« Reply #10 on: Friday 01 July 11 17:41 BST (UK) »
Thank you for all your replies. This is fascinating stuff. I only found him by accident after putting his mother's name into a search engine and getting the 1871 marriage details. I went back to the English censuses and found him living with an aunt and uncle on one census and his grandparents on the other.
John's parents were John and Dorinda Ranson and he was born in Colchester Essex. His father was from Suffolk.
Judy
Suffolk: Rowe, Scarfe, Brookes, Rands, Hart, Fuller, Buckle
Cornwall: Lobb, Palmer, Mutton, Burden, Veal
Devon: Haddy, Hayman, Burgoyne, Pinhey, Bond, Dayman, May
Ireland: Sheeran, Noone, Murray, Daly, Rooney, O'Frill, Friel, Rigney.
Australia. NSW: Benjamin Rowe