The Hoffmann and Routledge Origins

This is the family of Mike's mother Gladys Ellen Hoffmann.

(Pictured here with her husband William Edward John Wilson)

The Hoffmann family story states that an Ernst Karl Hoffmann arrived in England at the age of nineteen.

He had been born in Germany in about 1858.

We know from Ernst's Marriage certificate that his father was called Gottlieb Hoffmann and that his occupation was a Baker.

Ernst married (at the age of thirty) a Frances Mary Emily Ann Routledge on the 13 March 1888 at the Parish Church at Forest Gate Essex. He had changed his name by this time to Ernest Charles.

Ernest's occupation was Master Baker and Confectioner, he had his own shops in Bermondsey and later in Junction Road Holloway.

In his later years he moved with his wife to Pitsea in Essex where Frances later died in 1937 at the age of 70. Ernest died at the age of 84 in 1942. Both died at The Retreat in Great Burstead/Billericay in Essex

These photographs were taken at Pitsea.

This one with his Granddaughters, Gladys, Winifred and Eileen.

Frances with her granddaughter Eileen in 1920

Frances Mary Emily Ann Nee Routledge

Ernest and Frances (she preferred to use her third christian name, Emily) had four children, William Ernest, Herbert Henry, Stanley George and Gladys Annie.

William was born in 1889 at 81 Junction Road Holloway in North London.

Two photographs of William as a child.

He married Helen Anderson on the 17th September 1910 at the Register Office in Islington. William was 21 years old and Helen was just eighteen.

William Ernest was a Carpenter/Cabinet maker and in his later years became a Tram driver.

William pictured in his Tram drivers uniform

William with his Father Ernest

William and Helen had three daughters, Gladys Ellen, Winifred May and Eileen.

These three daughters would tell us how when they were little girls their Uncle Jumbo would send to their parents photographs of his daughter Patricia in many dancing poses. They believed this cousin was Patricia Routledge the actress.

William and Helen. He was called Grumps by his five grandchildren.

William died in 1966 at the Whittington Hospital on Highgate Hill.

Helen died on the 7th March 1979.

They were a very devoted couple.

Nanna Hoffman with her first Great Granddaughter Karen in 1967.

Frances Mary Emily Ann Routledge (The wife of Charles Ernest Hoffmann) was the eldest of the seven children born to Henry Robert Routledge and his wife Fanny Maria, Nee Crane. They had married on the 22 April 1865 at The Parish Church in Stoke Newington.

Their seven children were Frances M E A, Edith May, Clara A, Florence A and Amy. The boys were Henry H and Charles E.

Henry's occupation is given on the various census as Commercial/Merchants and Shipping Merchants Clerk.

Henry was born on the 24th February 1839 at Rotherhithe, the sixth child of the eleven born to John Isaac Routledge and Mary Ann Petts, they had married about 1828 at St Annes in Limehouse.

Their children were five boys, John Isaac, George Petts, William, Henry Robert and Charles Alfred, the six daughters were Mary Ann, Amelia Elizabeth, Emily Jessamine, Alice Mary, Cordelia and Clara Isabelle.

On the 1841 census John Isaac gave his occupation as Haberdasher but in subsequent census he was stated as having the occupations of Shipping Broker, Commercial agent and Gentleman. We like that !

He died on 9th Oct 1879.

John Isaac was the second of four boys born to of Isaac Routledge and Jessamine. He was born on the 5th August 1803. The names of the other three boys were Isaac, George and Thomas.

Isaac was born about 1777 in St George in the East. Jessamine was born about 1781 in Bethnal Green.