JOHN OFFEN was born circa 1848 in Ramsgate, Kent (source : 1851, 1861 and
1881 census).
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 baptised on 12th March 1848, the same day as his brother George,
at St George's church in Ramsgate, Kent (source : baptism register, courtesy of Janet Todd).
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, aspinster, 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) or Ramsgate, Kent (source : 1901 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). On the 1881 census, John was still a fish-hawker, Mary was a
laundress and, along with their five children, they were living at 9 Bellavesta Terrace, St Lawrence (Ramsgate), Kent.
As well as hawking fish, John was apparently the skipper of a fishing boat called The Smiling Morn. In 1887,
tensions were apparently high between the local Ramsgate fishermen and their Belgian counterparts and John
hit the national news, as this article from The Times (Sept 13 1887 ) shows !
The Times, Sept 13 1887 (page 9, issue 32176, col B)
BRITISH AND FOREIGN FISHERMEN
Another outrage, a Ramsgate correspondent telegraphs, has been
perpetrated by Belgian fishermen upon an English fishing boat. The
Smiling
Morn, while trawling near the Brown Ridge on Saturday morning, was
deliberately run into by an Ostender and damage done to at least the
extent
of £70. The skipper, John OFFEN, gives the following account of the
occurence :- "We were about 70 miles from Lowestoft, west by north,
early on
Saturday morning. We had one reefed sail set and were towing our nets
at the
rate of about a mile and a half an hour. Our masthead light was up to
indicate that we were trawling. The Silent Eliza and another English
boat
were between two and three miles distant. The man on the watch at about
1 o'
clock saw a Belgian boat bearing down upon us. Three flares were burnt
but
the Ostender would not answer any of them or alter her course in the
slightest. Seeing this, the watch called "All hands on deck", and when
she
came closer we all hailed as loud as possible, and
called on them to starboard their helm. No notice was, however,
taken and
a minute afterwards we were struck abaft the beam on the starboard
side. The
Belgian had all her sails set and was coming at a rate of at least six
miles
an hour. The collision broke our mizenmast in three places, cut a hole
through the coverboard, broke three stanchions and prized the deck up
aft.
The vessels then lay alongside each other, and to avoid further damage
we
had to chop away our gear. The Belgian had only one light burning; that
on
the starboard was out. We could not make sure of the vessel's numbers,
but
the figure 3 came first, and the other looked like a 9, but we could
not
ascertain for certain. The letter "O", indicating Ostend, was clearly
visible." The occurence has caused much indignation, and the
authorities
have been communicated with on the subject.
Perhaps this incident, or a lack of work as a fisherman, led to a career change, as on the 1891 census,
John Offen, (head 40 ) is a general labourer, and with wife Mary Ann (29 - mistakenly listed as daughter)
and children Stephen (14), George (11 scholar), they are at 11 Model Cotts, Ramsgate, Kent.
On the 1901 census, Mary A OFFEN was a 47-year-old single (presumably widowed?) charwoman, living on her own account,
lodging in one room at 7 Montague Road, St
Lawrence, Kent, just a few doors along from her two sons George and Stephen, boarding at number 11.
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). It would therefore appear that
she is the Harriet Griggs (29, born Ramsgate Kent) married to Robert Griggs (29, general carman - on own account,
born Ramsgate Kent )
with their three young sons ROBERT (9, born Ramsgate Kent), FREDERICK (2, born Ramsgate Kent)
and GEORGE (1, born Ramsgate Kent) on the 1901 census, at 11 Montague Road in St Lawrence
(Ramsgate), Kent with two boarders - her brothers George and Stephen.
JOHN RICHARD SWAIN OFFEN was born circa 1873 in Ramsgate, Kent
(source : 1881 census). He 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 ESTHER OFFEN was born in September
quarter 1875 (source : Free BMD, district Thanet, volume 2a page 837). She 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). 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
born circa 1879 in Ramsgate, Kent (source : 1881 census). On the 1881 census, aged 3, he was living
with his parents at 9 Bellavesta Terrace, St Lawrence. On the 1891 census, aged 14, he was living
with his parents and brother George at 11 Model Cotts, Ramsgate, Kent.
GEORGE 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. On the 1891 census, an 11-year-old scholar, he was living
with his parents and brother Stephen at 11 Model Cotts, Ramsgate, Kent.
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).
He may have died before 1891 since he does not appear on the 1891 census.
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). She may have died before 1891 since she does not appear on the 1891 census.
Census returns for JOHN OFFEN and MARY ANN WALKER: 1881 census ? (FHL film 1341235 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 0990 Folio 105)
Dwelling : 9 Bellavesta Terrace
Census place : St Lawrence, Kent, England
John OFFEN, head, M, 32, fish hawker, born Ramsgate, Kent
May A OFFEN, wife, M, 28, laundress, born Margate, Kent
Harriett L OFFEN, daur, 10, scholar, born Ramsgate, Kent
John R OFFEN, son, 8, scholar, born Ramsgate, Kent
Catherine E OFFEN, daur, 5, scholar, born Ramsgate, Kent
Stephen R OFFEN, son, 3, born Ramsgate, Kent
George OFFEN, son, 1, born Ramsgate, Kent