We assume all the information provided is accurate as it is a first person description of a family member and find that the information presented gives us an excellent baseline from which we further research and flush out the details to this excellent summary of Jacob's life. In the future we'll learn more about each of the ships listed, the firm W. and J. Shackford & Co, their son William's employment with the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. Also we'll be looking for Jacob's probate records, census records, and other information to see if we can find more information about his descendants.
Obituary - Captain Jacob Shackford
Captain Jacob Shackford, fourth son of John and Esther,
born at Eastport Jan. 29, 1790, was a noted ship-master,
About 1824 he commanded the steam brig "New York,", the
first steam vessel to enter Eastport Harbor. I remember to
have seen her, long ago, coming up the river against the
tide, puffing, and exerting herself for all she was worth,
apparently trying a race with Cherry Island, and getting the
worst of it. She was not a thing of beauty compared with
steamboats now on the route. For many years he sailed
the "Compeer," and other packets, between Eastport and
New York, at a period when a numerous Irish emigration
landed at St. John, N. B., and came to Eastport for passage
to "the States." He retired from the sea about 1832, to
become a member of the firm of W. and J. Shackford & Co,
the "Co." being the Hon. Lorenzo Sabine, who soon retired
from the firm to engage in literary labor, the brothers con-
tinuing to carry on an extensive mercantile business, ship-
building, and fishing. By wife Eliza, daughter of John
Pearce, he had eleven children, five of whom lived to adult
age. Their son Captain George W., an unusually promising
young man, died unmarried. William is port captain in the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company's employ at Aspinwall,
and has a family. Henry Nevis went early to sea, and has
not been heard of. Their daughter Matilda Sabine, married
Charles B. Paine; and daughter Eliza A. is unmarried. The
father departed on his last long voyage, "on the ebb tide,"
Saturday afternoon, June 19, 1869, aged seventy-nine years,
having lived an active, useful, conscientious life.
Children:
Gideon W Shackford (1812-1813) - died young
Eliza Ann Shackford (1813-1899) -
Hannah Shackford (1815-1817) - died young
Samuel Shackford (1817-1819) - died young
Jacob Shackford (1819-1821) - died young
Maria Shackford (1821-1821) - died young
Matilda Shackford (1822-1825) - died young
George W Shackford (1823-1863) - ship master, died age 39 unmarried
Matilda Sabine Shackford (1826-1907) - married Charles B Paine
William Shackford (1830-1900) - port captain in Pacific Mail Steamship Company at Aspenwall
Henry Nevis Shackford (1833-????) - went to sea and never heard from again
SOURCES:
1850 United States Federal Census, Washington County, Maine, population schedule, Eastport, page 501 (written), dwelling 346, family 444, Jacob Shackford; digital images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 December 2014).
1860 United States Federal Census, Washington County, Maine, population schedule, Eastport, Page No 29, dwelling 170, family 169, Jacob Shackford; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 December 2014).
Kilby William Henry, Eastport and Passamaquoddy: A Collection of Historical and Background Sketches (Eastport, Maine: Edward E Shead & Company, 1888), page 450; digital images,, Chapter, XIV. CAPTAIN JOHN SHACKFORD AND FAMILY. By Samuel Shackford, of Chicago, Ill., Google eBooks (http://books.google.com : accessed 18 December 2014