Acquiring the Jackson Papers

The Research Papers of Canon JE Jackson MA, FSA

(relating to the Hungerford Family)

Canon John Edward Jackson (1805-1891) was a renowned English historian and antiquary. He was trained for ordination and appointed as Curate of Farleigh Hungerford in 1834.  From his studies in local history, he developed an interest in the Hungerford Family which continued throughout his life.

In 1853 the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society (WANHS) was formed with Canon Jackson as its first joint secretary and magazine editor.

By 1883 the collection of his research material, documents, plans, pedigrees, portraits, drawings and personal notes were bound into eight volumes and two cartularies.  Upon his death these volumes were sold to Lord Houghton and later the Marquess of Crewe, a descendant of the Hungerford family.

The WANHS were greatly disappointed at their inability to purchase the papers at that time but their patience was rewarded in 1945 when the WANHS received the collection from a generous donor.

Early in the history of The Hungerford and Associated Families Society in Sydney, the then Secretary (Mr Ron Prentice [E.2.5a 2b 2c]) became aware of the existence of these unique papers, so valuable to research work the Society was undertaking.  Late in 1992 he and his wife made a visit to Wiltshire and traced the Jackson records housed carefully in the Wiltshire Society Library in Devizes.

It was learnt that no copy existed of this material.  An application was therefore made to have a copy produced on film at the expense of the Australian Society.  The WANHS agreed and generously waived any copyright charges.

The Bodleian Library at Oxford University was asked to study the collection and advise on a means of reproducing the papers.

A gathering of the Society Patron, President and Committee members was held in January 1993 when all the available facts on the Author and his material were tabled.  The estimated cost was a cause of concern and there was hesitation in agreeing to the suggestion that the Society acquire microfilm copy of the whole of the Jackson volumes.

Volume I:  Before leaving England, the Secretary received advice that the Bodleian Library would be willing to undertake the reproduction on the Society’s behalf and in order to have a sample of the materials to show in Australia, Joan and Ron Prentice, decided to order at their own expense, a copy of the first volume and make this a gift to the Society, in memory of Ron’s mother, Amy Maud Prentice [E.2.5a.2b].  Amy was the eldest daughter of Charles Simpson and Amelia Ellen Simpson (nee Hungerford), Amelia being a daughter of Robert Richard Hungerford [E.2] of Owlpen, West Maitland,  and his wife Ellen (nee Winder), formerly of Windermere, Lochinvar, NSW.

Volume II:  The Patron, Dr TG Hungerford [E.6.1a.6b] OBE, BVSc, FACVSc, HDA, persuaded those present to accept the challenge and open an appeal for funds, announcing and he and his wife, Mrs H Roslyn Hungerford would meet the cost of a volume and dedicate it to the memory of Edmund Alexander Hungerford [E.6.1a], and his wife Rose Beatrice (nee Martin).  Edmund was father of Dr Tom and the eldest son of Thomas Hungerford [E.6] of Baerami.  He was a pioneer pastoralist, a great bushman, who explored the Gulf Country and other parts of North and Central Australia.  Rose Beatrice married Edmund on 18 June 1889 at Forest Gate, in Essex.  Beatrice was a talented lady, an artist in oils and a pianist.  She reared her six children in the pioneering ambience of the Gulf, and then in Sydney.  She was honoured and loved by all who knew her, as an outstanding woman of courage and character, a caring and loving leader and a pioneer.

Volume III:  Again very generously, a further volume was sponsored by the family of Dr Tom & Mrs H Roslyn Hungerford BA [E.6.1a.6b=]. The family members were:  Roslyn Beatrice Hammett (nee Hungerford) MA, AMusA, LTCL; Dr G Douglas Hungerford MB, BS, DDR, MRACR; Bernard Thomas Hungerford BA, LLB and Christine Mildred Symes (nee Hungerford) BA, LLB.  This gift was dedicated to the memory of Dr Christian Ulrich Schrader, a pioneer medical man and one time Surgeon Captain in the Prussian Guards.  He emigrated to Australia in 1853 and became the first doctor for the Walcha Hospital and Coroner. One of his sons, Willoughby Douglas Schrader, Solicitor, married Minnie Violet Sayers (of another pioneer family), the mother of Mrs H Roslyn Hungerford above, so linking three Australian pioneer families.

Volume IV.  The President, The Reverend Canon Melville C Newth [E.4.1a.6b.2c] announced that he and his wife Hope (nee Kirkwood) would be proud and pleased to be donors of a volume of the Jackson Research papers.  Canon Newth OBE, Foundation President and Honorary Life Member of the Society, is the grandson of Jessie Hungerford [E.4.1a], of the nine children of William Moore Hungerford and Agnes Winder.  William Moore Hungerford was the fourth son of Captain Emanuel [E.] and Catherine (nee Loane) Hungerford who migrated with their family from County Cork, Ireland to Australia in 1828, settling in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales.

Volume V: Following this lead, some members of the HAFS Committee pledged sufficient Funds to cover the cost of a further volume, of which there were ten in all at Devizes.

Volume VI:  From this sound beginning, an appeal was made to the HAFS Society members and an order placed with the Bodleian Library to proceed with the work.  Within a short space of time donations received indicated that a least one further volume would be financed, but this was still only a little beyond half way in the costly project.  Names inclu:ed Harry & Betty Crowley (nee Hungerford) [E.6.16a.4b], who donated $100.00 on 11 February 1993.

Volume VII:  A very welcome phone call from Mrs Verlie Geddes [E.2.7a.3b.7c]  of Quirindi tipped the scales when she announced that a volume would be financed by Members of the Greenwood Family, in memory of their father Maurice Weston Greenwood [E.2.7a.3b], son of Robert John Greenwood and Annie Loane Greenwood (nee Hungerford).

Volume VIII:  From the United States of America, generous donations have been received from Richard W Hungerford Jr BS, BA, of Omaha, also from Mrs Mary Hungerford Reid of Ketchikan, Alaska, and from Dr G Douglas Hungerford [E.6.1a.6b.2c],  of Alabama, the total of which has met the cost of a further volume of the papers.

Volume IX:  Those society members who attended the second Annual Church Service, held at the Church of St Thomas at Enfield, will remember our Cousins and Friends from Tauranga, New Zealand, who arranged to be with us on that occasion, Des and Sue Hungerford [T.1.2a.1b] and Sue’s sister Winifred (descendants of Col TJW Hungerford). They took home with them the call of our appeal and very generously decided to finance the copying of a volume of the collection, which is dedicated to the memory of Lieutenant Colonel Townsend James William Hungerford CB, formerly of the Royal Artillery, Bengal, who died aged 45, and was buried in Melbourne in December 1859.  His son George Willoughby Hungerford, born in India, was the first known member of that family to settle in New Zealand.

There has therefore been a wonderful response to the appeal, and the gifts, small or large, are gratefully acknowledged.  Further generations of historians will benefit from the farsightedness of the group who undertook the work of acquiring the collection copy and for the assistance of the Wiltshire Society who own the original volumes and allowed this copy to be made.

We have been proud to have been involved in this important task.

The Hungerford & Associated Families Society;   Dr TG Hungerford, Patron; Canon MC Newth, President; RH Prentice, JP, Hon Sec, about 1993.

Additional detail added from HAFS Correspondence, 2012.

[box type=”info” style=”rounded” border=”full”]The Committee has recently had our Jackson Papers microfilm copy digitised. This protects us from deterioration of the original film and effectively give us another “copy” in a more usable format.  Even though records only show donations for nine of the ten volumes held by the Wiltshire Museum, all volumes were microfilmed, and the copy held for safekeeping by successive HAFS Secretaries. Our current project is to index all the volumes, so that researchers can proceed more easily to transcribe pages relevant to their research. Watch this space for forthcoming indexes. Lesley Abrahams, President HAFS 2018[/box]

References:

Introduction to the Jackson Papers, by the Rev JE Jackson (1880),   transcribed by Peter Sherlock,  HAFS Journal, Vol 2, No 1 May 1993 pp 14-17

The Early Generations, HAFS Journal, Vol 4, No 1 May 1997 pp 28-29; HAFS Newsletter 5 Feb 1993 p 2; HAFS Newsletter 7 Feb 1994 p 1; HAFS Newsletter 8 Aug 1994 pp 1, 5;  HAFS Newsletter 9 Feb 1995 p 1; HAFS Newsletter 11 Feb 1996 pp 5-6; HAFS Newsletter 23 Feb 2003 p 9

Captain Thomas of Rathbarry, HAFS Journal, HAFS Journal, Vol  2, No 3 May 1994 pp 26-30; HAFS Newsletter 5 Feb 1993 p 2; HAFS Newsletter 10 Aug 1995 p 5

The Hungerfords of England, HAFS Journal, Vol 3, No 3 May 1996 p 8