ROFFE (ROLFE) OFFEN was born circa 1810 in East Guldeford
(source : Collette Kendall). He was christened on 11th July 1810 in East Guildford, Sussex (source :
IGI, Batch No.: J148171 Dates: 1705 - 1881 Source Call No.: 1067258 Type: Film Printout Call No.: NONE Type:
Sheet: 00 ). His parents were given as JOHN OFFEN and JUDITH (source : IGI).
He had a daughter, KATE OFFEN , before 1832
(source : Collette Kendall).
He married MARY ANN HYDER
in Brookland, Kent, in 1832 (source : Collette Kendall). Mary was born circa 1812 (source : Collette Kendall).
Mary died in 1842 (source : Collette Kendall). A year later, in 1843, Roffe remarried
MARY KETCHLER in Southwark (source : Collette Kendall).
She was born circa 1818 in East Guldeford (source : Collette Kendall).
Roffe died before 1880 because wife Mary shows up on the 1880 American census as a widow. On the 1880 American census,
Mary OFFEN, widow, 63, born England, occupation : "keeps house", race white, both parents born in England, shows up with two of her boys,
Fred and Jesse, at Three-Mile Bay, Jefferson, New York. Other son Benjamin had already sailed across the Atlantic in 1861
The Children of ROFFE OFFEN and MARY ANN HYDER:
JOHN OFFEN was born circa 1834 in Brookland, Kent
(source : Collette Kendall).
He died circa 1860 (source : Collette Kendall).
GRACE MARY OFFEN
was baptised in 1835 in Brookland, Kent
(source : Collette Kendall).
EMILY ROFFE OFFEN was baptised in 1835
in Brookland, Kent (source : Collette Kendall).
THOMAS OFFEN was born circa 1839 in Lydd, Kent
(source : Collette Kendall). He may have died (or emigrated) before 1881 because he doesn not show up on the 1881 census.
The Children of ROFFE OFFEN and MARY KETCHLER:
WILLIAM ROFFE OFFEN was born circa 1843
in Lydd, Kent (source : Collette Kendall). His birth was registered in December quarter 1843
(source : Free BMD, district Romney Marsh, volume 5, page 399 ).
He died in 1856 in Salehurst, Sussex (source : Collette Kendall).
BENJAMIN BURGESS OFFEN was born in September 1845
(source : 1900 US census). His birth was registered in
December quarter 1845 (source : Ancestry England and Wales, Civil Registration Index, county Kent,
volume 5, page 409). He emigrated to the USA in 1861 (source : US 1900 census),
probably starting out in New York where he met his wife-to-be. He married New Yorker
JENSUL (? illegible!) A ? in 1875
(source : US 1900 census). She was born in December 1850 in New York (source : 1900 US census).
They first lived together in Jensul's hometown of New York
(where their daughter Belva was born in 1884)
then on to Ohio (where son Leslie was born in 1891) (source : 1900 US census).
They had two children with them in the 1900 census, daughter BELVA(?) S OFFEN
- born in November 1884 in New York -
and son LESLIE R OFFEN
- born in December 1891 in Iowa, but Jensul is listed as being the mother of three children,
all of whom were still alive (source : 1900 US census).
In the 1900 US census,
54-year-old farmer Benjamin is at Summit, county Clay, Iowa, USA, with his 49-year-old wife and two children,
15-year-old BELVA and 8-year-old LESLIE (source : 1900 US census). Both children were at school (Belva for 8 months,
Leslie not specified) and their home (schedule 26) was a farm, owned, being bought on a mortgage
(source : 1900 US census).
ELIZABETH OLIVE OFFEN was born circa 1848
in Lydd, Kent (source : Collette Kendall). Her birth is registered in March quarter 1848 (source : Ancestry England and
Wales, Civil Registration Index, county Kent, volume 5, page 447).
FREDERICK OFFEN was baptised in 1851 in Lydd, Kent
(source : Collette Kendall). On the 1880 American census,
Fred OFFEN, single, 29, head, born England, race white, farmer, both parents born in England, shows up with his widowed mother
and brother Jesse, at Three-Mile Bay, Jefferson, New York.
ESSEX GEORGE OFFEN was baptised in 1854 in Salehurst, Sussex
(source : Collette Kendall). He may have died (or emigrated) before 1881 because he doesn not show up on the 1881 census.
JESSE BOURNE OFFEN was baptised in 1856 in Salehurst, Sussex
(source : Collette Kendall). He emigrated to America in 1875 (source : US 1900 census), probably at the same time
as his wife and brother Fred, and by 1900 was naturalised (source : US 1900 census).
On the 1880 American census,
Jess OFFEN, single, 24, born England, race white, sailor, both parents born in England, shows up with
his widowed mother and brother Fred, at Three-Mile Bay, Jefferson, New York. He married Canadian
ABBIE ? in 1889 (source : 1900 US census). She was born
in July 1869 in Canada and emigrated to America in 1880 (source : 1900 US census). They had four children,
EVA M OFFEN (born in July 1890 in New York)
MERTON M OFFEN (born in May 1892 in New York)
ERNEST (or EMMET ?) M OFFEN (born in March 1894 in New York) and
CHARLES R OFFEN (born in March 1899 in New York)
On the 1900 US census, taken on 11th June 1900, 41-year-old woodworker Jesse is in Watertown Township, Watertown City, Jefferson,
New York with 30-year-old wife Abbie and their four children, 9-year-old Eva, 8-year-old Merton,
6-year-old Ernest and 1-year-old Charles .
His birth date is given as August 1858, so even if he shaved two years off, he probably remembered the right month !
Both he and his wife could read, write and speak English and they were living in a rented house (source : US 1900 census).