Polish advocate, author, politician. Born in Nowogrodek. Took part in Polish uprising of 1830-1831; on defeat of the insurrection went into exile in England; remained there until 1857. In London, associated with Prince Adam Czartoryski's circle. Member of the London Literary Association of the Friends of Poland (of which Dickens was for a time a member). Served for more than twenty years as deputy paymaster to Polish refugees receiving relief from British Government; in 1855 appointed chief paymaster of Polish division of the Cossacks of the Sultan in the British service. Died in Nowogrodek. Privately printed, London, 1853, a collection of his political articles contributed to a London Polish newspaper. Author of Panorama, 1852, a poem; Powieść czasu mojego czyli przygody litewskie [The story of my time, or Lithuanian adventures], privately printed (anon.), London, 1854 (Jackowski's authorship at first disputed, thereafter established).

During his exile Jackowski wrote not only for Polish newspapers published in London, but also for English periodicals. The 1852 Report (May) of the London Literary Association mentions his having contributed, during the year covered by the report, "many interesting articles of a literary or political character to various magazines and periodical works"; the 1853 Report mentions him as one of the members who "have during the year contributed many articles to the periodical literature of this country". The H.W. contributor is clearly Ignacy Jackowski. Wills, in recording Jackowski's name, may have misread the initial; or Jackowski may have written the lengthened "I” as initial.

Author: Anne Lohrli; © University of Toronto Press, 1971.