James Haffenden was born in Hailsham, Sussex in 1861, son of Benjamin and Ann Elizabeth, (nee Croft).
Father Benjamin was born in Heathfield, an Agricultural Labourer and, by 1871, a farmer of 272 acres at Near Late Howells in Heathfield. His father, James, and mother-in-law Sarah Skinner, were living with them, both widowed. Their children were James, then 10, Benjamin, 8, and Fanny, 5.
Ann was from Brightling. They had eight children, the second was named Philadelphia!
By 1881, aged 20, James was a Stoker aboard HMS Euryalus, and was awarded medals for the Egyptian and Sudan campaigns, in 1882 and 1884.
The Euryalus (named after one of the Argonauts) was the third Naval ship of
that name, a screw cruiser (or Corvette), launched in 1877 at Chatham. In 1878, she became the flagship of the East Indies Station, based in Trincomalee, (Ceylon), and in the following years, visited all parts of the station including the Persian Gulf, Madagascar, Mauritius and many parts of the Indian Empire which then encompassed present-day Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Burma. On the long passages required, she used her sails to preserve coal. She was sent to the Egyptian uprising in 1882, and then to Sudan.
Ellen Gift Russell, born 1865, and James married in 1886 in Chiddingly., where she was born. Her parents were Robert and Sarah. Robert, in 1871, was a Farmer.
In the 1891 census, James and Ellen were living in Tarring Street. He was a Blacksmith, and they had three sons at home, James, Ernest and Charles. Daughter Bertha was born later that year.
In 1901 the family was living in St Dunstan's Road. James did Shoeing, and was a General Smith and Plumber, working from home.
By 1911, they were living in Heathfield House, Tarring Road, with sons Ernest and Charles. James was then a General Smith and Plumber, working from home.
In 1915 James was described as a Blacksmith at his son Charles' wedding. Charles was then a Fitter.
Ellen died in 1925 and was buried, at Heene, by Rev Fallowes.
In 1927, 2 years after Ellen's death, James married Fanny Carver, a widow, also from Tarring, in West Tarring Church.
At the time of his death, James was living in St Andrews Road, West Tarring. He left £2733, with Probate given to Harry Thomas Duffield, Clerk, and his wife Bertha.
All four of James and Ellen's children then lived in Worthing.
Haffenden is an old Sussex name, apparently of Norse/Viking origin. Denn, in Norse, means farm and hof was a church or temple so the original Haffendens lived in a farm near a Church!