77 years 3 months 5 days

Parents:
Synthia, as her name is sometimes spelled, was the daughter of Thomas Warton/Wharton & Mary Ash of Nottingham, England. Her parents lived in Nottingham. She grew up and was married there. Her marriage to Henry Belfield is cited as 16 Jan 1807, Saint Mary's parish, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England (see p. 258, Nottingham Parish Registers). Henry Belfield was skilled artisanal inventor and manufacturer of machinery, some of which were looms for making lace stockings and other hosiery. Nottingham was the center of the lace-making industry of England. With with the exception of Alfred who was born in Maryland, all their other children were born in Nottingham, and they were baptized in the parish churches of Nottingham.

This Belfield family emigrated to the United States in 1820 to start a new life. The city of Nottingham and it's lace-making industry (lace products including socks and hosiery) was in turmoil with the British Army been sent for to quell riots. With the introduction of lace-making machinery, many artisanal(traditional lace-knitters) found themselves unemployed. Many took to the streets and some attempted to destroy the factories and new machinery that were taking away their jobs. Henry Belfield, was among those inventor-engineers who created these new knitting machines, realized that he needed to leave for somewhere else.

Henry Holmes Belfield and Cynthia Wharton Belfield and their 6 children. They settled near Baltimore, whence they moved to Philadelphia. Two children more were born in Maryland.

Henry, Sr., with his sons, Henry, William, and Thomas established H.H.Belfield & Sons, a brass foundry. Initially, their business began making suspenders for stockings and socks. They later began making precision brass valves and related objects. This business was carried on by by Thomas Broom Belfield, Henry H. jr's son, at the same location, 435 North Broad Street, Philadelphia. This firm changed from the partnership between HH Belfield sr. and Sons. Articles of Incorporation were taken out in 1836 by H.H.Belfield, his son Thomas Broom Belfield and other investors and it remained in business until 1949 as H. Belfield & Co. when it was acquired by Honeywell.

Three of Henry Sr.'s sons (Thomas Holmes Belfield (1807- 1889, William Thomas Belfield (1809-1900)and Alfred Belfield (1822-1886)) with William Levy and family, William Appleton (Ann Belfield) and family, and Isaac Tussey (Maria Belfield) and family, moved to Van Buren Co. Iowa, about the year 1844 or '46. Henry Holmes Belfield, "Jr" (1815-1890)was the brother that remained in Philadelphia to run the brass foundry.

Spouse:
Cynthia Wharton (1785-1863), died in Philadelphia, and Henry was left a widower. At some point after her death, Henry went to visit or to live with his other sons who were in Iowa at the time. He died in Bentonsport, Iowa in 1872, ten years after his wife.

Children:

-- Thomas Holmes Belfield (1807- 1889)[born England] married Anna E. Marshall (1810-1884)

-- William Thomas Belfield (1809-1900)[born England]
married Selener Emily Marshall (1808-1875)

-- Ann Belfield (1812-1904)[born England] married William Appleton (1808–1865)

-- Henry Holmes Belfield (1815-1890) [born England] married Elizabeth Broom (1820-1895)

-- Cynthia (Synthia) Belfield,(1818-1876) [born in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, baptised in St. Mary's parish, Nottingham, she died in Keokuk, Iowa] She married James Eaton Johnston (1811-1878) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a skilled machinist who was born in Scotland. He immigrated to Philadelphia in search of a job in the growing manufacturing city. He died in St. Louis, Missouri].

-- Maria Belfield (1818-1900) married Isaac S Tussey (1814-1876)

-- Mary Virginia Belfield (1824-1910) married James Farren (1819-1889)

Alfred S. Belfield (1822-1886)[born Maryland] married
Maria Johnson (1829-1911)