Honoré Jackson
| Honoré Jaxon | |
|---|---|
Honoré Jaxon, 1907, Chicago
|
|
| Born |
May 3, 1861 Toronto, Canada West |
| Died | January 10, 1952 (aged 90) New York City |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Other names | Jaxon, William Henry Jackson |
| Citizenship | Canadian |
| Education | University of Toronto |
| Employer | Louis Riel |
| Known for | Secretary to Louis Riel during the North-West Rebellion in Canada, participant in Coxey's Army |
| Home town | Wingham, Ontario, Canada |
| Spouse(s) | Aimée |
William Henry Jackson (May 3, 1861 – January 10, 1952), also known as Honoré Jackson or Jaxon, was secretary to Louis Riel during the North-West Rebellion in Canada in 1885. He was married to Aimée, a former teacher in Chicago.
He was born in Toronto, Canada West to a Methodist family but several years later his family moved to Wingham, Ontario. Jackson later attended the University of Toronto for 3 years however due to his fathers bankruptcy, was unable to complete his last year. In 1881 he moved to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan (then part of the Northwest Territories), where he soon began to sympathize with the Métis and their struggle against the Canadian government, though he was not a Métis himself. Jackson became personal secretary to Louis Riel when Riel returned to Canada in 1884, and the two organized a Métis militia and made plans for a provisional government. Open fighting broke out between the disgruntled Metis and police forces/armed civilian volunteers on March 18 at Duck Lake.
That same day (18 March 1885), Jackson was baptised Catholic by Father Fourmond. Riel stood as godfather for the ceremony and gave him the name "Honoré Joseph Jaxon". The next day Riel declared the establishment of a provisional government (see Exovedate).
However, Jackson's mental health was affected by the religious event, and by the turmoil and excitement of open rebellion, and within days, Riel imprisoned Jackson, perhaps thinking he had gone insane but also fearing that his eccentric religious ideas and his support for Henry George's radical philosophical ideas against private ownership of land may cause discord within his (Riel's) followers. Later during the rebellion, Riel released Jackson.
He was captured when Canadian government troops overcame the last Metis resistance in the ending on May 12, 1885. He was tried for treason, but found not guilty by reason of insanity and sent to an insane asylum in Lower Fort Garry, near Winnipeg, Manitoba. He escaped the asylum on November 2 and fled to the United States.
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