Hi Irene,

Thank you for your query. I noted on the 1911 census that Ernest Philip Orton is at home on the night of the census with wife Blanche and children Hubert & John. Ernest’s second son is John Frederick so that links in nicely with the name of his father on his & Blanche’s marriage certificate. As Ernest is at home with his family we can be sure that this is the right Ernest. He says he was born in Monmouth, the 1911 census form was filled out by the head of the household (Ernest) so it would seem that he is convinced that he was born in Monmouth.

In the 1901 census, which was filled out by the enumerator from information provided by the head of the household Ernest is a boarder and Blanche his future wife is a visitor. The head of the household is a Thomas Edwards. Ernest is said to have been born in India and is a British subject.

The 1891 census entry is for an Ernest F Orton, is this Ernest? I was not a 100% convinced. I have found on the IGI which is now avaiable via the FamilySearch website a baptism for a Ernest Frederick Orton in 1874 in Dinapore, Bengal, India so I rather think this is who is at the boarding school in Derbyshire. He is the son of Frederick & Laura Orton. The other 2 children with the Orton surname at the boarding school are also sons of Frederick & Laura, one born in East Indies and one in Shanklin, Isle of Wight.

A search of the Families In British India website doesn’t bring forth any useful information.

There is a marriage in Brecknock in the June qrt 1877 for a John Frederick Orton, I wonder if this is the father of Ernest and is this why Ernest gave Monmouth for his place of birth in 1911? Even if you get this marriage certificate it sadly isn’t going to help.

A search of the Find My Past, Ancestry and The National Archives turned up nothing positive. Plenty of Orton’s, but nothing that jumped out at me.

I also searched FamilySearch and also the IGI without success.

So we are left not any further back than when we started. Was Ernest Philip Orton born in India or Monmouth? There isn’t a GRO Index entry for his birth in Wales and nothing on the Armed Forces Births Abroad Index. Is he the son of Frederick & Laura Orton, this would mean that John Frederick Orton used his middle name as his first name – not unusual to do this.

FindMyPast is slowly putting the Welsh parish registers online, Monmouthshire has yet to be added to the collection. I would suggest you wait until Monmouth is online and then see if there is any sign of a Ernest Philip Orton. Other than that I am afraid it is simply a case of keep search any and every avenue you come across!

Sorry not to be of more help.

Regards,

Linda