RootsChat.Com

Have just found the following on http://glosters.tripod.com/offzdiedj.htm

Jackson - Lieutenant-Colonel Gregory - 15th Madras Native Infantry - died 1st April 1835.
Born 5th December 1780 at Topsham, Devon. Son of James & Sarah Jackson. Married Matilda Hanna, 5th May 1813.
Grave at Penang - "This monument is erected by his brother officers and friends to the memory of Lieut Colonel Gregory Jackson 15th Regiment M.N.I. Aged 55 years Also of his wife Matilda Jackson Aged 59 years And their eldest son Gregory Jackson Aged 21 years. both parents expired on the morning of the 1st April 1835, and their son the previous afternoon from jungle fever."

My interest in the Jacksons of Topsham starts with Lucy ?Jackson? who as a widow married as 2nd wife, William Beadon of Gotten, Somerset.  I have only surmised that her maiden name was Jackson because she had living with her (Census 1841 and 1851) at Gotton her niece, Sarah H Jackson b 1823 Pondicherry, India (daughter of Gregory). 

Gregory Jackson, who was definitely born Topsham (source IndiaOffice) was a Lt Col in the Madras Infantry. He was a cadet in 1799, which puts him as having been born in the 1780s.  And his grandson, Alfred James Alexander Jackson, son of Joseph Myers Jackson  (b Palmacotta, India 12 feb 1816), was an executor of Sarah Hanna Jackson's will. She died a spinster in 1899 in Bath . Joseph M Jackson was a Surgeon in the Madras army, but his wife Sarah Wills came from Exeter.

However,Lucy's dob, if the census can be believed, is around 1801, and the Lucy who was sister to Gregory was born 1784.  They did lie about their age, but that is rather a big lie.  Sarah H Jackson appears in 1841 as 15, 1851 22, and 1861 27!  But Lucy is pretty consistent as being born 1801.

A codicil to WB's will mentions his wife Lucy, and he left her the goods and chattels she brought from Bath  and a watch that WB carried that had belonged to her previous husband. But I can find no evidence of a marriage having taken place between Lucy and WB which might have thrown some light on the name of her 1st husband.

I have a copy of a letter written by Sarah H Jackson about the way she and her Aunt Lucy left Gotton after the death of William Beadon, a few days after his death, and it was bitterly cold.  I don't think his sons by first wife liked Lucy, and there was some dispute as they sons wouldn't let the memorial stone which Lucy had ordered in Bath be put on the grave at West Monkton.

There are various possibilities which would make Sarah Lucy's niece
1. Lucy was Lucy Jackson b 1784, sister of Gregory
2. Lucy was the sister of Gregory's wife
3. Sarah's mother/father were sister or brother of Lucy's first wife.

Any ideas?
Jane

PS the following are the children of Gregory:

Joseph Myers Jackson, B 16 Feb 1816 Palmacottah, India d 1885 London
William Jackson