Flippin' heck you lot are good!
Geoff, I think you've got his parents thank you! Yes, I've got him as aged 70 on the 1841 census and the ages are notorious on there aren't they? So that christening date of 1765 would fit in nicely.(He does have a son and daughter that he names John and Mary so that could be after his parents) I know that he married twice, first to Mary Smith in 1788 and then to Elizabeth Hardy in 1810. (It gets hard to keep on track as he has a son with Mary who they also name Sampson - he marries Ann Ramery in 1790.) I'm descended from his second marriage to Elizabeth.
Isobel that's an interesting one thank you, I wonder if he's another in the line (oh blimey I don't know if I could cope with keeping track of 3 of them called Sampson!)
I'm gobsmacked at the speed of your responses and delighted thank you!