Show ContentsShackleton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Shackleton surname was a habitational name from Scackleton, a village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire. 1 The village is mentioned three times in the Domesday Book as Scacheldene or Scachelsey. 2

The place name probably means "valley by a point of land," from the Old English scacol + denu. 3 Another source claims the word "scacol," describes a "tongue of land."

Early Origins of the Shackleton family

The surname Shackleton was first found in Lancashire where Hugh Schacheliton was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1246. Hugh Shakeldene was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1302. 1

"The Shackletons were one of the most notable Quaker families in Ireland. Their famous school at Ballitore, Co. Kildare, where Edmund Burke was educated, was founded by Abraham Shackleton, a native of Yorkshire, in 1726. His son Richard Shackleton and his grandson Abraham Shackleton carried on the school with success. His daughter, Mary Leadbeater (1726-1826), the author of poems and essays, left a valuable account of rural life in the eighteenth century. Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922), the Antarctic explorer, was of the same Co. Kildare family." 4

The Shackell variant has the same root and "is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Shakell'; compare the local Shackleton." 5 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include Willelmus Shakelle. 5

In Norfolk, The Vicarage of Corpesty, Norfolk, 'was sold by Heydon to Thomas Jecks and John Shakle, and by them to the Bacons, 1611.' 6 "This form still remains in Norfolk, Shackle being found in the Modern Domesday Book for that county." 5

Early History of the Shackleton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shackleton research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1246, 1280, 1302, 1597, 1601, 1602, 1697, 1726, 1728, 1761, 1771, 1792, 1826, 1862, 1874 and 1922 are included under the topic Early Shackleton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shackleton Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Shackleton, Shackle, Sheckleton and others.

Early Notables of the Shackleton family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • Abraham Shackleton (1697-1771), English schoolmaster, the youngest of six children, was born at Shackleton House, near Bingley in the West Riding of Yorkshire...

Migration of the Shackleton family to Ireland

Some of the Shackleton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 124 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Shackleton migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Shackleton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Margaret Shackleton, a bonded passenger, who arrived in America in 1751
  • Edward Shackleton, a bonded passenger, who arrived in Maryland in 1758
Shackleton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas G. Shackleton, on record as a British Alien in America in 1810
  • Thomas G Shackleton, who landed in America in 1810 7
  • John Shackleton, who settled in Philadelphia in 1832
  • Joseph Shackleton, who arrived at Philadelphia in 1853

Shackleton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Shackleton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Anna Shackleton, a Scottish emigrant on record in Canada in 1850

Shackleton migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Shackleton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Shackleton, British Convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 14 years , transported aboard the "Commodore Hayes" in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
  • Mr. John Shackleton, British convict who was convicted in Barbados for 7 years, transported aboard the ""Blenheim"" on 24th July 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) and Norfolk Island, Australia 9

Shackleton migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Shackleton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Shackleton, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 17th October 1863 10
  • J. M. Shackleton, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Zealandia" in 1881
  • Mary Shackleton, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Zealandia" in 1881
  • Catherine Shackleton, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Zealandia" in 1881

Contemporary Notables of the name Shackleton (post 1700) +

  • Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (1874-1922), famous Irish Explorer of the Antarctic who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic; on the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition, he died of a heart attack while his ship was moored in South Georgia, voted eleventh in a BBC poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.
  • Scott Shackleton, American Republican politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives 107th District; Elected 1998 11
  • Pauline E. Shackleton, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from District of Columbia, 1956, 1960, 1972; Member of Democratic National Committee from District of Columbia, 1963 11
  • John H. Shackleton, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for supervisor of Canton Township, Michigan, 1902 11
  • James Maxwell Shackleton (1896-1968), American Republican politician, Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Saginaw County 1st District, 1961-62 11
  • John Shackleton (d. 1767), English portrait-painter, principally known as a painter of several portraits of George II, Queen Caroline, and other members of the royal family from 1730 onwards
  • Leonard Francis Shackleton (1922-2000), English footballer
  • Robert Millner Shackleton (1909-2001), English Professor of Geology at the University of Leeds (1962-1975) and Fellow of the Royal Society
  • David John Shackleton (b. 1948), Australian (English born), Vice Admiral of the Royal Australian Navy, Chief of Navy (1999-2002)
  • Sir David James Shackleton (1863-1938), English cotton worker and trade unionist who became the third Labour Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. W Shackleton, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 12


Suggested Readings for the name Shackleton +

  • The Shackletons by Bernice Close Shackleton.

  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  4. MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
  7. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  8. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th March 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/commodore-hayes
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  12. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook