Sunday’s Obituary – Mercy (Rose) (Shackford) Newell (1795-1875) “OUR MOTHER” (Blog 474)

Mercy Rose, the daughter of Eber and Elizabeth (Green) Rose and my third great grandmother was born on January 24, 1795 in Newburyport.  She was their second daughter named Mercy – the first Mercy was born in 1792 and died in 1793.

Mercy was 17 when she married William Shackford, son of Levi and Tampson (Greenleaf) Shackford.  They had ten children, nine living ranging in ages from 1 to 19 when William, a mason, died of pleurisy on May 15, 1831.  We don’t know how Mercy supported her large family after William died — this may be why on January 18, 1834, she married Joseph Newell who was thirty years her senior.  In 1850 Joseph, age 84 was head of household with Mercy and children Abner and Emeline in the home but by 1855 Mercy was living in her son Abner’s home with son Thomas.  Joseph died shortly thereafter in Boston at the age of 89 of old age in Brookline, Massachusetts on October 31, 1856.

After Joseph’s death, Mercy lived with her son-in-law Edward Cushing and her daughter Louise in Weymouth.  In 1865 she was living with her son-in-law Joel Whittemore and daughter Caroline along with son Abner.  

Gravestone Image Taken by Jacki who Graciously Gave Her Permission to Share in this Blog

 

Mercy died on March 21, 1875 of old age at the age of 80 in Brookline and is buried near her son Thomas in Weymouth, Massachusetts with a gravestone which states “OUR MOTHER”.  We haven’t found an obituary for Mercy yet — we are honoring her life with this blog.

CHILDREN:

William Brown Shackford (1812-1866) – married Catherine T Mullett

Joseph Shackford (1814-1839)

Thomas Shackford (1815-1874)

Abner Shackford (1817-1818)

Mary B Shackford (1819-1841)

Louisa Shackford (1821-1882) – married Edward Cushing

Caroline Elizabeth Shackford (1823-1877) -married Lebbeus H Varney, Joel Whittemore, and Charles Lewis Palmer

Abner R Shackford (1827-1900) – married Georgianna Whittemore

Lucinda W Shackford (1828-1839)

Emeline Shackford (1830-1910) – married Peter Cushing

All posts on this website are a work in progress.  We’d love to learn of any corrections or additions to the information shared.  Also we’d love it if  you’d like the post here or at http://www.facebook.com/shackfordgenealogy) as that helps share the post with others. Thanks!

SOURCES:

1850 United States Federal Census, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Boston, Ward 10, no page number, dwelling 783 family 1214; digital images, FamilySearch(http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 March 2014).

1855 Massachusetts State Census, Suffolk County, population schedule, Boston, Ward 10, page 30 (penned), dwelling 180, family 210, Abner Shackford; digital images, Family Search(http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 23 October 2013).

1860 United States Federal Census, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Weymouth, page 65-2?, dwelling 1424, family 1645, Edward Cushing; digital images, Ancestry.com(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 July 2014).

1865 Massachusetts Census, Suffolk County, population census, Boston, Ward 11, Page 23-19, dwelling 2200, family 3434, Joel Whitteman; digital images, FamilySearch(http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 March 2014).

Find A Grave, Find A Grave, digital images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 23 July 2017), Mercy Rose Shackford, Find A Grave Memorial# 94226790.

“Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910,” database, FamilySearch(http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 19 July 2017), Joseph Newell.

Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, , Marcy Rose, 24 January 1795; digital images, Ancestry.com(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 June 2018); Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records..

Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, p. 427, NEWBURYPORT MARRIAGES William, and Mercy Rose, Mar. 19, 1812, ; digital images, Ancestry.com(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 July 2013); Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records..

Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, , William Shackford, 15 May 1831; digital images, Ancestry.com(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 June 2018); Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records..

Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, , Joseph Newell m Mercy Shackford, 18 January 1834; digital images, Ancestry.com(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 July 2017); Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records.

Copyright 2018 Joanne Shackford Parkes  (sharing a link to this post is appreciated but please do not copy this material and paste it elsewhere)

Treasure Chest Thursday – In 1874, Caroline E (Shackford) Palmer Must Obtain Her Husband’s Permission to Administer Her Brother’s (Thomas Shackford’s) Estate, (Blog 469)

Thomas Shackford, the son of William and Mercy (Rose) Shackford, my second great uncle was born on October 30, 1815 in Weymouth, Massachusetts.  Thomas was a very successful deaf-mute who received his early education at the American Asylum in Hartford, worked as a carpenter and became chairman and later treasurer of the Association of Deaf-Mutes. He was working on a petition for state funding when he died on his way home in Brookline on January 29, 1874 in Boston due to heart disease.  His last rites were held at his sister’s home (Caroline L Palmer) and he was buried in Weymouth, Massachusetts. 

Most likely the law required Thomas’ sister Caroline to first obtain permission from her husband, Charles L Palmer in order to be the administrator of her brother’s estate which is why a copy of this letter of permission was filed in Thomas’ probate records.

I, Charles L Palmer, husband of Caroline E Palmer, hereby assent to the appointment of my said wife as administratrix of the estate of Thomas Shackford late of Brookline, Massachusetts, deceased.

               Brookline, Feby 10th 1874

               Charles E Palmer

The other treasure we find in the probate record is this listing of Thomas’ living siblings.  My second great grandfather, William Brown Shackford was not included as he had died in 1866 but the listing includes my third great grandmother Mercy (Rose) (Shackford) Newell.

16396:4

To the Honorable the Judge of the Probate Court in and for the Country of

Norfolk:

Respectfully represents Caroline E Palmer, married woman

of Brookline in the County of Norfolk that Thomas Shackford who last dwelt in Brookline in said County of Norfolk, died on the twenty ninth day of January in the year of our Lord, died on the twenty ninth administered, leaving no widow, whose name is and as his only next of kin, the persons whose names, residence, and relationship to the deceased are as follows, viz:

  Mary Newell, of said Brookline, mother of deceased [Mercy (Rose) Shackford married Joseph Newell after the death of her husband William Shackford in 1831, jsp]

  Louisa Cushing, of Wymouth, Mass, sister of deceased [Louisa married Edward Cushing, tsp]

  Abner R. Shackford, of Boston, “, brother ” ”

  Emeline Cushing, of Weymouth, ” sister ” ” [Emeline married Peter Cushing — I have a DNA match with one of these descendants, jsp]

  Caroline E. Palmer “  sister ” ” [Caroline married Charles Lewis Palmer, Lebbeus H Varney, and Joel Whittemore, jsp]

That your petitioner is entitled, as next of heirs of said deceased, to take such administration, and that the deceased, leaves no debts.

  Wherefore your petitioner prays that she may be appointed Administratix of the estate of said deceased.

   Dated this tenth day of February A.D. 1874.

          Caroline E. Palmer

  The undersigned, being all the parties interested in the foregoing Petition, desire the same may be granted, without further notice.

                       Mercy Newell

Louise Cushing

                       Abner R. Shackford

                       Emeline Cushing

                       Caroline E Palmer

Unfortunately the records that are available at this time don’t let us know what was included in Thomas’ estate.

All posts on this website are a work in progress.  We’d love to learn of any corrections or additions to the information shared.  Also we’d love it if  you’d like the post here or at http://www.facebook.com/shackfordgenealogy) as that helps share the post with others. Thanks!!

SOURCES:

“Norfolk County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1793-1877,” database with images, New England Historical Genealogical Society(https://www.americanancestors.org : accessed 2 May 2018), Thomas Shackford; Norfolk Cases, Case 16396:1.

Copyright 2018 Joanne Shackford Parkes  (sharing a link to this post is appreciated but please do not copy this material and paste it elsewhere)

 

Sunday’s Obituary – The Late Thomas Shackford (1815-1874) – Resolutions by the Boston Deaf Mute Library Association (Blog 449)

Thomas Shackford, the son of William and Mercy (Rose) Shackford was born on October 30, 1815 in Weymouth, Massachusetts.  He received his education at the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb in Hartford, Connecticut and was identified as deaf & dumb in the 1850 census where he is shown as working in Nashville, New Hampshire.

By 1854 he was living in Dorchester, Massachusetts where he was elected Chairman of the Boston Society of Deaf Mutes and in 1855 he was living with his brother Abner R and his mother Mercy (Rose) (Shackford) Newell  in the same dwelling as his brother William B Shackford.

Thomas remained active in deaf-mute organizations becoming Treasurer of the Deaf-Mutes of Boston in 1872 and presenting a petition to the Massachusetts Senate on behalf of the Deaf-Mute Organization.

 

Thomas fell down dead on the sidewalk on his to his home in Brookline on January 29, 1874 in Boston.  The cause of death was heart disease.  His last rites were held at his sister’s home (Caroline L Palmer) and he was buried in Weymouth, Massachusetts.  The Boston Deaf Mute Library Association honored him with this beautiful tribute:

Boston Daily Globe, 7 Feb 1874

Thomas Shackford

Resolutions by the Boston Deaf Mute Library
Association
The following resolutions have been passed
by the Boston Deaf Mute Library Association, realtive to the death of Mr. Thomas Shackford, late
their esteemed Treasurer:
Resolved, That in his death “The Boston Deaf
Mute Library Association” has occasion to mourn
the loss of a beloved member, a faithful officer and
a sincere friend.
Resolved, That we remember with gratitude his
many kindly acts, and while we shall miss from
amongst us his cheerful and winning face, we shall
ever cherish his memory, as one who, while here, did
what he could to serve the cause of humanity.
Resolved, That we heartily sympathize with his
widowed mother and other relatives in their loss, and
commend them all to the care of Him who doeth all
things well.
Resolved, that the charter of the association be
draped in mourning for the space of three months.
Resolved That these resolutions be published in
the Boston daily papers, in the Advance and the
Silent World, and a copy be sent to the mother of
the deceased.

Thomas was my second great granduncle.

All posts on this website are a work in progress.  We’d love to learn of any corrections or additions to the information shared.  Also we’d love it if  you’d like the post here or at http://www.facebook.com/shackfordgenealogy) as that helps share the post with others. Thanks!

SOURCES:

1850 United States Federal Census, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, population schedule, Town of Nashville, page 399 (penned), 200 (stamped), dwelling ???, family 147, Josiah Knowles; digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 23 October 2013).

1855 Massachusetts State Census, Suffolk County, population schedule, Boston, Ward 10, page 30 (penned), dwelling 180, family 210, Abner Shackford; digital images, Family Search (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 23 October 2013).

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, The Journal of the Senate for the Year 1874 (Boston: Wright & Potter, n.d.), page 61; 1874, HathiTrust (http://babel.hathitrust.org : accessed 3 August 2014.

Fourteenth Report of the Directors of the American Asylum, at Hartford for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, Exhibited to the Asylum, May 8, 1830 (Hartford: Hudson and Skinner, 1830), page 4; digital images, Hathi Trust (http://babel.hathitrust.org : accessed 3 August 2014.

“Letter from Abner R Shackford to Samuel Shackford,” (25 November 1888); folder: “Research on Shackford family genealogy, 1988.325.1,” Research on Shackford family genealogy; Winnetka Historical Society, Winnetka Illinois.

Massachusetts “Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915,” database, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 March 2014), Thomas Shackford b Oct 1814.

Massachusetts, Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915, DEATHS REGISTERED in the Town of Brookline for the Year eighteen hundred and seventy-four, page 230, Thomas Shackford, death, 29 January 1874; digital images, Family Search (http://familysearch.org : accessed 10 August 2013).

N. E. Gallaudet Association of Deaf Mutes, The Proceedings of the Constitutional Committee, Convened at Henniker, New Hampshire, January 4, 1854 (Bradford, Vt: 1854), page 14, PROCEEDINGS of the MEETING of Deaf Mutes Held in Boston, on the Evening of March 9, 1854; digital images, Google Books (http://gaislandora.wrlc.org : accessed 21 July 2017.

“Organization of the Boston Deaf and Dumb Library and Lyceum Association,” Mexico Independent and Deaf-Mutes’ Journal (Mexico, New York), 14 November 1872; digital images, NYS Historic Newspapers (http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org : accessed 21 July 2017).

Copyright 2017 Joanne Shackford Parkes  (sharing a link to this post is appreciated but please do not copy this material and paste it elsewhere)

Mystery Monday – Who Were the Parents of the Thomas Shackford admitted to the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb in 1829? (Blog 374)

While searching for Shackford’s we came across this notice in the Fourteenth Report of the Directors of the American Asylum, at Hartford for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, Exhibited to the Asylum, May 8, 1830 which shows that Thomas Shackford of Boston, Mass. was admitted to the Hartford School for the Deaf in 1829 and is still as student at the school. :

Fourteenth Report of the Directors of the American Asylum, at Hartford for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, May 8, 1830

The 28th Report of the Directors show that Thomas Shackford was admitted at the age of 13 in 1829 which indicated he must have been born about 1816.  The document showed that the cause of his deafness was congenital, listed no parents, showed that he was supported at the school by the State of Massachusetts, and tells us that he was being trained as a mechanic.

We reviewed our Thomas Shackfords born 1815 +/- five years and find:

1. Thomas Shackford, b. 30 Oct 1815 to William and Mercy (Rose) Shackford, d. 29 Jan 1874 in Boston, a Carpenter (have exact dates for his birth and death thanks to a letter his brother Abner R Shackford sent to Samuel Shackford of Chicago which does not mention that this brother was deaf)
2. Thomas Shackford, b abt 1815 to Joseph and Mary (Palmer) Shackford, mariner, died July 30, 1882 in Boston, buried Rainsford Island Cemetery in Boston. (know very little about this Thomas)
3. Thomas S Shackford b. 1817 in Eaton, NH, d. 1873 in Eaton, NH., have him in Eaton in many future censuses

As we continue to research Thomas Shackford’s who were deaf, we find a Thomas, age 34, listed as deaf & dumb listed in the 1850 census living in Nashville, NH in the household of Thomas Knowles, a carpenter who is deaf & dumb.

In the 1855 Massachusetts census we find a Thomas living with Abner R Shackford and his mother Mercy (Rose) (Shackford) Newell.  They are living in the same dwelling as their brother William Brown Shackford.

These two censuses help us verify that the Thomas Shackford who was deaf was the son of William and Mercy (Rose), was born Oct 30, 1815 and died Jan 29, 1874.  We then went back to our Ancestry trees, looked and detached some the sources that referred to a carpenter that we’d attached to Thomas #2 above and moved them to Thomas #1.

Further research indicated that Thomas Shackford was involved in the New England Gallaudet Association of Deaf Mutes – he served as chairman at a Cambridge meeting.  He was also the treasurer of the Boston Deaf and Dumb Library and Lyceum Association, serving as it’s treasurer.  He submitted a petition for aid from the state for this organization to the committee on Public Charitable Institutions on Jan 28, 1874.

We’re pretty certain that Thomas lived at 11 Indiana in Boston in 1869 and 1870.  Other residents at the same address were William Allen, a machinist, James C Leavitt, Matilda G Leavitt, a dressmaker, and Joseph Wells, a barber.  We wonder if they were also deaf.

Thomas died on January 29, 1874, probably of heart disease.  He was buried in the Village Cemetery in Weymouth, Massachusetts near his sister Louisa (Shackford) Cushing.

The Deaf-Mute’s Journal honored Thomas Shackford with this statement in 1882, eight years after his death:

Deaf-Mute’s Journal, 30 March 1882

The late Thomas Shackford, of Boston, Mass.,
had a number of relatives and residents in Wey-
mouth, Mass. The tombstone over the remains
of Mr. Shackford, can be seen in the village
cemetery. Mr. S. was a respectable and popular
deaf-mute.

We believe that Thomas Shackford’s probate was filed in Brookline as case number 16396.

We still have these unanswered research questions regarding Thomas:

Are there any other newspaper articles mentioning Thomas Shackford’s involvement in deaf mute organizations?

Can we find the probate records for Thomas Shackford – Brookline, Massachusetts No 16396?

Can we find Thomas Shackford in the 1860 census records?

All posts on this website are a work in progress.  We’d love to learn of any corrections or additions to the information shared.  Also we’d love it if  you’d like the post here or at http://www.facebook.com/shackfordgenealogy) as that helps share the post with others. Thanks!

SOURCES:

1850 United States Federal Census, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, population schedule, Town of Nashville, page 399 (penned), 200 (stamped), dwelling ???, family 147, Josiah Knowles; digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 23 October 2013).

1855 Massachusetts State Census, Suffolk County, population schedule, Boston, Ward 10, page 30 (penned), dwelling 180, family 210, Abner Shackford; digital images, Family Search (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 23 October 2013).

The Boston Directory, Embracing the City Record, Genera Directory of the Citizens, and a Business Directory. No LXV. For the Year Commencing July 1, 1869 (Boston: Sampson, Davenport, & Co, 1870), page 596, Thomas Shackford; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 October 2016).

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, The Journal of the Senate for the Year 1874 (Boston: Wright & Potter, n.d.), page 61; 1874, HathiTrust (http://babel.hathitrust.org : accessed 3 August 2014.

Find A Grave, Find A Grave, digital images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 22 February 2014), Thomas Shackford, Find A Grave Memorial# 94226650.

Fourteenth Report of the Directors of the American Asylum, at Hartford for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, Exhibited to the Asylum, May 8, 1830 (Hartford: Hudson and Skinner, 1830), Thomas Shackford; digital images, Hathi Trust (http://babel.hathitrust.org : accessed 17 October 2016.

“The late Thomas Shackford,” Deaf-Mute’s Journal (New York, New York), 30 March 1882; digital image, Fulton History (http://www.fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html : accessed 31 July 2016).

N. E. Gallaudet Association of Deaf Mutes The Proceedings of the Constitutional Committee Convened at Henniker, New Hampshire, January 4, 1854 (Bradford, Vt: Inquirer Office, 1854), Proceedings of the Meeting of Deaf Mutes Held in Boston, on the Evening of March 9, 1854; digital images, Google Books (http://books.google.com : accessed 31 July 2016

“Norfolk County, MA Probate Index 1793-1900,” database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 July 2014), Thomas Shackford.

Organization of the Boston Deaf and Dumb Library and Lyceum Association,” Mexico Independent and Deaf-Mutes’ Journal (Mexico, New York), 14 November 1872; dgital images, New York Historic Newspapers (http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/ : accessed 31 July 2016).

Massachusetts, Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915, DEATHS REGISTERED in the Town of Brookline for the Year eighteen hundred and seventy-four, page 230, Thomas Shackford, death, 29 January 1874; digital images, Family Search (http://familysearch.org : accessed 10 August 2013).

The Twenty-Eighth Report of the Directors of the American Asylum, at Harvard, for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb. Exhibited to the Asylum May 11, 1844 (Hartford: Case, Tifany and Burnham, 1844), ; digital images, Hathi Trust (http://babel.hathitrust.org : accessed 3 August 2014.

“U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995,” database, Ancestry.com (www/ancestry.com : accessed 9 October 2016), Thomas Shackford.

Updated 7/18/2017 to delete research question regarding an obituary in the Boston papers.

Copyright 2017 Joanne Shackford Parkes  (sharing a link to this post is appreciated but please do not copy this material and paste it elsewhere)

William Shackford of Newburyport (1789-1831), – Mason of Boston (Blog 371)

Our only source for the birth of William Shackford, the son of Levi and Tamson (Greenleaf) Shackford, is Abner R Shackford’s letter to Samuel Shackford which states that William was born July 22, 1789.

William, married Mercy Rose, the daughter of  Eber and Elizabeth (Greene) Rose of Newbury in Newburyport on March 19, 1812.  According to Abner’s letter, she was born January 24, 1795.

William’s first two children William Brown and Joseph were born in Newburyport in 1812 and 1814, his other children Thomas, Abner R. (died young), Mary B, Louisa, Caroline Elizabeth, Abner R, Lucinda, and Emeline were born in either Weymouth or Boston which indicates that he moved to Boston.

By 1820, William was a mason and lived at Elliot Street, then in 1825 on Carver Street, in 1826 in Rear 39 Warren Street and by 1830 at 29 Boylston Street.

When we reviewed the 1832 and 1833 directories we find his widow Mercy living at the same address.  This helps confirm that the William Shackford we find in these directories is the same William Shackford.

Boston Directory 1830

Boston Directory, 1831

Boston Directory, 1832

Boston Directory, 1833

William died on May 15, 1831 of pleurisy in Boston and was buried in South B Gd.  His death was reported in the New Hampshire Gazette on June 9, 1831.

William’s widow Mercy married Joseph Newell on January 18, 1834 who was living 29 Boylston in 1835, 1837, 1838, and 1840.  The 1837 directory lists Mercy’s two children William B and Joseph living at the same address.

Boston Directory, 1837

Boston Directory, 1837

CHILDREN:

William Brown Shackford (1812-1866) – married Catherine T Mullett

Joseph Shackford (1814-1839)

Thomas Shackford (1815-1874)

Abner Shackford (1817-1818)

Mary B Shackford (1819-1841)

Louisa Shackford (1821-1882) – married Edward Cushing

Caroline Elizabeth Shackford (1823-1877) -married Lebbeus H Varney, Joel Whittemore, and Charles Lewis Palmer

Abner R Shackford (1827-1900) – married Georgianna Whittemore

Lucinda W Shackford (1828-1839)

Emeline Shackford (1830-1910) – married Peter Cushing

All posts on this website are a work in progress.  We’d love to learn of any corrections or additions to the information shared.  Also we’d love it if  you’d like the post here or at http://www.facebook.com/shackfordgenealogy) as that helps share the post with others. Thanks!

SOURCES:

1830 US Federal Census, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Boston, page 365, William Shackford; digital images, Ancestry.com(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 June 2018).

“DEATHS,” New Hampshire Gazette (Portsmouth, New Hampshire), 7 June 1831, page 3, William Shackford; digital images, NewsBank (infoweb.newsbank.com : accessed ), America’s Historical Newspapers.

“DIED,” New Hampshire Gazette (Portsmouth, New Hampshire), 7 June 1831; digital images, NewsBank(infoweb.newsbank.com : accessed 9 June 2018), America’s Historical Newspapers.

Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, , Marcy Shackford m Joseph Newell, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 June 2016); Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records..

Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, , William Shackford, 15 May 1831; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 October 2016); Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records.

Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, , William Shackford, 15 May 1831; digital images, Ancestry.com(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 June 2018); Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records..

Shackford Abner R, (Roslinda, Massachusetts) to Samuel Shackford, letter, 25 November 1888; Samuel Shackford Collection, privately held by Winnetka Historical Society. [address for private use], Winnetka, Illinois, 2016

Vital Records of Newburyport Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849 Volume II Marriages and Deaths (Salem, Mass: The Essex Institute, Newcomb & Gauss, 1911), page 427; digital images, Archive.org (https://archive.org : accessed 7 October 2016.

“U.K. and U.S. Directories, 1680-1830,” database, Ancestry(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 June 2018), William Shackford.

Copyright 2018 Joanne Shackford Parkes  (sharing a link to this post is appreciated but please do not just copy this material and paste it elsewhere).  Updated June 9, 2018 – reworded to summarize William’s life.

Treasure Chest Thursday – “Although I have never seen you would like to have you come and see us if you come east”(Blog 370)

On November 25, 1888, Abner R Shackford, the son of William and Mercy (Rose) responded to a letter from Samuel Shackford.  We’re very fortunate that this letter was kept by Samuel and preserved by the Winnetka Historical Society. because the enclosed Family Record page he completed included  information about his family that we have not found elsewhere in our Shackford Family History Research.  From the letter we learn:

That Abner lived in Roslindale when he wrote to Samuel.

Abner was impressed with Samuel’s letter and hoped to meet him someday and ends his letter saying he hoped to hear from Samuel again.

The reference to Thomas Joseph and probably refers to Abner’s uncles Thomas  G Shackford and Joseph Shackford who lived in Newburyport.  Thomas did have a son George who died at the age of nine months.

Abner did not know the death dates of his two sisters Caroline and Louisa May.

Samuel’s letter probably mentioned William Brown Shackford, his wife Catherine and their children  as Abner tells Samuel that their daughter May who married a Mr Lougrin had died, that Catherine is living in Dorcester (interesting — as we find her in the 1887 and 1890 Syracuse directories living with her son – perhaps she was visiting someone in Dorcester), and that Joe has two boys ages 14 and 8.

Abner has a wife and daughter.

The Family Record page includes the first information of birth and death dates for Abner’s parents that we’ve seen and lists siblings that we have not yet hear of.

We’ll spend the next few weeks focusing on these families – sometimes when you have dates it’s easier to find more information about the families.

Letter Abner Shackford to Samuel Shackford – page 1 of 3

Roslindale Nov 25th 1888
Mr Samuel Shackford
Dear Sir
Received
your kind letter was glad to
hear from you although I
have never seen you but would
like to have you come and see
us if you are east. I will give
you all the information I can.
I don’t know anything about
Thomas Shackford and his
son, there are some Shackford’s
living in Newburyport Mass
perhaps if you write there you
can find out something about
them. I will send you a list
of my Father’s family the name
you wanted to know about is
Joseph. There are two more deaths
that I will try and find out –
about they are my sister Caroline’s
and Louisa’s death I will write
and let you know when I find
out. May K. Shackford is dead
she married a Mr Loughrin
she only lived 13 months after
she was married. I would like
to have you write to me again
and tell me some more about
the Shackford’s. Mays mother
is living in Dorchester. her son
Joe lives in Syracuse N. Y.
he has two little boys about
14 and 8 years old. There are
only 3 of us myself wife
and daughter. I will close
hoping to hear from you again
Your’s Truly
Abner R. Shackford

Attached Family Record Page [note: appears to be annotated in pen by Samuel before sending and after he received the document]
Please fill up the following Family Record as fully as possible with all the details you have in your own possession, or can gain access to in the possession of others, and return as soon as possible to [hand written] Samuel Shackford Chicago Ill

Family Record of William Shackford – Your Father

NAMES OF HEADS OF FAMILY,
with the children in order of birth BORN DIED

William Shackford July 22ed 1789 v
Married (give date left blank]
Mercy Rose Jan 24th 1795
Page 85
New Book
Children
William B Shackford Aug 10th 1812
Joseph Shackford Aug 5th 1814
Thomas Shackford Oct 20th 1815
Abner Shackford Nov 16th 1817
Mary B Shackford July 4th 1819
Louise Shackford July 18th 1821 m Cushing L1 child, Ms Louth [added]
Caroline E Shackford Dec 19th 1823 m. Varney; Whitmore; Palmer no child
Abner R Shackford Jan 19th 1827
Lucinda W Shackford April 21st 1828 married July 28 1839 [added but not correct, jsp]
Emeline Shackford Feb 7th 1830
Abner Shackford Oct 15th 1818
William B Shackford May 16th 1831 father
Lucinda W Shackford July 20 1839
Joseph Shackford Sept 14th 1839
Mary B Shackford Dec 27th 1841
William B Shackford Nov 13th 1866
Thomas Shackford Jan 29th 1874
Mercy Rose Shackford Mar 1875 mother

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SOURCES:

“Letter from Abner R Shackford to Samuel Shackford Nov 25, 1888,” 1988.325.1, [Research on Shackford family genealogy], ; Samuel Shackford, Winnetka Historical Society, Winnetka Illinois.

Correction made 10/7/2016:  changed William Shackford’s birth date to July 22, 1789 as it was improperly transcribed in the earlier version of this blog

Correction made 7/19/2017:  changed Mercy Rose Shackford’s death date to March 1875 as it was improperly transcribed in the earlier version of this blog

Copyright 2017 Joanne Shackford Parkes  (sharing a link to this post is appreciated but please do not copy this material and paste it elsewhere)