Obituary - Sir Roland Jackson (1954-2026)

It is with great sadness that we report the sudden and unexpected passing of Sir Roland Jackson whilst climbing Helvellyn on Saturday, 10th January 2026.
As Chair of Cumbria County History Trust, Roland worked with the Regional Heritage Centre in support of the Victoria County History of Cumbria project. Although many of us knew Roland through his work with Cumbrian history and heritage organisations (including Lowther Castle & Gardens Trust), much of his career had focused on science and science education.
After he was awarded a BA Hons in Biochemistry (St Peter’s College, Oxford) in 1976, Roland completed a D. Phil in Molecular Immunology and a PGCE at the University of Oxford. He spent several years teaching science in comprehensive schools in Newmarket and Bristol before becoming education adviser to the international chemical company ICI. A strong advocate of public engagement, he joined the Science Museum as Head of Learning in 1993, rising to acting Head of Museum in 2001-2002. He then served as Chief Executive of the British Science Association (2002 – 2013), during which time he worked across government on policy issues involving science and technology.
Roland was a Fellow and Trustee of the Royal Institution, whose collections he used to research Victorian scientist John Tyndall. Roland published a biography of Tyndall in 2018 and contributed to an international research project on Tyndall’s correspondence. In 2020, Roland and his wife, Nicola, edited an edition of Tyndall’s poetry, while Roland’s latest work, Scientific Advice to the Nineteenth-Century British State, was published in 2023.
Like Tyndall, Roland was a keen mountaineer, especially in the Alps and Lake District. Roland’s family had strong Cumbrian roots and he spent his teenage years in Ennerdale. Although education and his career took him south, Roland returned to live in the county.
In the summer of 2022, he became Chairman of the Cumbria County History Trust. Roland brought a wealth of relevant experience to the running of the Trust and was instrumental in securing funding for the VCH Cumbria project. Under his thoughtful leadership and encouragement, CCHT achieved its long-term target of publishing the first VCH Red Book for Westmorland in 2025.
Roland was a friend to many and will be fondly remembered. We offer our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.