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Rosie99 - some good finds. I'm now even more confused about what is happening. John seems to think his father is George, in which case his mother is Rebekah HALLIAR. The discovery of children fathered by George with Mary HARRIS as their mother is, as you say, simply weird.

Could one of the brothers have died? Did Luke die young and George take over parental responsibilities?

The only John King birth I can find in the area and time frame is the one for Luke. I cannot find one fathered by George.

As I said in my first post, all the pre-1871 records are conflicting. Without someone finding a new clarifying record, I can't see anyway of sorting this out.

Shaun - that's interesting. Would the TNA records for him be online or require a visit?

John King was I believe born in Corsham in c1844.

The most definite records I have of him are from 1871 and 1872. In the April 1871 census, he was aged 28 living with his wife Mary Ann King and her children in Islington. The actual marriage to Mary Ann did not take place until the February of the following year in Islington. At his marriage, he was a 30 yo bachelor and labourer. His father  was named as George King, an agricultural labourer. Both of these known events point to a birth in 1843 or 1844, which according to the 1871C was in Corsham.

Tracking down his birth has proved more difficult, with all the available records - or at least the ones I can find - conflicting.

There is a birth in April 1844 in Corsham of a John King. The father being LUKE King and the mother Mary (née Harris). There is a matching marriage in Corsham for Luke and Mary on 10 Sep 1844. There is a non-matching marriage in Corsham on 09 Dec 1841 of GEORGE King and Rebekah HILLIAR.

The 1851C reveals five children named King in the Laycock Workhouse: Martha (, James (6), Elizabeth (5), George (7) and John (5). All five were born in Corsham.

The 1861C has a George King (45), who was born in Corsham and is a widower and railway labourer, living in Clifton, Glos. There are six children living with him: John (16), b Corsham, George (12), b Devon, Sarah (10), b Corsham, Mary (, b Corsham, James (4), b Corsham, and Henry (2), b Somerset. All carry the King surname and are acknowledged as being either a son or daughter.

I am not sure which if any of the above relate to the John King who married Mary Ann Connelly in 1872, a widow who's husband had died in 1866.

I would appreciate some help in trying to piece together the life of John King preceding his marriage to Mary Ann.

Samuel was born into a travelling family in Leeds in 1854, the son of James CONNELLY and Mary Ann CONNELLY (née BOYDE).

Susan or Susannah BURRETT was born into another travelling family in Tottenham in 1857, the daughter of Henry BURRETT and Lydia BURRETT (née PENFOLD).

They married in October 1874 at St Mary's, Hornsey Rise.

I have the couple together in 1881 in Islington. Sam is 25 and a general dealer. Susan is 24. They have two children: Mary Ann (4) and Samuel (2).

After that I lose track of the couple. There are a few possible workhouse appearances for Samuel, though it is difficult to attribute these to him. One is for Islington in 1885. The other for Westminster in 1904.

As for Susan, there are again possible workhouse appearances: 1881 in Islington and 1904 in Westminster. I am more inclined to believe these entries, as she is described as a street hawker.

There is a possible entry for Susan in the 1911C. She is in Islington Workhouse. She is described as a widow and former street hawker, which fits. However, she is also described as from Co. Louth which is wrong, as she was definitely born in Tottenham.

She pops up again in the 1939 Register living back in Tottenham. This is definitely her, as her date of birth is correct. she is again described as a widow and former street hawker.

Susan dies in Jun 1944, living at the same address as in the 1939 Register.

My first priority is to find the death of Samuel, which is clearly between 1881 and 1939. This could possibly be narrowed down - if the workhouse records are considered correct and we accept the 1991 census for Susan - to 1904 - 1911.

As well as finding Samuel's death, I would like to pin them down for the censuses of 1891, 1901, 1911 and 1921.

Any help in finding Samuel's death and where the couple were for the censuses would be gratefully received.

Hopefully, I have posted this is the correct forum. If people think I have got this wrong, I will re-post in the Middlesex forum.

According to numerous census reports, the above person was born in St Albans in 1843. She seems to have settled in the Holloway/Islington area. As far as I can see, she never married and worked as a dress maker. She died in Islington in 1917.

Although I can find Anna/Hannah/ in 1861, 1881, 1891, 1901 and 1911, I can't find her in 1851 or in 1871.

The earliest I can find her is in 1861 in Kingston, Surrey (RG9 455 168 17). She is aged 18 and listed as born St Albans. She is living with an older woman named Ann WALTERS (52), who was born in Ireland. Both are listed as lodgers and there is no indication of their relationship, though I assume they are relatives, possibly mother and daughter.

From other bits and pieces I have picked up, there is a possibility that they are travellers. I also have reasons to believe that she was a Catholic.

As well as filling in the missing census details, I would like to locate her birth/baptism/confirmation.

Any help gratefully received, especially from those with expertise on travellers and/or Catholics.