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Thank you so much, Jorose, for all that information.  Some of which I already have but my Helsen research notes are all rather muddled.

I have been looking at the notes passed to me by my husband's cousin, Paul, who died recently, and his mother (youngest daughter of Victor and Blanche, Eve Yolande Helsen) remembered a Grand'pere Coulon but he thought it was a different branch of the family.  He wasn't computer literate so did not have access to all the records.
 
I am interested in what sort of institution Sophie and Claud Victor Coulon were in on the 1911 census, along with many other French nationals.  I will have to look that up.
Eve Yolande (later called Yvonne) and her husband Philip Oliver had an apartment in Brighton which cousin Paul inherited and kept on for many years.

It would appear that there are also connections to Belgium and Flanders through several branches of the family.  There are many people named Helsen in the Antwerp area of Belgium to this day.  I have made a tentative connection to a Jean Francois Helsen and his wife Marie Ann (nee de Marteau) whose family seems to come from Flanders.  I think he might be the father of Victor's father, Gerard Hubert Helsen.

Gerard's first wife Jeanne Catherine Pittoors has a Belgian name too.

No nearer to finding the missing children in 1911 but you have given me lots to work on.

Thanks again
Carole

Thank you Jorose

I have searched everywhere for the younger children on the 1911 census.  I don't think there were any other branches of the Helsen family in England at the time.  Also I cannot find the Cantin family so they may well have returned to France.

I agree with you that it is odd that it is the younger children who are missing.  I am wondering if Victor just forgot to put the younger ones on the form!  I know it sounds silly but he could have been disturbed whilst filling it in and never gone back to it to add them on.

I have learned over the past few years just how difficult it is to research French ancestors.  We are so lucky in this country.
Thanks for your help.

Carole

I am trying to find out more about my 3 x Great Grandfather John Meek who, at the time of the baptism of his children, was a Clerk at Fort Pitt, Chatham. 

I cannot find his birth date but his children were Mary Ann Meek B 1811, Elizabeth Massett Meek B 1814, Sarah Meek B 1817, Charlotte Meek B 1819 (all baptised at St Mary, Chatham) and John Meek B 1820 (my 2 x Gt Grandfather). 

I have John Meek (senior) as marrying Mary Ann Inment Brayley at St Mary the Virgin in Dover in 1808 but someone else, who has this John Meek in their tree, has him as marrying Mary Ann Norwood in 1806 in Marylebone. 

I only have the online record of the marriage to Mary Ann Inment Brayley so cannot prove it but, according to their online tree, the person who has him marrying Mary Ann Norwood has no proof either.

I am wondering if there are any records for Fort Pitt which could give me the date of birth or any other information of my 3 x Great Grandfather, John Meek.

Thank you everyone. 

I have looked on the website and am still not sure what can be gained by sending for copies as the information you get back seems to be the same as the information already available on Ancestry.

Anyway, I will ask my friend if he wants me to go any further with this.

Thanks
Carole

Thank you Elwyn.  That is very helpful. 
Maybe I am reading too much into the fact that one of the sons was missing presumed dead.  It may be that the assets were distributed in 1896 but, as you say, something else came to light in 1914.
I am very grateful for the help.
Carole