Hi graylady,
1855 is unfortunately a bit early to find a marriage record (civil reg started in 1869), although there are some records around for this period. How do you know they married in Port Hope in 1855?
If that is true, then they moved around a bit while they were here. Port Hope is in Hope Township, Durham Co. about 240 km / 150 mi from Egremont Township in Grey Co.
I don't see him on the heads-of-household index for the 1871 census (where Karen found John Ashcroft)
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/02010803_e.htmlThe 1851 census is also on-line, but has not been indexed. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/1851/index-e.html Unfortunately, the Port Hope pages for this year have been lost. The agricultural census still exists for the town, which gives the names of heads of households reporting agricultural activity - but I do not see the names Hotson or Ashcroft on this list. The 1861 Port Hope census has been transcribed here:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ongenpro/census/ , but I do not see them so they may have moved on to Grey Co. by then.
Although I don't see him in this Directory of Grey county from 1865! http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wjmartin/greypref.htm
Argh, he is proving elusive!
Sorry I can't be of more help
Any more clues for us? I see their 1880 census entry from Kansas - most of the children are born in Canada but all before civil registration...
MJP