Orford Genealogical Records

Orford Birth & Baptism Records

England & Wales Birth Index (1837-2006)

An index to births registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of birth certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.

British Birth and Baptism Records (1400-2010)

A collection of indexes and transcripts of birth and baptism records that cover over 250 million people. Includes digital images of many records.

FreeBMD Births (1837-1957)

An index to births registered at the central authority for England & Wales. The index provides the area where the birth was registered, mother's maiden name from September 1911 and a reference to order a birth certificate.

British Army Birth Index (1761-2005)

An index to births registered to British Army personal at home and abroad.

Birth Notices from The Times (1983-2003)

An index to over 100,000 birth and christening notices from The London Times.

Orford Marriage & Divorce Records

England & Wales Marriage Index (1837-2008)

An index to marriages registered throughout England & Wales. This is the only national marriage index that allows you to search by both spouse's names. Provides a reference to order copies of marriage certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.

Orford Marriage Registers (1813-1836)

An index to marriages in Orford listing the date of marriage and the names of the bride and groom.

Sudbury Archdeaconry Marriage Licences (1815-1839)

Abstracts of marriage licences from the Sudbury Archdeaconry. These records may contain more details than marriage registers, including occupations, ages and parents' names.

Sudbury Archdeaconry Marriage Licences (1782-1814)

Abstracts of marriage licences from the Sudbury Archdeaconry. These records may contain more details than marriage registers, including occupations, ages and parents' names.

Sudbury Archdeaconry Marriage Licences (1755-1781)

Abstracts of marriage licences from the Sudbury Archdeaconry. These records may contain more details than marriage registers, including occupations, ages and parents' names.

Orford Death & Burial Records

England & Wales Death Index (1837-2006)

An index to deaths registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of death certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.

St Bartholomew, Orford Burial Records (1538-1900)

An index of burials recorded at St Bartholomew, Orford_. The index includes the name of the deceased, the date of burial, age (where available) and occasionally other notes.

Suffolk Quaker Burials (1813-1837)

An index to burials recorded at Quaker meetings. The records contain the name of the deceased, the date they were buried and their age.

Deceased Online (1629-Present)

Images of millions of pages from cemetery and crematoria registers, photographs of memorials, cemetery plans and more. Records can be search by a name index.

British Death and Burial Records (1379-2014)

A collection of indexes and transcripts of death and burial records that cover over 140 million people. Includes digital images of many records.

Orford Census & Population Lists

1939 Register (1939)

An index to and digital images of records that detail 40 million civilians in England and Wales. Records list name, date of birth, address, marital status, occupation and details of trade or profession.

England, Wales, IoM & Channel Islands 1911 Census (1911)

The 1911 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.

Suffolk Hearth Tax Returns (1674)

A transcription of records naming those who had taxes levied against them for the privilege of owning a hearth.

Suffolk Hearth Tax Returns (1674)

A list of Suffolk householders and the number of hearths they possessed.

Suffolk Subsidy Returns (1568)

A list of taxes paid by heads of households.

Newspapers Covering Orford

Ipswich Journal, The (1748-1900)

A record of births, marriages, deaths, legal, political, organisation and other news from the Ipswich area. Original pages of the newspaper can be viewed and located by a full text search.

Ipswich Journal (1720-1800)

A local paper including news from the Ipswich area, legal & governmental proceedings, family announcements, business notices, advertisements and more.

Bury and Norwich Post (1801-1900)

A regional newspaper covering news and events in Norfolk and Suffolk. The newspaper contains numerous notices and articles useful to family historians, such as notices of birth, marriage and death.

The Colchester Gazette and General Advertiser (1814-1817)

A newspaper covering Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. Around 50% of issues from 1814-1817. Original images, searchable by an OCR index.

The Daily Herald (1926)

A London newspaper that later became The Sun.

Orford Wills & Probate Records

England & Wales National Probate Calendar (1858-1966)

Searchable index and original images of over 12.5 million probates and administrations granted by civil registries. Entries usually include the testator's name, date of death, date of probate and registry. Names of relations may be given.

Norwich Diocese Probate Index (1751-1818)

A searchable index to early wills proved in the Court of the Bishop of Norwich. Contains the name of the testator, year of probate, residence and occupation.

Norwich Diocese Probate Index (1370-1603)

A searchable index to early wills proved in the Court of the Bishop of Norwich. Contains the name of the testator, year of probate, residence and occupation.

Sudbury Archdeaconry Will Transcripts (1630-1638)

Full transcriptions of around 1,400 17th century wills from the Archdeaconry of Sudbury in Suffolk. Contains an index of all the people and places mentioned in the wills.

Sudbury Archdeaconry Will Transcripts (1439-1474)

Full transcriptions of several hundred early wills from the Archdeaconry of Sudbury in Suffolk.

Orford Immigration & Travel Records

Passenger Lists Leaving UK (1890-1960)

A name index connected to original images of passenger lists recording people travelling from Britain to destinations outside Europe. Records may detail a passenger's age or date of birth, residence, occupation, destination and more.

UK Incoming Passenger Lists (1878-1960)

A full index of passenger lists for vessels arriving in the UK linked to original images. Does not include lists from vessels sailing from European ports. Early entries can be brief, but later entries may include dates of births, occupations, home addresses and more. Useful for documenting immigration.

Victoria Assisted & Unassisted Passenger Lists (1839-1923)

An index to and images of documents recording over 1.65 million passengers who arrived in Victoria, Australia, including passengers whose voyage was paid for by others.

Alien Arrivals in England (1810-1869)

Details on over 600,000 non-British citizens arriving in England. Often includes age and professions. Useful for discerning the origin of immigrants.

17th Century British Emigrants to the U.S. (1600-1700)

Details on thousands of 17th century British immigrants to the U.S., detailing their origins and nature of their immigration.

Orford Military Records

History of the Suffolk Regiment (1685-1959)

An introductory history to an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army.

A Suffolk Regiment Calendar (1685-1962)

A calendar that lists most of the important dates in the history of the Regiment.

Suffolk WWI Memorials (1914-1918)

A list of names found on World War One monuments in Suffolk, with some service details.

Suffolk WWII Memorials (1914-1918)

A list of names found on World War Two monuments in Suffolk, with some service details.

Prisoners of War of British Army (1939-1945)

A searchable list of over 100,000 British Army POWs. Records contains details on the captured, their military career and where they were held prisoner.

Suffolk, Eastern Division Poll Book (1832)

A book recording people who voted, who they voted for and where the voter lived.

Suffolk Eyre Roll Civil Pleas (1240)

Transcriptions and translations of pleas brought before a court. They largely concern land disputes. A number of cases relate to Suffolk.

Act Books of the Archbishops of Canterbury (1663-1859)

An index to names and places mentioned in act books of the Province of Canterbury. It records various licences and conferments, such as marriage and physician licences.

Home Office Prison Calendars (1868-1929)

Records of over 300,000 prisoners held by quarter sessions in England & Wales. Records may contain age, occupation, criminal history, offence and trial proceedings.

Central Criminal Court After-trial Calendars (1855-1931)

Over 175,000 records detailing prisoner's alleged offences and the outcome of their trial. Contains genealogical information.

Orford Taxation Records

Poll for the Knights of Suffolk (1830)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Poll Book for the County of Suffolk (1790)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Poll Book for the County of Suffolk (1710)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Suffolk Hearth Tax Returns (1674)

A transcription of records naming those who had taxes levied against them for the privilege of owning a hearth.

Suffolk Hearth Tax Returns (1674)

A list of Suffolk householders and the number of hearths they possessed.

Orford Land & Property Records

Suffolk, Eastern Division Poll Book (1832)

A book recording people who voted, who they voted for and where the voter lived.

Poll for the Knights of Suffolk (1830)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Poll Book for the County of Suffolk (1790)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Poll Book for the County of Suffolk (1710)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Tithe Apportionments (1836-1856)

An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.

Orford Directories & Gazetteers

Kelly's Directory of Suffolk (1938)

A directory of settlements in Suffolk detailing their history, agriculture, topography, economy and leading commercial, professional and private residents.

Kelly's Directory of Suffolk (1927)

Descriptions of physical and geological landmarks, a listing of government offices and descriptions of the villages & parishes, including a list of the private Descriptions of physical and geological landmarks, a listing of government offices and descriptions of the villages & parishes, including a list of the private residents..

Kelly's Directory of Suffolk (1925-1926)

A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.

Kelly's Directory of Suffolk (1916)

A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.

Kelly's Directory of Suffolk (1912)

A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key historical and contemporary facts. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions. Also contains a list of residents and businesses for each place.

Orford Cemeteries

Suffolk Church Monuments (1300-1900)

Photographs and descriptions of Suffolk's most illustrious church monuments, often featuring effigies, medieval inscriptions and heraldic devices.

Deceased Online (1629-Present)

Images of millions of pages from cemetery and crematoria registers, photographs of memorials, cemetery plans and more. Records can be search by a name index.

Billion Graves (1200-Present)

Photographs and transcriptions of millions of gravestones from cemeteries around the world.

Mausolea and Monuments (1500-Present)

Profiles of several hundred mausolea found in the British Isles.

Maritime Memorials (1588-1950)

Several thousand transcribed memorials remembering those connected with the nautical occupations.

Orford Obituaries

iAnnounce Obituaries (2006-Present)

The UKs largest repository of obituaries, containing millions of searchable notices.

United Kingdom and Ireland Obituary Collection (1882-Present)

A growing collection currently containing over 425,000 abstracts of obituaries with reference to the location of the full obituary.

Quakers Annual Monitor (1847-1848)

A collection of 364 obituaries of Quakers from the British Isles. The volume was published in 1849 and includes obituaries of those who died in late 1847 through 1848.

Musgrave's Obituaries (1421-1800)

This transcribed and searchable work by Sir William Musgrave contains 10,000s of brief obituaries. The work is a reference point for other works containing information on an individual.

British Medical Journal (1849-Present)

A text index and digital images of all editions of a journal containing medical articles and obituaries of medical practitioners.

Orford Histories & Books

Victoria County History: Suffolk (1086-1900)

A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.

Suckling's History and Antiquities of Suffolk (1066-1846)

Describes the parishes in the three hundreds of Wangford, Mutford and Lothingland, in the north-east of the county.

Suffolk Church Histories (1000-Present)

Histories of Suffolk's parish churches, illustrated with a plethora of photographs.

Norfolk Church Histories (1000-Present)

Histories of Norfolk's parish churches, illustrated with a plethora of photographs.

Handbook: Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk & Cambridgeshire (1892)

A traveller's guide to four Southern counties.

Orford School & Education Records

National School Admission & Log Books (1870-1914)

A name index connected to digital images of registers recording millions of children educated in schools operated by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education. Records contain a variety of information including genealogical details, education history, illnesses, exam result, fathers occupation and more.

Teacher's Registration Council Registers (1870-1948)

A name index linked to original images of registers recording the education and careers of teachers in England & Wales.

Oxford University Alumni (1500-1886)

A name index linked to original images of short biographies for over 120,000 Oxford University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.

Cambridge University Alumni (1261-1900)

A transcript of a vast scholarly work briefly chronicling the heritage, education and careers of over 150,000 Cambridge University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.

Cambridge Alumni Database (1198-1910)

A searchable database containing over 90,000 note-form biographies for students of Cambridge University.

Orford Occupation & Business Records

Smuggling on the East Coast (1600-1892)

An introduction to smuggling on the east coast of England, with details of the act in various regions.

South England Mines Index (1896)

Profiles of coal and metal mines in the south of England.

Lost Pubs of Suffolk (1750-Present)

Short histories of former public houses, with photographs and lists of owners or operators.

British Trade Union Membership Registers (1870-1999)

An index to and images of registers recording over 3.7 million trade union members.

UK Medical Registers (1859-1959)

Books listing doctors who were licensed to operate in Britain and abroad. Contains doctor's residencies, qualification and date of registration.

Pedigrees & Family Trees Covering Orford

Victoria County History: Suffolk (1086-1900)

A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.

British & Irish Royal & Noble Genealogies (491-1603)

Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.

FamilySearch Community Trees (6000 BC-Present)

A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.

Debrett's Peerage (1923)

A searchable book, listing pedigrees of titled families and biographies of their members.

Dod's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage of Britian (1902)

A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.

Orford Royalty, Nobility & Heraldry Records

Victoria County History: Suffolk (1086-1900)

A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.

Suffolk Church Monuments (1300-1900)

Photographs and descriptions of Suffolk's most illustrious church monuments, often featuring effigies, medieval inscriptions and heraldic devices.

British & Irish Royal & Noble Genealogies (491-1603)

Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.

FamilySearch Community Trees (6000 BC-Present)

A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.

Visitation of England and Wales (1700-1899)

Over 600 pedigrees for English and Welsh families who had a right to bear a coat of arms.

Orford Church Records

Suffolk Church Histories (1000-Present)

Histories of Suffolk's parish churches, illustrated with a plethora of photographs.

Norfolk Church Histories (1000-Present)

Histories of Norfolk's parish churches, illustrated with a plethora of photographs.

Act Books of the Archbishops of Canterbury (1663-1859)

An index to names and places mentioned in act books of the Province of Canterbury. It records various licences and conferments, such as marriage and physician licences.

British Church Albums (1990-Present)

Photographs of churches of all denominations throughout England and part of Wales.

England Parish Registers (1914-2013)

Documentation for those baptised, married and buried at England. Parish registers can assist tracing a family back numerous generations.

Biographical Directories Covering Orford

Debrett's Peerage (1923)

A searchable book, listing pedigrees of titled families and biographies of their members.

Dod's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage of Britian (1902)

A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.

Dod's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage of Britian (1885)

A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.

Crockford's Clerical Directories (1868-1914)

Brief biographies of Anglican clergy in the UK.

The Concise Dictionary of National Biography (1654-1930)

A directory containing lengthy biographies of noted British figures. The work took over two decades to compile. Biographies can be searched by name and are linked to images of the original publication.

Orford Maps

Essex and Suffolk Maps (1360-1910)

A collection of maps plotting the counties of Essex and Suffolk, and some of their settlements.

Maps of Suffolk (1607-1886)

Digital images of maps covering the county.

UK Popular Edition Maps (1919-1926)

Detailed maps covering much of the UK. They depict forests, mountains, larger farms, roads, railroads, towns, and more.

Ordnance Survey 1:10 Maps (1840-1890)

Maps showing settlements, features and some buildings in mainland Britain.

Tithe Apportionments (1836-1856)

An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.

Orford Reference Works

England Research Guide (1538-Present)

A beginner’s guide to researching ancestry in England.

Parish Register Abstract (1538-1812)

Compiled in 1831, this book details the coverage and condition of parish registers in England & Wales.

Building History Research Guide (1066-Present)

A comprehensive guide to researching the history of buildings in the British Isles.

Surname Origins (1790-1911)

A service that provides advanced and custom surname maps for the British Isles and the US.

British Family Mottoes (1189-Present)

A dictionary of around 9,000 mottoes for British families who had right to bear arms.

Historical Description

Orford, a town situated 90 miles from London, near the union of the Ore and the Alde; it was once a large and considerable trading town, till the sea throwing up a dangerous bar at the harbour’s mouth, it consequently lost its harbour and fell to decay. It is small and ill-built, but it is a corporation and manor, although no parish, its church (which is rather handsome) being only a chapel of ease to Sudbourn, a village to the north-east. It had a charter with great privileges, granted by Richard the Third, and sent three ships and 62 men to the siege of Calais, in the year 1359.

Having sent to all the parliaments in the reign of Edward the First, it discontinued sending till the reign of Henry the Eighth; and it still continues to return two members to the British senate; It was incorporated by Henry the Third, and is governed by a mayor, recorder, eight portmen, and twelve capital burgesses.

At the west end of the town stands the castle; neither the builder, nor the time of its construction, are positively ascertained; but that it is of Norman origin seems evident, from its being coigned, and in some places cased with Caen stone. It was probably built about the time of the Conquest; and, according to a marvellous story, mentioned by Camden, from Ralph de Coggeshall, was in being in the reign of Henry the First, at which time Bartholomew de Glanvile was constable thereof. The story is this: —

In the sixth year of John’s reign, some fishermen took here a sea-monster in their nets, resembling a man in shape and limbs. He was given to the governor of Orford castle, who kept him several days; he was hairy in those parts of the body where hair usually grows, except the crown of his head, which was bald; his beard was long and ragged; he ate fish and flesh, raw or boiled; the raw he pressed in his hands before he ate it; he would not, or could not, speak; though to force him to it, the governor’s servants tied him up by the heels, and cruelly tormented him. He laid down on his couch at sun-set, and arose at sun-rising. The fishermen carried him one day to the sea, and let him go; having first spread three rows of strong nets to secure him; but he diving under them, appeared beyond them, and seemed to deride the fishermen; who giving him up for lost, returned home, but the monster soon followed them. He continued with them for some time; but being weary of living ashore, watched an opportunity, and stole away to sea.

The spot whereon the castle stands was, it is said, formerly the centre of the town: this tradition has the appearance of being founded on truth, from the great quantity of old bricks, stones, and other remains of buildings, constantly turned up by the plough, in the fields west and south of that edifice; besides several of them retain the name of street, annexed to their denomination of field; such as the West-street field, &c. all alluding to streets formerly there situated; and it is farther confirmed by the charter of the corporation, and other authentic records.

Of this castle there remains at present only the keep; its shape is a polygon of 18 sides, described within a circle, whose radius is 27 feet. This polygon is flanked by three square towers, placed at equal distances, on the west, north, east, and southeast sides; each tower measuring in front nearly 22 feet, and projecting from the main building 12 feet: they are embattled, and overlook the polygon, whose height is 90 feet, and the thickness of its walls at the bottom 20 feet: at the lower part they are solid; but above are interspersed with galleries, and small apartments. Lord Hertford once purposed to have this castle pulled down for the sake of the materials; but it being a necessary sea-mark, especially for ships coming from Holland, who, by steering so as to make the castle cover or hide the church, thereby avoid a dangerous sand-bank, called The Whiting, government interfered, and prevented his putting this design in execution.

A priory of Augustine Canons was founded here in the reign of Edward the First, which was granted to Robert Lord; and an hospital for a master and brothels, founded in the reign of Edward the Third.

Orford church, or rather chapel, dedicated to St. Bartholomew, when entire, was a very large and handsome building: the outside was ornamented with flint, and from the style of its chancel, appears to be of great antiquity; but the founder, and the date of its construction, are now unknown, though Grose conjectures it to have been built at the expence of the inhabitants of Orford, assisted by the lord of the manor, and the donations of other pious persons. Over the west door, in the square embattled steeple, is a niche, now vacant; and the porch is adorned with kings’ heads, six on the west, and five on the east side. The tracery of the windows is fine, and in good preservation. The inside consisted of three aisles; those of the body are still remaining; but the chancel having fallen to ruin, has been excluded by a wall built across the east end of the body. This chancel appears, from its remains, to have been of a workmanship far superior to the other portion of the edifice, and of much higher antiquity, probably of a date anterior to the castle itself; these remains consist of a double row of five thick columns, supporting circular arches, their height equal to their circumference, each measuring about twelve feet. The arches on their inner sides are decorated with the zigzag ornament; and all the carvings are sharp, and seem to have been highly finished: the columns are cased with hewn stone, the interior being filled with flint and sand. A singularity observable in them, is the different mode in which their surfaces have been decorated, so that even the opposite ones are not alike; they have in general cylindrical mouldings running from the base to the capital; some four, and others six, like small columns attached to the main shaft. In one of them the mouldings twist spirally round the column; in another, though they take the same direction, they are continued only in every second course of the stones of which it is composed; while in a third they cross each other lozenge fashion, and form an embossed net-work: others, which are square, have small columns at each of their angles. The time when this beautiful chancel was suffered to fall to ruin is not exactly known, though the monument of the Rev. Mr. Mason, once rector of Orford, seems to show that it was in tolerable repair about the year 1621, when that gentleman was buried, and had his monument erected in it, at an expence his executors would not have incurred had this chancel then been ruinous. This monument stands against the south wall, and is of marble: on it is the figure of Mr. Mason on his knees, praying at a desk, upon which a large book lies open; beneath is the following inscription: "Here lyeth Frauncis Mason; borne in the bishopric of Duresme; brought up in the universitie of Oxford; batchelour of divinitie; fellow of Marton college; after rector of Orforde, in Suffolk, where he built the parsenage-house; chapleyne to King James. The hooks which he writt testify his learninge. He married Elizabeth Price, daughter of Nicholas Price, vicar of Bissain, in Oxfordshire, by whom he had thre children. She erected this monument for him. He died in December, 1621.

"Prima Deo cui cura fuit sacrare labores,

Cui studium sacris invigilare libris,

Ecce sub hoc tandem requievit marmore Maso

Expectans Dominum speq; fideq; suum."

On a triangular tablet at the bottom: "In justice to the memory of so great a man, who was rector here eighty years, and above 110 years old, this monument was removed from the ruinous chancel, and repaired and set up here at the charge of the present incumbent, Josiah Alsop, B. D. anno 1720."—In this last inscription, as Grose justly observes, are two great mistakes; one respecting the age, and the other the time that Mr. Mason held the rectory of Orford. In Wood’s Athenae Oxonienses there is an account of him, in which he is said to have been born in 1566, and made rector of Orford in 1597: according to the monument, he died in 1621; so that his age could not exceed fifty-five, or his incumbency twenty-four years.

Orford chapel contains various other funeral memorials, particularly a coffin-shaped stone, with a cross-fleury, and several brass plates, put down about the time of Queen Elizabeth, or James I. The arches dividing the aisles of the body are pointed. The font is very elegant, and apparently ancient; it has the following inscription round the edge, but is without date: "Orate pro animabus Johannis Cockerel et Katerine uxoris ejus qui istam fontem in honore Dei fecerunt fieri."

Orford has a mean town-hall, and an assembly-house, a plain brick building, erected about fifty years ago by the Marquis of Hertford, but very little used. The decline of this town is ascribed to the loss of its harbour, from the retiring of the sea, and a dangerous bar thrown up at its mouth by that overwhelming element. In Orford river there is a considerable oyster-fishery, though there are no regular pits for the preservation of the fish. In 1810, licences to dredge for them were granted by the Marquis of Hertford to eighty vessels, at one guinea each.

This town gave the title of Earl to the late Lord Walpole. The market-day is on Monday; and the town consisted, according to the late population act, of 216 houses, and 1119 inhabitants.

Topography of Great Britain (1829) by George Alexander Cooke

ORFORD is a parish and small coast town, attached to Sudborn, anciently called Sudborn-cum-Capella de Orford, 5 miles above the mouth of the river Ore, which is navigable as far as Snape bridge, 5 miles south-west from Aldborough terminal station on a branch of the Great Eastern railway, 20 east-north-east from Ipswich, 12 east from Woodbridge and 89 from London, in the South Eastern division of the county, Plomesgate hundred and union, Woodbridge petty sessional division and county court district, rural deanery of Orford, archdeaconry of Suffolk and diocese of Norwich. It formerly had a corporation, styled “the Mayor and Commonalty of the Borough of Orford,” which ceased to exist 25th March, 1886, under the “Municipal Corporations Act, 1883” (46 and 47 Vict. c. 18). The municipal income, amounting to about £250 a year, and arising from the rent of land and river dues, is for the present managed by trustees, under direction of the Charity Commissioners. The church of St. Bartholomew is an ancient stone building in the Early English style, consisting of clerestoried nave of five bays, aisles, south porch and a western tower (a portion of which fell down in 1829), containing 5 bells, only one of which is now hung: the chancel, which was of a much earlier date, has been in ruins for the last two centuries: in the north aisle is a marble kneeling figure of the Rev. Francis Mason, author of “Vindicise Ecclesiae Anglicanse,” ob. 1621: there are several brasses of various dates and a piscina in each aisle: the ancient font has carved figures on its sides: in 1895—6 the nave was restored and the roof raised to its original pitch, and in 1900 the south aisle and south porch were completely restored. The register dates from the year 1538. The living is a chapelry, annexed to the rectory of Sudborn, joint net yearly value £340, with 8 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of the Crown, and held since 1877 by the Rev. Edwd. Maude Scott. There is a small Primitive Methodist chapel, and a mission room where services are held weekly 11 times a year. The parish lending library consists of about 200 volumes; there is also a lending library at the mission room, founded by the late Miss Mary Crisp in March, 1858.

The recreation ground, of about 5 acres in extent, was presented to the parish by the late Sir Richard Wallace bart. K.C.B. in 1883. Large quantities of oysters are taken in the river Ore. There is some trade in corn and coal, and here is a coastguard station. The market, formerly held on Monday, has been discontinued. There is a Yacht Club here, and a regatta is held annually in August. About 1 ½ miles east of the town is a lighthouse called the High Light, on one side of the point called Orfordness, and 4 miles south-east from this is a floating light. Of Orford Castle, a Norman fortress, partly built of Caen stone, the keep alone, which stands on the summit of the hill, commanding a fine view and serving as a sea mark, now remains it is a polygon of eighteen sides described within a circle of 27 feet, and is 90 feet high, with three square embattled towers flanking it on the west, north-east, south-east and rising above the parapet: the centre apartment was restored, and furniture placed there for the convenience of visitors, in 1831, by the third Marquess of Hertford. The town was formerly much larger than it now is, the castle then stood in the centre, and there were three churches; foundations of houses have been frequently ploughed up in the neighbouring fields north and west of the castle. Arthur Herbert Edward Wood esq. of Sudbourne Hall, is lord of the manor and principal landowner. The soil is loam, sand and clay; subsoil, sand and rock. The chief crops are wheat, barley and beans. The area is 2,693 acres of land, 9 of water, 317 of tidal water and 231 of foreshore; the rateable value of Orford is £3,068; the population in 1891 was 987.

National School (mixed), erected in 1872, for 250 children; average attendance, 150.

Kelly's Directory of Suffolk (1900)

Most Common Surnames in Orford

RankSurnameIncidenceFrequencyPercent of ParentRank in Plomesgate Hundred
1Smith461:270.60%1
2Ling451:275.56%42
3Whayman261:4734.21%953
4Smy241:5114.12%443
5Good221:5515.38%528
6Mallett181:687.59%313
7Ellis161:763.01%96
8Wade151:813.87%155
8Fitch151:816.47%317
8Worn151:8168.18%2,213
11Burwood141:8710.45%558
12Brown131:940.51%2
12Barnard131:942.90%126
12Crisp131:943.02%129
12Sharman131:942.75%117
12Buckingham131:949.85%568
17Markham121:1024.82%291
17Riches121:1022.83%130
17Barham121:1025.61%343
17Brinkley121:1027.59%477
21Ward111:1110.89%14
21Mann111:1111.61%64
21Thurston111:1113.29%201
21Pead111:11117.74%1,106
25Lewis101:1222.36%132
25Cooper101:1220.61%10
25Howard101:1221.39%59
25Nunn101:1220.73%12
25Knights101:1221.06%29
25Rope101:12226.32%1,562
25Bantoft101:12216.39%1,123
32Farrow91:1351.29%61
32Ashley91:13533.33%1,975
32Foreman91:1352.54%184
32Blowers91:1352.66%194
32Tricker91:1352.25%151
32Teager91:13525.71%1,649
32Worne91:135100.00%3,717
39Martin81:1520.92%34
39Bray81:1528.42%782
39Childs81:15213.11%1,123
39Nickels81:15242.11%2,429
39Hacon81:15216.67%1,318
39Hause81:152100.00%4,007
39Feveryear81:152100.00%4,007
46Hunt71:1740.71%26
46Andrews71:1740.89%46
46Greenwood71:1746.80%731
46Francis71:1741.38%104
46Chambers71:1741.80%155
46Randall71:1745.98%633
46Drew71:17412.96%1,231
46Edmonds71:1746.73%726
46Buxton71:1743.63%387
46Fairweather71:1742.62%264
46Gentry71:17415.22%1,356
46Stobbs71:174100.00%4,408
46Pallant71:1742.63%265
46Dowsing71:1746.86%742
46Culham71:1749.86%1,008
46Strowger71:1747.37%782
62Cook61:2030.30%5
62Lee61:2031.76%189
62Fisher61:2030.90%69
62Holland61:2033.19%403
62Cross61:2031.18%105
62Lucas61:2033.17%398
62Hare61:20310.00%1,146
62Meadows61:2031.44%137
62Mumford61:2035.94%747
62Girling61:2030.90%67
62Rock61:203100.00%4,877
62Aldous61:2031.19%107
62Borrett61:2032.86%350
62Brundell61:20319.35%1,814
62Whyard61:2039.09%1,056
62Blowem61:203100.00%4,877
78Chapman51:2440.56%32
78Webb51:2440.45%18
78Moss51:2440.80%72
78Tucker51:2447.81%1,080
78Driver51:2441.47%191
78Blackman51:24471.43%4,408
78Pettitt51:2442.55%378
78Thurgood51:24417.24%1,891
78Gissing51:2444.24%629
78Beazer51:244100.00%5,441
78Faires51:24412.82%1,525
78Isenbiel51:24483.33%4,877
78Grunsill51:244100.00%5,441
91Wilson41:3050.69%82
91Wright41:3050.18%4
91Green41:3050.27%11
91Scott41:3050.54%56
91Baker41:3050.24%9
91Bell41:3052.02%375
91Gibbs41:3051.61%291
91Butcher41:3050.38%23
91Gould41:3053.51%654
91Dennis41:3052.94%550
91Boyce41:3052.01%372
91Cobb41:3052.67%497
91Laws41:3052.14%404
91Southgate41:3050.72%90
91Welham41:3050.71%87
91Fairhead41:3055.71%1,019
91Browse41:305100.00%6,084
91Kennelly41:305100.00%6,084
91Squirrel41:30511.76%1,694
91Raymer41:30516.00%2,072
91Nettlingham41:305100.00%6,084
91Goodswin41:305100.00%6,084
113Simpson31:4060.40%55
113Russell31:4063.26%810
113Ford31:4060.62%113
113Murphy31:40620.00%2,754
113Woods31:4060.24%15
113Barber31:4060.32%28
113Lamb31:4062.78%699
113Underwood31:4061.01%234
113Leech31:4060.88%193
113Maynard31:40620.00%2,754
113Billing31:40615.00%2,347
113Playford31:4065.66%1,243
113Moy31:40615.79%2,429
113Haws31:40612.00%2,072
113Metson31:406100.00%6,900
113O'Borne31:406100.00%6,900
113Keer31:40611.11%1,975
113Berrett31:40660.00%5,441
113Beaston31:40633.33%3,717
113Lewcock31:40633.33%3,717
113Fareweather31:40675.00%6,084
113Größing31:406100.00%6,900
113Lebone31:406100.00%6,900
136Evans21:6100.96%351
136White21:6100.28%60
136Robinson21:6100.24%38
136King21:6100.10%6
136James21:6100.54%172
136Stewart21:6103.23%1,106
136Collins21:6100.33%76
136Thomson21:61011.76%2,583
136Mills21:6100.20%27
136Gibson21:6101.35%509
136Sutherland21:61020.00%3,464
136Abbott21:6100.30%68
136Burrows21:6100.35%85
136McFarlane21:61040.00%5,441
136Humphreys21:61010.53%2,429
136Ballard21:6104.17%1,318
136Jefferies21:6103.51%1,182
136Nicoll21:610100.00%7,894
136Snowden21:6102.30%843
136Fisk21:6100.34%79
136Ely21:6101.33%497
136Pryke21:6100.42%114
136Cattermole21:6100.84%313
136Orford21:6102.15%800
136Tompson21:6106.67%1,861
136Precious21:6105.13%1,525
136Nottage21:61022.22%3,717
136Pulham21:6101.46%545
136Churchyard21:6100.94%349
136Mealing21:61020.00%3,464
136Dennington21:6103.28%1,123
136Nicklen21:610100.00%7,894
136Buff21:61066.67%6,900
136Clouting21:6103.45%1,167
136Syred21:61011.11%2,498
136Runnacles21:6103.33%1,146
136Tunmore21:61022.22%3,717
136Ruthen21:6105.56%1,620
136Balgarnie21:610100.00%7,894
136Verrent21:610100.00%7,894
176Turner11:1,2190.06%8
176Hill11:1,2190.24%136
176Young11:1,2190.93%705
176McDonald11:1,2192.86%1,649
176Mitchell11:1,2190.27%173
176Anderson11:1,2191.22%894
176Foster11:1,2190.30%203
176Murray11:1,2192.86%1,649
176McKenzie11:1,2194.00%2,072
176Henderson11:1,2192.63%1,562
176Grant11:1,2192.27%1,403
176Morrison11:1,21914.29%4,408
176Nicholson11:1,2195.00%2,347
176Gordon11:1,21914.29%4,408
176Miles11:1,2190.41%295
176Hammond11:1,2190.08%13
176Kerr11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Alexander11:1,2190.32%226
176Pratt11:1,2190.30%203
176Higgins11:1,2193.57%1,927
176Jarvis11:1,2190.32%223
176Bryant11:1,2190.40%278
176Short11:1,2190.97%731
176Andrew11:1,2194.76%2,275
176Hutton11:1,2192.86%1,649
176Goodman11:1,2192.27%1,403
176Ramsay11:1,21910.00%3,464
176Storey11:1,2191.32%953
176Reeve11:1,2190.13%45
176Garrett11:1,2190.67%503
176Irvine11:1,21914.29%4,408
176Forsyth11:1,21933.33%6,900
176Crane11:1,2190.25%152
176Bland11:1,2191.56%1,080
176Stanton11:1,2191.72%1,167
176Harrington11:1,2191.19%870
176Peck11:1,2190.13%50
176Bloomfield11:1,2190.11%33
176Broom11:1,2190.49%363
176Squire11:1,2192.17%1,356
176Meek11:1,2196.67%2,754
176Beaton11:1,21914.29%4,408
176Pearse11:1,2191.11%824
176Cotterill11:1,21950.00%7,894
176Whitmore11:1,2190.97%731
176Last11:1,2190.08%16
176Pirie11:1,21933.33%6,900
176Murrell11:1,2191.08%800
176Lyall11:1,21933.33%6,900
176Whiteman11:1,2194.35%2,163
176Peat11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Seager11:1,2190.78%579
176Nairn11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Leek11:1,2191.82%1,214
176Place11:1,2193.45%1,891
176Bernard11:1,21920.00%5,441
176Grimwood11:1,2190.17%78
176Stoneman11:1,21950.00%7,894
176Boreham11:1,2190.36%255
176Hutson11:1,2195.56%2,498
176Gear11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Scarlett11:1,2190.65%488
176Baggott11:1,2191.61%1,106
176Pryde11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Wetherall11:1,21950.00%7,894
176Ablett11:1,2190.93%699
176Buist11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Dunmore11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Bathe11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Plane11:1,2195.26%2,429
176Kersley11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Cromarty11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Juby11:1,2191.28%935
176Chatten11:1,2192.00%1,292
176Ablitt11:1,2190.65%488
176Wolton11:1,2190.97%731
176Toller11:1,2195.00%2,347
176Gayford11:1,2194.76%2,275
176Pritt11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Markin11:1,2194.76%2,275
176Lyster11:1,21950.00%7,894
176Aylesbury11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Beatton11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Polton11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Instance11:1,21925.00%6,084
176Potkins11:1,2193.70%1,975
176Maplestone11:1,21910.00%3,464
176Hawse11:1,21933.33%6,900
176Pannifer11:1,2194.76%2,275
176Aimers11:1,219100.00%9,362
176McReynolds11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Burham11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Kieser11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Chalten11:1,21916.67%4,877
176Banloft11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Midd11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Fhilo11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Jassemine11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Karmely11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Rimwood11:1,219100.00%9,362
176Sygers11:1,219100.00%9,362