Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Jackson, Thomas (d.1646)
JACKSON, THOMAS (d. 1646), prebendary of Canterbury, born in Lancashire and educated at Cambridge, graduated M.A. in 1600, and B.D. in 1608, at Christ's College; and proceeded D.D. in 1615 from Emmanuel College. He was beneficed at several places in Kent, between 1603 and 1614 at Wye, and later at Ivychurch, Chilham-with-Molash, Great Chart, Milton, near Canterbury, and St. George's in Canterbury. On 30 March 1614 he was installed a prebendary in Canterbury Cathedral. At the trial of Laud in 1644 he testified that the archbishop had in one of his statutes enjoined bowing towards the altar. When Laud was taunted with giving preferment only to men ‘popishly inclined,’ he replied that he disposed of livings to ‘divers good and orthodox men, as to Doctor Jackson of Canterbury,’ to whom he had given ‘an hospital.’ Wood says that he ‘mostly seemed to be a true son of the church of England.’ He nevertheless found favour with the parliament, as he continued in office until his death in November 1646. His wife Elizabeth was buried at Canterbury on 27 Jan. 1657. One of his sons, also named Thomas, was among a number of Canterbury clergymen who in August 1636 were reported to Laud for tavern-haunting and drunkenness.
Jackson was author of: 1. ‘David's Pastorall Poeme, or Sheepeheards Song. Seven Sermons on the 23 Psalme,’ 1603, 8vo. 2. ‘The Converts Happiness: a Comfortable Sermon,’ 1609, 4to. 3. ‘Londons New Yeeres Gift, or the Uncouching of the Foxe. A Godly Sermon,’ 1609, 4to. 4. ‘Peters Teares, a Sermon,’ 1612, 4to. 5. ‘Sinnelesse Sorrow for the Dead. A Comfortable Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. John Moyle,’ 1614, 12mo. 6. ‘Judah must into Captivitie. Six Sermons,’ &c., 1622, 4to. 7. ‘The Raging Tempest Stilled. The Historie of Christ, His Passage with His Disciples over the Sea of Galilee,’ &c., 1623, 4to. 8. ‘An Helpe to the Best Bargaine. A Sermon,’ 1624, 8vo.
[Wood's Athenæ Oxon. (Bliss), ii. 669; Prynne's Canterbury's Doom, 1646, pp. 79, 534; Wharton's Troubles and Tryal of Laud, 1695, pp. 326, 369; Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy, fol. pt. ii. p. 7; Hist. MSS. Comm. 4th Rep. p. 125; House of Lords' Journals, viii. 573; Le Neve's Fasti (Hardy), i. 49; Hasted's Kent, ‘Canterbury,’ 1801, ii. 65; Registers of Canterbury Cathedral (Harl. Soc.); Masters's Corpus Christi College (Lamb), pp. 193, 199; Calendar of State Papers, Dom. Ser. James I, i. 74, 1634–5, 1635, 1635–6, 1636–7; Brit. Mus. Cat.; information kindly supplied by the Revs. J. I. Dredge and J. E. B. Mayor.]