being off is quite usual when you start with a tree to which you want to stem graft - hence the oft repeated rule work back from what you know.

Re Edward's parents - easy answer 'with difficulty' - Braddan wardens judging from other years I've looked at didn't bother to present 'fallen' women - I havn't as yet transcribed the names in the 1827 or 1828 presentments - a quick look at 1827 + 1828 photos doesn't show any Braddan presentments which absence is also true in most other years (other parishes would just indicate parish of the male) - maybe they considered all Douglas women chaste but Malew could find over 10 each year to present and most other parishes around 4 or 5 - or maybe the documents I looked at were 'weeded' to remove Braddan/Douglas presentments) - Lucy/lousia would appear to have married with young child - usually when this happens the woman is 2nd wife to a widower with young children who is thus in urgent need of a wife - it may well be that Edward died between the couples engagement and any planned marriage, if so the woman I suspect would be viewed with more sympathy and more easily find a partner willing to accept child.

Re parents I'd guess a local boy (Braddan/Onchan etc) rather than one from the more distant parishes and probably similar age to Lucy - illegitimate births (based on detailed UK studies) would appear to be mainly failed engagements and thus age of parties would be very similar to thos of 1st child in a marriage

Off Island research is actually easier for IoM than for many other places as the mormons filmed virtually the entire Rolls Office records but this does require easy access to a Fam Hist centre and the willingness to hire films - however the wills so useful in 18th C and earlier are much less useful for the gap in early 19th C before detailed censuses.