My gx2 grandfather : John Offen 1848

JOHN OFFEN was born circa 1848 in Ramsgate, Kent. There is a birth listed on Free BMD for a JOHN OFFEN in March quarter 1848 ( district Isle of Thanet (covers Ramsgate) volume 5 page 522.) He was christened on 12th March 1848, , the same day as his brother George,  at St George's, Ramsgate, Kent to parents Richard Swain Offen and Jane Philpot.

On the 1851 census, John, aged 3, was at home with his parents and siblings at 15 Newcastle Hill in Ramsgate, Kent.

 On the 1861 census, a 12-year-old scholar, he was at home with his parents and siblings, still at 15 Newcastle Hill in Ramsgate, Kent. The schooling couldn't have been up to much though, because he was illiterate (he marked his name with a cross on his son, GEORGE OFFEN’s wedding certificate) !!

He married MARY ANN WALKER on 9th October 1870 in Ramsgate, Kent (source : marriage register, courtesy of Janet Todd). John Offen was 21, a bachelor, labourer, living at 2 Hereson and Mary Ann Walker was 18, a spinster, Dom serv, also at 2 Hereson (source : marriage register). The fathers were given as Richard Offen, labourer and John Walker, deceased mariner and the witnesses were Richard & Catherine Offen (source : marriage register). This marriage was registered in December quarter 1870 in Thanet (Free BMD – district Thanet volume 2a page 1341). She was born circa 1853 in Margate (source : 1881 census).

On the 1871 census, John Offen, (husband, 21 hawker, born Ramsgate), Mary Ann, (wife 18 born Margate) and Stephen John Walker, (visitor (u) 16 hawker) are at 69 King St, Ramsgate, Kent, where the head of the house is William Bellecloth with his wife & son, fruiterer (source : Janet Todd).

Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald Kent, England

2 Sep 1871

He is possibly the John Offen who tried to rescue two sisters who were drowning in the sea at Ramsgate in 1871. They were staying at 140 King Street which would have been just along the road from where John lived with his family.

Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald Kent, England

4 Sep 1875

He is possibly the John Offen involved in trying to save a second drowning victim a few years later.

On the 1881 census, John was a fish-hawker, Mary was a laundress and, along with their five children, they were living at 9 Bellavesta Terrace, St Lawrence (Ramsgate), Kent.

On the 1891 census, John Offen, (head 40 gen lab), wife Mary Ann and children Stephen (14), George (11 scholar) are at 11 Model Cotts, Ramsgate, Kent (source : Janet Todd).

 On the 1901 census, Mary was a charwoman. She is listed as single so John presumably died between 1891 and 1901.

The children of John Offen and Mary Ann Walker :

HARRIET LUCY OFFEN was born in June quarter 1871 in Ramsgate, Kent (Free BMD – district Thanet volume 2a page 785). She was baptised on 8th August 1871 at St George's, Ramsgate, Kent, daughter of John and Mary of Ramsgate, salesman (source : baptisms register, courtesy of Janet Todd). On the 1881 census, she was living with her parents as 9 Bellavesta Terrace, St Lawrence. She married ROBERT HENERY GRIGGS or GEORGE MIRAMS in June quarter 1891 (source : Free BMD, district Thanet, volume 2a, page 1503).

JOHN RICHARD OFFEN was baptised on 26th October 1874 at St George's, Ramsgate, Kent, son of John and Mary Ann, of Ramsgate, fish hawker (source : baptisms register, courtesy of Janet Todd). (At the side of the register was written "from St Paul's Mission Church" and the baptism is also found recorded in St Paul's records. It appears that for a while St Paul's parishioners had to use St Georges, there are other baptisms the same. I believe St Pauls at the time was having some work done on it. - source : Janet Todd). On the 1881 census, he was living with his parents as 9 Bellavesta Terrace, St Lawrence. He married EMMA JANE BERRYCLOTH in December quarter 1894 (Free BMD – district Thanet, volume 2a page 1775). On the 1901 census, John, a 27-year-old house painter, and his wife Emma (26, born St Lawrence Kent) were both in St Lawrence, Kent (source : 1901 census index, household needs checking).


CATHERINE E OFFEN was baptised on 2nd November 1875 at St George's, Ramsgate, daughter of John and Mary Ann, of Ramsgate, fish hawker (source : baptisms register, courtesy of Janet Todd).
There is a birth listed on Free BMD for CATHERINE ***** OFFEN in September quarter 1875 – district Thanet, volume 2a page 837. On the 1881 census, she was living with her parents as 9 Bellavesta Terrace, St Lawrence, Kent. She married GEORGE PEALL on 7th June 1897 at St Paul's in Ramsgate (source : marriage register, courtesy of Janet Todd). Catherine was 22, a spinster, of King St, and George was 21, a bachelor, fisherman, of 133 King St (source : marriage register). The fathers were recorded as John Offen, painter and John Edward Peall, deceased fly driver, and the witnesses were Joseph Peall, and Gertrude Mary Crole (source : marriage register). On the 1901 census, Catherine (24), her husband George PEAL (24, born Ramsgate Kent, fisherman and their two young children BEATRICE PEAL (2, born Ramsgate Kent) and ALICE PEAL (1, born Ramsgate Kent) are all listed in St Lawrence, Kent (source : 1901 census index, household needs checking).


STEPHEN ROBERT OFFEN was baptised on 14th August 1910 at St George's, Ramsgate, Kent and was recorded as son of John & Mary Ann, 14 Trinity Place, labourer (source : baptisms register, courtesy of Janet Todd). He gave his date of birth as 19th November 1880, but this seems impossible as his brother George was supposedly born on 15th April 1880 and they can't have both been born in the same year (source : Janet Todd). As Janet surmises, "Stephen might have been born in 1877/8 as he is 3 in 1881 and 14 in 1891, but he was said to be 21 on the 1901 census and when he married Sarah Taylor in December 1904 he was 24 which takes us back to 1880. Some people can never make up their minds!" On the 1881 census, he was living with his parents at 9 Bellavesta Terrace, St Lawrence.  On the 1901 census, he was a 21-year-old fisherman, listed with his brother GEORGE in St Lawrence (Ramsgate), Kent (source : 1901 census index, household needs checking). He married SARAH TAYLOR on 18th December 1904 in Holy Trinity, Ramsgate (source : marriage register, courtesy of Janet Todd). Stephen was 24, a bachelor, fisherman, address 7 Serene Place and Sarah was 19, a spinster, also at 7 Serene Place (source : marriage register). The fathers were given as John Offen, decorator and Thomas Henry Taylor, lab, and the witnesses were Thomas Henry and Emily Taylor (source : marriage register). They lived at 33 St David's Road, Dumpton, Ramsgate (source : Brian Marsden). Stephen served in the army, in the Royal East Kent Regiment (the Buffs), 2nd batallion, during the Second World War (source : Karen and Nick Evans). He was in Baghdad and El Alemein, and was at the presentation of the Stalingrad Sword (source : Karen and Nick Evans).

GEORGE ISAAC OFFEN was born on 15th April 1880 in Ramsgate, Kent (source : birth certificate). On the 1881 census, he was living with his parents as 9 Bellavesta Terrace, St Lawrence. (Click through to see his page)

FREDERICK OFFEN was baptised on 4th November 1885 at St Paul's, Ramsgate, Kent, son of John & Mary Ann, 2 Newcastle Hill, fish hawker (source : baptisms register, courtesy of Janet Todd).

ETHEL EMMA OFFEN was baptised on 30th July 1890 at St Paul's, Ramsgate, Kent, daughter of John & Mary Ann, 13 Model Cotts, lab (source : baptisms register, courtesy of Janet Todd). She died in Ramsgate on 16th October 1890, aged 3 months, and was buried on 20th October 1890 in Ramsgate cemetery, Plot no IC 475 (source : burials register, courtesy of Janet Todd). Her death is registered in December quarter 1890 (source : Ancestry England and Wales, Civil Registration Index, county Kent, volume 2a, page 580).

ALICE OFFEN was baptised on 29th June 1892 at St Paul's, Ramsgate, Kent, daughter of John & Mary Ann, Henry Villas, Packers Lane, lab (source : baptisms register, courtesy of Janet Todd). There are two births registered for Alice Offens in March quarter 1892 (source : Ancestry England and Wales, Civil Registration Index , county Kent, volume 2a, page 753 and 920).

Census returns :

1881 census :

address : 9 Bellavesta Terrace, St Lawrence

John Offen, head, mar, 32, fish hawker, born Ramsgate
May A Offen, wife, 28, laundress, born Margate Kent
Harriett L Offen, daughter, 10, scholar, born Ramsgate
John R Offen, son, 8, scholar, born Ramsgate
Catherine E Offen, daughter, 5, scholar, born Ramsgate
Stephen R Offen, son, 3 ,  born Ramsgate
George Offen, son, 1,born Ramsgate

1891 census :
address : 11 Model Cotts, St Lawrence

John Offen, head, mar, 40, general labourer, born Ramsgate
Mary Ann Offen, daughter (presumably a mistake - supposed to say wife), 20, born Ramsgate
Stephen R Offen, son, 14 ,  born Ramsgate
George Offen, son, 11,scholar, born Ramsgate

1901 census :
address : 4 Montague Road, St Lawrence

Mary Ann Offen, lodger, s, 47, charwoman (own account), born Ramsgate