Back in January 2002 a very nice person from Oxnard, California posted a notice on one of the RootsWeb message boards that they had received unsolicited a marriage record for Peter Cushing and Emeline Shackford. I was stationed in Korea at the time but was regularly searching the message boards for Shackford and asked to see a copy of the record. I still have a copy of her wonderful e-mail dated January 6, 2002 where she shared what is most likely a summary of the marriage record we can now can see online at
My summary of this record was as follow:
MARRIAGES Registered in the Town of Weymouth for the year 1854, page 240
No 33, November 24, Peter Cushing, resident of Weymouth, age 27, born in Weymouth, stabler, parents Peter H & Deborah Cushing, first marriage, Emeline Shackford, resident of Boston, age 24, born in Boston, parents Joseph Shackford, 1st marriage, married by John E Davenport, Clergyman, Weymouth
The note from the wonderful person from California said “Now that you have the father’s name and the place where she was born, perhaps you can follow-up and find out a lot more.”
Since 2002, Emeline has been listed in my database with a birth date of abt 1830 as the child of Joseph and every once in a while I’d look for records that helped me determine which Joseph this was.
This summer we found a family record sheet submitted by Abner R Shackford to Samuel Shackford which listed one of his siblings as Emeline with a birth date of Feb 7, 1830 born in Boston. Someone had added m. Cushing 2 children.
We then realized that the Peter Cushing Emeline had married lived in Weymouth and found multiple census records showing the couple in Weymouth. Then we realized that Emeline was one year old when her father William died and her mother then married Joseph Newell who probably raised her. It was Joseph who was alive when Emeline married Peter Cushing which is probably why her father is listed as Joseph in her marriage record.
We reviewed census records and find Emeline with Joseph and Abner in 1850, with Peter Cushing, a stable keeper in 1855, with Peter, a boot maker in 1860, in the 1865 census, in the 1880 census with Peter’ parents, and as a widow in the 1900 census with her son Frederick. (Peter had died in 1883 and was buried in Weymouth.) We don’t know when Emeline died, where she was buried or much else about her — she did raise a son and daughter.
CHILDREN
Frederick Herbert Cushing (1855-1939) – married Mary Binney Our, teamster and driver
Mary Emma Cushing (1860-1933) – married Wallace Herbert Allen,
Research Questions:
When did Emeline (Shackford) Cushing die and where was she buried. Was she mentioned in any church bulletins or newspapers?
This (and all other posts on this website) are a work in progress. We’d love to learn of any corrections or additions to the information shared here as we are hoping to learn more of these families or hear from any descendants. We’re also looking for any other source information pertaining to this family line. And if you liked or learned something new from this post, please like the post or the Facebook version (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, Norfolk County, population schedule, Weymouth, no page number, dwelling ??9, family 133, Peter Cushing; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 August 2014).
1860 United States Federal Census, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Weymouth, Page No. 400, dwelling 1422, family 1673, Peter Cushing; digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 17 October 2016).
1865 Massachusetts State Census, Norfolk County, population schedule, Weymouth, dwelling 5, family 6, Peter Cushing; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 June 2016).
1880 United States Federal Census, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Weymoth, enumeration district (ED) Enumeration District No 534, Page No 3, dwelling 29, family 31, Peter H Cushing; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 October 2016).
1900 United States Federal Census, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Weymouth, enumeration district (ED) Enumeration District No 1083, Sheet No 16, West St, dwelling 355, family 371, Frederick H Cushing; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 June 2016).
Find A Grave, Find A Grave, digital images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 17 October 2016), Peter Cushing, Find A Grave Memorial# 39326548.
“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.
Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Marriage Records, 1840-1915, , Emeline Shackford m. Peter Cushing, 2 November 1854; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 July 2013).
Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, , Peter Cushing, 7 January 1883; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 October 2016); Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records..
SHACKFORD Family History 