Richard’s surname is spelled as Hockin on his baptismal record from St. Hilary. It would appear that the surname was changed to Hocking with a ‘g’ by the 1841 census. According to an 1861 birth registration for his son, he was a tin miner. According to the 1881 British census, Richard was a Clogger, or maker of clog type shoes, and blind. Perhaps he became blind in a tin mining accident. Clogs were the common footwear of the day. Richard was also illiterate. When he signed his father’s death certificate, he used an X as his name. His wife’s death certificate states that he was also a sanitary engineer at some time during his life.