A KEEN Wolverhampton historian and cinema enthusiast is calling on Bournemouth residents to help find descendants of a local cinema proprietor.

Ned Williams has been researching the life and work of Thomas Jackson for over 40 years, but has come to a natural stop in his work.

Jackson was a baker and confectioner in Wolverhampton when he started building small cinemas all over the city.

Ned explained: "In 1912 Jackson built four local cinemas and then built up a circuit of cinemas in the Midlands. He was briefly bankrupt in the early 1920s which resulted in the collapse in his original empire. Jackson then seemed to disappear off the face of the earth."

Ned could find no information on Thomas Jackson or his family and wanted to answer the basic question of where he went.

Luckily, lockdown provided him with the perfect opportunity to delve even further into the life of Thomas Jackson and discover the answers he was searching for.

Ned said: "When lockdown happened, I knew I was really going to crack the mystery. I devoted hours and hours to it."

Ned's thorough research helped him to discover that Thomas Jackson and his family (excluding one daughter who stayed in Wolverhampton) moved to Bournemouth to continue Jackson's cinema enterprise.

They lived at number three Dean Park Road, Bournemouth and all members of the family worked at Jackson's cinema West's Super Cinema, formerly known as Shaftesbury Hall.

Ned said: "For 40 years I thought he had disappeared. Now, I hope Bournemouth residents can help me track down any descendants of the Jacksons. The last of his daughters - Phyllis Cope - only died as recently as 2004. The family may be able to help me add a few details to the story I have researched or even have pictures of West's Super Cinema.

"I would love to see pictures of the daughters too."

If you know anything about Thomas Jackson or his two local daughters Phyllis Cope (née Jackson) and Connie May Manuel (née Jackson), contact Ned via email nedwilliams1944@gmail.com or by phone at 01902 334564.