Francis James Jackson

Francis James Jackson, born in December 1770, entered diplomatic service at sixteen. He served as secretary of legation in Berlin and Madrid and later headed the British mission in Paris during the peace negotiations with France. His subsequent Berlin mission ended amid the rupture with Prussia in 1806. In 1807 he undertook a special mission to Denmark and witnessed the bombardment of Copenhagen. ¹

Jackson reached Washington in 1809 after Britain had repudiated David Erskine's agreement with the United States. His exchange with Secretary of State Robert Smith soon became a dispute over whether American officials had known that Erskine lacked authority to make that arrangement. Jackson repeated the implication after Smith denied it. The administration then refused further communication with him. ²

On 12 January 1810 Congress formally endorsed the refusal. Its resolution condemned Jackson's letters of 23 October and 4 November, and his public circular of 13 November, as affronts to the government and an attempt to set Americans against it. ²

Jackson remained in North America after losing access to the administration and departed for Europe in September 1810, leaving John Philip Morier in charge. He died at Brighton on 5 August 1814 after a prolonged illness. Some of his diaries and letters were later published alongside those of his brother, diplomat George Jackson. ^{3, 1}