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Sorry to appear ‘picky’, but solid blocks of text are very off-putting.

It would be really helpful if you could split your post into paragraphs for ease of comprehension. Thank you

Edward James’s occupation in 1871 is ‘Porter’

Please post the 1901 death record for our info

The census records would also be useful

Are you actually asking for help?

(from Steve Henley - Cerynne's dad) - A brother of my great-grandmother, he was born in 1854 in Brighton (son of Benjamin Button and Eleanor Stace), recorded in the 1861 and 1871 censuses - and then vanishes. His next three younger brothers (Arthur, Albert, and William Henry) all emigarted to Australia. William Henry returned to England in 1900. I've managed to trace what happened to each of them, and their descendants. All but Edward James.
There is a 1901 census entry which seems to list William Button and James Button, roughly the right ages, born in Brighton, Sussex but I'm very doubtful about this. The William Button in Kent has a family in Faversham in the early 1900s - with living descendants who are also perplexed about him - because William Henry Button at the same time, early 1900s, is recorded in Brighton where he goes through two marriages, has three children, is licensee of the Black Horse Inn in 1903, and is listed in the electoral rolls until his death in 1908. And after 1908 the William Buton in Kent is not seen again. But the census is the only documentary evidence I have found that links the two. As for Edward James, what did he do, where did he go, after 1871? And if the same one in 1901 (listed as a bricklayer) where was his home? He was just a 'boarder' in the Dartford home of William Button. I've scoured FindMyPast, Ancestry, the British Newspaper Archive as well as Trove and papers Past to search newspapers in Australia and New Zealand. Turned up zilch. (Why New Zealand? My g-grandmother's brother-in-law John Henley emigrated there with wife and children in April 1874). I'v e found a few possible sightings of Edward James in the US and Canada but nothing that grabs me as particularly likely. Seems that he preferred to be called James rather than Edward (all 3 censuses), but some of the more likely hits are Edward. Possible death in Dartford Q1 1901 but that is before the census date, and it only appears in FreeBMD, not in the GRO index. Odd. I'm fresh out of ideas.