Richard Downes Jackson

Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Downes Jackson KCB (1777 – 9 June 1845), born at Petersfield in the English county of Hampshire, was an officer in the British Army and subsequently colonial Administrator. Following service during the Napoleonic Wars, he was appointed the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in British North America. During that time, he also served for a few months as the Administrator of the government of the Province of Canada. He died in Canada in 1845 and is buried there.

Military career Jackson was commissioned as an ensign in the Coldstream Guards on 9 July 1794. After seeing action during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 he took part in the Battle of Copenhagen during the Napoleonic Wars.

Death

Jackson continued as Commander-in-Chief until 1845 when, missing his family in England, he asked to be recalled. Instead, he died suddenly in the summer of 1845, shortly before the arrival of his successor, Lord Cathcart. He was buried near his country home at William-Henry, Canada East (now Sorel, Quebec).