James Duffield 1827-1879

James Duffield, the third child of John Duffield and Phoebe Simkin was baptised in Darlaston on 7th February, 1827 and was still living with his family in the 1841 Census. On 13th April, 1846 James Duffield, a screwmaker, aged 19, son of John, married Miriam Groves age 19, daughter of Charles, a locksmith, at the Parish church, West Bromwich. Miriam was the 11th of 12 children of Charles Groves and his wife Silvey neé Burns of The Crescent, Willenhall. The Witnesses to the marriage of James and Miriam were Silas Duffield (the uncle of James and the eldest son of John and Maria) and Sarah Todd (his Aunt Sarah who was married to John Todd, a coal miner). Just over two months later, on 28th June, 1846, their first child Silas was born. James and Miriam had at least seven children, the last born in 1871 as shown in Appendix 2.

The 1851 Census shows at New Street, Darlaston, James Duffield aged 24, Cock Stamper, his wife Mariann (sic) aged 23 and a daughter Sylvia aged 3. Their first child Silas aged 5 was staying with his maternal grandfather, Charles Groves, and his family at The Crescent, Willenhall. Charles Groves died later in 1851.

By 1861 James Duffield, aged 34, was a bolt and nut manufacturer employing two men and one boy. His wife Miriam was 33 and living with them at Bilston Street, Darlaston, were their children Silas, aged 14, bolt and nut maker, Silvia, aged 11, scholar, Phebe aged 4 and Eliza aged 1. William Cornish’s Directory of 1861 shows James Duffield of Bilston Street as “manufacturer of all kinds of coach bolts, screws and nuts etc.”

On 20th November, 1864 Silas Duffield, the oldest child of James and Miriam, aged 19 a gunlock filer, married Sarah Whitehouse aged 18 the daughter of Samuel, an engineer, at All Saints Church, Moxley after Banns. Silas's father James was described as a gunlock forger. The life of Silas, who became a prosperous manufacturer, is described in more detail below.

In 1866, as described earlier, James Duffield was one of the major protagonists in the “Darlaston Riot” and in common with most of the Duffield side of the dispute moved away from Darlaston soon afterwards. Their son Thomas was born in 1868 in Walsall and by 1871 the family were in Wednesbury.

In 1869 their daughter Silvia married Joseph Platt, an iron moulder. Joseph and Silvia continued to live in Darlaston and had eleven children. Silvia died in 1916 and Joseph in 1929.

On 2 April 1871 the Census showed James Duffield and his family living at 69 Back Street, Wednesbury, Staffs. James Duffield, aged 43 is shown as a Bolt Forger. With James are his wife Miriam aged 42 and children Phoebe aged 14, a Scholar, Thomas aged 3 and a new baby Mary aged 1 month.

James and Miriam had seven children in all – Silas 1846, Silvia 1849, William 1854, Phoebe 1856, Eliza 1860, Thomas 1868 and Mary born in 1871. Of these, William, Phoebe and Eliza are believed to have died in infancy.

On 17th July, 1871 Miriam Duffield, wife of James Duffield, Gunlock Forger died at Willenhall Street, Darlaston aged 43 of a diseased heart and dropsy only a few months after the birth of their last child, Mary. The death was reported on 19th July by Betsy Partridge of Willenhall Street. It seems likely that when Miriam became ill she had gone to live with her married daughter, Sylvia Platt, on Willenhall Street as Betsy Partridge lived next door to the Platts.

On 26th December, 1874 the widowed James Duffield married a 46 year old widow, Ann Whitehouse nee Russell, in St. George’s Church, Darlaston. Ann had previously been married to William Whitehouse. James's son Silas had married Sarah Whitehouse in 1864 and Ann was her aunt by marriage so James and Ann would almost certainly have met through this family connection.

On 15th June, 1879 James Duffield, aged 52 and a stamper, died of Bronchitis at 15 Eldon Street, Darlaston. His son Silas Duffield reported the death. No information has been found on what happened to his second wife, Ann, after his death.