George Richard Jackson

War Service

George Richard was enlisted into the 13th Service Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment on the 4th September 1914 with the service number 14747. This was shortly after the hostilities began and indicates that he was an early volunteer. On enlisting he is described as being 5’ 6 1/2” tall, weighing 127 lbs (about 9 stone) with a chest girth of 36 1/2”. He had a sallow complexion, dark brown eyes and black hair. His age at the time was given as 34 years 3 months but this is at odds with details given in earlier sources. In the 1911 census he is listed as being 39 years old which would have made him 42 at the time of enlisting. Other sources suggest he would have been 41. Parish records show that his brother William was born on 4/9/1870 and he is usually listed in census data as being 2 years older that George so he would have been 41/42.
This may have had some bearing on the fact that after reporting for duty George was discharged on 13/10/1914 having been enlisted for just 40 days. No reason can be ascertained for his discharge but given his job as a miner and his age it may well have been that he was simply not fit enough and unlikely to attain a level of fitness required, or, at a time when recruits were enthusiastic and plentiful, simply too
old.

Family Life

Although there were Jacksons in Brotherton from at least the late 1770s the earliest confirmed ancestors of George Richard were mentioned in the 1871 Census.
Richard Jackson was born in Skipton but in 1871 was living in the High Street, Brotherton with his wife Eliza who had been born in the village. At the time they had two children - Thomas aged 3 and 8 month old William. Richard was employed as a ‘Farm Labourer’.
George Richard was born in 1873 and his father died some time after and Eliza remarried to a man called George Moore from Fairburn.
In 1881the family were living near the Three Horse Shoes on Fairburn. George, a ‘Coalminer’, Eliza now called Moore and their 1 year old son Albert. With them were Eliza’s sons Thomas Jackson (12), William (10) and George Richard Jackson (8).
By 1891 the family had moved to live at 26 Bank Street Cottages, Fairburn. George was still a miner as were Thomas and William Jackson. (George) Richard now aged 18 was a ‘Pit Pony Driver’. Additions to the Moore family were Anne Elizabeth (9) and George (7). The latter probably explains why George Richard was referred to by his second name.
The next ten years saw a few changes. By 1901 the family minus William were to be found at 36 Silver Street, Fairburn. George was still a miner but Eliza was described as a ‘Shop-keeper Confectionary’ and working at home. All the other men in the household except George Moore were employed in mining whilst Anne Elizabeth was a ‘General Domestic Servant.’
In 1902 George Richard married Lily Horton in Ledsham Church - Fairburn then being part of the Ledsham Parish. By 1911 they had five children - Agnes Anne (8), Elizabeth Ellen (7), Margaret Martha (4), Thomas George (3) and John William (1). The first three had been born in Fairburn but the youngest two were born in Castleford.
They were resident at 73 School Street, Wheldon Road, Castleford. Living with them as lodgers were James and Lillian Aston and their 7 year old daughter Doris.
A further daughter to Lily and George Richard called Eva (?) was born in 1913.
In November 1914 George Richard would have returned home to his wife and six children who were no doubt grateful. Little else is known at this stage except that his Army records indicate 2 further addresses. These were - 12 Garth Street, Cutsyke and 7 Kingston Villas, Leeds Road, Glass Houghton. The date on the sheet that lists these addresses is given as 24/8/1920. The villages are adjacent and Garth Street is still to be found in Cutsyke.