress and they have three boarders in their house, all railwaymen. Her husband Thomas is a drayman. However, by the 1891 census Thomas has a new wife ANNIE ? and a young son called JOHN WILLIAM and they are living at 19 Main Street in the village of Eastwell in Leicestershire. Ten years later, they have moved to a farm in Goadby Marwood and have another child called LILY JACKSON.
Thank you for any assistance you are able to offer me in this search.
Colin Jackson
Username cailean
Postscript
I was a little confused myself by the place of birth of Thomas Jackson. The 1881 census has him living with Charlotte C. and his two children and three boarders at 101 Park street Lenton Nottm and says his birthplace was Hants Harston. The 1891 census has his birthplace as Leicestershire Harston and the 1901 census (looks like Leicester) Harston. As far as I know, there is no Harston in Hampshire but there is a place called Harston in both Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire. Although I can find no place called Harston in Hants., there is a Hampshire connection because Thomas Jackson and Charlotte C 's first child Charles Edw. Liddell Jackson was born in Portsmouth. Also, there second child Charlotte Serapis Soady Jackson was born on HMS Serapis a troopship which was at times in 1863 in Portsmouth. In fact, this troopship was loaned by the Navy to the government in April / May 1863 to carry emigrants to Quebec Canada. Most of these emigrants were unemployed Portsmouth dock workers. I am trying to obtain the passenger list for this voyage as I suspect the family may have emigrated but then returned to UK later ... and, of course, then showed on the 1881 census. ANYBODY KNOW HOW TO FIND THE INDEX OF THE BIRTH OF SOMEONE BORN AT SEA IN ORDER THAT I CAN ORDER THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE?
