The eldest son of John Duffy and Susannah Holland Duffy was born in June, 1861, in Lockport, New York. John Jr. was the first of several John Duffy Jrs., although he doesn’t appear to have used the suffix “Jr.” in adulthood.

Lockport became an industrial center early on, with mills and factories established by the early 1830s. John worked at a paper mill at the age of 18. At 23, he was working as a “grinder” — this may have meant that he sharpened cutting edges in the mill, but I’m not certain. Later, he is listed in the City Directory as a laborer.

In 1887, he married Margaret (Maggie) Maher, who was the daughter of Irish immigrants. Her parents, John and Julia Mahar, raised their nine children on a farm in nearby Hartland, New York. One of Margaret’s brothers, James, worked in the paper mill, so that may have been how John and Margaret met, or perhaps they met through the Catholic church in Lockport.

After they married they lived near the homes of John’s father and grandmother.

In 1900, they had moved to another home; Margaret’s brother James, who worked at a rolling mill, lived with them. At that point, John worked at the city gas company.

An 1897 history of the area gives the background of the Lockport gas company:

Gas lighting was introduced in Lockport as early as 1851, chiefly through the efforts of James G. Porter… The site which has since been used for the works, corner of Transit and Lagrange streets, was purchased and the required plant established. The main streets of the village were first illuminated with gaslight on the night of the 30th of December, 1851….In August, 1894, the Lockport Gas and Electric Light Company was organized… The city was first wired for the use of incandescent lights in 1884-85 by the Gas Company. At about the same time another company was formed for lighting the streets by arc lamps, and the two subsequently consolidated. The present company supplies 209 street lamps.

They had seven children:

John Duffy Jr. [III]  b) 1887
Mary C. (Mabel) Duffy  b) 1890
Susanna (Anna) Rosella Duffy  b) 1892
Edward Joseph Duffy  b) 1894
Elizabeth Blanche Duffy  b) 1896
Marjorie Duffy  b)1898
Helen R. Duffy  b) 1907

In the 1910 census, John was listed as working in a machine shop. The family lived at 176 Jackson St in Lockport. They stayed there for the remainder of his life.

In 1915, he was a helper in an “auto works” — the new industry of car manufacturing was alive and well in Lockport.

In 1920, when he was 59, he was listed in the census as a patrolman (in this case, probably a security guard) for the Gas Company.

By the 1925 state census, he was retired.

John died on May 6, 1927 at the age of 65. He is buried in St Patrick’s Cemetery in Lockport. Margaret died just over a year later, on May 25, 1928, at the age of 63. She is buried beside him.

Pool, William (Editor), “History of Lockport, New York” from Landmarks of Niagara County, New York D. Mason & Co. Publishers, Syracuse, NY 1897 quoted on http://history.rays-place.com/ny/lockport-ny-3.htm

Patrick Duffy (b 1812) + Elizabeth Dillon (b 1818)
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John Duffy (b 1838) + Susanna Holland (b 1838)
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John Duffy Jr. (b 1862) + Margaret Mahar (b 1865)

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Information presented here is based on my interpretation of the sources I’ve found. As new sources are found or inaccuracies discovered, the site will be updated.

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