He was born in Newcastle to mariner William Eckford and Mary Orrell.
He was a publican before entering politics, and on 19 June 1848, he married Harriet Kerwin, with whom he had ten children.
In 1860, he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Wollombi.
He returned to the Assembly in 1877, serving until he was defeated again in 1882.
Eckford died in Sydney in 1884.