Hello AH and welcome to the site.
I have spent some time reading through your note and checking various bits and pieces and then reading again and again.
After my final check I have to say that I am doubtful about the connection to Bartholomew.
What I do know about Thomas is that he was still alive in 1841 when he was living at Crowan with wife Sally and a number of the children.
In 1851 Sally was a widow with one daughter, Jane, and three grandchildren living at home.
Sally stated her birthplace as St Hilary and gave her age as 69 which is remarkably accurate.
These details along with the fact that a Richard Taylor was a witness to her marriage suggests she was baptised at St Hilary 29th September 1782 daughter of Richard and Prudence.
We also know from this that Thomas died sometime between June 1841 and April 1851.
Taking all known information into account this narrows the field down to one burial:-
Thomas Hocking of Crowan age 67 buried 11th November 1845 at Crowan
As Sarah's details in 1851 appear to be accurate I think it is a reasonable assumption that Thomas was indeed aged 67 when he died.
That being the case then his birth would have occurred about 1778.
Even allowing for a year or two either side we are looking for a birth/baptism around about 1777-1780.
The one Thomas Hocking baptised at Camborne in 1777 appears to have been buried at Camborne in 1834 age 57.
Thomas son of Bartholomew would have been 64 or possibly 65 in 1845 so must be considered less likely.
But we have to possibilities at St Hilary who were both baptised in 1778 and I believe Thomas was one of these.
6th May 1778 Thomas son of Richard and Margaret
22nd November 1778 Thomas son of Thomas and Catherine
Either could be the right one but I would be more inclined towards the son of Richard and Margaret as both names appear among the children of Thomas and Sarah.
Looking at the names of children is always a worthwhile excercise and it is often this that provides the clues to the correct answer.
From the Taylor side we have a Richard and also a Prudence which helps support the conclusion of Sarah's baptism and we also have Sarah.
On the Hocking side the possible names we would 'like to see' that might help identify Thomas would be Thomas, Catherine, Richard and Margaret.
We certainly have a Thomas and then we have Richard and Margaret ................. but there is no Catherine!
This part of the excercise is the one I usually like.
Thomas and Sarah had SEVEN daughters and FOUR sons which gives us quite a bit to play with.
Sarah - named for her mother
Prudence - named for her maternal grandmother
Margaret - possibly named for her paternal grandmother
Elizabeth -
Mary -
Martha -
Jenifer -
Thomas - named for his father
Richard - probably named for his maternal grandfather but possibly also for his paternal grandfather
John -
Simon -
Most notably there is NO Catherine, NO Bartholomew and NO Theodosia.
There is enough evidence to suggest a common naming pattern so the omission of these names I think is important.
Everything seems to be pointing to Richard and Margaret being the parents of Thomas but it is not yet conclusive so I need to think about the other names.
Nothing really spectacular about Elizabeth, Mary, Martha or Jenifer in the girls names.
And John is certainly not a standout name for a son.
But SIMON is another matter all together!
There appears to have been no Simon in the Taylor families in Cornwall from what I can see in the IGI but it IS a name that can be found in the Hocking families.
Unfortunately the nearest Simon to have been of the same generation as Thomas was over at Falmouth.
Hmmm - another slight problem has arisen!
The wife of Richard Hocking was not Margaret at all
but instead was MARGERY as I found out when looking at the original marriage record.
I am going to have to think some more on this now although I am reasonably confident that there is no immediate connection to Bartholomew.
CT