Royal Naval Biography/Jackson, Caleb
CALEB JACKSON, Esq.
[Commander.]
This officer, the third son of George Vernon Jackson, Esq., was born in the county of Surrey, Jan. 3d, 1791; and first embarked as midshipman, on board the Vengeance 74, Captain George Duff, at Portsmouth, previous to her sailing for the Baltic, in the spring of 1801. On her return from that station, the Vengeance became one of the squadron under Rear-Admiral George Campbell; which, after cruising for some time off Rochefort, was sent to Bantry Bay, for the protection of that part of Ireland; and subsequently to Jamaica, to watch the movements of the armament sent from France, to attempt the recovery of the French part of St. Domingo from the usurped government of the Blacks. Previous to her proceeding thither, Mr. Jackson witnessed the mutinous conduct of the Bantry Bay squadron, and the execution of the ringleaders at Spithead.
On his return from the West Indies, in the peace of 1802, Mr. Jackson went again to school; where he continued until Mar. 1806, and then joined the Edgar 74, flag-ship of Lord Keith, in the Downs. In this ship he served, under Captains Robert Jackson and James Macnamara, until May 1809; when he was removed into the Antelope 50, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral John Holloway, governor of Newfoundland; by whom he was, in the course of the same year, appointed acting lieutenant of the Comet sloop. Captain Richard H. Muddle, then on that station. His first commission bears date Dec. 11th, 1810.
In the early part of 1812, Lieutenant Jackson was successively appointed to the Valiant 74, Captain Robert Dudley Oliver, and Herald 18, Captain George Jackson; in which latter ship he continued, under the command of Captain Clement Milward, until removed to the Argo 44, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral William Brown, on the Jamaica station, in Aug. 1814. He subsequently acted for two months as commander of the Shark, receiving-ship at Port Royal; and on coming home, after being superseded, was ordered to return thither in the Warrior 74, temporary flagship of Rear-Admiral John E. Douglas, from whom he received no less than four acting orders, neither of which, however, was confirmed. He returned home acting commander of the Emulous 16; paid off that sloop, at Deptford, in June 1816; and has not since been employed afloat. He obtained his present rank on the 12th August, 1819.
Commander Caleb Jackson married, in 1828, Ursula, widow of Captain Andrew Dudie, H.M. 44th infantry. His eldest and only surviving brother, George Vernon Jackson, is a commander. Three others lost their lives in the naval service, viz., Thomas Vernon, died in 1809, from a cold caught when lieutenant of the Isis; – William, purser of the Delight sloop, perished with all his shipmates, off the Isle of France, in Feb. 1824; and Charles Reynolds, midshipman of the Redwing sloop, shared a similar fate while in charge of a prize, in Nov. 1825.