Frederick John Jackson

Sir Frederick John Jackson, (17 February 1860 – 3 February 1929) was an English administrator in East Africa, explorer and ornithologist. He was a founder of the East Africa Natural History Society.

Early years Jackson was the son of John Jackson, born at Oran Hall, near Catterick, North Yorkshire in 1860. He attended Shrewsbury School and then Jesus College, Cambridge. In 1884 he went to Africa on a shooting trip, joining J. G. Haggard, the British consul at Lamu. On this trip he explored the coast of what is now Kenya, the Tana River and Mount Kilimanjaro. As well as shooting big game, he collected birds and butterflies. Soon after the 1886 treaty was signed to delimit the German and British spheres of influence in East Africa he joined the Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC).

Administrator

In 1889 Jackson led an IBEAC expedition that included his friend and fellow explorer Arthur Neumann in the party designed to open up the regions between Mombasa and Lake Victoria, which was largely unknown to Europeans at that time, and if possible to obtain news of Emin Pasha. At Kavirondo he received a letter from King Mwanga II of Buganda in Uganda describing a state of great confusion there owing to rivalry between different Christian factions. He went north, exploring the country beyond Mount Elgon. On his return to Kavirondo he found that the German Karl Peters had passed him and raised the German flag, which he pulled down. He went on to Uganda where he found the Baganda uncertain about whether to accept an IBEAC administration. The decision was made for them by the Heligoland treaty of 1900 in which Britain was given Uganda. and knighted as a Knight Commander (KCMG) of the same order in 1913. He retired in 1917.

Mammals

Reptiles Jackson's centipede eater, Aparallactus jacksonii Jackson's forest lizard, Adolfus jacksoni Amphilius jacksonii Boulenger 1912 Jackson's Barb, Enteromius jacksoni (Günther 1889)