RICHARD SWAINE OFFEN was born circa 1768 (source : burials record).
He was baptised in 1768 in Brede, Sussex (source : Collette Kendall).
He married MARY SANDWELL on 5th January 1789
at the parish church of St John in Margate, Kent (source : Collette Kendall and Deborah Offen).
They were married by banns and the witnesses were EDWARD MAGOR and JAMES DIXON, parish clerk (source :
Barry White's transcripts).
She was born circa 1775 (source : Collette Kendall), possibly in Margate, Kent,
since that is where the wedding took place.
Richard possibly died in July 1837 in Ramsgate, Kent and Mary a few months later in 1838 in Ramsgate, Kent
(source : Collette Kendall), but there are no matches for these in the Ramsgate or St Laurence burials.
It seems more likely that Mary was buried on 29th January 1834 at St George's in Ramsgate, Kent
(source : burials register, courtesy of Janet Todd). The burial record states that she died, aged 63, in Ramsgate and
was buried in a 4ft 6ins earth grave no T70, it was a parish burial and cost 6/- .
Richard was buried on 25th January 1837 at St George's in Ramsgate, Kent
(source : burials register, courtesy of Janet Todd). The burial record states that he died, aged 69, in Ramsgate and
was buried in a 4ft 6ins earth grave no L69, it was a parish burial and cost 5/- .
The Children of RICHARD SWAINE OFFEN and MARY SANDWELL:
CHARLOTTE OFFEN
was baptised in 1792 (source : Collette Kendall).
MARTHA SWAIN OFFEN was baptised in 1793 (source : Collette Kendall).
There is a marriage listed for MARTHA OFFEN and WILLIAM JEARY
(of Lambeth, Surrey) on 15th November 1814 in St Lawrence, Kent (source : marriage register, courtesy of Janet Todd).
The witnesses were WILLIAM OCLEE and Mrs CHARLOTTE OCLEE, her sister and brother-in-law (source : marriage register).
William was a Mariner / Shop seller / Tailor (source : Brigid Way). They had the following children :
MARTHA SWAIN JEARY ( born circa 1815),
GEORGE WILLIAM JEARY ( born 1820),
WILLIAM RICHARD JEARY ( born circa 1822),
ELIZABETH ANN JEARY ( born circa 1823),
MARY ANN? JEARY ( born circa 1829),
RICHARD? JEARY ( born circa 1834),
LOUISA JEARY ( born circa 1838) (source : Brigid Way).
(For further generations of JEARYs, please contact me for Brigid Way's contact details.)
ELIZABETH OFFEN was born in 1796 (source : Collette Kendall).
She was born on 23rd May 1796 and christened on 26th June 1796 in St Lawrence, Kent
(source : baptism register, courtesy of Janet Todd).
GEORGE OFFEN
was born on 23rd September 1799 and christened on 3rd November 1799 in St Lawrence, Kent
(source : baptism register, courtesy of Janet Todd).
ALICE OFFEN was born on 19th May 1805
(source : baptism register, courtesy of Janet Todd) in Brede, Sussex (source : Brigid Way).
She was christened on 16th June 1805 in Saint Lawrence, Kent
(source : baptism register, courtesy of Janet Todd).
She had a son HENRY OFFEN , who was baptised on 7th November 1824
in St Lawrence, Kent (source : Colette Kendall and IGI, Batch Number: 9004147 Sheet: 01 Source Call No.: 1553627 Type: Film ).
A few years later on 10th July 1827, she married JOHN LUCAS
at the parish church in St Lawrence in Thanet (source : marriage register, courtesy of Janet Todd).
The witnesses were THOMAS GORE and THOMAS ASHENDEN (source : marriage register). John was the owner of Bathing Machines
and Alice was a Bathing hut attendant on Ramsgate beach (source : Brigid Way). They had a son,
CHARLES SWAIN LUCAS , who was baptised on 30th September 1827 in
Thanet, Kent (source : Collette Kendall and Deborah Offen). On the 1841 census, ALICE LUCAS (35, bather - to do with the bathing machines
on the sands) is listed with her children Charles (14), CATHERINE LUCAS (12),
MATILDA LUCAS (10), ELIZABETH LUCAS
(7), FREDERICK LUCAS (5), ALICE LUCAS
(3) and JOHN LUCAS (5 months), along with MARY RUSSELL
(69, nurse), WILLIAM RUSSELL (26) and ELIZABETH RUSSELL (3), at Regent Place, Ramsgate, Kent, next door to PETER OCLEE
and his family.
(For further generations of LUCASs, please contact me for Brigid Way's contact details.)
SUSANNAH OFFEN was born on 3rd February 1808 and christened
on 2nd March 1808 in Saint Laurence, Kent (source : baptism register, courtesy of Janet Todd).
She died aged one year in 1809 (source : Collette Kendall) and was buried on 5th May 1809 in St Lawrence, Kent
(source : Deborah Offen ).
MILDRED HARRIET OFFEN was born on 20th May 1810 and christened
on 17th June 1810 in Saint Laurence, Kent (source : baptism register, courtesy of Janet Todd). There is a marriage
listed for HARRIET OFFEN, to JOHN MEADER, on 16th May 1830 at St George's,
Ramsgate, Kent, which would appear to be Mildred Harriet as there is no burial for a Mildred and no baptism for a Harriet
listed (source : St Lawrence parish registers, courtesy of Janet Todd). The witnesses were THOMAS GOLDSMITH and WILLIAM CASTLE
(source : marriage register). The 1841 census lists JOHN MEADER (33, changed to 30, mariner), HARRIET MEADER
(32, changed to 30) and children CHARLES MEADER (9),
MARY MEADER (7), JOHN MEADER (5)
and HARRIET MEADER (2) at King Street, Ramsgate, Kent. On the 1881 census,
there is a 73-year-old Harriet Meader (widower, lodger, born Ramsgate Kent) with the CLOVER family at 16 Camden Square
in Ramsgate, Kent.
MARY ANN OFFEN could be another child of this couple (source : Janet Todd).
She married WILLIAM BENSKIN on 4th July 1831 at St George's,
Ramsgate, Kent (source : marriage register, courtesy of Janet Todd). The witnesses were SARAH BENSKIN and JOHN MEADER (her brother-in-law?)
(source : marriage register). The IGI says William was born on 5th August 1805, to parents THOMAS BENSKIN and
THOMASINA (TAMAZIN) DOUGHTY, and that he died in Dover, Kent (source : Ancestral File AFN: 1X12-KFX). The 1881 census
lists a 74-year-old WILLIAM BENSKIN (widow, born Dover Kent, carpenter) as an inmate at
"Christchurch Workhouse", Marlborough St, Southwark, Christchurch, Surrey, which may be him.
RICHARD SWAIN OFFEN
was baptised on 5th March 1815 in Saint Laurence, Kent (source : baptism register, courtesy of Janet Todd).