Hi everyone, I just wanted to update on and summarise the research you all kindly performed on this family.
To summarise I was looking for Joseph Astell and his parents but could find no sign of him before 1861 when he appeared on a census and got married. He was 21 or 23 depending on whether the census or marriage certificate is correct.
Jonw65 found a Hassall family on the census in the right area and MaureeninNY found a marriage between Jane Short and Joseph Astle and later Jane Hassall (nee Short)and John Clemson, living in the right road which seemed to infer Astle and Hassall were the same. Jim1 then was able to confirm it did indeed look like the same family, but raised queries as to what happened to all the children. I am very thankful to you all for the amazing detective work.
I have summarised the findings below along with some more info I found.
Joseph Astle (or Hassall) married Jane Short in 1833 in Birmingham. Surname registered was Astle.
William was born in 1835 (baptised as Hassall) and died in 1838 (buried as Astle).
Joseph was born in 1837 (baptised as Hassall). He later used the surname Astell which continues to this day down the family.
Henry was born in 1840 - I can find no record of a baptism or death but he is on the 1841 census.
George was born 1839, died 1840. Buried as Astle.
Joseph Senior died in 1843 (as Hassall)
His Wife remarried in 1846 (as Hassall) and died in 1847.
So poor Joseph Astell had lost both parents and at least 2 brothers (and likely all 3 of them) by the time he was 10. Combined with the different surname used on a lot of records, this explains the struggle I had finding the family.
I am none the wiser as to whether the "real" surname is Hassall or Astle, but it definitely does not seem to be Astell.
Thanks again for all you input.
