Darlaston in Staffordshire was, at the time John Duffield lived there, a long established small agricultural community that was rapidly becoming industrialised. The Registers of St. Lawrence Parish Church survive from 1538. The earliest Duffield entry is the burial of a Thomas Duffield in 1614. Another Thomas Duffield is listed as a Church Warden of St. Lawrence in 1639. The Duffield name appears regularly in the Parish Registers from this time.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, Darlaston developed rapidly as mining and metal trades attracted newcomers to the area. The old common fields and surrounding open land were soon covered in mineshafts, and many foundries and workshops sprang up.

John, the second child of William & Hannah Duffield, was baptised at St Lawrence, Darlaston on 2nd June, 1773. On 17th October, 1797 John Duffield married Maria Nicholls, by Banns at St. Matthew's Church, Walsall. Both were of that Parish and the witnesses were Wm. Carter and John Smith. John Duffield signed his name, but Maria made her mark.

On the same day, and in the same church, John Duffield's older sister Elizabeth married William Carter, who had been a witness to the marriage of John and Maria. The witnesses to this marriage were John Duffield and John Smith.

As industry developed in the town, workers flooded in seeking employment. In 1801 the population of Darlaston stood at 3,812 but by 1851 this number had risen to 10,581 - a near threefold increase. The provision of adequate housing, sanitation and public amenities for the residents did not keep pace with demand. Consequently the death rate
in 19th century Darlaston was unacceptably high, and one newspaper quoted in the Brief History of Darlaston on this website, described it as "by far the unhealthiest town in the Black Country".

Osborne's Guide of 1838 has colourful descriptions of many aspects of Darlaston and its history, including the following extract describing its comparative prosperity in the early 19th Century:

The manufacture of the place is gun locks, a branch of business which, during the [Napoleonic, 1803-1815] war, was so profitable that a good workman could get a pound note per day. Granting a considerable allowance for the depreciation of paper money, yet the profitable employment in making gun locks was such, that by working only two days a week, the men could obtain as much as would supply their wants, and find them the means of enjoying the only luxury they seemed to know - that of drinking four days a week - which they used to indulge, out of loyalty to their own country, and hatred to France.

During the war, these Darlaston gun lock makers used to live in the most luxurious and extravagant manner. Such was their demand for poultry, fish, and meat, that Darlaston became the most profitable market for these things in the neighbourhood. Most of the men might have made fortunes in the days of prosperity, but they not only spent what they obtained extravagantly, but refused to work more than one or two days a week.

At length the war ceased. Suddenly the trade of the place fell away. The workmen, instead of being able to get a pound per day, could only obtain three or four shillings, or less, and very frequently he had no work at all. The greatest misery prevailed; those who had previously breakfasted even on turkey, chicken, or rabbit, were now glad to get a bit of bread and bacon, or cheese. Many who used to drink a bottle of wine at dinner, now could not get half a pint of beer. The poor ignorant and mistaken creatures were accustomed to curse the peace, and abuse their employers, and work hard and close in sullenness and misery.

Further excellent background material explaining the history and development of Darlaston from a village to a highly industrialised area is to be found in the series of articles by Bev Parker in the Brief History of Darlaston, elsewhere on this website.