Jack Sugden

Jack Sugden is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, Emmerdale. He was one of the main characters of the show, and was one of the original characters in 1972.

Jack is the son of Annie Sugden and older brother of Joe Sugden.

Backstory
Jack Sugden was born on the 28th November 1947 at Emmerdale Farm in Beckindale. He finished school at 15. Jack left the village in the spring of 1964 after a row with father Jacob over intensive farming, wanting to see more of the world than Beckindale, and went to London. He had unknowingly got his childhood sweetheart Ruth Harker (also known as Pat) pregnant. She married local thug Tom Merrick that year and tricked him into think the baby was his, by telling him the baby was premature.

Sometime in the mid to late 1960s, Jack met Lynn Wallace, his common law wife, and the pair informally married in circa 1971. Shortly afterwards he wrote and published his best seller The Field Of Tares. While in London, Jack lived in Islington and Notting Hill.

1972-1976
In October 1972, Jack heard his father had died and returned to Emmerdale Farm for the funeral. At the same time, Jack and his brother Joe, began to show a romantic interest in Marian Wilks, daughter of local business man, Henry Wilks. Henry took an instant dislike to Jack but looked more kindly on Joe as he taught Marian how to fish. Annie accused Marian of playing them off against each other. Jack told Marian to put Joe straight as he was trying to learn more to try and impress her. Eventually Jack and Marian got together but Marian was suspicious when her father told he had seen Jack with a woman at a hotel in Hotten and demanded to know who she was. Jack explained that she was his wife, Lynn, whom he married in London and they were discussing their divorce. Trouble for the young couple came in the form of Ruth and Tom Merrick. Jack hired Tom as a farmhand but Matt Skilbeck complained Tom was lazy and hardly did any work, Jack confronted Tom and fired him. Tom, however, had some information that threatened Jack and Marian's relationship. Merrick blackmailed Jack and said if he insisted on firing him, he would tell Marian the truth about his and Ruth's son, Jackie. Tom had become suspicious about who Jackie's father was after looking at photos of Jackie who looked very like Jack. Tom's suspicions weren't helped by the fact that he was named John Jacob, after Jack. He knew Ruth and Jack had had a relationship which ended just before Jackie was born and when Jack went to London, she married Tom. Jack, however, refused to be blackmailed and did not know if Jackie was his son so Jack fired Tom from his job. Marian later found out and a strain was put on their relationship. Ruth and Tom left Beckindale.

The Sugden family were curious about Jack's newfound wealth. They later discovered Jack had written a book which had been successful. Marian was curious about Jack's novel and borrowed a copy from his school friend, Frank Blakey. Marian found it a good book but wasn't impressed with the sexist views shown in it. With his money, Jack battled with Henry Wilks over a piece of land Harry Jameson, an old friend of Jacob Sugden, was selling. Harry was trying to get them to boost their offers but Jack knew he needed the money quickly and Harry accepted Jack's offer. Jack planned to move into the old mill, which was situated on the land, and do it up. He consulted a solicitor and arranged for the Farm to be given to Annie, Joe, Peggy and their grandfather, Annie's father, Sam Pearson but Sam did not want the responsibility and sold his share to Henry. After his sister, Peggy, Jack went to Italy in October 1973, a year after returning.

Jack returned in March 1976  after he suffered from writer's block and after some words of wisdom from Annie, he left Beckindale once again.