HelPeR - BYU Idaho Special Collections and Family History

Relatively Speaking INTRIGUING, FUNNY, AND EVENTFUL INCIDENTS
The
Duffields
I became interested in genealogy in 2001, when my
great-uncle William Walker died at the age of 92. He
did not have any children and my mother went to
his home and grabbed the old photo albums. There
were three old albums. I knew who the people in one
of the albums were, but there were many people I
couldn’t identify.
I had always been interested in genealogy even
as a kid. I remember asking my grandmother about
genealogy in the 1970s and she told me about her
grandfather. I had always remembered his name as
Newton Duffield (1852-1921). She had told me he was
very loving and was always there for her. I knew that
my great-grandparents were William Walker (1871-
1944) and Gertrude Duffield (1883-1972). I could pick
out their photos and such. I began to look through
the photos and found that some of the photos were
identified, including some of Newton. I also had an
identified photo of his wife Elizabeth Ellen Curry
(1858-1898). I began to look online for information
and soon found the parents, grandparents and greatgrandparents
of both Newton
and Elizabeth. I would have to
verify the information, but I
definitely had a start and was
getting hooked. I didn’t think it
would become a passion.
I posted some photos on the
USGENWEB website of the
Duffield Family on the Pocahontas
County website. There
were a couple photographs
that I decided were key photographs.
There was a photo
taken of Newton and his children
between 1899 and 1904 in
front of their home. There was
also a photo of a large group
standing in front of a “sugar
camp.” My great-grandmother
and some of her siblings were
identified. I wanted to know
who all the adults were. I knew
that John R. Duffield could not
By Cr a i g Sc h u l z
The Newton Duffield family in front of their home
in Pocahontas County—taken about 1900. This
was also the home of Newton’s grandfather
Abram who fought in the Revolutionary War.
be in the photo since my great-grandmother looked
about age 10-12 dating the photo 1893-1896. I could
pick out Newton and Elizabeth and some of their
children. The next day I received an e-mail from a
woman in Pocahontas County stating that he had
a letter written by Newton’s mother Rebecca Sharp
Duffield. She asked whether I would like a copy. I, of
course, answered yes and received a copy a couple
days later. This gave me more insight into the family.
The letter let me know that Hamilton, Sarah Jane,
and McKendrey had gone to the West. The letter also
made it clear that Hamilton Duffield was fighting in
the Civil War.
The Duffield sugar camp in Pocahontas County, WV about 1893. The adults, left
to right starting with the old woman in the hat are: Rebecca Sharp Duffield (1814-
1894), Nancy Duffield Ratliff (1857-1940), Newton Duffield (1852-1921), Elizabeth
Curry Duffield (1858-1898) and John Marcellus Ratliff (1845-1893). The man
kneeling in front is thought to be Civil War veteran Henry Duffield (1841-1903).
46 © Ev e r t o n’s Ge n e a l o g i c a l He l p e r Ja n ua ry/Fe b r u a r y 2009