Hi Sue

Thanks for the tip. I'm so used to going straight to "IGI" in Familysearch, I'd completely overlooked the fact that there's an 1881 census index there. I feel really stupid !

Karen, I had a look at the 2 Robert Corletts you mentioned who were mariners in 1871:

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"I have since found a Robert on the 1871 census, as a mariner aboard 36 Maggie in German, who is 25 and married.
There is also a Robert aged 40 aboard 105 Persia, Marown but it doesn,t specify whether he is married (Genealogist)"

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Have you come to the conclusion that the 25 year old would have been too young to be John's father in 1861/62 ?

The 40 year old Robert on board "Persia" (1871 IOM Vessels district Persia ) interestingly has his residence given as "Maughold". As for his marital condition, although the writing is terrible, to me it looks more like some of the other "married" entries than the "unmarried" ones. If that were the case, perhaps there's a Mrs Corlett, Head, mariner's wife, with an 8 year old son, John, in Ramsey, although I can't find them.

Jean C