Behind the Album

My Grandparents

My maternal grandfather John Percival Jackson was born on the 23rd January 1985 in Cottingham, near Kingston-upon-Hull, East Yorkshire. The 1911 census confirms the ages of the family, his parents, John (44) and Hannah (40) had three other children. They were at that time all living at 23 Suffolk St., Hull. He is described in the census as being a clerk in a Coal Export business. By 1914 John Percival (also known as Percy) was 19. Cicely was 20, Muriel 16, and Thomas Henry (known as Mick) 7 years old. Percy joined up pretty promptly after the declaration of war, and his clerical skills must have had a bearing on his deployment. The entire family are pictured below.

My grandmother, Jessie Amelia Dixon was born in Brunswick Avenue, Hull in 1892. In the 1911 Census she was 18, working as a music teacher and living with her parents, Fred (40) and Jessie (39) at 36 Washington St., Hull. Also in the household were brother Gilbert (known as Gillie) 16 years old and her sister Olive, 10. At some point between 1911 and Summer 1914 they moved to 37 Lambert St, Hull and then during the early part of the war to 79 Ryde St. also in Hull.
Therefore she was 22 at the outbreak of war, three years older than my grandfather. I do not know how they knew each other or how they met. During most of the war, Jessie was working at the Picture Playhouse in Hull as a pianist. (see picture below) 'Talkies' had not yet arrived and the films were accompanied by a piano or piano trio. My grandmother appears to have improvised in solo passages, but someone, I think the Cellist must have made arrangements that the three of them would have performed. Read about dates and locations