Thank you for posting all the details Annette. I do have all of that information, and more, but I'm sure Sharon will find it interesting.
A few missing bits:
According to another researcher, not checked by me, Charles who married Susan was born abt. 1784, as was Susan. Perhaps the record found of his burial was mis-transcribed, he would have been closer to 33 not 23.
That same researcher has Charles and Susan with 5 children, John 1804, Charles 1806, Lewis 1807, Cornelius 1811 and Martha Ann 1814.
Prior to his marriage to Jane Craddock, Cornelius married Charity Talbot. Before the marriage she was a charity case
having a son John, bap 1830 with no father named. (There is documentation of communication between overseers of the poor.) Charity died 1853 in St Olave, which would explain why Cornelius marriage to Jane took place in that neighbourhood - St George Hanover Sq. 1854 although doesn't explain why Cornelius and Charity were in that area in the first place.
Jane died in 1875 in a lunatic asylum which might explain why the kids were scattered in 1871 if she was already in the asylum and Cornelius already dead.
In 1871 found a possibility for Thomas in a pub in Norwich which might explain why in 1891 census he shows Norwich as his birthplace.
I have detailed information on the prison records although nothing specifically which states when he was released, but it would certainly be before the 1890 marriage of Thomas and Emma.
I decided not to spend any more time or money researching further back, at least not until evidence comes up that shows Cornelius alive and well after 1890, or Thomas with publican Charles prior to that.
Just another note, during WWII my dad was on a train coming home on leave and met another fellow with the same name as my dad and during their discussion they realized they were related. Too bad I did not ask my dad at the time for more details. Anyway, using available online information, and without ordering any certificates or any other proof, I traced a *possibility* for that fellow back to Albert, younger brother of naughty Cornelius Thomas in Brandon. Food for thought