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Louisa Maud,
I get the impression that Thomas was a bit of a rough diamond who had lived a fairly footloose and fancy-free life from quite an early age. I also sense that Hannah had been around the block a few times herself. She had had her child while in domestic service, which must have caused its own complications - the child was fostered out locally. It's possible that Thomas was the father of the child, but he never quite got round to describing her as 'daughter' in the censuses.

Yes, they were older than average when they married: Thomas 33; Hannah 28; but not excessively so.

I started a thread in Westmorland:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=797123.new;topicseen#new
and one of my respondents suggested broadening it to Cumberland.

It looks as though it might help me if anyone has access to the Muncaster marriage register. I seek the parents of Thomas Jackson, originally from Westmorland, who married Muncaster girl Hannah Rigg in 1863.

Or anything else known about TJ's migration to the Muncaster area. Was either of the mills at Broad Oak a bobbin mill where he might have worked, for instance?

This is one of those where I know the end of the story, but haven't a clue about the beginning. It concerns Thomas Jackson, whom I'll call "my TJ" in the hope it might improve clarity.

The earliest known census fix for my TJ  is in 1871, by which time he has definitely wandered over to the west coast of what was then Cumberland. He is living at 3 Tail End, Beckermet, then in the parish of Haile, with his wife (the former Hannah Rigg of Muncaster) and their young family. He describes himself as a 'sawyer of wood' from Strictland, Cumberland (no such place, as far as I know!). This location wavers in later censuses to Hugill (1881) and Ings (1891). His occupation and DOB stay reasonably consistent, including his GRO death registration in Apr-Jun 1892 (Bootle).

In other words my TJ almost certainly came from somewhere near Staveley, b.abt 1830.

Possible census sightings from earlier include:
1861: a TJ from Staveley visiting the Lindale family in Nether Wasdale. Listed as a 'mechanicks' - possibly fixing bobbin or saw mill machinery?
1851: a TJ from Westmorland boarding with Betty Leece (Hannah Rigg's aunt) in Broad Oak. Listed as a bobbin turner.
1841 (Option 1): a TJ aged 11 from Westmorland lodging with joiner John Gibson and his wife (nee Jackson) in Ambleside; (Option 2): a TJ aged 14 with parents and brothers at Goose Howe, Hugill.

I wouldn't normally give much credence to my 1841 Option 2 above, because of the age discrepancy, but:
1. I can't find any other trace of my TJ's parents.
2. The location might (just) be described as Ings (baptism place?) and Staveley (nearest village) as well as Hugill, although I still struggle with 'Strictland' (Strickland Ketel, maybe?).
3. My TJ called his first two children Robert and Agnes, which just happen to be the names of the parents at Goose Howe.
4. One of the brothers, Christopher, was also a bobbin turner - he went to Longtown.

Can anyone help me solve this conundrum?