I came across your request, and you may have possibly found who you are looking for, but if not I might have found your Thomas O'Connor on the 1861 census. A Thomas Conner, born 1825, is registered as a French Polisher in the registration district of the Strand, London. I don't have access to actually look at the census form, so I don't know the other members of his household, but a Thomas was born 1853 appears on the census in the same district.
Hope this is of interest.