Francis John (“Jack”) Jacobs (1898–1917)
Francis John Jacobs (known as Jack) was born in Headington in 1898, the son of Joseph Jacobs (born Headington in c.1858) and Caroline Anne Draper (born in Cassington in c.1859).
His parents were married (evidently in haste) at St Andrew’s Church in Old Headington on 22 July 1878 and had eleven children:
- Carrie Amelia Jacobs (born in Headington and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 25 August 1878)
- Lily Beatrice Jacobs (born in Headington and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 31 October 1880)
- Albert William Jacobs (born in Headington on 27 January 1883 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 25 February 1883)
- George Henry Jacobs (born in Headington and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 2 April 1885)
- Harold Frederick Jacobs (born in Headington on 17 February 1886 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 28 March 1886)
- Walter Garner Jacobs (born in Headington on 29 July 1888 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 9 September 1888)
- Sidney James Jacobs (born in Headington on 29 October 1890 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 28 December 1890)
- Herbert Vernon Jacobs (born in Headington on 15 May 1893 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 18 June 1893; died aged 19 months and buried at Headington Cemetery on 7 January 1895)
- Josephine Annie Jacob (born in Headington on 29 November 1895 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 26 January 1896)
- Francis John Jacobs (born in New High Street on 28 April 1898 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 26 June 1898)
- Robert Hector Jacobs (born in New Headington on 22 April 1900 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 8 July 1900).
Jack’s father Joseph was a plasterer. His mother Caroline (known as Carrie) was the daughter of Joseph Draper (right), who kept the grocer’s shop on the western corner of Lime Walk and All Saints Road. She worked from home as a laundress most of her married life, despite the fact she regularly had three children under the age of five at home.
Jack’s mother also brought up as her own Alan Jones Jacobs, the illegitimate son of her eldest daughter Carrie (born on 1 May 1898 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 26 June 1898); doubtless in return Carrie helped her with the laundry. Alan died at the age of 6 and was buried at Headington Cemetery on 2 April 1905.
By the time of the 1891 census Frank’s family was living in New High Street (probably at No. 56), later taken into Highfield parish. The 1901 census shows them at home there: Jack was then a child of two. On census night 1911, however, when he would have been twelve, he was not at home.
Jack’s unmarried sister Carrie Jacobs died in Headington Workhouse at the age of 37 and was buried in Headington Cemetery on 17 April 1916.
Right: Jack Jacobs’s maternal grandfather, Joseph Draper, standing outside his shop in Lime Walk
In the First World War Francis John Jacobs served as a Private in the 1st/4th Battalion of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Service No. 201602). He was killed in action in Belgium at the age of 19 on 7 August 1917 and has no known grave. He is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial and on the Roll of Honour of All Saints’ Church, Highfield.
Right: Francis John Jacobs’s name on the Ypres (Menin Gate) War Memorial, kindly supplied by British War Graves
Postscript
Jack’s parents
- They lived at 26 New High Street soon after his death. Mrs Caroline Jacobs died at the London Road Hospital (the former workhouse) at the age of 76 and was buried at Headington Cemetery on 17 July 1936. Joseph Jacobs was still working as a plasterer when he died on 15 December 1937 at 29 Kennett Road (then “New Road”) at the age of 79.
See also
- CWGC: Francis John Jacobs
- Oxford Journal Illustrated, 26 July 1916: “Heroes of the War”: photograph of Private F. J. Jacobs of Headington
- Oxford Journal Illustrated, 12 September 1917, “Heroes of the War”: photograph of F. J. Jacobs of Headington, who had died just over a month earlier (shown above with kind permission of Oxfordshire County Council, Oxfordshire History Centre)
- Wikipedia: Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry