Lookup Doherty

[Maiden Stone]

Is there anyway off finding out when they came to England. ie passenger lists ?

Unlikely to be passenger lists. Ireland was part of UK. They may have crossed the sea several times. Many Irishmen first went to England as seasonal labourers, returning home for winter.
You need to look for John's parents on 1881 England census and earlier to work out how long they'd been there.

[Maiden Stone]

Another Patrick Doherty marriage from Staffordshire BMD: 1875 to Winifred McGeaver at Stoke.
Doherty birth registrations 1877 & 1879, mmn McGiver/McGever in Hanley district.

It occurred to me that if the 1881 death was the correct one and he was 62,  he may have been married before. I didn't see a death of a Winifred Doherty on either Staffs BMD or GRO.

[suee]

I was thinking along the same lines he may have married before, I ordered the marriage cert yesterday for his 1881 marriage to Catherine to see what it tells me. Ordered it from Newcastle , had email saying it's Stoke so got to re order today 😥