Middlesex Duke of Cambridge’s Hussars, Yeomanry Cavalry

QM Sergeant Martin Jacolette

Quartermaster Sergeant Martin Jacolette was born in Tavistock, Devon in 1850. His name at birth was John Martin Jacklett, the son of Joseph Jacklett an artist and photographer who travelled around but eventually set up business in Aldershot. He became a photographer himself and took most of the photos of the Middlesex Hussars in the 1890s. He began his career working for Lambert Weston & Son in Dover. He married Eliza Harbour, 4 years older than him, and they had a daughter in 1876, and two more daughters in 1877 and 1878. Martin set up his own studio in Priory Hill, Dover in 1881 but moved to Biggin St, Dover in 1889. One year later he moved his business to London and set up at Queen’s Gate Hall, Harrington Road, South Kensington. He photographed important people such as Emmeline Pankhurst and the business soon expanded to cover 38, 40 and 42 Harrington Road. He also retained the business in Dover. He exhibited at the Royal Photographic Society and served on the Selection Committee. He was a founder member of the Professional Photographer’s Association in 1901, and in 1906 was president. He died in Kensington on 2 Dec 1907 at the age of 56 and was buried at Kensington’s Hanwell Cemetery. He was a long-time member of the Middlesex Hussars and the photo shows him in the undress uniform of the regiment which had its HQ at 7 Montpelier Terrace, Montpelier Square, Knightsbridge. He is the figure on the right looking at his notebook (not an iPhone). His serge undress tunic is green and his breeches are dark blue with double scarlet stripes down the side.The other man is Quartermaster Cattle in Officer’s undress green uniform. A booklet telling the history of the Middlesex Hussars published in 1891 (containing many errors) gives the names and addresses of officers and senior NCOs serving at the time. The Quartermaster Sergeant in 1891 was E.W.Jacquet of Chorleywood Common, Herts. This name and address does not match any of Martin’s kin and it seems a strange coincidence that the QM Sergeants, if they are different people, should have such a similar and unusual name.

Regimental Details | Soldiers