Thanks to the 1911 census, I know that Cornelius William is definitely him, as it is there in his own handwriting - born Liverpool; he must have decided to "lose" his family after that.
Since originally posting, I have gone back a generation, and made contact with a few people on Genes Reunited who have connections with this family. If anyone on here has a connection, I'd be glad to hear from them
John Townsend (born Horndon-on-the-Hill, Essex), and his wife Sarah had children John, James Henry, Henry, Maria, Cornelius William, Catharine Emily, Thirza, Joshua and Phoebe Eliza, most of whom were born in Langdon Hills