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New England Families Genealogical and Memorial: Third Series, Volume III, by William Richard Cutter, 1915 The Durfee Family Thomas Durfee, the immigrant ancestor, was born in England, in 1643, and came to this country in 1660. He settled in the town of Portsmouth, Rhode Island. He married as early as s 1664, and died in 1712, aged about seventy years. Children, born at Portsmouth: Robert, March 11, 1665, married in 1686-87, Mary Sanford; Thomas, married Ann Freeborn, of Portsmouth; William, mentioned below; Benjamin, married Prudence Earle, in 1699, inherited land in Fall River and became wealthy for his time. (II) William, son of Thomas Durfee,
was born in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, in 1673, and died at Tiverton, in
1727. He married (first) Ann (???), who died at Tiverton; (second) Mary
(???). His will was proved June 7, 1727. Children by first wife, born at
Tiverton: David, mentioned below; Samuel, March 1, 1702; Joseph, 1705, made
his will November 14, 1731, bequeathing to his brother Samuel. (III) David, son of William Durfee,
was born at Tiverton, Rhode Island, March 1, 1700, and died there March
1, 1788. He married, April 16, 1726, Abigail Wing, of Dartmouth, born July,
1701, died at Tiverton, July 4, 1792. Children, born at Tiverton, probably
not in order of birth: David, April 9, 1739; William, mentioned below; Elizabeth,
married July 6, 1761, George Westgate, Jr.; Mary, married William (IV) Captain William Durfee, son of
David Durfee, was born at Tiverton, March 10, 1730, and died at East Killingly,
Connecticut, February 10, 1816. He followed the sea and became a master
mariner. In 1772 he removed to Killingly, where he followed farming the
rest of his life. For many years he was in the merchant marine, commanding
vessels sailing from Newport, Rhode Island, to Dutch Guiana and other foreign
ports, among which may be mentioned Surinam and Essequibo. He married, at
Tiverton, June 12, 1756, Eunice Bowen, of Tiverton, daughter of Richard
and. Remembrance Bowen, of an old Rehoboth family. Their first seven children
were born at Tiverton, the others at Killingly. Children: (V) Benjamin, son of Captain William Durfee, was born at Tiverton, Rhode Island, October 25, 1761, and died at Killingly, Connecticut, December 1, 1847. He received a common school education, and during his youth worked on his father's farm in Killingly. He also learned the trade of cooper. He married, at Killingly, in 1798, Lydia Russell, who was born at Killingly, January 31, 1776, and died October 13, 1864, daughter of John and Lydia (Bassett) Russell. John Russell, her father, served in the revolutionary war from Connecticut for six months. Children of Benjamin and Lydia (Russell) Durfee, born at Killingly: Sanford, mentioned below; Dr. Henry. September 1, 1802, resided at Killingly, where he married and had two sons; William Russell, January 21, 1809, married, and had five children, four sons and one daughter. (VI) Sanford, eldest son of Benjamin Durfee, was born at Killingly, Connecticut, January 21, 1800, and died December 5, 1880, at Providence, Rhode Island. He attended the district schools of his native town, and during his youth assisted his father in the work of the farm. His health was not good and for a time he was engaged in selling books, representing a work written by William Drowne, entitled "The Farmer's Guide." He found this work beneficial to his health and continued in it for some time, later representing Rev. Dr. David Benedict, who was at that time pastor of the First Baptist Church at Pawtucket, Rhode Island, selling his works, entitled: "Benedict's History of All Religions," and "Benedict's History of the Baptists." While engaged on this work he traveled from New York to North Carolina. In 1830 he entered the employ of Moies & Jenks as clerk in their thread store, and later went to work at Crompton, Rhode Island, in a cotton mill, shortly afterwards becoming superintendent, continuing in that capacity from 1833 to 1848. From 1848 to 1853 he was agent of the Portsmouth Coal Mining Company, with offices in Providence. From 1853 to 1864 he was agent of the Providence Canal Bleaching Company, continuing in that capacity until the business was discontinued. He then became treasurer of the Crompton Company, manufacturers of cotton goods, with headquarters in Providence, and continued in that capacity for a period of eleven years, or until he retired from active business. Early in life Mr. Durfee joined the Baptist church, and throughout his life he was an earnest and active member of that denomination. He was a member of the Killingly church for a number of years, then the Pawtucket First Baptist Church, of which he was superintendent of the Sunday school, later of the Crompton Baptist Church, of which he was also superintendent of the Sunday school, and finally of the First Baptist Church of Providence, of which he continued a member until his death. He was also a member of the Rhode Island Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Industries. Though naturally a quiet, modest man, he was exceedingly charitable by nature and constant in attending church, and in supporting its benevolence and various activities. He possessed the strictest integrity, and was an honest and very conscientious man. He possessed a strong, virile character, and was an exemplary, publicspirited citizen. He served on the school committee of Crompton, and for one year as a member of the city council of Providence. In politics he was formerly a Whig, later becoming a Republican. On March 5, 1835, Mr. Durfee married, at Crompton, Rhode Island, Mary Cozzens, who was born June 20, 1798, and died July 8, 1844, daughter of Benjamin and Anne (Wheaton) Cozzens (see Cozzens). He married (second) Mary Eliza (Stafford) Holden, who was born October 14, 1804, and died December 6, 1879, daughter of Thomas Stafford, and widow of Captain Thomas Holden Jr. Children of Sanford Durfee by first wife: Sarah Crawford, mentioned below; Benjamin and Sanford Jr., twins, both of whom died in infancy. (VII) Sarah Crawford, only daughter
of Sanford and Mary (Cozzens) Durfee, was born at Crompton, Rhode Island,
January 20, 1838. She was tutored at home until she was ten years of age,
afterwards attending the public school formerly located on the site of the
present Corliss mansion, at the corner of Angell and Prospect streets, where
she was fitted for the Young Ladies' High School, taught by John Kingsbury,
Esq. After graduating from the latter she then attended a select school
for girls in New York City. Miss Durfee has devoted much of her time and
means to various charities and to the church, being an active member of
the First Baptist Church of Providence. For a period of thirty-four years
she was an officer of the Womans' Baptist Foreign Missionary Society, first
as state secretary, then as recording
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