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tjackson
Australia
106 Posts |
 Posted - 24/08/2011 : 12:09:32
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Charlie Jackson was born in Denby, Yorkshire and immigrated to Australia in 1911 with his wife Eva when they were both aged 25. Charlie initially settled in Sydney and by 1930 was a garage proprietor in Bowral, about 100km South-West of Sydney. Around this time Charlie was a successful sporting motorist in his M-type with several newspaper references between 1929 and 1931, one article reporting:
“C N Jackson is one of the few Australian owners of the special sports MG Midgets produced by the Morris organisation in England and with it he is a frequent competitor in events ….the speedy little car which has some good performances to its credit in hill climbs, flying mile tests and similar events.”
We don’t know the chassis number of the M-type (photo below) but Charlie’s trophies survive with his family along with a watch and medals that were thought to have been won by him in England before he immigrated. It appears that there are cycling medals from 1905 and 1906. One of the trophies is engraved “Presented by Morris (New South Wales) Ltd” dated 2 February 1929.
Charlie's Obituary paper clipping dated 5/12/1957 states "The late Mr. Jackson was born of a farming family at Denby, Yorkshire, England, and came to Australia 48 years ago with the Nuffield organisation to drive M.G. racing cars. While racing he broke many Australian records and annexed many magnificent trophies which he always treasured. In his early days in England he was a champion cyclist."
We are currently trying to determine which parts of the story are true, and which are family folklore. It appears that Morris Motors started selling cars in Australia in 1917 or 1918 and we are trying to establish Charlie’s connection with Morris distributors in NSW. It is possible that his Bowral garage was an agency.
Can anyone help with the following:
- is it possible to verify the claim that Charlie was tasked by William Morris to establish MG in Australia?
- what was Charlie’s association with William Morris, did he race for Morris’ bike shop?
- are any of Charlie’s UK awards and medals from motor sport, are there records of him in trials or other events?
If anyone knows anything more about Charlie Jackson or his M-type we would love to hear from you.
Many thanks in advance,
Tim … with the same surname but no relation
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Robin Hamblett
United Kingdom
534 Posts |
Posted - 24/08/2011 : 15:01:39
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Hi Tim
I can't provide any info for you as yet, but will have a look in the register files for anything there. I wonder if you could please email me a copy of the photograph though? It's a great image and can be enahnced a little and, with permission, uploaded to the historical section of the MMM website.
My email address is robin.hamblett@gmail.com and assure you that the image would only be used for this purpose.
Kind regards
Robin Hamblett
MMM Registrar. |
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Mike the M
United Kingdom
481 Posts |
Posted - 25/08/2011 : 00:31:46
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According to the 1901 and 1911 census Charles Nelson Jackson was born 1886 in Denby in the West Riding of Yorkshire and was a farmers son.
From the known records, initially six cars were exported.
2M 0798 and 2M 0897 were unknown destinations
2M 0945 went to S. A. Cheney Motors in Melbourne, 5 April 1930 to a James Cuming
2M 1523, 2M 1524 and 2M 2046 are also unknown destinations.
Worth doing more digging!
Early cycling info may be interesting, but don't have that.
Mike Dalby |
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sam christie
United Kingdom
3115 Posts |
Posted - 25/08/2011 : 10:54:14
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Has anyone concluded at what chassis number the early M-type brakes with the shaft sticking through the louvred valence disappeared?
By chassis 2M 0812 (a well documented example)the external brake linkage had gone from the side valence, so Charlie's M is a lower chassis number.If the early brakes were still fitted up to chassis 2M 0798 and this was the lowest chassis number sent to Australia could 2M 0798 be Charlie's??
Sam |
Edited by - sam christie on 25/08/2011 10:54:59 |
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tjackson
Australia
106 Posts |
Posted - 25/08/2011 : 12:07:03
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Robin – that is the best quality photo I have but I will see what I can chase up and send you an email
Mike & Sam – many thanks for the information. Unfortunately only one of the cars (2M 1524) survives on our register. Jim Cuming owned his car for many years in Melbourne (photo below with Jim standing on the right) and it looks like we may now know its chassis number which is a bonus. To a J-type owner Sam’s logic appears sound which supports the story that Charlie was sent one of the first cars to come here.
Given Charlie left England in 1911 we might be pushing the car connection too far in determining what relationship he might have had with William Morris and may need to go to the Oxford Historical Society or similar for information on the cycling.
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Robin Hamblett
United Kingdom
534 Posts |
Posted - 25/08/2011 : 19:52:13
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That's great Tim. Send what you are able to an I'll get my Photoshop hatmon to enhance andvtidy them up.
Regards
Robin |
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Matthew Magilton
Australia
179 Posts |
Posted - 27/08/2011 : 09:50:48
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2M 1423 was on the register in Queensland too.
Mike, your note about James Cuming's car has solved a lot of head scratching over here. Would it be possible to get together a list of known or suspected Australian exports? Myself and others have put together indexes of owners and registration numbers for which we sometimes have no chassis number. I also compare notes with Geoff Broadhead who runs the New Zealand register.
Cheers,
Matthew.
mbmagilton AT msn.com |
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Mike the M
United Kingdom
481 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2011 : 20:42:33
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Further to note above, then the records show that 2M 2040 was exported, and is on the Triple M register as in Australia now. NOT the 2M 2046 as I stated before! Sorry.
Those cars are the only ones that are either of unknown destination or quoted as Australia.
There are some "delivered as chassis", but those could have gone to UK coach builders.
Hope that answers some questions.
Cheers, Mike |
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