My grandmother's brother : JOHN RICHARD (Jack) OFFEN (1908)

JOHN RICHARD OFFEN (known as JACK) was born on 9th May 1908 in Ramsgate to parents George Isaac Offen and Edith Jane Usher. (Click through to see their page.)He was baptised on 31st May 1908 at Holy Trinity, Ramsgate, son of George and Edith Jane, 13 Turner St, carman (source : baptisms register, courtesy of Janet Todd).

On the 1911 census, aged 3, he was with his family at  10 Belle Vue Cottages Ramsgate.

He was always out for a laugh as a youth and seemed to spend half of his life (and his money) being fined for his boyish pranks !

Hastings and St Leonards Observer East Sussex, England 4 Oct 1924

Hastings and St Leonards Observer East Sussex, England 1 Jan 1927

Hastings and St Leonards Observer East Sussex, England 12 Jan 1929

 On a more serious note, he is possibly the John Richard Offen who stumbled across a young man who had just accidentally shot himself at the miniature rifle range in Ramsgate - he was only 21 and later died of his injuries. Jack had ben in Hastings a few months earlier, but it's possible that he was back in Ramsgate as he still had family there.

Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser Kent, England

6 Sep 1929

He married MAY (MOLLY) WINCH in 1932 in Hastings. There are no more mentions of boyish pranks in the papers after this date so maybe she straightened him out !

Jack died on 22nd October 1987 in Hastings.

The children of JOHN RICHARD OFFEN and MAY WINCH : 

JOAN G E OFFEN (1932 - 1933)

 DOROTHY J OFFEN (1934)

PATRICIA E OFFEN (1935)

BRIAN J R OFFEN (1939)

JOHN R L OFFEN (1941)

SYLVIA M OFFEN (1943)

PAMELA C OFFEN (1945)

MICHAEL R OFFEN (1950)

Census returns :

1911 census :

Dwelling : 10 Belle Vue Cottages Ramsgate

George Offen, head, 29, married, house painter/decorator, born Kent Ramsgate

Edith Jane Offen, wife, 22, married (for 5 years), 4 children born, 4 still living, born London Hammersmith

George Offen, son, 4 , born London Hammersmith

John Offen, son, 3, born Kent Ramsgate

William Offen, son, 2, born Kent Ramsgate

Edith Offen, daughter, 7 months, born Kent Ramsgate