Mr Jonathan “John” Shackleton was born at 59 Gascoyne Street in Liverpool, England in 1872 and baptised in All Soul’s Church, Vauxhall on 18 August that year. He was the son of carter (or miller) Hodgson (or Hodgen) Shackleton (1835-1888), from Liverpool, and the former Elizabeth Ann Cannell (1839-1905), from Douglas, Isle of Man; he had at least five siblings.¹

Shackleton went to sea at a young age and he first appears on crew records in 1888 when he was a cook aboard City of New York. Shortly after that he began a long career aboard Servia. In 1891 he is listed as an assistant cook on the Servia alongside his brother William, making his first voyage, also as an assistant cook. Around 1900 he became 3rd cook aboard Ivernia aboard which he served for another number of years. 

In January 1893 Shackleton was married to Jane Williams (1869-1929) in Liverpool; their daughter Elizabeth Jane (1894-1978), followed by another daughter in August 1896, Sarah Ellen. The younger daughter lived only a short while. By 1911 the Shackleton family home was 23 Shakespeare Street in Bootle. They were still living at that address in 1919 when Elizabeth Jane married John Pilkington Caldwell.

In April 1912 Shackleton was Chief Cook aboard the Carpathia when that ship rescued the survivors of the Titanic disaster.

Jonathan Shackleton remained at sea, serving throughout WWI and beyond. His whereabouts after this remain uncertain.