Sir George Duckett, 1st Baronet

Sir George Jackson Duckett, 1st Baronet (24 October 1725 – 22 December 1822) was a British naval administrator and politician.

Born George Jackson, probably in Yorkshire, the third but oldest surviving son of George Jackson (1687/8–1758) of Hill House, Richmond, Yorkshire, and Ellerton Abbey, Yorkshire, and Hannah, daughter of William Ward of Guisborough, Yorkshire.^[1] He sat as Member of Parliament (MP) for Weymouth & Melcombe Regis from 1786–88, and for Colchester from 1790-96. He was created a baronet in 1791.

Jackson was made Deputy Secretary to The Admiralty in 1766 and appointed Judge Advocate of the Fleet in 1768.^[2] In this capacity he was largely responsible for the conduct of the court martial of Admiral Lord Keppel in 1779 and the subsequent enquiry into the evidence of Sir Hugh Palliser. Jackson resigned from the secretaryship in 1782 but remained Judge Advocate until his death.

He was a friend and patron of Captain James Cook. In his honour, Captain Cook named both Cape Jackson in New Zealand, and Port Jackson in New South Wales, Australia.^[3] He was sole proprietor of the Stort Navigation.

He first married Mary Ward and they had three daughters. Secondly, he married Grace, daughter of George Duckett MP, with whom he had a son. In 1797 under the terms of the will of her uncle Thomas Duckett, Sir George assumed, by Royal Licence, the name and arms of that family, becoming Sir George Duckett, 1st Baronet. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son George (born 1777).

References

1. ↑ Duffy, Michael (2013) [2004]. "Duckett, George". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/14524.  (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
2. ↑ Sainty, J. C. (1975). Admiralty Officials 1660-1870. Athlone Press, University of London. p. 80. ISBN 0485171449. 
3. ↑ Gillies, A. (October 1945). "Two English Translations of Herder's "Maran Atha": A Note". The Modern Language Review. Modern Humanities Research Association. 40 (4): 311–312. JSTOR 3716874. 

External links

• Stortford history site