Thanks Viv. The holes are getting filled. You're right, it is Robert FREEMAN who married Ann SCARFF 17 Nov 1854 St Nicholas Liverpool. It doesn't help that the 1861 census has them indexed as "FIREMAN". Robert FREEMAN appears to be born in Skelmersdale about 1829-30. All their children were born in different places:
1. Thomas b abt 1857 Liverpool
2. Sarah A b abt 1859 Bootle
3. William b abt 1862 Linacre
4. Clara b abt 1864 Seaforth
5. Alfred b abt 1869 Walton
6. This one is tricky. 1881 census looks like "Jemison" age 9 born Waterloo. Marked "Daughter" but age in Male column.

We have it that Ann died in 1885. I didn't look any further, other than I can find Robert with his older brother in 1851 census and he is an ag lab in 1841, so that didn't find us his parents. He was a Gardner. I took a very quick look for him in 1891 but he didn't turn up.