George Kenneth Jacobs (1887 - 1920)

Born 25 Nov 1887 in North Adelaide, Colony of South Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Mabel Emelia (Hawson) Jacobs — married 31 Dec 1917 in St Andrews CHurch, Elliston, Eyre's Peninsula, South Australia, Australia

Died 22 Mar 1920 at age 32 in Adelaide, Colony of South Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Neil Croll [send private message]

Biography

Kenneth Jacobs was born in the Colony of South Australia (1836-1900)

Birth

George Kenneth Sparkman-Jacobs was born to George Walter Jacobs and Mary Selina Sparkman in North Adelaide, Colony of South Australia (now the State of South Australia, Australia) on 25 Nov 1887; he was the first of their three children. He was also known as 'Kenneth Sparkman' and 'Kenneth Sparkman-Jacobs'.^[1][2][3][4]

The family dynamics were possibly difficult: the parents seperated and were subsequently divorced, which would have been unusual and quite scandelous at the time. Kenneth's father George Jacobs remained in Adelaide for the rest of his life, but Mary Sparkman relocated to Darwin, Northern Territory, and finally to Maitland, New South Wales, where she died. Kenneth remained in Adelaide, as did his sister Marguerite for a while after his mother and younger sister Wynne left the State. Also suggestive of family dysharmony is the fact that sometimes Kenneth called himself 'George' and used all three surnames'Sparkman', 'Sparkman-Jacobs' and 'Jacobs'.

Marriage

Kenneth became engaged to Mabel Emelia Hawson 11 Jun 1917.^[5][6][7][8] Kenneth married Mabel Emelia Hawson, a member of the poineering Hawson family who were some of the original settlers in Port Lincoln, South Australia 31 Dec 1917 at Elliston, Eyre Peninsula, Colony of South Australia, Australia 31 Dec 1917.^{[9][10][11][12][13][14][15]}

Children

Kenneth and Mabel had one child, a daughter Geraldine Kenneth Jacobs, born 27 Nov 1920 at Sister Hugh's Hospital, Hutt Street, Adelaide, South Australia.^{[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]}
[Note: Geraldine sometimes used the name 'Jacobs' and sometimes 'Sparkman-Jacobs', which seemed to be a family habit.]

Occupation

Kenneth worked as a Journalist.^[4]

Health

A possibly apocryphal family story^[24] describes how Kenneth suffered a head injury as the result of a motorcycle accident, necessitating the insertion of a metal plate in his skull. Following this incident his behavoiur became increasingly erratic; on one occasion he was having a bath when the door handle was rattled by somebody outside the room. Kenneth immediately jumped through the closed window, not appearing to comprehend what had just happened.

Death

George Kenneth Sparkman-Jacobs died 22 Mar 1920 at the age of 32 in Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The story of his head injury, and his subsequent behaviour, is supported by his death certificate, which cites as his cause of death 'Fractured skull 10 yrs. Jacksonian Epilepsy from Hemigeal Adhesion'. That is, he had suffered a fractured skull 10 years previously and the delayed effects of this injury led to a form of progressive epilepsy that eventually caused his death^[4]. Kenneth died in the Adelaide Hospital on 22 Mar 1920.^{[25][26][27][28][29][30]} [Note: A notice of appreciation for sentiments expressed to the family following George's death, he was referred to as 'Kenneth'.^[31][4][1]

[Note: in the current medical literature there is no mention of 'Hemigeal' adhesions, although it implies a condition affecting one hemisphere of the brain. It is possible that the intended diagnosis was 'Meningeal adhesions', or post-operative scar tissue between the brain and the tissue surrounding it. Croll-284 03:49, 3 February 2021 (UTC)

Kenneth was interred 24 Mar 1920 at North Road Cemetery, Nailsworth, South Australia, Australia.^[32]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Genealogy SA online index
   Surname: Jacobs
   First Names: Kenneth Sparkman
   Gender: M
   District: Adelaide
   Book/Page; 436/206
   Death Year; 1920
   Accessed: 13 Oct 2023
2. ↑ Genealogy SA: Birth of George Kennath (sic) Sparkman Jacobs in 1887. Place: Adelaide; Father: George Walter Jacobs; Book / pae 407 / 426. Accessed 6 Feb 2021.
3. ↑ Australia Birth Index
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} Death Certificate
5. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 - 1922) 11 Jun 1917 p1: Notice of engagement; accessed 9 Oct 2023
6. ↑ National Llibrary of Australia - Trove The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931) 12 Jun 1917 p4: Notice of engagement; accessed 9 Oct 2023
7. ↑ National LIbrary of Australia - Trove The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931) 12 Jun 1917 p4; accessed 9 Oct 2023
8. ↑ National LLIbrary of Australia - Trove Sydney Mail (NSW : 1912 - 1938) 27 June 1917 p27: Notice of engagement; accessed 9 Oct 2023
9. ↑ Genealogy SA online index
   Groom Surname: Sparkman
   Groom Given Names: George Kenneth
   Bride Surname: Hawson
   Bride Given Names: Mabel Emilya
   District: Flinders
   Book/Page: 273/907
   Marriage Year: 1917
   Accessed: 13 Oct 2023
   [Note: this conflicts with evidence in other sources that the marriage was in 1918]
10. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove The Observer(Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931) 12 Jan 1918 p27; accessed 13 Oct 2023
11. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) 5 Jan 1918 p65; accessed 11 Oct 2023
12. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931) 5 Jan 1918 p6; accessed 11 Oct 2023
13. ↑ The Mail: Notice of marriage
14. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) 10 Jan 1918 p9; accessed 11 Oct 2023
15. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954) 12 Jan 1918 p27; accessed 11 Oct 2023
16. ↑ Australian Birth Index
17. ↑ Genealogy SA online index: Record of birth of Geraldine Keeneth Sparkman Jacobs 1920 in the Adelaide District; book/page 71A/37; accessed 24 Sep 2022
18. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove: Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931) Sat 4 Dec 1920, 4 Dec 1920; accessed 24 Sep 2022
19. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove: The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) 4 Dec 1920, accessed 24 Sep 2022
20. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove: The Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1923) 4 Dec 1920 p10; accessed 24 Sep 2022
21. ↑ Ancestry
22. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954) 11 Dec 1920 p14; accessed 24 Sep 2022
23. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove
24. ↑ Mollie Croll: Personal oral communication with Neil Croll
25. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931) 27 Mar 1920; accessed 12 Oct 2023
26. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954) 27 Mar 1920 p 277; accessed 12 Oct 2023
27. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) 23 Mar 1920 p6: Notice of death; accessed 10 Oct 2023
28. ↑ The National Library of Australia - Trove The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 - 1922) 23 Mar 1920: Notice of death; accessed 10 Oct 2023
29. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931) Tue 23 Mar 1920 p6: Notice of death; accessed 10 Oct 2023
30. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove The Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931) 23 Mar 1920 p 17; accessed 12 Oct 2023
31. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931) 27 Mar 1920 p26; accessed 10 Oct 2023
32. ↑ National Library of Australia - Trove The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 - 1922) 23 Mar 1920 p2; accessed 10 Oct 2023

Additional sources consulted:

• Mollie Croll: Personal oral communication
• Geni
• Observer Saturday 26 March 1921 p 27: Notice of memoriam
• The Journal Tuesday 22 March 1921 p 1: Notice of memoriam
• The Register Tuesday 22 March 1921 p 4: Notice of memoriam
• Chronicle 29 March 1924: Notice of memoriam