George ORTON ⁹⁶⁷

  Events

• Family: ⁹⁶⁷The ORTONS of Wapping

Their origin is unknown but they were well established early in the 19th century. George ORTON, the father, described variously as a butcher or a ship’s butcher was a man of some substance, obviously hard working and ingenious. He had two shops, one including a house in Smithfield, and ran a stable for Shetland ponies with workshops around the yard which he rented to artisans usually connected with the river and the sea. His date of birth is unknown but he died in 1865.

His wife, who died some years earlier, must have been a long suffering but robust woman since she gave birth to twelve children in about fifteen years two of whom died young. Two of the surviving sons had respectable and successful lives abroad. Two of the daughters married into the JURY family, one known as Mrs Captain JURY, the other as Mrs. Robert JURY. Another also married into a branch of the JURYS and emigrated to Australia.

Little is known of some of the ORTONS. The family consisted of:-

1. Thomas, born 27 August, 1819. He was involved in the Shetland pony enterprise.
2. Elizabeth, Mrs. Captain JURY, born 16 March. 1821.
3. Charles, born 5 June, 1822.
4. George, born 16 September, 1823.
5. Margaret, Mrs. Robert JURY, born 9 October, 1824.
6. Mary Ann, Mrs. TREDGETT, born 24 June, 1825.
7. William, born 21 March, 1827.
8. Robert, born 15 April, 1828.
9. Alfred, born 17 August, 1829.
10. Edmund, born 1 March, 1831.
11. Matilda, born 13 September, 1832.
12. Arthur, the Claimant, born 20 March, 1834.

The Claimant’s brother, Charles (known for some obscure reason as Prince Charlie) was an embarrassment all round. He boasted that Arthur gave him an allowance of £5 a month and promised him £2,000 when he came into his property as the Tichborne baronet.

He believed that the Claimant was abroad with the Chile Commission and asked Arthur’s wife and then his solicitor if there was any money for him. There wasn’t. Chagrin? Who knows? He approached the Tichborne family and made a statement asserting that the Claimant was indeed his brother. Later he retracted this.

On the contrary the JURY sisters never wavered saying that Arthur was not their brother even though he wrote from Australia addressing Mary Ann as his ‘dear and beloved sister’ and on arrival in England left his wife and went immediately to Wapping in search of the family.

Of the two expatriates who were sent photographs, one asserted he was his brother. The other said not. None of the ORTONS were called as witnesses by either side. Nothing is known of them subsequent to the trials. However, the family were not totally forgotten. There is still a rather shabby street named Orton Street not far from the river.

George married Mary KENT.