Historical information

Jackson Boilers were based in Leeds, manufacturing instantaneous water boilers and later coffee machines for restaurants and canteens. They appear to have still been in business in 1971 but there is scant information available at this time regards the company history or origins. Jacksons became very successful throughout the first half of the twentieth century with showrooms and sales offices in Scotland the Midlands and Southern England they also had an office in Dublin Ireland.

In the 1920s they began to supply many shipping lines with catering water boilers for their ships and applied for a USA patent for the tube boiler in 1930 the design for which appears to have been invented in 1926. It is assumed that the company was taken over and amalgamated sometime in the 1970s but the writer has been unable to establish what exactly happened to the company and who had taken it over or when it first started to produce water boilers for commercial sale. it is assumed Jacksons began production of water boilers in the late 19th century.

The Jackson boiler was recovered from the Reginald M, a small cargo vessel that was built in Port Adelaide in 1922 and was named after her builder and first owner John Murch. It was launched at Largs Bay South Australia in 1922 to carry cargo around South Australia including guano, barley, wool, horses, cattle, timber, explosives, potatoes, shell grit, and gypsum. It passed through numerous owners over the years and primarily maintained its purpose as a cargo vessel.

After it was decommissioned for many years the vessel was purchased in 1975 by Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum. Restoration efforts were undertaken, but unfortunately, although restoration was maintained for the craft above the waterline, the deterioration below the surface meant that the Reginald M was resting on the bottom of the lake at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village and unsafe for visitors to board. As a result, it was removed in pieces from Flagstaff Hill in 2018. Flagstaff Hill's collection includes several items from the vessel.

Significance

The subject item is a tube water boiler designed specifically for use in a ship's restaurant or dining area and patented by Jackson Boilers of Leeds. The item is significant as its patented design illustrates the evolution of commercial and domestic water boilers that have led to many innervations and improvements in today's boilers that are used in heating and in producing hot water for domestic and catering use. It is also significant as it is one of the earlier boilers the Jackson company made in the early 1920s before they applied for a US patent on their revised design in 1926.

Physical description

Water boiler, free standing Jackson's Tube boiler. Tall metal cylindrical stand with metal sphere on top and several pipe fittings on the sides. A brass tap with a lever handle is connected to the front. A plaque with maker's details is attached under the tap, Details are also impressed into the cylinder above the tap.

Inscriptions & markings

Jackson Boilers Leeds Ltd. "JACKSON'S PATENT" . Other details indecipherable.

References