John Howell is my GGGF and the earliest record I can find is 1881 Census living at at Mina Court, Blackfriars (28 Years a general labourer born Surrey Southwark). He is with 'wife' Ellen although I don't think they ever married. After her death in childbirth in 1888 he married Esther Thurbin and the marriage record has him a bachelor (not widower) and father William, a fish salesman.
All Ellen's family lived around the small area between Waterloo and Blackfriars Bridge Roads.
I suspect John is the same John Howell aged 4 in the 1861 Census at 29 Jurston Street. In the 1851 census The Howells are at 23 Gun Street (a stones throw) with Head William and wife Mary, so I have been digging deeper to eliminate that line.
By 1861 William is no longer in the census. Charles 15, Anne 11 and William 8 are all by William and Mary (maiden name Murphy). Frederick 6, John 4 and James 2 do not come up at GRO or other records as MMN Murphy and I cannot find any birth or baptisms records that definitively identify these three boys. Peculiarly, in May of 1861 Mary Howell (maiden name Murphy) of 29 Jurston Street did have another child, Mary, with William, a costermonger, named as father. There was a lodger, Margaret Murphy , in 1861 who may have been related.
I cannot definitively identify the family in 1871, although by now the older children would probably have flown the nest and there are various similar name/age Charles etc. locally lodging at various addresses.
I am local and willing to plough through non on line records etc. if anyone can help with hints and tips what to do/check next. You have all been so helpful to date with many heads better than one.
