John Jackson

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Dianne Jones on 17th January 2021

DEATH: John JACKSON died at sea on May 29, 1817, from wounds received on May 24 (see H.R.A. Series 1, Vol. IX pp. 570-599). This synopsis of Conor Reidy's (2018) “Mutiny or murder? The bloodsoaked voyage of the Chapman convict ship” puts John Jacksons’ death at sea in context: “On 15 March 1817 the convict ship the Chapman departed from Cork with 200 male prisoners on board. When it dropped anchor off Sydney Cove four months later, its prison doors opened to reveal 160 gaunt and brutalised men. Twelve were dead and twenty-eight lay wounded in the hospital below deck. As officials pieced together the horrors of the voyage many questions arose. Why did Michael Collins claim that his fellow convicts conspired to take the ship? Why was Captain Drake unable to rein in the violent and sadistic Third Mate Baxter? Was there really an attempted mutiny on the Chapman? Or was this cold-blooded murder? Using daily journals from the crew, detailed testimony from several convicts and official colonial government correspondence, this book unravels what happened during those four months at sea. Tarnished by intrigue, suspicion and mutual hatred, this is the story of one of the darkest episodes in the history of penal transportation between Ireland and Australia.” Source: https://www.kobo.com/nz/en/ebook/mutiny-or-murder

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Dianne Jones on 17th January 2021

1818: When Dr Dewar returned to England to face charges over the deaths and maltreatment of convicts on the Chapman, his testimony included these references to JOHN JACKSON. He said: “On 12th April [1817] JOHN JACKSON one of the convicts who acted for them in seeing their rations regularly supplied came to me while I was in the sick bay and said the convicts objected to having fresh beef however it was served. “On that evening an alarm was given that the convicts were breaking out; at that time I was in the Cuddy, in company with the Officer of the Guard and Mr. Drake the Captain’s brother; I immediately went out, when I heard the convicts were on deck and running up the rigging; Lanthorns were procured and two musquet [sic] fired into the rigging; it was after some enquiry found that the alarm originated in William Nelson, a seaman, not answering to the challenge of the sentry while he was down the main hatchway where he ought not to have been at the time. Nelson was later punished. “About this time I found it necessary to confine JOHN JACKSON… [and two other convicts] in the orlop deck for insolent conduct to me but no corporal punishment was inflicted on them… “On the morning of the 24th May I was in my bed asleep, and was awoke by the noise of shot firing; I instantly went upon deck and found Mr. Busteed and Capt. Drake who informed me that the soldiers, under some apprehensions of the convicts rising in the Jolly Boat had fired upon them and wounded JOHN JACKSON, a convict [and three seamen]…”

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Dianne Jones on 17th January 2021

1817, 17 April: John Jackson was suspected of being one of the ringleaders of the “mutiny” aboard the Chapman. He was punished accordingly, as the ship’s surgeon Dr Alexander Dewar describes in this excerpt from his journal (Note: All mentions of John have been capitalised by me for emphasis): “P.M. At 4, mustered all the convicts up the after hatchways and down the forescuttle, detaining as they went round for suspicious conduct… [and punishing] … JOHN JACKSON with thirty six lashes on his back, Cornelius Crawley, one of the crew, with thirty six lashes on the back; John Fox escaped punishement [sic] by bringing a large file up out of the prison, which the convicts had contrived to get down for the purpose of assisting them to take their bazzels off.” (see Dewar, 1817) On the evening of 17 April, “a prolonged shooting incident” (Reidy 2018, p10) left several convicts dead below decks but their bodies, and the 22 men who were wounded, were not recovered until the next morning. Then followed punishment for the “principal conspirators” (Dewar 1817) and sea burials for four men – one crewman and three convicts. Dr Dewar’s journal entry continues: “April 18…P.M. Made Francis Murphy, Michael Savage, William Leo, John Doyal, Edward Donohough, JOHN JACKSON and William Morrison prisoners on the poop… “Thursday May 1st....P.M. Mustered all the prisoners up the main hatchway and down the fore scuttle as usual, serving to each person a gill of wine; the prisoners on the poop, Edward Donoghough, Willim Leo, F. Murphy, JOHN JACKSON… [and several others] excepted; at 6 confined them to a stanchion on the orlop deck, and the same number on the chain cable in the prison as last night.”

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Dianne Jones on 17th January 2021

CRIME: Robbery. He was tried and convicted at Limerick City’s Summer Assizes in 1816 and sentenced to 7 years’ transportation (see New South Wales, Australia Convict Ship Muster Rolls and Related Records, 1790-1849).