Hit a Brick Wall - Irish link - Molloy and Kell

[Maiden Stone]

Marriage
15th November 1852 Manchester Cathedral
Mary Ann Kell and Lawrence Kendrick

Witnesses Mark and Margaret Molloy

Just to point out to harfielc, the OP that it's possible to search on LAN OPC for a person of interest as a witness or godparent without having to know names of people whose marriages or baptisms they were attending. Just put your person's name into the boxes marked "other" on Ancestor Search form. I did that for a 5 mile radius of Manchester for Mark Molloy and got a marriage (1860, John McManus, Ardwick) and a baptism (1867 St. Alban, Ancoats). May be different Marks but worth a mention. Using this tactic I've found my ancestors as couples witnessing marriages or being godparents before they married.

[Maiden Stone]

I was thinking Army for William.
Margaret was born in/on an ‘ocean’ which has been transcribed as ‘Irving Ocean’.

   Was that Margaret, William's wife? She may have been from an army family.
Army bandmaster. Very likely. He might have marched all over Ireland. Samuel might have been born while his mother was waiting to board ship or after she'd come ashore; otherwise he might have been "born at sea" as well.
Some of the children might be in Overseas births which goes back pre Civil Registration 1837. I don't currently have a sub for the source I previously used. Regiment was normally given.
There may be record for William in National Archives. If he applied for a pension while he had dependent children they might be mentioned.

[heywood]

Sorry, yes mother Margaret.
Daughter Margaret (hopefully she is daughter) was married by then.
All seems to point to a marriage in England but can’t see them yet.

[Maiden Stone]

Re Reply #13 by garstonite.
I thought that one for Mark Molloy & Margaret, St. Catherine, Manchester would be worth investigating. There was a St. Catherine's C of E. Church, Collyhurst. However founding date was 1859. There were other churches in Manchester dedicated to  St. Catherine. Was there a St. Catherine district or sub district in Manchester?

Registration districts in England and Wales 
  https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/index.html
It might come in handy.

Edit. St. Catherine isn't among list of Manchester sub districts so I assume it was a church.

[Maiden Stone]

Damaged census

1851 2230 page 15

Lees Street Manchester
William Kell 45 yrs ... Pensioner b Wiltshire
Margaret Kell 39 yrs
Samuel Kell 20 yrs b Chatham
Mary Ann Kell 18 yrs b Manchester
Cathrine Kell 15 yrs b Ireland
Wm Kell 13 yrs b Ireland
Thos Kell   10 yrs b Cheshire
Elizth Kell   granddaughter 1 yr

William, father of Catherine who married William Howarth was a Band master.

"Lees" rang a bell. The link for Mark Molloy posted by garstonite in Reply #13 includes Mark Molloy & Margaret, Lees, Ashton-under-Lyne. I looked up Lees. It was in the township of Ashton under Lyne. There's a long road called Lees Road between Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester.

Edit. Lees St. is near Ashton Old Road.

[Maiden Stone]

William Kell, the son was aged 13 on 1851 census. He was old enough to be a sponsor at the 1852 baptism. A sponsor for a baptism in a Catholic church was supposed to have sufficient understanding (so not a very young child), and have made their First Communion and Confirmation. Ages and order of First Communion and Confirmation varied by era, diocese and even individual parish. William at around age 14 probably met all 3 qualifications. He would have been working, so no longer a child.

[heywood]

The St Catherine’s reference is to the parish they are living in in 1871.

Lees, Ashton under a Lyne is quite a way from that particular Lees Street.

[Maiden Stone]

Sorry, yes mother Margaret.
Daughter Margaret (hopefully she is daughter) was married by then.
All seems to point to a marriage in England but can’t see them yet.

Looking at the 1851 census again for William Kell I've noticed that Thomas aged 10 was born in Cheshire. Mind you, that might just mean he was born on the Cheshire side of Manchester. His birth would be c1840/41. Daughter Margaret probably still at home then. They might be in Cheshire on 1841 census. On the other hand if William was still in army they could have been anywhere. I've also just noticed granddaughter.
Was Mark Molloy in army at all? Was that why he may have had children born in a few places? That's a question for harfielc.

[Maiden Stone]

The St Catherine’s reference is to the parish they are living in in 1871.

Lees, Ashton under a Lyne is quite a way from that particular Lees Street.

Thank you. My knowledge of Manchester geography is imperfect. There's too much of it.  I prefer places I can see the end of.