Anthony Duffy was born Aug. 20, 1811, in Cumberland county Pa., son of John and Elizabeth (Graft) Duffy, father a native of Ireland and mother of Pennsylvania, and of German descent.  He came West in the Spring of 1836 and settled on secs. 5 and 8, Hancock tp., this county, where he bought 160 acres of land, which was then entirely wild; here on sec. 8 he built a log cabin 16 feet square, with half a room above; in this he lived until 1850, when he built a fine brick residence on sec. 5; in this he has lived about 28 years, when he moved into the place which he now occupies. Nov. 17, 1835 he married Mary Matilda Spangler, at Mt. Rock, Cumberland county, Pa.  She was a daughter of Samuel and Rebecca Spangler, of German and Holland descent, and she died July 20, 1873, since which time Mr. Duffy has not kept house, but lives with his sons, William J. and Scott A., on sec. 5. All of his 8 children are living.  The eldest, Samuel S., is a farmer on sec. 5, where his father first settled.  Mary E. is the wife I. N. Hobart, a farmer in this tp.; John S. is a farmer in Carthage tp.; Joseph T. is also in farmer in Nodaway county, Mo.; Rebecca Ellen is the wife of Jerome Evans, a farmer also in the last named place; Robert M. is a stock-dealer in Burnside, this county.  Mr. D. has given all his property to his children except 40 or 50 acres, on secs. 5 and 9.  The home farm consists of 155 acres, 115 of which are under good cultivation, being worth about $50 per acre.

Mr. Duffy is a Republican, and has been School Director and Trustee, etc., but has never aspired to office.  In early days he had not the good advantages of a school education; he was compelled to go two miles to attend school in a log house long before the free-school system was inaugurated, and he came to this county when it was a complete wilderness.  He is of course familiar with the Mormon history of this county, and was one of the foremost men when Governor Ford called out the Militia to arrest Jo [sic] Smith and bring him to Carthage.  He had just returned home when Smith was shot, having had pretty good authority beforehand that such a thing would be done.  Mr. D. is a prominent and highly respected citizen, and we give his portrait in this work.

Biography and sketch from the Gregg History of Hancock County, Illinois, 1880

The above is the only reference found so far that indicates Anthony had a middle initial.  However, in the 1860 census his name was written as Anthony McDuffey, which may have been incorrectly transcribed from Anthony M. Duffey or Anthony W. Duffey.

Excerpted from the obituary of Mary E. Duffy Hobart, Anthony's and Matilda's daughter, April 1928: "She was the daughter of Anthony and Matilda (Spangler) Duffy, natives of Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, who in 1836 journeyed westward to establish a dwelling place upon the prairied plains of Illinois.  This worthy couple, correctly classed among our honored pioneers, located upon a tract of land purchased in Hancock township.  As a result of their efficient labors the primitive improvements later gave place to a comfortable, commodious residence, which long continued to be the family homestead, where were reared their sons and daughters....."

Follow this link to see a representation of the location of the Duffy land in sections 5 and 8 of Hancock Township.

The Duffy children were:

i.	Samuel Spangler Duffy, born November 17, 1837, died April 27, 1922, in Fountain Green Township, Hancock County.  Buried at Moss Ridge Cemetery, Carthage, Hancock County.
ii.	Mary E. Duffy, born June 10, 1840, died April 13, 1928, in Hancock Township.  She was buried at Moss Ridge Cemetery.
iii.	John Skiles Duffy, born about 1842.  He died April 27, 1902, at Waverly, Coffey County, Kansas.
iv.	Joseph T. Duffy, born about 1843.  He died after April 13, 1928.
v.	Ellen Rebecca Duffy, born about 1845.  She died before 1922.
vi.	Robert M. Duffy, born about 1849, died after April 13, 1928.
vii.	William J. Duffy, born about 1853, died after April 13, 1928.
viii.	Scott Anthony Duffy, born about 1856, died December 20, 1932, in Harmony Township, Hancock County.

See also: Mary Riley (possibly a sister)

Household of Athony Duffee (immediately following Samuel Spangler)
[The upstroke on the A is very faint, the first n is missing and the t isn't crossed, resulting in the first letter looking more like H.]

Males 0 thru 4 - 1
Males 20 thru 29 - 1
Females 0 thru 4 - 1
Females 20 thru 29 - 1
Total - 4
Persons employed in agriculture - 1

Anthony Duffy, 39, male, farmer, value of real estate 3000, born PA
Mary M, 35, female, born PA
Samuel S, 13, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Mary E, 10, female, born IL, attended school within the year
John, 8, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Joseph T, 7, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Rebecca, 5, female, born IL
Robert, 10/12, male, born IL

Andrew Mc Duffey, 48, male, farmer, value of real estate 5000, value of personal estate 1400, born PA
Mary, 44, female, born PA
Samuel, 23, male, farmer, born IL
Mary, 20, female, born IL
John, 17, male, farmer, born IL, attended school within the year
Joseph, 15, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Rebecca, 13, female, born IL, attended school within the year
Robert, 11, male, born IL, attended school within the year
William, 7, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Scott, 4, male, born IL

Duffy, Anthony, 59, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 6000, value of personal estate 4000, born PA, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Matilda, 54, female, white, keeping house, born PA
Robert, 21, male, white, carpenter, born IL, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
William, 17, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Scott, 14, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Shamblen, Maggie, 14, female, white, domestic, born IA

Duffy, Anthony, white, male, 68, married [sic], farmer, born PA, both parents born PA
William J, white, male, 27, son, married, farmer, born IL, both parents born PA
Laura A, white, female, 25, daughter-in-law, married, keeping house, born PA, both parents
born PA
Scott A, white, male, 24, son, single, farmer, born IL, both parents born PA