Isaiah was born on the 25th of January 1888 at the family home of 53 Henrietta Street in the Wensley Fold district of Blackburn, Lancashire. He was the second of six children born to William Henry Jackson, an Iron Turner, and his wife Rachel (nee Eddleston).

When the 1891 census was taken on the 5th April, Isaiah, aged 3, was living with his parents and siblings at 53 Henrietta Street.

In the March 1901 census, Isaiah was still living at 53 Henrietta Street with his parents, sister and three younger brothers. He was 13 years old and already begun work as a Cotton Weaver. However, by the time the April 1911 census was taken, the family had moved around the corner a short distance to 151 Downham Street. Although still in a Cotton Mill, Isaiah had gained engineering skills and was now working as a Millwright.

On the 12th of July 1911, Isaiah married Mary Agnes Burke at St Mark's Church on Buncer Lane in Blackburn. His occupation was recorded as 'Iron Fitter' and hers as 'Domestic Service'. The marriage was witnessed by Isaiah's brother Alfred and Mary's sister Margaret Ellen. Their first child, a girl they named Rachel, was born almost exactly nine months later. They had four more children together up to early 1918.

Around 1912, Isaiah left the Cotton Mill and began working for the specialist engineering company of Clayton and Goodfellows in Blackburn. The Atlas Iron Works in Lower Audley, manufactured steam engines, presses, pumps and other machinery, which were sold all over Britain and overseas. Isaiah worked as an Outfitter, which meant he travelled around the North of England and the Midlands installing the machinery in mills and factories. He would be away from home for weeks at a time.

Whilst working away in the Derbyshire or Sheffield area in 1912, Isaiah met sixteen year old Florence Emma Ward, who worked at the Bassett's Confectionary factory in Sheffield. It is not known how or where Florence and Isaiah met, some have said that it was at the 'Black's Head' pub in Wirksworth but she was living in Sheffield by then, so it seems more likely they met at the Bassett's factory or even during a night out in Sheffield. A relationship soon developed between them which led to her becoming pregnant in October 1912.

The dual relationship continued, with both Mary in Blackburn, and Florence in Sheffield having more children. No name is given for the father on the birth certificates of Florence's first two children, so they took the surname 'Ward'. However, when Olive was born in October 1919, Isaiah was named, so she was registered with the Jackson surname.

In 1920, a 'Josiah Jackson' appears in the Sheffield electoral register living at 18 Carrfield Road (next door to Florence's parents at number 20) and is described as a Journeyman Millwright. This is the same address where Olive was born in October 1919, so this must have been Isaiah and perhaps is an indication that he had left his wife Mary around 1919. He is still recorded at that address in the 1922 electoral register. However, in the spring of 1922, he appears in the Blackburn electoral registers, staying with his mother Rachel and brother Alfred at 82 Johnston Street. Florence isn't listed as the voting age for women wasn't lowered from 30 to 21 until 1928 but it's most likely she and the children were with him. Grace was the first of their children to be born in Blackburn on the 25th of October 1923, at 50 Ash Street, where he and Florence were living as guests of his brother William.

In the electoral lists for Blackburn, Isaiah appears to have 'officially' moved into his Brothers house at 50, Ash Street in 1925 (William was there from 1921). He is still at that address in 1934 when the name of Florence Jackson also appears. In 1935 Isaiah and Florence briefly moved to 1 Culshaw Street in Blackburn but were at their final home of 15 Cromwell Terrace by 1937.

Isaiah and Mary had five children together:

Rachel Jackson ...1912-1986
Walter Jackson ...1913-1992
William H Jackson ...1914-1915
Frank Jackson ...1918-1981
Edith Jackson ...1918-1992

Isaiah and Florence had nine children together:

William Ward ...1913-1983
John Ward ...1915-1984
Un-named Jackson ...1916-infant or stillborn
Olive Jackson ...1919-1997
Grace Jackson ...1923-1984
Florence Jackson ...1926-2016
Alice Jackson ...1928-2013
Kathleen Jackson ...1930-2004
Jean Jackson ...1934-1999

Isaiah and Mary Agnes never divorced, probably due to the high cost in those days (around £250 in the 1920's, which is almost £8,000 in today's money). He eventually married Florence on the 14th April 1934, about 2 weeks after Mary died and just 2 days before their last child Jean was born.

Isaiah was known to his family and friends as 'Ike'. In his retirement, he enjoyed smoking a pipe, keeping tropical fish and looking after his rose garden at Cromwell Terrace. He was well known for following the milkman's horse and cart for manure!!

Isaiah died in Queen's Park Hospital in Blackburn on the 6th of June 1977, at the age of 89.

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