Jackson Surname History
The Jackson ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. Jackson is a baptismal name meaning ‘son of Jack’, a name of great antiquity. This name is of Anglo-Saxon descent spreading to the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts throughout these countries.
The distinguished surname Jackson first emerged in the borderlands between England and Scotland. The name is related to the personal name Jack, a pet form of the popular “John,” meaning “God has favoured,” and refers to “a son of Jack.”
The surname Jackson was first found in various shires throughout Britain including Cambridgeshire which listed two families in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: Robert filius Jake; and Henricus filius Jake. By the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, the name had evolved to spellings that are closer to the ones used today: Johannes Jakson; Willelmus Jacson; Robertus Jackeson; and Willelmus Jakeson.
Examples of such are a Johannes Jakson who was recorded in the ‘Poll Tax’ of the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, in the year 1379. A Robert Jake, County Cambridgeshire, was recorded in the ‘Hundred Rolls’ in the year 1273. A John Jacson was baptised in Kensington Church, Kensington, in the year 1574. A William Jackson was admitted Burgess of Aberdeen, Scotland, in the year 1409.
The name Jackson, appeared in many references, and from time to time, the surname was spelt Jackson, Jaccson, Jacson, Jacksone, Jackston and others.
Names were recorded in these ancient documents to make it easier for their overlords to collect taxes and to keep records of the population at any given time. When the overlords acquired land by either force or gifts from their rulers, they created charters of ownership for themselves and their vassals. It was by the method of creating and updating these old reference books that they were able to maintain their authority and enforce laws.
In Ireland this name and its variants were first introduced into Ulster Province by settlers who arrived from England and Scotland, especially during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Jackson family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Jackson descendants.
Sources:
http://www.irishsurnames.com/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?name=jackson&capname=Jackson&letter=j
https://www.houseofnames.com/jackson-family-crest
Have a comment or a question, contact Mark Jackson at: mark.jackson@caldwelljournal.com