George Jackson and Elizabeth Wytham were the parents of Christopher Jackson, and the grandparents of two of his son, Edward and John, who emigated to New England.

Christopher Jackson was born in the year 1575 in the hamlet of Mile End in the village of Stepney, about one mile east of London town, just beyond Bishop's Gate. Stepney lay near the Thames estuary, and it's proximity to the Channel gave it a special importance, for it served as a port for the city. It was the home of many seafaring men.

Here , tales of new lands were told, and many adventurous young people, disillusioned with the politics and poverty of the times, made plans to sail away from England.

Christopher was never able to leave, but he and his wife Susan Johnson Jackson encouraged their sons, Edward and John to leave. They undertook a journey to the new settlement in New England.

John Jackson, son of Christopher and Susan Johnson Jackson was born in the parish of Stepney, London. According to the Whitechapel and Stepney Register, he was baptized on June 6, 1602 in St. Dunstan's Church.

He was a wholesale merchant "of Birchin Lane" in the Cornhill area of London. He had been a successful business man in England, and brought a considerable estate with him.

John set out for New England on October 2, 1635 on the ship "Defense." His age was given as about 30. Many of the passengers on this ship were listed as bound for Cambridge, which later became New Towne [Newton] MA. One of the passengers aboard was Rev. Shepard, who succeeded Rev. Hooker as pastor of the Cambridge Church.

John settled in, and is mentioned in the 1635 Town Record Book. He was one of the first settlers of the town, and was listed "of Cambridge Village" and was dwelling on the road to Roxbury, near the town line between Newton and Brighton in 1639. John had purchased eighteen acres and a home from Miles Ives of Watertown that same year. The old mansion house was demolished about 1800. It stood in the same spot where Edwin Smallwood built a home later in that century. It was said the old pear trees were supposed to have been planted by Abraham, his son.

John took the Freeman's oath in 1641, and served as a church deacon. A generous man, John contributed one acre of land to the church to be used as a burial place. This is now the oldest part of Centre Street Cemetery. In 1660, a meeting house was also erected there. His son Abraham also gave an acre of land adjoining that given by his father for the church and burial place

It is thought that he was married twice, as his and namesake John was born in 1639. There may have been other children from this marriage. His second wife Margaret was the mother of thirteen more children.

John was a proprietor of the Cambridge lands. At the time of his death in 1675, he left eight hundred and sixty three acres of land.