On the trail of an Engineer in the family: Benjamin Pason (Passen/Parsons) Wade

My great-grandmother Phoebe Caroline GIBSON was daughter of William Joseph James GIBSON and Phoebe Virginia WAKEFIELD.  My great-great-grandmother Phoebe Virginia was the daughter of Charles Saffary WAKEFIELD and Phoebe WADE.  Benjamin Pason WADE is named as Phoebe WADE’s father on her marriage certificate of 1853, with his occupation recorded as Engineer. I had  previously found a baptism record in the IGI for a Phoebe Ann WADE, daughter of Richard WADE, but  have to discount this connection because of the marriage certificate. 

There is a marriage record for a Benjamin Passen WADE and Sarah RICE in the IGI on 4 February 1822 at Spitalfields Christ Church, Stepney and a baptism entry for a Benjamin Rice WADE in January 1823 in Stepney who could well be their first son and Phoebe’s older brother. 

My (possibly) 4xgreat-grandfather Benjamin WADE, an 'Engineer of Steam Vessel' born in Whicham Norfolk, is found in the 1851 census with wife Sarah and a number of children, including three born in France.  Although Benjamin's name and occupation tie in with Phoebe's marriage certificate, and his age in 1851 (49) is not 'out of the way' for someone married in 1822, his son Benjamin was born (according to the census) in 1840, in France and their daughter Phoebe was born in 1834, not 1832 (although the actual age on the census form is very unclear and could well be 19 rather than 17).  It is possible, of course, that Benjamin Rice WADE b1823 died in infancy and a second son was named after him.  The IGI also has a christening record for William Benjamin WADE in 1835, son of Benjamin and Sarah in St George in the East.  Sarah is shown as born in St George in the East, Middlesex on the 1851 census.

Sarah appears to have been widowed by the 1861 census, where she's shown working as a laundress, with no other family members living with her.  The next step is to try to track backwards, and find out more about Benjamin WADE's earlier life, and his occupation as Engineer of a Steam Vessel.