FOURSCORE AND TEN.
Abagail C. Shackford of Biddeford Still
Retains Her Youthful Spirit.
BIDDEFORD, Me, June 28. -There lives on Emery st, in this city, a woman who, although fourscore years and ten, retains her youthful spirit and vigor to a remarkable degree.
Mrs. Abigail Coleman Shackford was born on a farm owned by her father, Joseph Coleman, in Newington, N H. March 15, 1800, which date is verified by the records in the old family Bible, formerly the property of her parents.
On November 24, 1825 she married Nathaniel Shackford of Newington and lived in that place until 1827 when they removed to this city.
Mrs Shackford had nine children, four of whom are still living, Lewis Shackford and Mrs Elizabeth T Briggs of Biddeford, Nathaniel Shackford of Charlestown Mass, and Mrs Abbie P Sampson with whom Mrs Shackford now lives and by whom she is tenderly and devotedly cared for. There are many grand and great grand children.
Mrs Shackford is somewhat below the medium height, with a pleasant though somewhat wrinkled face which however still gives evidence of comelines in her younger days.
Rheumatism has caused her considerable trouble for the past year, and when she moves about it is with the aid of a cane. With this exception she is as well and hearty as ever. Her faculties are remarkably acute and she can carry on a sparkling conversation, and her well-told stories of incidents in her younger days prove that her memory has not been much impaired by advancing years.
Until within a few months Mrs Shackford has never lain down during the day, and now she spends most of her time in a comfortable rocking chair knitting socks for her grandchildren.
It's not that often that we get to know this much about the women in the SHACKFORD ancestry so we cherish this article that tells us:
Abagail's first name is spelled various ways even in this article (Abagail and Abigail - we'll use Abigail for this article)
Abigail lived on Emery Street in Biddeford, Maine
Abigail's maiden name was Coleman
There was an old family bible passed down through the Coleman family. Boy would we love to get to read that bible!!!
Abigail was born on March 15, 1800 in Newington, NH
Abigail's father's name was Joseph Coleman and he lived on a farm
Abigail married Nathaniel Shackford on Nov 24, 1825
She moved to Biddeford in 1827
Abigail had nine children (We only knew of 8 before reading this article)
Abagail was a bit short, now has wrinkles (not surprising of a 90 yr old!), and has rheumatism buthas acute faculties, and likes to tell stories of her earlier days. (wish we knew some of them!)
Four of her children were living in 1891. They were:
Lewis Shackford, living in Biddeford in 1891 (this is most likely referring to Frances R Shackford Lewis)
Elizabeth Shackford, living in Biddeford in 1891, married a Briggs
Nathaniel Shackford, living in Charlestown, Mass in 1891
Abbie P Shackford who married a Briggs, living in Biddeford (Abagail lives with her)
Abigail has grandchildren
Abigail Coleman Shackford (1800-1895)
Abigail (or Abagail) Coleman was born March 15, 1800 in Newington, New Hampshire to Joseph G Coleman, a farmer, and Mary Goodwin[i]. She married Nathaniel Shackford, the son of Nathaniel Cooper Shackford and Phoebe Nutter[ii] on 24 November 1825 in New Hampshire. Two years later they moved to the Saco/Biddeford area where they had nine children and he worked as a stone mason[iii][iv][v]. Nathaniel died in 1873; his widow Abigail lived twenty two years longer living in Saco. The Boston Daily Globe ran a wonderful biography describing her life and stating that "her faculties are remarkably acute and she can carry on a sparkling conversation." Although she had rheumatism, she lived five more years after the article was published, dying anemia at the age of 95[vi].
Children:
William Shackford (1826-????)
Mary Amanda Shackford (1828-1848)
Frances R Shackford (1830-1921) - married Charles F Lewis
Charles E Shackford (1832-1860)
William Shackford (1834-1887) - married Frances Sarah Tarbell
Nathaniel Shackford (1836-1899) - married Mary E Cleaves
Sarah Abba P Shackford (1840-1901) - married Moses T Sampson
Elizabeth G Shackford (1843-1928) - married William Briggs
Ellen Shackford (1843-1846)
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[i] "FOURSCORE AND TEN. Abagail C. Shackford of Biddeford Still Retains her Youthful Spirit," Boston (Massachusetts) Daily Globe, 29 June 1891; Access Newspaper Archives (http://access.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 24 September 2013
[ii] "FOURSCORE AND TEN. Abagail C. Shackford of Biddeford Still Retains her Youthful Spirit," Boston (Massachusetts) Daily Globe, 29 June 1891; Access Newspaper Archives (http://access.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 24 September 2013
[iii] 1860 United States Federal Census, York County, Maine, population schedule, City of Biddeford, Page No 95, dwelling 613, family 691, Nathl Shackford; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://familysearch.org : accessed 27 November 2013
[iv] 1870 United States Federal Census, York, Maine, population schedule, Biddeford, Page 64, Dwelling 467, Family 327, Nathaniel Shackford; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 August 2013).
[v] Greenough, Jones & Co's Directory of the Inhabitants, Institutions, Manufacturing Establishments, Businesses, Societies, Business Firms, Etc., Etc in the Cities of Biddeford and Saco for 1872 (Boston: Greenough, Jones & Co, 1972), page 66, BIDDEFORD, Shackford Nathaniel, mason, house 43 Main; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 28 November 2013
[vi] Maine, Death Records, 1617-1922, , Abigail Shackford, 8 May 1895; digital records, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 28 November 2013); Maine State Archives; Cultural Building, 84 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0084; 1908-1922 Vital Records; Roll #: 10
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