Thomas Palin b.1851 is on the 1861 census. It is transcribed wrong. I found him by looking for his brother William Palin b.1853 at Little Leigh, Cheshire. The address is Canal Cottage, Acton Bridge, Little Leigh, Cheshire. He is not there at all and his elder brothers have their names joined together Joseph James. His father Thomas is a labourer on the land born 1820 at Kinderton Cheshire but his birth is 1818 on the family tree. His wife Margrat is born in 1826 at Lostock Gralam. Joseph b.1847, James b.1849, Thomas b.1851 are born Newton Cheshire. William b.1853, Mary b.1855, John b.1857, Elizabeth b.1858, Samuel b.1860 are born at Little Leigh, Cheshire. The census for 1871 has his father Thomas at Finneys Lane, Newton, Northwich, Cheshire. Thomas Palin b.1821, Margarett b.1828, Samual b.1860 and Henry b.1868. The census for 1881 has his father Thomas at Shurlach, Northwich, Cheshire and he is a labourer on the canal. Thomas Palin is born in 1821, Margaret b.1830, Henry b.1868 and Margaret b.1873. I can find no record of Thomas and Hannah on the canals on the 1871 or 1881 census. The family tree is on palinfamily.tribalpages.com and it looks as if it could be the right one. The marriage certificate has Thomas Palins father as a labourer Thomas Palin. He also signs his own name so I do not think he came from a boating family. Chris.