Alban Offord

Robert Stubbs Offord was a regular army soldier when he married Alice Gabbott in Limerick, Ireland on the 10 Feb 1890. She was probably the daughter of a British soldier serving there. In 1891, the couple were back living in married quarters at St Aubyn, Devon where Robert was recorded as a Sgt infantryman 1st Derby Regt. The couple produced a very large family of 11 children over the period of their marriage which included, Ellen Eliz 1893, Daniel 1895, Alban 1/6/1896, Robert 1899, Joseph 1900, Edward 1901 William 1903, John 1904, Alice 1906, Margaret 1907 and Dorothy 1909. By 1900 they were living in Retford at 2 Carr Road where Robert was a Sgt instructor of volunteer infantry and in 1911 was described as Sgt Major Territorial Force. By now his grown up children were working, and in particular was the third child, Alban Offord who had been born in Derby in 1897. He was employed as a clerk prior to his enlistment in the Army. In 1911 they lived at 23 Storcroft Road Retford Nottinghamshire