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Hi Howard - I have news for you. Thomas Sylven was born as Thomas Sullivan in Ireland c1824/5. See 1841 census for Birmingham where he can be found using his birth name aged 17 and a gun maker. I also suggest you look up the Old Bailey court records at oldbaileyonline.org where you will discover Thomas was a bigamist.  I know of 3 marriages plus one more relationship producing children but for which we have not yet found a marriage. These are: (1) Charlotte Elizabeth Blanks 1845 Whitechapel, Middlesex (now east London); Thomas used the name Sullivan for this one only (2) Emily Maria Laker 1853 Mortlake, Surrey (3) Maria Lee - no marriage found, children born between 1862 & 1865 & we know they were living as man & wife in the 1861 census (4) Annie Maria Slaughter 1887 Bromley, Kent, Register Office. He divorced Charlotte in 1871 so the Laker marriage was bigamous & the Slaughter marriage legal. I hope this helps you.