Gerard Jacob Van Helden was born in 1848 in the small town of Gouda,Gouda is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. Gouda, which is famous for its Gouda cheese and smoking pipes. It was granted its city rights in 1272. the Netherlands. His father was a Hide and Skin Merchant. Gerard Jacob Van Helden was educated at a boarding school in Turnhout, Belgium, where he learnt English, French and German languages.Newspaper article, A Famous Detective's Death. Evening Telegraph, 14 June 1901. Viewed November 2013. After he left school he went to work for his father and was sent to Bermondsey Market, London, to do some trading. He was engaged by a company to go to Paris, which came under siege by the Prussian Army just after his arrival. For about two months, he was engaged in helping the French outside the fortifications constructing barricades, etc. and then was involved in preparing food for the population, at which he was, reputedly, very efficient. At the end of May 1871, the Prussians entered ParisWeb site Military History viewed December 2013. http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/battleswars1800s/p/siegeofparis.htm and Gerard Van Helden left making his way back to London. Three days later he arrived in London and two weeks later he arrived in Birmingham and joined the city Police force.Newspaper article, Superintendent Gerard Van Helden. The Birmingham Post, February 1895. Viewed April 2012.
