I know, at that time, wearing the latest fashions wasn't restricted to the young, but I still feel that John Morland senior may have been too old in the 1790s to be wearing such an up-to-the-minute style. My guess would be J.M. junior around 1825.
All my theories for J.M. being described as a Mariner are convoluted and, therefore, probably unlikely. But becoming a Mariner at the age of 67 is also unlikely.
I thought, maybe, for whatever reason, J.M. went away from the family home for some time. An easy way to explain this to the children was to say he had gone off to sea. Maybe they belived he had retired by the 1841 census. John, reluctant to go along with this, has put his proper occupation on the census form. A disagreement between him and Sarah could explain the seperate households.
Yes, I know it's a long stretch.
If you decide to spash out on a death certificate, please come back and let us know what it says.
