Ganed Thomas Shankland ar 14 o Hydref 1858 ym mhlwyf Llangyning, Sir Gaerfyrddin. Erbyn 1876 roedd yn grudd yn y Bala ac yno fe'i bedyddiwyd a dechreuodd bregethu gyda'r Bedyddwyr. Bu'n weinidog yn y Wyddgrug rhwng 1888 a 1892 ac yna yn y Rhyl o 1891 hyd 1904. Ym 1904, daeth i Fangor i ail-drefnu Llyfrgell y Brifysgol. Bu farw ym 1927.
Thomas Shankland (1858-1927) librarian and historian, was born in Carmarthenshire, educated at Pwll-trap School, St. Clears Grammar School and the University College of North Wales (now the University of Wales, Bangor). He worked as a shoemaker and was a Baptist minister, at Mold, Flintshire (1888-1891) and Rhyl (1891-1904) before becoming Welsh Librarian at the University College of North Wales in 1905. His work involved the reorganisation of the Welsh Library and as well as classifying and arranging material he travelled around the country searching for rare books.
He wrote many articles, was editor of Seren Gomer between 1905 and 1906 and of the Transactions of the Historical Society of the Baptists in Wales from its foundation until 1925. He was also secretary and a prominent figure in the foundation of Cymdeithas Llawysgrifau Bangor in 1907.
In 1917 the University of Wales awarded him the degree of M.A. honoris causa. He became ill in 1927 and died on 20 February of that year.