William Henry Shackford died at a very young age after just starting a career as a Professor at Exeter leaving a one year old son, William Gardner Shackford. William Gardner Shackford and his mother moved into his grandfather's home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This young child who lost a father at a very young age ended up following his grandfather's career and became a sea captain.
WILLIAM HENRY SHACKFORD
WILLIAM HENRY SHACKFORD was born at Portsmouth, N. H., on the 15th January 1814.
There is no record in the Class-Book of his career in College, but he obtained a very respectable rank in the Class, and was assigned a "part" in the Commencement exercises in 1835, when he delivered a Dissertation on the distinctions of rank in the United States.
Immediately after graduation he was appointed to the Professorship of English and Mathematics at Exeter Academy, which position he retained until his death on the 5th March, 1842. He was successful as a teacher; but his early death is all that can be recorded of a career that might have been useful and honorable, as he was an industrious, sound and able scholar. In 1839 he was married to Maria Parker, daughter of Rev. G. B. Perry, of Bradford, Mass. He left one son, William Gardner Shackford, who during the civil war was a Lieutenant in the U. S. Navy, and is now commanding one of the steamers of the Pacific Mail Line.
REFERENCES
Gates Charles Horatio, Memorials of the Class of 1835. Harvard University. Prepared On Behalf of the Class Secretary (Boston: David Clapp & Son, 1886), page 4; digital images, Google Books (http://books.google.com/ : accessed 2 March 2014
New Hampshire Gazette, 15 March 1842; Genealogy Bank (http://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 15 July 2013).
New Hampshire, New Hampshire, Death Records, 1654-1947, , William H Shackford, 5 March 1842; digital images, FamilySearch, New Hampshire, Death Records, 1654-1947 (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 12 December 2013).