Roffey

My interest in the Roffey family stems from my great-uncle, Henry Emery (Harry) Kinder b1881 who married Jane Roffey in Melbourne in 1903.  Interestingly, Jane Roffey's niece married Arthur Lawrence whose grandfather married Elizabeth Hickey who was the sister of Mary Hickey who married Cyrus Kinder and Cyrus was Henry Emery's uncle.  Click here to see this complicated four family relationship chart.


Pat Sharp has researched the Roffey family since she is descended from the original Roffey immigrants to Tasmania.  Pat has very kindly provided the following information.  Your Author has suplemented Pat's information where he could.


One of Pat's earliest ancestors was John Roffey who was born in Chipstead, Surrey, England and baptised on 28 October 1818.  His parents were James Roffey and Rachel Coppin who were married on 7 November 1814 at St Lambeth, Surrey.

John married Jane Caroline Purkis in Kennington, Surrey on 18 July 1841.  Jane was born in Portsea, Hampshire, England and baptised on 20 October 1816 at at St Mary’s Church of England in Portsea.  Jane's parents were William Purkis and and Harriet Tucker.


John Roffey & Jane Purkis marriage certificate


John Roffey was a Carpenter and he and Jane had 7 children (Harriett died young) in England and then the family emigrated to Tasmania in 1858 with their 6 surviving children. 



John Roffey b1818

Jane Purkis b1816


The family emigrated  to Tasmania as assisted immigrants, the cost of £96 being paid by John’s new employer.  They travelled aboard The Constance, a barque of 578 tons, measuring 120.5 feet by 26.8 feet by 19.8 feet and built at Ayre’s Quay, County Durham, England in 1845.  They arrived on 18 August 1858.

The Constance

In the Shipping Index, John was 39 years of age, decribed as a Carpenter, Jane was the same age, described as a Housemaid and the children – Jane, 15 years, described as a Laundress, Amy, 12 years, described as a Nursemaid, Edward, 10 years, Ellen, 7 years, Rachel, 5 years and Anthony (John)  was 3 years.  They are of the Church of England faith.


The family lived in the Hobart area and John and Jane then had three more children – an unknown female, Charlotte and Caroline. 

John Roffey died on 11 May 1885 and Jane on 2 September 1905. 

They both lie in the same grave at Hobart, Cemetery, Tasmania.


Jane Roffey born 28 July 1844

In 27 February 1860, daughter Jane, still young at 16 years of age, married James Sykes a Hobart Butcher.  He was 38 years old.  These are Pat Sharp’s great-grandparents.  Young Jane is probably pregnant and had her first child in November 1860.

 
Anthony John Roffey baptised 23 August 1856

Sometime around 1874, Anthony moved to Victoria and two years later married Elizabeth Mary (Matilda) Jolley.  They had 14 children.  Their daughter, Jane married Henry Emery Kinder.



Family Tree
Click here to see a partial Roffey family tree.


Additional information from FamilySearch.org

Hello Pat -- if you would like me to add more to this page, please contact me.