DARIUS EDWARD WILLIAM SOUTHERDEN OFFEN was born on 24th August
1833 in Dover, Kent (source : 1881 census and IGI, Batch No.: C036563 Dates: 1827 - 1849
Source Call No.: 0355633 Type: Film Printout Call No.: 6906439 Type: Film
Sheet: 00 ).
He was baptised in Dover in 1833 (source : Collette Kendall). The IGI lists a baptism
on 15th September 1833 at Saint Mary the Virgin in Dover, Kent,
but gives the parents as George Offen and Ann (source : IGI see above).
He married SARAH MOUNTIFIED SMITH in 1857
in Charlton, Dover (source : Collette Kendall).
She was born was born in 1836 in Martello Tower 31, Pett, East Sussex and
was christened on 30th April 1836 in Pett Parish Church, Sussex. (source : Pett Parish Records,
courtesy of Mike Perkins).
In the 1861 census Darius (born Sandgate) and Sarah and their son John are listed with
mother-in-law Katherine Smith (aged 65 born Itchenor) (source : Mike Perkins).
On the 1881 census, 47-year-old general labourer Darius
and 45-year-old Sarah are living (alone) at 109 Upper Stone Street in Maidstone, Kent.
The Children of DARIUS EDWARD WILLIAM SOUTHERDEN OFFEN and SARAH MOUNTIFIED SMITH :
JOHN GEORGE OFFEN was born in 1860 in Cheriton (source : Collette
Kendall) or Sandgate, Kent (source : 1881 census). He
married CAROLINE CLACKETT (born circa 1860 in Maidstone - source 1881 census) in 1880 in Maidstone (source : Collette Kendall).
They had the following children : MAUD ELIZABETH M OFFEN
(born circa 1879 in Maidstone - source 1881 census), ERNEST OFFEN (born in 1881 in Maidstone and married
ESTHER GRACE SUMMERS (born in Maidstone in 1901),
VICTORIA CAROLINE OFFEN (born in 1883 in Maidstone and married
CHARLES HENRY BARLOW (born circa 1883) in Kippington in 1911 - on the
1901 census, she was a 17-year-old housemaid in Malling, Kent) (source : Collette Kendall).On the 1881 census,
John Offen (21, general labourer, born Sandgate Kent), his wife Caroline (21, born Maidstone Kent),
2-year-old daughter Maud (scholar) and Caroline's sister Etty Clackett (13, scholar) are all at 4 School
Court in Maidstone, Kent. On the 1901 census, John Offen (41, traction engine driver, born Sandgate Kent),
his wife Caroline (41, born Maidstone Kent),
19-year-old son Ernest (baker bread, born Maidstone) and four other OFFENs who would appear to be more children
( CHARLIE OFFEN (15),
KATE OFFEN (13),
EDITH OFFEN (10), and
ETHEL OFFEN (3) ) are all in Maidstone, Kent (source :
1901 census index, household needs checking).