Charles Jackson, the son of Thomas Jackson and Sarah Taylor, was born in Plymouth, MA on the 1st of March in 1770 and died in Plymouth on the 8th of August in 1818 at age 48.
Charles Jackson and his brother conducted a prosperous shipping and foreign navigation business and owned a small fleet of ships. The Jackson brothers were a remarkable set of men, six in number, all about six feet in height, gentlemen in bearing and dress, and with their blue coats and brass buttons, and in summer, white beaver hats, white trousers, low shoes and white stockings, their appearance in our streets gave character and expression to the town. They were all confident, self-centered men, who knew what they wanted and how to accomplish it, meddling in no man’s business and permitting no man to meddle in theirs ; neither asking for nor offering advice. They had means sufficient to carry out their enterprises and never sought outside of their family and their commanders, the contribution of a timber head to their ships.
Charles Jackson’s father, Thomas, purchased what in Plymouth was known as the Winslow House in 1782 and in 1813 it was passed on to Charles. The Winslow House was built in 1754, by Edward Winslow, a great grandson of Gov. Edward Winslow of the Mayflower. Mr. Winslow was a Tory, and often entertained English officers in his house, who thus became familiar with it. In 1775 some officers of an English company, stationed in Marshfield, under the command of Capt. Balfour, while visiting in Plymouth, were attacked by the patriotic citizens whose ire they had excited. The sword of one of them was broken in pieces and distributed among the mob. According to a legend, for which no authority can be found, another officer dashed on horseback down the street, and disappeared in front of the Winslow House. The story goes that he rode through the great doorway, along the hall and out of the opposite door, and escaped into the woods which then grew near the house. After the evacuation of Boston, in 1776, Mr. Winslow was obliged to leave Plymouth with his family. He joined the British in New York, and afterwards settled in Nova Scotia. His house was confiscated. Today, the house is owned by the Mayflower Society and serves as their headquarters.
