I can only think of checking the marriage of John Rice and Catherine Wynne to see his occupation and status. Then checking Julia’s death even though the ages are all over the place.
Heywood, thank you
This Julia Rice died in 1856 in Houghton le Spring aged 50 (says the Ancestry Index) not 60. Quite a way from Seaham, away from the coast.
I've had another close look at the Seaham censuses for 1851 and 1861.
I don't think the John Rice, lodging house keeper in John Street (over the other side of the railway), is our man.
On the 1861 there's another John Rice, labourer, aged 38, in exactly the same street (South Rail[way] Street) as the John Rice was with 'Turet' in 1851.
The back-South-Railway-street buildings in Seaham are gone now, but they were known as Little Irish Street in their day.
On the Seaham 1861, this John + Grace Rice have several young children with them. There's an obvious enumerator error with the first child which is given as M...l? daughter aged 14, married! Can't be right.
Grace is born in Scotland. Grace died 1868 aged 44 (registered in Sunderland).
The wife called Turet (on the 1851) was born in Ireland (or so it said).
But the 1851 Seaham census feels hurriedly done and none too accurate. Many people's ages are given as exactly 20 or 30 or 40 or 50, which seems much too convenient! Approximations?
Can we find a marriage anywhere for a John Rice + a Grace? Very late 1830s perhaps?
D
