Laurakim
I have not looked at Rootschat for so long, could not believe it when I came across you.
I have found out quite a lot about Offord, who was my father's grandmother's brother. Very complicated, but, William Baker who came from Diss in Norfolk, married Maria Offord of Little Stambridge, they had a number of children of whom John Joseph Baker was one, John Joseph married Elizabeth Ann Clark, they had seven children, one of whom was Offord, and another was Maria Elizabeth who married William John Payne who was my father's Grandfather.
I now know that Offord, who went to Australia by working his passage, stayed there to marry and produce three children, one, Bessie I think died as a child, the other two, Terrance and Ronald Offord both fought and survived the first world war. Ronald married at some time as he re-enlisted in the second world war and put his daughter Evelyn June Baker as his next of kin.
Offord worked as a police constable in Broome Western Australia....this I guess is where the stories of him being a pearl diver came from, he did send home a string of pearls for my Grandmother according to my father! but he resigned from the police in 1907. The last electoral roll for Western Australia however, in 1909 still shows him as a constable. The next roll 1913-1917 shows no Offord, but shows his wife Georgina Baker, and, a George Baker...heaven only knows who this is. Georgina remarries in 1918 but I have never found any documents for a divorce. But,
Offord returns to the UK in 1924 aboard the 'Jervis Bay' with a new wife Mary Alice, they head for London Road Grays Essex which is where the Payne family live. They are shown as going to journey on to "other parts of the British Empire" but I have never found out where. I do know that this explains how he was able to sign off his indentures for his Watermen and Lightermen time, I think that he had the longest apprentiship in living memory.
I would be fascinated to hear about the stories your Grandfather told, and to find out just who was your Grandfather.
Look forwards to hearing from you,
Linda
