brief biography and family

mayor of Stafford

bailiff of Stafford

alderman of Chester

High Sheriff of Cheshire

notes

Date of birth might specifically be 1475.

From Stirnet's "Offley1" page (link below): "Harrison reports that <this> William was twice Mayor of Stafford and (also) Sheriff of Chester. The Staffordshire Visitation starts this family with the undermentioned Lord Mayor Sir Thomas but the Harleian editor has added a long note in which (inter alia) he reports one source identifying Sir Thomas as son of William, twice Bailiff of Stafford and also Alderman of Chester. The Harleian editor notes that another source identifies Sir Thomas as son of Richard Offley of Chester by _ Cradock. Visitation (London, 1568, Offley) does not name Sir Thomas's father but identifies his mother as _ Cradoke. Provisionally we ignore that and follow Harrison who reports that William married twice (as shown below) and had 26 children in total, naming 12 of them. In that list of 12 he reports 2 boys then 3 girls (whom we show as being of the first marriage) then 5 boys then 2 girls (whom we show as being of the second marriage). Harrison follows the line of Robert, the eldest son of the 2nd marriage."

comments

Date of birth has also been reported to be circa 1450.

links

• https://stirnet.com/genie/data/british/oo/offley1.php#top (membership required in order to view without interruption)
• https://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p892.htm#...

content to clean up

Biography

William Offley, Sheriff of City of Chester, Bailiff of Stafford, Mayor of Stafford, Alderman of West Chester was born circa 1450 at of Stafford, Staffordshire, England.6 He married Frances Dorrington circa 1475.2,3,4,5

Family
Frances Dorrington

Children

1. Margaret Offley+2,3,4,5 b. 1501
2. Elizabeth Offley+7 b. c 1503, d. 1555
3. Margery Offley+6 b. c 1504

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https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/L5TW-GY5/william-offley-1477-...

When William Offley was born in 1477, in Stafford, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom, his father, John Offley, was 28 and his mother, Margery Scott, was 23. He married Elizabeth Dillorne in 1500, in Stafford, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 3 daughters. In 1517, at the age of 40, his occupation is listed as alderman of chester after the family moved to chester. He died in 1560, in Stafford, Staffordshire, England, at the age of 83, and was buried in St Peter's Church, Chester, Cheshire, England.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Rogerson-854

Here lyeth the body of William Offley sometymes Sheriff of this Citty, to whome by two wives, God gave for ysue 26 Children, among whom Sr Thomas Offley his eldest son by his first wife Elizabeth Dillorne, attained to the dignity of Lord Maior of London; his second son John Offley, to the Mairoltie of this Citty, ano 1553, to whome also by his second wife, Elizabeth Wright among other was borne Hugh Offley, Alderman of London, who by his last will gave unto the Corporacon of this Citty 200 ?, with an yearely rent of 511 to the reliefe of young Traders, & the poore of the same. And his eldest son by the same wife Robert Offley of London by his last will ave 600? to this Citty, for the like Godly use & releife of the poore, with an yearely exhibition of 51? towarde to the trayning of some learned divine, being the son of a freeman of this Citty, in the university of Oxford or Cambridge wth 5? towarde his Charge commencing Mr of Arte in either of the said Schooles.

On the right hand, under the figures of their Sons & daughters, is cut this Inscription:
He had also by his second wife William Offley, a wor? Cittizen of London & Marchant of the Seaple: who had by Anne Offley 15 Children: who being blessed with greate wealth, by his last will, gave 30001 to this Citty, being the place of his nativity, to the benefit of young Traders:& ordained the ereccon this Monumt according to the discrecon of Anne Offley by his loving wife & Executrix, who faithfully accomplished the same, in the yeare of or Lord 1602.

The Genealogist, Volume 19
edited by Walford Dakin Selby

He married first ___ dau. of ____ Dorrington of Stafford. They had issue -

• Sir Thomas Offley
• John Offley
• Margaret
• Elizabeth
• Margery

He married secondly, widow of ____ Rogerson of Chester. They had issue:

• Robert
• Thomas
• Richard
• William
• Hugh
• Katherine
• Anne

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William Offley, a mercer by trade and co-bailiff in both 1480-1 and 1510-11, moved from Stafford to Chester, c. 1510s.

Mayor of Stafford, and Sheriff of Chester. (Some pedigrees call him Robert or Richard - he may have had brothers by those names.)

stepbrother of his 1st wife?

From Stirnet's "Offley1" page (membership required to view without interruption): "Harrison reports that <this> William was twice Mayor of Stafford and (also) Sheriff of Chester. The Staffordshire Visitation starts this family with the undermentioned Lord Mayor Sir Thomas <son of this William> but the Harleian editor has added a long note in which (inter alia) he reports one source identifying Sir Thomas as son of <this> William, twice Bailiff of Stafford and also Alderman of Chester. The Harleian editor notes that another source identifies Sir Thomas as son of Richard Offley of Chester by _ Cradock. Visitation (London, 1568, Offley) does not name Sir Thomas's father but identifies his mother as _ Cradoke. Provisionally we ignore that and follow Harrison who reports that <this> William married twice (as shown below) and had 26 children in total, naming 12 of them. In that list of 12 he reports 2 boys then 3 girls (whom we show as being of the first marriage) then 5 boys then 2 girls (whom we show as being of the second marriage). Harrison follows the line of Robert, the eldest son of the 2nd marriage."

William supposedly had 26 children by his two wives although only 12 are recorded by name, five by the first wife and seven by the second. He was Bayliff of Stafford; Alderman of the city of West Chester; twice Mayor of Stafand Sheriff of Chester in 1517.

His second wife was not the sister of his first - that sort of thing was quite uncommon and heavily frowned upon.

From Harrison, Waples and allied families: being the ancestry of George Leib Harrison of Philadelphia and of his wife Sarah Ann Waples. William Welsh Harrison. Printed for private circulation only, 1910 - 176 pages. Page 136:

Coat of Arms

CHILDREN OF WILLIAM OFFLEY OF STAFFORD: [this list is full of errors]

• 1. Sir Thomas Offley, buried September 17, 1582; married Joane Nicholls.
• 2. [Sir] John Offley, [High Sheriff of Stafford; M.P. for Stafford, and Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King James I; married Anne Fuller.] [This is his great-nephew, NOT the brother of Sir Thomas. John Offley was not an MP, was not knighted, and married an Alice (Rogerson?).]
• 3. Margaret Offley, married [first, John Nicholls; second,] Stephen Kirton, Alderman of London.
• 4. Elizabeth Offley, married Thomas Blower.
• 5. Margery Offley, married first, Thomas Michell; second, James Leveson.
• 6. ROBERT OFFLEY of Gracechurch Street, London; married the widow of Nicholas Rose. {Dating suggests he was a full brother.]
• 7. Thomas Offley.
• 8. Richard Offley [married Jane Chester, daughter of Sir William Chester, MP].
• 9. William Offley of London; his will, dated December 21, 1600, contained this clause: "Item, I will that my Executors within One yeare next after my decease shall cawse to be made and set upp in some conveniente place of the parishe of Sainte Peeter in Chestar aforesaid there still to remayne one faire table of white Allyblaster and black marble which shall cost Thirtie or ffortie poundes of lawfull money of England or there aboute wherein shalbe fairely engraven as well the picture of my ffather and mother withall their children as allso such wordes and sentences wrytten in ffaire letters as shalbe thoughte meete and agreable eyther for memorie or edification to be set downe by the discretion of my Executors uppon the same monumente." 1. & ordained the ereccon of this Monumt according to the discrecon of Anne Offley his loving wife & Executrix, who faithfully accomplished the same, in the yeare of or Lord 1602.'"
• 10. Hugh Offley.
• 11. Katherine Offley.
• 12. Anne Offley.

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alive in 1519

links

• http://thepeerage.com/p21099.htm#i210982
• FamilySearch AFN: 8QK1-LR

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William was the sheriff of Stafford in 1517 and was named as a son of John in a manuscript on the Offley family written during the reign of James I, 1603-1625. A monument erected in St Peter's Church in Chester, England states that he was the father of 26 children. According to the manuscript, William married secondly the widow of Alderman Rogerson of Chester. A William Rogerson died testate and his will, dated Apr 18, 1519 and proved May 31, 1519, contained a legacy to "my sonne Will'm Offeley" and "to my doughter Elizabeth his wif." A portrait of William Offley hangs at Chester, England and the accompanying inscription calls his first wife Elizabeth Dillon and his second wife Elizabeth Wright. His children as listed here were named in the manuscript and in the "Pedigree of Offley" which were printed in "The Genealogist" in London England (vol 19 (New Series), 1903, pages 217-218).

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jhmjr&id=... : In St Peter's Church in Chester (England), under the East window of the South Ile, is a faire Alabaster Monument Erected; with the portraiture of a Man & Woman kneeling, under whome is this Inscription cut: Here lyeth the body of William Offley sometymes Sheriff of this Citty, to whome by two wives, God gaue for yssue 26 Children, among whom Sr Thomas Offley his eldest son by his first wife Elizabeth Dillorne, attained to the dignity of Lord Maior of London; his second son John Offley, to the Mairoltie of this Citty, anno 1553, to whome also by his second wife, Elizabeth Wright among other was born Hugh Offley, Alderman of London, who by his last will, gaue unto the Corporacon of this Citty 200 li, with a yearly rent of 5 li to the reliefe of young Traders, & the poore of the same. And his eldest son by the same wife Robert Offley of London, by his last will faue 600 li to this citty, for the like godly uses & releife of the poore, with an yearly exhibition of 5 l towarde the trayning of some learned divine, being the son of a freeman of this Citty, in the uniusity of Oxford or Cambridge with 5 l towarde his Charge commencing Mr of Arte in either of the said schooles. The above is from "Genealogical History of Our Ancestors" by Rutherford, 1977

References

1. https://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p892.htm#... cites
   1. [S92] Unknown author, David Martin, Genealogy Board.
   2. [S5] Douglas Richardson, Plantagenet Ancestry, p. 604.
   3. [S16] Douglas Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry, 2nd Edition, Vol. II, p. 503-504.
   4. [S6] Douglas Richardson, Plantagenet Ancestry: 2nd Edition, Vol. III, p. 64.
   5. [S4] Douglas Richardson, Royal Ancestry, Vol. III, p. 446-447.
   6. [S11597] Ancestry.com, Information submitted by winner4647.
   7. [S11597] Ancestry.com, Information submitted by ralockman.