Lives in Cricket No 43 - John Jackson

86 Family Life and Decline 1880 to 1901 Over the last twenty years of his life things started to go steadily more pear-shaped for Jackson as he fell on hard times. We must appreciate that in those days there was no safety net for those who could not cope with life and its problems. There was no benefit system, no NHS, and the sole refuge offered was the Victorian workhouse. John Jackson only knew how to play cricket and, great player that he was, he had neither trained for anything else nor had he been fully educated. He did some jobs in the warehouses on the Liverpool docks, but this giant of a man who had once struck terror into the hearts of batsmen of international class and could keep going all day, was now competing for jobs with men who were considerably younger and fitter than he was. In 1882 he became a father again at the age of 49 when his youngest child, Harold, was born at 23 Carlton Hill on 15 August. At some point over the next few years the family began to split up. In 1889 Kate was married to a glazier from Devon named Samuel Dovey from Nickelby Street, Liverpool, and by the 1891 census had set up home at 47 Ouse Street, Toxteth. Harry was also married to a lady from Worcester, named Esther. In 1891 they were living at 64 Greenbank Hall, Toxteth Park and had a baby daughter, Maud, aged two. Living with Samuel and Kate at 47 Ouse Street were their two children, Samuel H., aged one and Alfred, aged two months. Also living there were John Jackson’s children, Samuel R. who was by now a postman’s messenger, and Harold, as scholar, as well as Lucie who was still at school. But John and Mahala – where were they? Mahala, sadly, was dead. She had been living at 8 Madryn Street, Toxteth. This was a terraced street about half a mile from Liverpool Cathedral. Recently much of the area was earmarked for development but it was discovered that No. 9 was one of the childhood homes of Ringo Starr of Beatles fame. It soon became a tourist attraction. She passed away of a pulmonary illness on 4 February 1891. Her son, Samuel R. was present at the death and signed the death certificate. John seems not to have been Lucy Jackson’s birth certificate. She was Jackson’s youngest daughter. Jackson is this time described as a provision dealer.