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insurance matters of the town, handles
the most vital interests of the home and
family, and of the business man, as such,
and as an individual.
The Duff family was of Scotch origin,
but Mr. Duff's paternal grandfather was
a prosperous hotel keeper in Mullacrue,
Ireland.
Francis Duff, father of James F. Duff,
was born at Mullacrue, County Louth,
Ireland, in 1821, and died in 1907. He
was a man possessed of a brilliant mind,
and received the benefits of an excellent
education, but was afflicted with the un-
fortunate handicap of defective hearing.
Nevertheless, he faced life with the fear-
less courage and boundless good nature
of the true Irishman. Impatient with
routine, and anxious to see something of
the world, he ran away from school when
he was about eighteen years of age and
came to America. He located in New
York City, the Mecca of ambitious youth
of this and many another country. Practical
necessities asserting themselves, he
lost no time in acquiring the means of a
livelihood, apprenticing himself to a shoemaker.
He started in business for him-
self soon after completing his apprentice-
ship, locating at Port Richmond, Staten
Island. His good taste and skill of hand,
together with his good-humored way of
meeting his patrons, built up for him a
prosperous trade, soon carrying the busi-
ness beyond where he could handle it
alone, and eventually he gave employment
to about a dozen men. After some
years he sold out this business and returned
to New York City, but remained
there only about a year. He then located
in that part of Greenwich known as
Rocky Neck Point; that was about 1871.
He followed his trade of shoemaker in
Greenwich as long as he lived, and left a
host of friends won by his cordial goodwill
and genial manner. Francis Duff
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112
married Ellen Smith, daughter of Patrick
Smith, of Castle Bellingham, County
Louth, Ireland. Their children were
Elizabeth, now deceased, who became
the wife of John McRedmond, and the
mother of two children : Maria, who mar-
ried Bernard Donahue, and Frank J., a
well known citizen of Stamford ; Nellie,
now deceased, who married Frank Stube,
and had three children : Maria, Frank, and
Christopher ; and James Francis, of whom
further.
James Francis Duff, a prominent real
estate and insurance man of Greenwich,
is a remarkable example of the business
man who has built his own success on the
sure foundation of dilligent industry and
well directed ambition. He was born at
Port Richmond, Staten Island, January
1, 1867, and is the youngest child of
Francis and Ellen (Smith) Duff. He re-
ceived his education in the public schools
of Greenwich, then entered the employ of
Amos Avery, the well known grocer. But
the idea of working for wages did not
appeal to the young man. He was pos-
sessed of unusual initiative, and was resourceful
to a remarkable degree. At
the age of sixteen, when a good many
boys are not even beginning to think
seriously of the business world, young
Duff went into the livery business on his
own account, and to the surprise of those
who railed at the idea, and to the unbounded
gratification of his friends, he
made a success of the venture. He continued
in that business until he was
twenty-two years of age, then turned his
interest to the strictly utilitarian side of
this line of business and confined his in-
terests to trucking. Prompt, dependable,
and always alert for the safety of consignments
entrusted to his care, he commanded
a large share of the trucking
business of the town. He remained in
this line for twelve years, constantly in-
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