The Offley Family Society             Offley Newsflash  No.1

5 September 2005 

Congratulations to ...

Matthew William Offley [FEN C9] on his marriage to Michelle Ann Bentley at St. Ippolyts Church, Hitchin, on 2nd September.  Matthew, who designed our website, is a brother of Kevin, our webmaster.

Charles Laurie [STA F2] who has been offered a place at Oxford to read for a doctorate.  Charles leaves for England on 27th September and will be studying the relationship between politics and intimidation in Zimbabwe's post-independence land dispute.  His new address in England and new e-mail address will be published shortly.

Sad News from Canada

It is with sadness that I have to record the death on 1st September of Mr. G.W.C. Offley of Ontario after a road accident.  Known as Clive, he was a member of this Society and his ancestry can be seen in the Offley of Shirley Pedigree. It is hoped to publish a full obituary later.

A Latterday Emigrant

Mrs. Jane Evans has sent to the Society a news cutting she received from her sister in Montreal.

Robert Offley is the President and C.E.O. of Fusepoint Managed Services Inc. in Vancouver and Toronto. He is the son of the late F.C.T. Offley and appears in Section A of the Offley of Cannock Pedigree. Robert was born in Croydon and lived in Guilden Morden, Cambridgeshire, before taking up his appointment in Canada. The website for Fusepoint includes a photograph of him.

Holy Orders

A most useful website is being developed at <www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/cce> with the intention of documenting the careers of all Church of England clergymen from 1540 to 1835. Although in its early days at least three members of the Offley of Stafford pedigree are already included.

I will willingly look up any individual record for members without internet access and I should be pleased to hear from other members who find any reference which expands the information shown in the Offley Pedigrees.

JRR

Internet News

Another website that will be of interest to some of our members concerns the Genealogy of the Hall family from Bristol <www.hillmanc.fsnet.co.uk/hall.htm>.  Elizabeth Petingale Wilson [STA E15] married into this family and her descendants are shown on three pages of the 13-page GEDCOM file.  Brice Clagett, a former member of the Society, is descended from this line.

Membership List

Amended address: Mr F. Carnell, 2 Jodie Court, Diamond Creek, 3089 Australia.

Amended Telephone No.: Mr. & Mrs. K.D. Offley - 01462 629625.

Cessations: Mr EJ Wright [FEN A2]  Miss JA Brown [FEN C3]  Mr BM Clagett [STA E15]  Mrs D Offiler [LEN A]

Additions to Archives

Frank Carnell has sent a collection of photographs of the Offley gravestones in the Greendale Cemetery, New South Wales, together with maps of the area and other photographs..  William Offley [FEN A2] and his half sister Hannah emigrated to Australia to an area about 60 miles north of Canberra.  Hannah married William Carnell [FEN A5] and the Offley and Carnell families flourished in the area - to such an extent that there is now an Offley Lane and a Carnell Lane.  With the photographs Frank also sent extracts from the registers of births, deaths and marriages which has enabled the Pedigree to be expanded.

Brian Offler has sent a press cutting concerning the celebration of the 100th birthday in August of Elizabeth Offiler [LEN II 2 (4)].  Elizabeth takes pride in her garden and still digs, plants and weeds it.  She attributes her longevity to taking a spoonful of glucose with her cup of tea.  Her birthday was marked by a visit from a local Councillor and other officials and a telegram (or its 21st century equivalent) from H.M. the Queen.