Origin of the Jackson Family Name Israel Nero Jackson Sr (1838 - 1934) Israel Nero Jackson Sr Born 1838 in Amite, Mississippi, United Statesmap Son of Jack July Gale and Gina (Freeman) Gale

Inserito da

Charles Henry Hemenway Jr.

According to Michael Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson, in a book he wrote which was published in German, the Jackson family began with a Choctaw Indian named July Gale who was a shaman (medicine man). He was called Jack and was born at the beginning of the 19th century. Jack also worked as a scout for the US Army. Jack fell in love with a slave girl named Gina. In 1838 she gave birth to their first son who they named Israel. In the past, if one of the child’s parents was a slave, then the child was also considered a slave. When Israel was growing up, he was nicknamed Nero, son of Jack. Eventually, from this nickname, he became known as Nero Jack-son. Nero was tall and light-skinned with high cheekbones and small sparkling eyes. While still a boy, Jack taught him the shaman knowledge. Despite his shaman medical knowledge and to the dismay of his parents, Nero was sold to a plantation in Louisiana. Joe Jackson does not say in his book what happened to Jack and Gina but it is assumed they died in Mississippi. As for Nero, it is said that, along with other slaves, Nero had to kneel and eat from a low trough where he scooped the food with a spoon. Unhappy with his situation, Nero ran away. After many hours, he was captured many miles away, and then beaten.

Some months later after Nero had recovered, his owner wanted to sell him, but slaves that had previously run away were almost impossible to sell for much money. So, the owner instead decided to force Nero to work harder and for longer hours. He was tormented on the crude cotton fields of the South so when he had the chance to, he ran away again. This time the plantation owner headed the search group and offered a reward for Nero’s capture. He was afraid the other slaves would attempt escape if Nero was not caught. When they captured Nero, they squeezed his nose with a hot iron. Nero collapsed and the owner thought he was dead. Although Nero recovered, he was left with the burn scares for the rest of his life. While living on the plantation in Louisiana, Nero fathered six children. Later he married a ¾ Choctaw Indian named Emmaline. She was from Louisiana and from her mother she inherited a slightly yellowish color of skin. After President Lincoln released the slaves on May 31, 1865, Nero’s situation got better. He was able to earn a living selling his Indian medicines. He earned the reputation of a great healer and people would come far and wide to be treated by him.Nero lived simply and was therefore able to save his money which he used to buy a 120 hectare (almost 300 acres) farm in Sunnyvale, Mississippi. There Nero and Emmaline had 15 children together (making a total of 21 children that Nero fathered). Nero, Emmaline and all the children raised their own food and lived off the land. They planted corn, tomatoes and other vegetables as well as raising chickens, pigs and cows. Nero frequently wandered the woods to collect various grasses and herbs. He made broth and ointments from these for his patients. With these he treated Indians and former slaves and they paid for it with what they could. When the children of Nero and Emmaline were grown, had their own families and moved away, Nero invited the children of his younger brother, William, to live at his farm. Among those was a young boy named Rufus. Joe Jackson says when Rufus was four years old, Emmaline died, but the 1930 census record shows Emmaline still alive and Rufus was twelve years old. Apparently it is believed that Emmaline died before Nero, but the date of her death is uncertain. However, Nero had become old and weak and was unable to look after the farm. As a result, he was forced to buy many supplies he needed on credit from a white man named Eroy. This man managed the account and ended up getting the land deed for Nero’s farm as payment for his debt. That’s how the family lost all rights to the fertile ground where hundreds of peach and pear trees had been carefully cultivated by Nero and his family. Later oil was discovered on this same ground which would have given the family all the money they ever needed. The last years of Nero’s life were spent alone on the farm because William and Rufus had left. Joe Jackson says in his book that Nero died in 1924, but he can still be found in the 1930 census record with wife Emmaline, nephew Rufus, and a 20 year old girl named Lizzie who I assume was another child of William. Nero’s son, Samuel, was living in Ashley County, Arkansas at the time of his father’s death but found out too late and was not able to attend the funeral. The body of Nero Jackson was laid to rest and at last the old shaman was at peace.